22nd June - RSPB Bempton Cliffs, East Yorkshire, Returned

The news yesterday evening that the albatross had returned to the cliffs, triggered a change in our plans, the weather too played a part as it would be nicer to spend the time close to the sea rather than heading inland to walk around a city.  So the plan was spend the morning back at RSPB Bempton and then head off to Bridlington or Filey.  In addition we agreed to an early start so this meant that we were pulling into the car park at 8:00 am.  The visitor centre was not open yet so it meant walking around the outside and then out on the path towards the cliffs.

It was another beautiful day, there was some cloud as we left the cottage but this cleared south of Scarborough, there was no more of a breeze today and this was coming off the sea which gave it a chill that wasn't there yesterday.

As we walked along the cliff path towards the Staple Newk viewpoint we passed several Tree Sparrows moving from the grass to the cliffs.  The fields at the top of the cliff are sown with a cereal crop, but with a zone left over for grass and wild flowers.  The morning light was enhancing the greens in the fields..

We passed another birder coming back from the viewpoint.  You never know if you want to find out what is happening.  There had been a report from 7:00 but it just said it was on the cliff ledge, I wanted to know if it was performing.  I took the chance and asked the question, and received the answer I wanted, it had been flying around showing very well from the platform.

We crossed our fingers and walked on.  As we approached the viewpoint I could hear camera firing, this was good.  As we found a place I saw it circling below amongst the Gannets, a Black-browed Albatross, black along the upper wing, a white rump, black tail and a white head with a large yellow bill.  As it circled around I tried for the photographs, but the I had my tinted glasses and the sun was coming in from the side making viewing through the camera difficult and my first attempt was actually taken of n immature Gannet circling below me!  Fortunately it stayed circling and I finally managed to get on to it.  Here the first of many photographs of this wonderfully impressive bird.

It would circle coming in close to the cliff and then head out over the sea.  It was at this point when you could see the full wing span and appreciate how straight the wings are held.  The wing span is around 200 to 250 cm, or 7 to 8 feet, a Gannets is up to 200 cm or 6.5 feet at the longest.  Maybe a bit of a surprise that they are not so different.

The Black-browed albatross also known as the black-browed mollymawk, is a member of the albatross family Diomedeidae, the ‘tube-noses’, related to shearwaters, petrels, and fulmars. It is the most common and widespread albatross. The name for this large seabird comes from the dark black plumage above their eyes. Albatrosses are true marine birds, traversing the oceans in the southern hemisphere, returning to land only to breed. They are similar to the gray-headed albatross, but the latter has a wholly dark bill and more complete dark markings on the head.

The head is pure white with a black line over and through the eye, the ‘black-brow’. The heavy hooked bill is yellow and pink. The huge wings are black on the upper wings and have a broad black leading edge to the underwings. The legs and large webbed feet are a flesh-grey colour.

The albatross would continue it circular movement amongst the Gannets and this would bring them across or around the nesting Gannets on Scale Nab.

It would make as if to slow up and look to land, bringing the flesh coloured feet down to act as brakes.

Then it went missing, probably landing on its ledge behind the rocks and out of view of the platform.

Although the appearance of a Black-browed Albatross in the northern hemisphere and as far north as the united Kingdom is a rare occurrence, on several occasions a black-browed albatross has summered in Scottish gannet colonies (Bass Rock, Hermaness and now Sula Sgeir) for a number of years. Black-browed Albatrosses are highly migratory wandering the Southern Oceans.  Ornithologists believe that it was the same bird, known as Albert, who was seen in North Scotland.  It is believed that the bird was blown off course into the North Atlantic in 1967.   A similar incident took place in the gannet colony in the Faroe Islands island of Mykines, where a black-browed albatross lived among the gannets for over 30 years. This incident is the reason why an albatross is referred to as a "gannet king" (súlukongur) in Faroese.   In July 2013 the first recorded sighting of a black-browed albatross in the Bahamas was made from the Bahamas Marine Mammal Research Organisation's research vessel, off Sandy Point, Abaco. 

For consecutive years from 2014 on, a bird - probably the same individual named Albert - has been sighted over Heligoland, occasionally being reported passing headlands along the east coast and made a surprise visit to Minsmere in July 2015..  It was first spotted at Bempton in 2017 and was recently thought to have perished after it was set upon by a flock of Sea Eagles off the Danish coast in 2019.   It reappeared to everyone’s delight in 2020, but it was 2021 when it became more resident this side of the North Sea, spending more time on the cliffs amongst the Gannets but also wandering off, presumably to feed only to return.  It was last seen in 2021 in September and then reappeared this year in March.  It has followed the same patterns as 2021 with time on the cliffs and time away.

