A windy circular walk around Flamborough with Hull Nats

I love the organic way in which walks are decided at Hull Nats. There is an already pre-arranged meeting point, this time in the centre of Flamborough Village. The wind, SSE strong and gusty, the clouds menacing, but no rain forecast until later in the day. A very cold wind chill too, not a walk we would have spontaneously set up on for a Sunday morning, but there we were, six members happy to take a walk in such a day. We initially thought on walking on the south part of the headland on the cliff path, as it has more possibilities. Then, as we walked towards South Landing we decided to try to walk on the foot of the cliff as it might offer more shelter from the wind, despite it's south aspect. We checked the tide, it had just started to ebb and it wasn't too high, so we set our walk at the bottom of the cliff to Danes Dyke and back to the village. The boat ramp was like a wind tunnel, the sea roaring, rough, and foaming. We sheltered behind the RNLI boathouse to take photos and a spot of seawatching. It crossed my mind to turn back. But then we descended to the beach and we realised that once we turned the corner by the cliff we were quite sheltered and at some points by the cliff base it was actually quite still. Helen found a plastic t-rex on the tide line, which I took as a good omen.

It is not easy walking on large rocks and chalk pebbles on the beach, but it's a bit addictive once you get going and clears the mind to have to focus on each step you take. A usual bird assortment on the beach and out at sea: Oystercatchers, Curlew, Turnstones, Rock Pipits, passing Guillemots, Fulmars gliding up and down over the surf and our heads, Herring Gulls. Harry pointed at an Eider and an oiled young Kittiwake.

 

Rock pipit.

Andrew Ch. with roaring seas, a Fulmar and foam.

Andrew A. pressing on. 

Turnstones are very cryptic when feeding amongst chalk pebbles on the strandline.

Looking back.

As on South Landing, Danes Dyke ramp was very windy. We quickly return to the village to complete our circular walk. We take a detour to try and see the Pied Crow that has been on residence there since the summer, without luck, so we find a pub, the Royal Dog and Duck, for our lunch, this the last trip of the year for the Hull Nats.