Yorkshire Walks

The RSPB shop at their Bempton reserve

There we met the group of friends that we walk with at the beginning of each month. Today we are planning a linear walk to Flamborough South Landing along the cliff top coastal path.

This morning my wife and I drove to the South Landing car park at Flamborough to meet my sister & brother-in-law. We parked our car there and went with my sister & brother-in-law to the car park at the RSPB reserve at Bempton.

Non breeding gannets - last year's brood

Gannet sitting on the wind to look for a landing spot

Non-breeding gannets on the cliff top

When all the cars arrive everyone can go home. I hope it all works out. We set off at about 10.40 am in fine weather with broken cloud, despite a horrific weather forecast for wall to wall rain.

At the end of the walk I can drive the drivers back to Bempton for their cars. The rest of the group can have a pleasant stop at the South Landing Cafe until the cars arrive.

Gannet sitting on the wind to look for a landing spot

Part of the Bempton gannet colony

A fulmar hanging on the wind over the cliffs

Puffin on the chalk cliff ledges

There are thousands of gannets all nesting just out of pecking range of their neighbours, and thousands of kittiwakes crammed onto the cliff ledges with large numbers of guillimots and razorbills.

From the RSPB shop we walked down to the cliff top path and spent quite a long time watching the many sea birds nesting on the cliffs and soaring above and below them. It's quite a spectacle at this time of year.

A Razorbill returning to its ledge

Kittiwakes on their nest ledges

Above & Below: Puffin on the chalk cliff ledges

So much activity with comings and goings to and from the thousands of nest sites on the cliffs.

There are quite a lot of puffins using burrows in clefts in the chalk cliffs and in the soil overlying the rock and there are some fulmars.

Twitchers at the ready

Heading for Thornwick Bay along the cliff top path

Looking East along the North Cliff of Flamborough Head

Cliff top path approaching Thornwick Bay

We slowly progressed along the coast from one observation spot to the next heading for Flamborough Head.

To add to the scene there was a stiff breeze and the waves were crashing on to the foot of the cliffs about one hundred metres below.

Part of a huge field of broad beans just coming into flower

Sea caves near Flamborough North Landing

A painted lady butterfly - one of several we saw today

Climbing out of one of the steep sided gullies the cliff path crosses

We stopped there for a mug of coffee and then continued round the headland to North Landing.

After about 4km we reached Thornwick Bay where there is a cafe in a large wooden hut on the cliff top.

The underwing of a painted lady butterfly

One of several milepost sculptures along the cliff path

One of the many inlets on the North side of Flamborough Head

A puffin & a razorbill on the chalk cliffs

At North Landing there were plenty of comfortable benches overlooking the inlet where we sat for our lunch.

Two of a group of Pyramidal Orchids by the path

Cliff top path just North of Flamborough Lighthouse

Flamborough Lighthouse

The jokes are quite funny and we stopped to read most of them before continuing along the coast to Selwicks Bay where there is the Flamborough lighthouse on the end of Flamborough Head.

After our break we set off again and just as the path leaves North Landing the resident of a bungalow by the path has set up an array of music hall style jokes with a donation box for cancer research.

Cliff top path just North of Flamborough Lighthouse

Chalk cliffs North of Flamborough Lighthouse

Gannet sculpture at Flamborough Head

Start of the sculptre trail at South Landing

There is a pleasant little nature trail there with sculpture which we followed to the cafe at the car park.

From the lighthouse we followed the cliff top path around the southern side of Flamborough Head for about 4km to South Landing.

Cliff top path on the south side of Flamborough Head

On the sculpture trail at Flamborough South Landing

Recycled horse shoe sculpture

We all had a coffee before I drove the car drivers to Bempton to collect their cars. We all met up again in the evening to celebrate one of the group's sixtieth birthday. An excellent way to round off a very pleasant day and not a drop of rain to be seen.

On the sculpture trail at Flamborough South Landing

On the sculpture trail at Flamborough South Landing