Black-browed Albatross, Bempton Cliffs

 

We timed our annual trip to Bempton Cliffs perfectly this year, although the weather could have been a few degrees warmer. It was flipping baltic !  When we got there the albatross was sat on the sea, but it soon flew into the cliffs and we had brilliant views of it as it flew and glided with the gannets. Sometimes sitting on the cliffs below and out of sight but it lifted off the cliffs many times and we had excellent views. A fantastic day out !

Gannets with a passing Albatross !

Love the colours, the light and textures of this pic

No trip to Bempton is complete without watching the puffins

A skua clearing up the dead from the sea. We thought this was a puffin. Poor thing. 

Black-browed Albatross and Great Skua, Bempton Cliffs

 

A close up of the brow and yes, it really was this close !

Although we had seen the albatross at Bempton, we had to have another trip as we had yet to see it fly! So yesterday afternoon we headed to Bempton. Not too many cars in the car park which was good. Lots of birders leaving saying it hadn't flown all morning. Would we be lucky? So headed off to the viewpoint with the small crowd and waited. We could see it on the cliffs with the gannets and then all of a sudden it disappeared......eyes peeled!  And there it was, souring below us, the views were amazing. It flew out to sea and landed on the water, a dot on the sea and we thought that would be the last we would see of it. Wrong !  It was soon airborne again only now it was being pursued by a Great Skua ! Although they didn't come close it was fabulous to see the two birds together. The skua was eventually on it's way and the albatross flew in close again, eye level height and so close. An amazing afternoon. 

Here trying to escape from a great skua

A fantastic afternoon at Bempton, a good crowd and a catch up with folk we haven't seen for years !

Black-browed Albatross, Bempton Cliffs

 

A couple of passing gannets giving it the eye !

One of those days when we wished we had gone the day before !  We got there around lunchtime and stayed until 5pm. In this time, the albatross sat on this  distant cliff face and never moved. It did stand at one time and turn round and then sat back down again. But, see it we did !