Wednesday 8 March 2023

Train trip: Bridlington ten puffins

I had planned to walk the headland from Bempton to Bridlington and had my train tickets, had checked tides and the forecast promised a day of sunshine. What a surprise to wake up to dark sky and snow. I took the train and planned a completely different trip, involving ticking all the Puffins Galore in Bridlington. It ended up being more or less the same distance (22 k including the walk from home to the station), but a very pleasant trip. The sky remained dark and brooding with occasional flurries, but they were brief and there was barely any wind, so it wasn't as cold as I expected.

Hull Paragon just before leaving for Bridlington.

At least three Pied Wagtails fed in the pavements in Bridlington.
I walked to the harbour by the Gypsey Race park. No Kingfisher this time, but I added a few common birds to the harbour list, including Robin. I walked on the harbour walls, watching the birds feed on the beach and the harbour mud, the tide almost low.
A piping Oystercatcher and a Herring Gull checking some seafood.
A young Herring Gull long calling, it takes a long time to perfect this beautiful call.
Sanderlings feeding by Herring Gulls on the tideline.
19 Purple Sandpipers and some Turnstones feeding on the exposed rocks by the outer wall.
A feeding frenzy of Cormorants and gulls.
Two adult Great Black-backed Gulls were on the beach.
An immature GBBG was feeding on a dead fish.
One of the Sanderlings fed on the rocks for a bit.
A pair of Herring Gulls on the harbour wall.
A Turnstone on the harbour wall. Nice to take a photo at eye level with it.
Oystercatcher. It was feeding on worms.
Menacing snow clouds on south beach.
The harbour at low tide.
A beautifully marked lone Ringed Plover fed in the harbour.
My first harbour Robin!
Limpets and Purple Sandpiper on the north wall.
A Carrion Crow plundering a bag of maltesers.
A Herring Gull came along and took posession of the bag, but it didn't really like the maltesers.
The two crows worked together to get at them around the gull.
When the gull chased one away, the other stole a malteser.
One of my favourite Puffins Galore today depicting the cliffs. Not sure about the monarch butterfly though!
After lunch at a local, I headed inland. I had never visited the old town at Bridlington and there were the last three puffins galore. 
Priory church, impressive at the top of a hill.
Dead Bod and the Humber Bridge feature in the last of the 10 Puffins Galore of Bridlington.
A great, impromptu day out. Few days out at Brid that I don't enjoy.

 

1 comment:

Ralph Hancock said...

Gorgeous close-up of the Turnstone.