Located on the East coast, along a narrow road from Bempton and just a few miles south of Filey, is the RSPB reserve at Bempton Cliffs. Here, dependant on the time of year, you can find a variety of wildlife from Gannets, Guillemots and Kittiwakes to Short-eared Owls and Puffins. According to the RSPB website, it is “easily the best place in England to see, hear and smell seabirds” and after a recent visit, I would have to agree.
From the car park (remember to take cash to pay if you are not a member of the RSPB, I am not and was nearly in big trouble when faced with a £3.50 charge with no cash machine in sight!) the visitor centre is next door, and helpful staff are on hand to show you the paths available to walk the cliffs.
There are boards stating which birds are likely to be seen during the time of year, and then it’s off to the coastal path and it’s various viewing points for bird spotting and more importantly, bird shooting!
I went armed with a 80-200mm lens, a longer one would have been a bonus, but still there were enough birds drifting on the wind and standing on the rocks to make the journey worthwhile, but the wind did make a lens/body with stability of some kind a distinct bonus.
For more information visit www.rspb.org.uk/reserves/guide/b/bemptoncliffs/about.asp
