In March 2000, Yorkshire gull, razorbill and puffin. Yorkshire Wildlife Trust is a local It is thanks to the support of charity working to protect and our members, volunteers and Wildlife Trust completed the A small number of shags nest conserve Yorkshire’s wild places for supporters that we are able to purchase of Flamborough near the base of the cliffs, all to enjoy. continue with this work. Cliffs Nature Reserve. while the similar-looking cormorant can be seen. The We care for over 95 nature Why not join us? The nature reserve stretches spectacular gannet can be reserves throughout the county Joining is easy! For a monthly and run lots of events so that donation you can support for a total of 1.5 miles either seen offshore as it flies back everyone can get out and Flamborough Cliffs and all the side of North Landing, west and forth to the large colony experience wild Yorkshire for other sites the Trust cares. Visit beyond Thornwick Bay and at Bempton Cliffs, further themselves. ywt.org.uk for details. east as far as Breil Nook (or north. Newk). The site rises from Scarborough Flamborough Cliffs the caves at the base of the At low tide, bare rocks B1 229 A Bempton North cliffs, up the cliff face and exposed on the shoreline 6 Landing 15 55 extends 500 metres inland, attract small numbers 12 Flamborough B covering an area of 36.23 of wildfowl and waders Bridlington 4 Thornwick 61 hectares. including oystercatchers, Bay A N turnstones and redshanks. Thornwick York Hull Farm The nature reserve lies During late summer and N High within the Flamborough autumn the area can be Holme 0 400yds Head Site of Special good for terns, skuas and Scientific Interest, it is part shearwaters, particularly Holmes Gut of a European Union Special during spells of onshore Flamborough North Cooness Landing Nook Protection Area and is a winds, when they are pushed North Marine Road Special Area for Conservation closer to the coast. and it lies within the Flamborough Head Heritage The cliff top fields support Breil Coast. breeding skylarks, meadow Nook pipits and corn buntings, In spring, the cliff tops are birds which have been carpeted by pink thrift, declining in recent years while the surrounding fields throughout the UK due to Flamborough Cliffs Nature Reserve contain many typical chalk agricultural intensification. Nearest postcode: YO15 1BJ grassland flowers such as In autumn and winter these Grid reference: TA239720 the orange-yellow bird’s- fields can host large numbers Reserve size: 36.23 hectares foot trefoil. However, the of larks, pipits, finches and Flamborough Cliffs main conservation interest buntings, including species Public transport: Regular bus services from Bridlington to lies with the thousands of such as Lapland bunting. Flamborough village; closest train station is at Bridlington. seabirds which nest on the These in turn attract Nature Reserve Directions: From Flamborough village follow the B1265 signposted cliffs. From April to July the predators including merlins for North Landing. The road terminates above the North Landing cliffs are packed with birds, and short-eared owls. with a car park on the left. The YWT Living Seas Centre is nearby at Seabird guide but they disperse by August. South Landing a short walk from the village centre. Only a few fulmars remain. Yorkshire Wildlife Trust manages the fields to The commonest seabirds are improve them for these birds Scan me to visit the kittiwakes and guillemots, and the wide range of plants Flamborough Cliffs webpage with smaller but important that thrive in them. Yorkshire Wildlife Trust is registered in England No. 409650 and is a registered charity no. 210807. numbers of fulmar, herring Telephone 01904 659570. Address 1 St George’s Place, York, YO24 1GN. Email: [email protected] Photos: Thanks to Rodney Graham (cliffs), Martin Batt (shag, puffin), Richard Shucksmith (guillemots, kittiwake), Gillian Day (Herring gull), George Stoyle (fulmar), Wildstock (razorbill). Flamborough Cliffs: Puffin, Fratercula arctica Fulmar, Fulmarus glacialis Seabird City! (26-29cm, wings 47-63cm) (45-50cm, wings 110-112cm) Back and wings black, belly and Body and head white, wings This is a guide to the main eight species of seabird which nest face white, feet orange, beak blotchy grey-brown held very on Flamborough Headland. All of these can be seen easily parrot-like with red, yellow and stiff and straight in flight. Feeds between April and July although gannets do not breed here. blue patches. Penguin-like when on squid, fish, offal and carrion. They nest further north at Bempton Cliffs. standing. Feeds on fish. First Often scavenges behind fishing breeds at 5 years of age, nesting boats. First breeds at 6-12 Gannet, Morus bassanus netting and other materials. in a bare scrape in holes in cliffs years of age. Nest is in a scrape (87-100cm, wings 165-180cm) One egg, pale blue to white with or burrows where soft soil allows on the bare rock. One white Body and wings white, wingtips brown/black staining. Incubation excavation. One egg, white with egg, incubated for 47-53 days. black, head yellow. Immatures 42-46 days, fledging 84-92 purple markings. Incubation Fledging 41-57 days. Young start brown and progress over days. Young white when downy, 36-45 days, fledging 38-60 days. grey and downy, grey and white several years to adult plumage. chocolate brown with white Young are black with pale bellies. when ready to fledge. Winters Feeds on fish. First breeds at 5 speckling when ready to fledge. Winters in the North Sea and in the North Sea and regularly years old, nesting on broadest Winters at sea but seen at cliffs North Atlantic. seen from the cliffs all year. ledges. Nest made of seaweed, January to October. Kittiwake, Rissa tridactyla (38-40cm, wings 95-120cm) Small, elegant gull with white head, tail and body, grey wings with ‘dipped-in-ink’ black tips, black legs and yellow beak. Feeds on fish and marine inver- tebrates. Nest is a cup of mud and grass. Two eggs, yellowish with dark speckles, incubated Guillemot, Uria aalge days on webs of adult’s feet as for 25-32 days. Young fledge (38-41cm, wings 64-70cm) they stand in rows on narrowest after 33-54 days and are grey Back and wings dark chocolate of cliff ledges. The single egg with a black collar and black ‘w’ brown, belly white, beak is blue or green with black along wings. Winters out at sea. long, thin and pointed. Some markings and pointed at one end to spin if nudged. Fledging Shag ‘bridled’ birds have a white eyering. Penguin-like when 30 days, but leaves cliffs after Herring gull Phalacrocorax aristotelis standing. Feeds on fish. First 20 days. Young are dark brown Larus argentatus (65-80cm, wings 90-105cm) with pale bellies. Winters in the breeds at 5 years of age. No (56-67cm, wings 138-158cm) Body and head green-black, nest, egg is incubated for 28-37 North Sea and North Atlantic. no white markings, but a small Large gull with white head and tuft at the top of the head and Razorbill, Alca torda body, grey wings with black and a yellow patch at the bill-base. (37-39cm, wings 63-68 cm) white wingtips, pink legs, heavy Flies low over the sea, unlike Back and wings jet-black, belly yellow beak with red spot. Feeds the larger cormorant, which white, beak deep and striped on a wide-variety of scavenged flies high over the water. Feeds white, vertically flattened and and predated items. First breeds on fish. First breeds at 4 years of with a bright yellow mouth. at 3 to 7 years, nests at the top age. Nest is a heap of seaweed Feeds on fish. Egg incubated for of the cliffs in the grass. Lays just above the high water mark 25-36 days, on bare rock often 2-3 olive brown eggs with black in small caves. 1-6 eggs, pale in a crevice. Fledging 30 days, blotches, incubated for 28-30 blue. Incubation 30-31 days, but leaves cliffs after 18 days. days, fledged 35-40 days. Young fledging 48-58 days. Young are Young black with pale bellies. pale brown with dark markings. brown with pale bellies. Winters in North Sea/Atlantic. Winters mainly inland. Winters at sea close to cliffs..