The call went out from the platform, the albatross was back and doing pretty much the same as before.

It was amazing to watch a bird that should be thousands of miles away flying almost beneath our feet.

Albatrosses rarely flap their wings, relying more on their aerodynamic 'glider' like wings to carry them along with the prevailing winds.  A Black-browed Albatross’ flying heartrate is almost the same as when the bird is resting. This is due to the bird’s excellent ability to glide thanks to its large wings.  It's highly unlikely that this bird will ever make it back down to the southern oceans because of the effort it would take to fly against the prevailing winds and flap across the windless equatorial regions. Sadly our bird here is almost certainly destined to remain a singleton in foreign climes, with only Gannets anything close to same size companions! So for now and perhaps for evermore its cruising free and single.

At times it would come close banking away showing us close ups of the "eye-brow" and the impressive beak.

I can't recall the wings ever being flapped, their position changed as the bird used the uplift to turn and bank.  It reminded me of the gliders I can see circling above my garden on a thermal day.

The wings are drooped but never flapped.

It would continue to fly around and then disappear onto the cliff, only to reappear and circle all over again.

These albatrosses have nasal passages that attach to the upper bill called naricorns, although unlike the Gannet, the nostrils on the albatross are on the sides of the bill. The bills of this family of albatrosses and petrels are also unique in that they are split into between seven and nine horny plates.  It also has a salt gland above the nasal passage which helps to remove salt from the ocean water that they drink. The gland excretes a high saline solution through the bird's nose.  This close fly past shows the detail of the plates on the bill and nostrils

The Albatross was now coming closer to the platform and gaining height.

Head on

Some Black-browed Albatross facts:

- About 75% of the world’s Black-browed Albatross population can be found in the Falklands and on the South Georgia islands.

- Black-browed Albatrosses create oil in their stomachs that can either be spit out at attackers in same way Fulmars do or used as a source of nutrients during long flights.

- Black-browed Albatrosses have been known to live over 70 years.

- Black-browed Albatrosses can reach speeds of up to 110 km per hour depending on the wind’s currents.

It then approached the platform at about six feet away giving amazing views of the stunning bird.

From this approach it came so close I was unable to focus on it, but was able to appreciate the impressive wingspan and the majesty and grace of the bird.

Another close fly past and I was able to focus to be able to take in the beauty of the "eye brow" and the impressive bill.

The dark sea providing the perfect background.

Black-browed Albatrosses are opportunistic feeders, eating almost anything they can grab. They are known to try to snatch food from other birds and are one of the species of birds that will follow fishing trawlers for their offal.  At sea they mainly pluck fish from near the surface, but they can dive as deep as 5 metres.

I make no apologies for the number of photographs, the next is the last and the fiftieth.  It is a stunning bird and I am so thankful that we agreed to return to witness what will probably be my only chance to see a wild and free Albatross off the coast of the United Kingdom.

Just after this fly past it circled around again and disappeared behind the cliff.  This time it didn't appear after a similar amount of time to before.  We waited and started to turn to the other birds, Gannets first.

I mentioned this in the previous blog, the fourth year Gannets would fly close to the cliff ledges and use their wings to break and slow them down giving them the opportunity to scan the ledges for a suitable spot or maybe potential mate.

There was also plenty of bonding taking place on the rocks, plenty of sky pointing beak tapping and calling.

This pair engaged in some really serious bill tapping all against a wonderful dark sea background.

It looked like the albatross was done for the day, but we decided to wait on for another thirty minutes, attention now turning to the auks.

Of course the Puffins.

And a Razorbill on the ledge just below us.

Realising the albatross was not likely to show again we decided to move on, the mission had been accomplished and the last bird I photographed from the platform was this very smart Kittiwake.

A big thank you to Helen for suggesting we come back and that we come back early it truly paid off with some wonderful views of an amazing bird.  I have seen the many photographs taken and dearly want ted the opportunity and have managed it.  The story of this bird is what probably adds to its presence, stuck here in the north hemisphere, alone hits home with many people.  But for me it is the majesty at which it masters the air, never a wing beat, so graceful and beautiful.  A real treat to experience.