The RSPB Bempton Cliffs column with Ivan Nethercoat
If lots of birds are your thing, RSPB Bempton Cliffs is where you can satisfy your cravings.
This is peak bird season up here with 300,000 birds on nests and around 100,000 chicks.
What’s even better is that when you live so close you can experience the cliffs in the evening.
Far fewer people and birds resting on the almost vertical chalk face makes for a different experience and if there’s also a good sunset the magic amplifies.
Puffins are often easier to see in the evening as they come back to the cliffs to rest and the sun setting over the east coast is an unforgettable experience.
If you want some guidance as to what you’re seeing or stories from the nature reserve then you can join us for a ‘Sunset Seabird Safari’, an evening stroll around Bempton taking in the sights, sounds and smells of our fantastic seabird colony 'out of hours'.
You can still ‘borrow’ a guide for a bespoke tour as well or indeed come for an early morning walk on the cliffs. All details are on our website rspb.org.uk/bemptoncliffs.
Seeing this wildlife spectacle it’s often easy to forget that all is not good for our wildlife away from nature reserves. The UK is one of the most nature depleted countries and the RSPB is constantly pushing at the wheels of power to change this. One big challenge comes in the shape of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill
The UK government has claimed that it offers huge ‘win-win’ opportunities to boost nature, whilst supporting ambitions to build new houses, roll-out renewables, and drive economic growth. In its current form, this is simply not true. In fact, it puts wildlife at serious risk – fundamentally undermining the government’s manifesto promise to restore nature.
And it’s not just RSPB fighting this. Over 30 leading environmental organisations, including the RSPB, The Wildlife Trusts and the National Trust, have raised the alarm.
You can help – go to www.rspb.org.uk/whats-happening/news where you can read more about the issue.