Puffins may just be one of my favourite animals. I don’t know exactly what it is. Perhaps their little waddle, their interesting call, or just because they’re beautiful. It could also be because they are small and cute. When we were in Yorkshire I was determined to see puffins at Bempton Cliffs. This RSPB Reserve is one of the best places to spot them in the north of the UK.
If like me you are slightly obsessed with this sandeel-eating cutie, then read ahead. I may not have all the secrets, but we were lucky enough to see a fair few!
How to See Puffins at Bempton Cliffs | Getting There
The drive to Bempton Cliffs is fairly straightforward. From Scarborough or Hull, it is just a drive down the A165. If you are coming in from York direction, then you should take the A614 Eastward. The last leg of the journey is on a single-track road, but don’t expect any bumpy rides!
How to See Puffins at Bempton Cliffs | Prices
The prices at Bempton Cliffs vary depending on the season and, you guessed it, puffins are only around in the Summer. For Winter admission, an adult costs £4.00 to enter the reserve, with a child between 5-17 costing half of that. In the Summer though, prices double for these categories simply because there is far more to see.
If you are an RSPB member, then entrance is free. It is also free if you are aged between 16-24 and students get a £2.00 remission on the above prices.
How to See Puffins at Bempton Cliffs | My Top Tips
Puffins are small little birds that can get drowned out from the crowd at Bempton. However, after spending an afternoon there we managed to see lots of them. This was also at peak tourist season on a relatively hot day.
Here are my top tips to maximise your chances of seeing some puffins.
- Puffins are really small and are much smaller than you realise. However, they do have really bright red feet and a colourful beak. A lot of the other birds here (see below) don’t have a lot of coiour. When they fly, their little red feet dangle behind them too!
- The puffin breeding season is between April and early July. This will be the time that the puffins are most active and flying about.
- Make sure that you arrive early to avoid the crowds and noise. Plus, as predators, puffins are more active during the early morning.
- Be persistent. There are so many birds here and many of them look like puffins. Look out for their bright colours and their distinctive little waddle.
- On the reserve there are lots of guides who are more than happy to share their knowledge. We spoke to a friendly man who showed us where a puffin nest was and even let us use his binoculars to see them!
Which Other Birds Can I See at Bempton Cliffs?
The cliffs are a bird paradise and there are plenty of different bird species. Here are the main ones you are likely to see:
- Gannet – Large white birds with a dashing yellow neck. These are really easy to spot in flight as they are much larger than gulls and have black tips on their wings. They also have a beautifully-blue eye when you get up close.
- Kittiwake – These look like gulls but more friendly. Weird to say, but go with it. They look very similar to gulls but have beady-black eyes, a bright yellow bill and have black legs. However, the main way to identify them is again their wings. Unlike gulls, their wingtips are black.
- Guillemots – Really distinctive black and white birds that cover the cliffs. The guillemots are summer visitors and spend most of the year out at sea. Their beak is dagger-like which is where they are slightly different to the razorbills.
- Razorbills – From a distance, razorbills look very similar to the guillemots. They have the same black and white pattern. However, if you look closely, these birds actually look like monochrome puffins… At least I think they do. They have a very puffin-shaped beak and can be seen hopping about the cliffs.
How to See Puffins at Bempton Cliffs | Final Thoughts
I hope that this post helped plan your trip to Bempton Cliffs. I wish I had read a blog explaining how to see puffins at Bempton Cliffs before my first visit to this RSPB reserve. My main advice has to be to be persistent. If you look closely and hard enough you will see them; you just have to be patient.
