East Riding - RSPB Bempton Cliffs
The UK's largest mainland seabird colony
RSPB Bempton Cliffs is one of the truly unmissable British wildlife wonderlands. It's the UK's largest mainland seabird colony and nearly half a million seabirds, including puffins, gather on the towering chalk cliffs between March and October to raise a family.
A cliff top walk is a great way to get away from it all and recharge. Don't forget your binoculars!
From April to October the cliffs are transformed into England’s largest seabird city, where puffins, gannets, kittiwakes and guillemots live life on the edge. There are more gannets acrobatically diving into the deep here, than anywhere else on mainland England. Almost half a million seabirds cram onto ledges, pitched high above the waves, and the sights, sounds and smells of soaring and swooping seabirds combined with panoramic sea views is an unforgettable experience.
But it’s not all about the cliffs. In spring and summer corn buntings, skylarks and linnets breed in the grassland and scrub where land meets the sea, while short eared owls hunt under wide open skies in winter.
In winter, the reserve is a hot spot for migrants such as redwings and goldcrests and rarities can drop in unannounced. Short-eared and barn owls can often be seen hunting across the nearby fields.
