VIP seabird attracts TV stars to RSPB Bempton Cliffs

Actor Sam West is pictured at RSPB Bempton. Photo courtesy of RSPB Images

The stars of the show at RSPB Bempton Cliffs are usually the stunning seabirds.

However, the arrival of a rarity, in the shape of a black-browed albatross, has seen a number of famous faces head to the reserve over the past couple of months.

Actor, Sam West, star of Channel 5’s hit series, All Creatures Great and Small, spent a morning searching for the oceanic bird.

Sam has visited the cliff tops with his family several times and describes the nature reserve as ‘sheer paradise’.

TV presenter Anita Rani meets staff at RSPB Bempton Cliffs. Photo courtesy of RSPB Images.

The gigantic seabird, usually found in the southern hemisphere around The Falklands, also impressed the BBC.

Anita Rani and the Countryfile Team filmed on the reserve during the summer and captured some stunning footage of the albatross.

The One’s Show’s popular bird watching duo, Ollie Olanipekun and Nadeem Perara, founders of ‘Flock Together’, were also gobsmacked by a fly past from the gigantic bird, whose wingspan is around 8 feet.

In July, popular TV medic Dr Amir Khan took a tour of the cliff tops before joining the Bempton Cliffs’ team on a seabird cruise aboard the Yorkshire Belle. He was wowed by the spectacle of diving gannets, tweeting that they were ‘a sight to behold’.

Dave O’Hara, Site Manager at RSPB Bempton Cliffs said: “In many ways this has been a year like no other on the cliff tops: the arrival, and extended stay, of the black-browed albatross has made it even more special.

“We’re delighted to have been able to share seeing this magnificent seabird with so many people.

“While it’s been a joy to welcome so many celebrities, equally it’s been a privilege to meet all the visitors who journeyed from around the country to see this incredible bird that’s so far very from home.”