Bempton Cliffs & Flamborough Head (Day Trip)

Tour Code: GBR329

Join an expert ornithologist for a day with seabirds and other wildlife at RSPB Bempton Cliffs and Flamborough Head Nature Reserve on the Yorkshire coast.

1 days from
£60
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Highlights

Summary

Summary

Join our expert guide for a day of wildlife-watching at the RSPB’s Bempton Cliffs and Flamborough Head reserves nestled on the Yorkshire coast. Each year, during the summer breeding season, around half a million seabirds return to the white chalk cliffs at Bempton and nearby Flamborough to breed. Please click on ‘detailed information’ below to read about the highlights of this Day Trip, as some birds will have departed later on in the season. 

  • Puffins, Northern Gannets, Guillemots (July) 
  • Shearwaters, terns, skuas, flycatchers, Fulmars (August) 
  • Guidance throughout from an expert ornithologist
  • Look for Tree Sparrows on the reserve, and Barn Owls are often seen in the late afternoon

 

The day will start off at Flamborough Head, one of the most spectacular areas of chalk cliffs in Britain, standing 400 feet high. It’s also known for its stacks, arches, smugglers’ caves and two lighthouses. Summer highlights include Wall butterflies, Manx Shearwaters, and skuas, commonly seen in late summer. Along the shoreline, you may spot Grey Seals basking in the sun, and keep an eye out for Bottlenose Dolphins, Harbour Porpoises, and Minke Whales, which have been occasionally spotted in the past.

In the afternoon, we will move on to Bempton Cliffs by car which, from May to July, will be a hive of activity as Puffins, Guillemots and Razorbills will be busily feeding their chicks on nearby nests. Black-legged Kittiwakes are still around in August, as are Fulmars, Herring Gulls, Shags and Cormorants. The cliffs are also home to the largest mainland gannetry in England from March to October. The sights, sounds and smells of these breeding seabirds make Bempton Cliffs one of the most spectacular locations to see and photograph seabirds in the UK. Corn Buntings, Common Whitethroats, Stonechats, Skylarks, Tree Sparrows, and Linnets nest in the grassland and scrub along the coast, while Kestrels and both Barn and Short-Eared Owls hunt beneath expansive skies.

Beyond the seabird colonies, the reserve is also home to a diverse array of other wildlife, including butterflies, moths, and wildflowers that thrive in the nearby meadows. On sunny days, you may see Painted Lady and Small Tortoiseshell butterflies, as well as the Six-spot Burnet moth, and even the Hummingbird Hawkmoth. We will also have more opportunities to spot marine-life here.

Parking charges apply at Flamborough Head. Please note that the entry charge to the RSPB reserve is not included in the price of the Day Trip (£8 for non-members; free for members).

DETAILED INFORMATION
Day Trip Location

Day Trip Location

Dates & Prices

Dates & Prices

2025

Departures Availability Cost
Sat 31st May – Sat 31st May 5 £60
Book Tour Show Details
Land only cost:
The "Land Only" cost is the tour price you will pay if you choose to arrange your own flights/transport.
£60
Tour Leader:
Please note that, whilst we assign leaders to particular tours well in advance, we reserve the right to make changes if necessary
David Spivack
David Spivack.jpg

Tour Leader: David Spivack

Born in north London, David has been involved professionally in the conservation sector since 1990, whilst during the 80's he actively volunteered locally with the RSPB, the local Wildlife Trust and BTCV in the Lea Valley & Epping Forest areas.

Over the past 30 years, David's professional conservation career has included working for the RSPB in the North of England and at the RSPB HQ at the Lodge, the RSPB in the East of England along with The Wildlife Trusts UK Office and as the UK Director for Falklands Conservation, the Birdlife International partner based in the islands.  During this time the roles David has undertaken has ranged from working with young people, volunteers, generating income & profile to support conservation, reserve management and working with UK & International partners and agencies to support conservation work in the Falkland Islands.

Now living in the North Yorkshire Wolds and close to Bempton Cliffs and Flamborough Head, David currently works for the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust.

Prefer to Travel in a Private Group?

For any interested natural history club or society, we can arrange for a private departure of this tour.

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Why Naturetrek?

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