Gannet in flight at Bempton Cliffs

One of our main reasons for coming up to Seahouses, was to take a boat trip across to the Farne Islands, to see the thousands of seabirds which nest there, as well as seals. Unfortunately the weather conspired against us, as the boats weren't running due to rough seas. So today, instead of going straight back to Roger's parents in Appleton, we went further south to the east coast of Yorkshire to Bempton Cliffs. Finally the weather cooperated, and we spent a wonderful afternoon watching thousands of Kittiwakes, Gannets, Razorbills, Guillemots and even some puffins.

Gannets are large black and white birds, with long pointed wings and long bills. Northern gannets are the largest seabirds in the North Atlantic, with a wingspan of up to 6 feet. Gannets hunt fish by diving from a height into the sea and pursuing their prey underwater.They have a number of adaptations which enable them to do this: - they have no external nostrils; they have air sacs in their face and chest under their skin which act like bubble-wrap, cushioning the impact with the water; their eyes are positioned far enough forward on their face to give them binocular vision, allowing them to judge distances accurately.
Gannets can dive from a height of 30 m, achieving speeds of 100 km/h as they strike the water, enabling them to catch fish much deeper than most airborne birds. Gannets are colonial breeders on islands and coasts, which normally lay one chalky blue egg. It takes five years for gannets to reach maturity. First-year birds are completely black, and subsequent sub-adult plumages show increasing amounts of white.
The most important nesting ground for Northern gannets is the United Kingdom with about two thirds of the world's population. These live mainly in Scotland and the Shetland Isles.

By the end of the afternoon, the weather was still so beautiful, we decided to stay an extra night before returning to Appleton. We found some B&B in Bridlington and walked in to town to the harbour, where we enjoyed a lovely meal overlooking all the boats.