The RSPB Bempton Column with Ivan Nethercoat – new arrivals all over the reserve
Summer on the cliffs at RSPB Bempton is a frenetic time with young birds popping up all over the place and new visitors dropping in or swimming by.
We’ve had a good year for the smaller species, with lots of baby warblers on site in what seems to be one of the most productive years for some time.
Willow warblers, whitethroats and lesser whitethroats have all done well and barn owls are raising three chicks as I write.
The famous Bempton tree sparrows seem to be doing well and out on the cliffs the baby puffins (pufflings) are nearly ready to fly, whereas baby guillemots (jumplings) are preparing to launch themselves off the cliff before they can fly and continue their growth at sea with a parent bird.
Gannets too are busy feeding young. Gannets can sometimes feed in huge numbers as they all dive into the same ‘baitball’ of fish from a great height. How injuries are avoided is a mystery. If you come across one of the feeding frenzies, keep an eye out for a dark shape coming to the surface as the sounds of birds hitting the water will often attract minke whales. We’ve had several sightings recently.
One of our Shorewatch volunteers recently saw a minke whale, 25 dolphins and a harbour porpoise on his 10-minute watch.
Our puffin and gannet cruises are also doing well so if you want to increase the chances of seeing whales or dolphins, join us on the Yorkshire Belle, sailing from Bridlington (details on the reserve website).
Last month I mentioned the UK Government’s Planning and Infrastructure Bill. This had its first debate in the House of Lords recently.
Without amendment, Part 3 of the new Bill risks sending nature into freefall, and over the past month, we have been campaigning to see this part of the Bill scrapped.
The Wildlife Trust, National Trust and others all feel the same way. The Bill was debated in the House of Lords and thanks to you, our calls are being listened to.
We were pleased to see wildlife acknowledged throughout the debate, and our concerns echoed amongst the Lords.
If you wrote to your MP over this issue, thank you. You’ll find more information on the RSPB website.