RSPB Bempton Cliffs at 50 - Dalesman Magazine
First published in Dalesman, June 2019
There were so many birds that the cliff appeared to be moving. The sound of the North Sea lapping against the rocks was inaudible beneath the clamour of kittiwakes and gannets. Razorbills and guillemots lined up along ledges and gathered on the waves, as puffins found what little peace and quiet they could amongst the bedlam.
This year marks the 50th anniversary of RSPB Bempton Cliffs, and I had come to meet warden Dave Aitken and find out what makes this reserve so special.
“Puffins are a key selling point, but the spectacle, there’s nowhere else in mainland Britain where you can see hundreds of thousands of seabirds up close from safe viewpoints. It’s one of the gems of British wildlife.”
The seabird colonies on this stretch of the coast are breath-taking. With 84,000 guillemots, 45,000 kittiwakes and 27,000 razorbills returning to breed each year, every rock seems to be occupied. Dave explained the chaos in front of us.
“Our biggest seabird in Britain is the gannet, they absolutely love the bigger ledges. They bully and push the other birds off. Don’t mess with the gannets! Interspersed with them are white birds with grey backs, the kittiwakes. They like to build a nest, unlike the razorbills and guillemots who lay their egg straight onto the bare rock where they incubate it.”
As we’re talking, one of the RSPB volunteers found us a puffin. Looking through his telescope, I could see the striking face peering at me. At most other sites they burrow into the earth to lay their eggs, but here they find spaces amongst the rocks. The puffins draw huge numbers of visitors, as do the gannets. It’s the largest mainland gannetry in the UK, but the seabirds are seasonal, coming here to breed before heading back out to sea. When they’re not here there’s still plenty to see.
“I’ve got loads of hidden gems,” reveals Dave. “I absolutely adore the tree sparrows. We’re really lucky to have a thriving population here. It’s a species which has declined nationally, but locally they seem to be doing well.”
The team maintains trees, hedgerows and ponds to encourage wildlife. The result is an oasis for declining bird species, such as endangered corn buntings. A flock of 70 was seen in the morning, and it’s not unusual to see one perched on a fence singing. In spring and autumn, you can see migrant birds from across Europe and Asia, using the reserve as a service station to fuel their long journeys.
The RSPB took on the reserve in July, 1969. Trevor Charlton was the manager for twenty years between 1987 and 2007, and has seen it evolve in many ways.
“The changes have been monumental. It was just a wooden hut in the 80s, none of these visitor facilities. I love it. I can’t keep away. When I’m not at work, I come here. I’ve always thought it’s the best RSPB Reserve, it’s so diverse.”
When the reserve opened in 1969 there were 21 breeding pairs of gannets in the colony. Trevor remembers that figure rising to 600 when he took on the job in 1987. Today there are around 13,000 breeding pairs on the cliffs. It’s an incredible success story.
This stretch of coastline is also a strong hold for kittiwakes. They are a species that is declining nationally but managing to hold on here. Scotland has already lost over half its populations, and I asked what it is that contributes to their decline.
“Food,” replied Trevor, “There are various issues of food being taken out of the North Sea. You can monitor how many young birds each nest produces. When I was here it was exactly one young bird per nest site. Now they’re not laying as many. Most of their diet is sandeels and most of the sandeels here are gone. If they come back from sea in poor condition, they won’t lay so many eggs.”
There are yearly fluctuations, but freak weather systems such as last year’s ‘Beast from the East’ don’t help, causing many birds not to lay at all after being battered by harsh weather.
The team keeps a close eye on things, monitoring the cliffs by painstakingly counting birds from boats bobbing about in the sea. They use the results to look at trends in egg productivity, which are used to direct action plans to protect these magnificent birds.
“There’s a worrying trend developing,” warns Dave. “We have a colony which has grown in the last 50 years. However, we’re seeing productivity that’s declining in most species at a rate that is unsustainable. Seabirds are long lived, so they don’t lay many eggs at a time. If they continue like this then we will see a colony that is declining. Kittiwakes are like the canary in the mine. They can only feed in shallow waters on very small fish near the surface, so they’re very sensitive to changes.”
Despite these concerns, the enthusiasm of the team here is infectious. Everyone I met was clearly passionate about this place and its wildlife. Looking ahead to the next fifty years, I asked Dave what they hope to achieve.
“A stable population of seabirds. The headline is that they are the fastest declining group of birds globally. They are in a really bad state. We’re bucking the trend, but it’s only by maintaining a stable population that we can support other colonies that recruit from Bempton. We need to safeguard the amazing colony and make it accessible for people to enjoy and hopefully be inspired to make a difference.”
Dave also hopes to see Bempton Cliffs becoming the most accessible reserve in the country.
“We have a fantastic network of fully accessible paths. It has already made a massive impact on people. Everybody should be able to come and see this place and experience it: The sights, the smells, the hustle and bustle of the colony.”
They couldn’t provide such a smooth operation without the hard-working volunteers, who do everything from litter picking to helping visitors at the viewpoints. The take home message is that if you love these birds then come and support the reserve, because the sad reality is that in twenty years’ time these colonies might not be here. It’s not something we can take for granted, and it highlights the importance of places such as these that provide a haven for wildlife in a rapidly changing world.
To celebrate 50 years of conservation at Bempton Cliffs, the team is holding a Happy Bird-Day party on Saturday 6th July. Everyone is welcome to come and join the celebrations, which include music and a giant pass-the-parcel. The first 100 visitors will also be treated to a birthday Puffin Muffin!
As I prepared to leave, I couldn’t help but notice people peering through binoculars into the field next to the car park. A short-eared owl was busy hunting over the grass, wings outstretched, head craning downwards as it searched for possible lunch. It was an unexpected end to my trip and confirmed what Trevor had said earlier, “That’s what’s special about this place. You never know what you’re going to see.”