Myself and my friend Chris Armitage decided to have a full weekends birding in Yorkshire, with the aim of going to Wykeham Forest for the Honey Buzzards and Bempton Cliffs for the seabird colonies. In particular, the main focus of the trip was to do a boat trip with Steve Race to get pictures of diving Gannets. I had a few very particular shots in mind that I really wanted to get.
We set ourselves up at the seaside town of Bridlington for the weekend, and arrived in the late afternoon on Saturday, and went for a nice walk on Flamborough Head to see what was about. The scenery was dramatic but the birding was a bit slow so we moved further around the headland towards Bempton Cliffs, where the birding drastically changed, as we saw all the seabirds coming in from the foraging trips in the North Sea. Thousands of guillemot, razorbill, gannet, kittiwake, puffin and gulls all filling the overcast sky. The weather was a bit inclement so I decided not to bring the camera so I got no photos that evening. We called it a night but were very excited about what the next few days might bring.
The following morning we had Wykeham in our sights, which is about 30 minutes inland from Bempton, and one of the best sites in the UK to see Honey Buzzard. We used this article to get there should you want to go for yourself. We arrived and walked 5 minutes through a lovely pine forest to an opening that had staggering views over a valley. Other birders were there and they had not seen them yet so we weren’t too late and it was then just a game of patience. I think we waited 45 minutes or so before getting OK views of a pair. Initially there were 2, a displaying male who was wing clapping and dancing around the sky. It wasn’t the best view so it encouraged us to hang around for longer in the hope of getting a decent shot. They went completely out of sight and we had another wait on our hands before getting back on to them, this time there were 3 birds together soaring, but again distant. They remained too far away and we decided to leave for pastures new. Probably a bad idea thinking back because as soon as we left, Chris hit a pot hole and his tyre burst completely. So we had to put on the space saver and spend the rest of the afternoon finding garages and getting that sorted. Once fixed, we went straight to Bempton Cliffs RSPB reserve for the remainder of the evening. For some unknown reason this was my first time visiting this reserve, and we were instantly impressed by the place. As you arrive you can see the dramatic cliffs rising out of nowhere, to create this absolutely stunning nature reserve. We walked to all the usual watchpoints on the trails and managed to get some really nice photos.
Bempton Cliffs
Gannet from the cliffs.
Guillemot close up, showing their charming little faces.
Kittiwake in breeding plumage showing that beautiful red eye ring.
While we were at the top of the cliffs on the trails, there was a bizarre emergence of 2 different insects, one a fly and the other a small beetle. I have never seen that many insects in one place before, they were all over everyone and extremely annoying, luckily they didn’t bite or sting. Not sure why they both had population explosions at the same time, but I am guessing its something to do with the seabird colony and all the guano, it certainly did stink.
The next day was the main event, the boat trip with Steve Race to photograph Gannets under the towering cliffs at Bempton. I have been thinking of the photos that I wanted to get for quite some time, and had thought of every possible scenario to get the shot I wanted. I haven’t been on the boat trip before so I didn’t really know what to expect, especially in terms of the boat layout and the space I would be able to have to get the shots. I wanted 3 very different shots, the main one being half in / half out of the water, showing gannets both above and below the water. The others were an arty slow shutter speed shot showing the movement of the gannets, and lastly a typical diving gannet shot where the bird is in dive position, head down and wings tucked in.
We first did a little boat tour of the area and went right to the foot of the cliffs which was a very interesting perspective and we had some great sightings. The main one being a gull with a toad! It didn’t really know what to do with it so kept repeatedly slapping it against the waters surface.
The captain of the boat then moved us into position for the main focus of the boat tour, where he would throw mackerel out and the gannets would dive bomb to get it. You can see where the expression greedy as a gannet comes from as there were hundreds surrounding the boat within seconds, all clambering for the best position.
After getting the above shots I decided to have a go at getting an arty motion blur shot. To do this I slowed the shutter right down 1/50 second at f 7.1 to allow for movement in the image, but at the same time trying to track the bird to keep it relatively sharp. I am not 100% happy with the outcome but it looks OK. It is essential to move the camera at the exact same pace as the bird is moving to keep it in focus without blurring the face. A little more practice needed.
Then it was time to focus on the shot that I wanted most, the one I had been thinking about for weeks, half in the water, half out. Steve said I would have to do this towards the end of the tour, so I got all my gear prepared and was ready for the nod. To do this you need a dome for your camera so that the water is pushed away from the lens, allowing the desired effect of half in half out the water. I also used a GoPro, as this is a much cheaper option than getting a dome for a DSLR. Anyway, I struck gold and got exactly what I set out to achieve. I would say I am 75% happy with this shot, there is still a bit of work to do.
Emmergence. My favourite photo that I have ever taken.
The race for the prize
Half in, half out
Then as fast as it all started, it was over. The gannets even seemed to realise when we had ran out of fish and quickly dispersed, heading back the cliffs and their chicks. I am happy with the shots and it goes to show that if you put a bit of thought into your shots before it actually happens, then you can really up the level of your photography. The best photo on this page is the one that I thought about getting the most, not the ones that happened by chance.
I would just like to say a massive thanks to Steve Race for allowing me to do this and for having the patience during the trip, thanks a lot Steve.
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