Gannet flying around the cliffs at Bempton

Sunday 7 June, and with the Stockport RSPB we went on a visit to Bempton Cliffs, on the Yorkshire coast between Scarborough and Bridlington. This is a great place for certain sea birds, in particular gannets, puffins, guillemots, razorbills, fulmars and kittiwakes.

Bempton is a superb place to see kittiwakes

Very few razorbills – this was probably my best shot

Mixed day for me, as I had taken delivery of my new canon 7D Mk II the day before, and had only a hazy idea of how to set it up. This is an immensely complicated matter, and very few photos came out acceptable, and those that did were more as a result of good luck than management.

Fulmar, a reasonable shot although s/he kept a little in the shade

WE saw very few puffins on this trip, and mostly at a distance and in shaded crevices. Will serve as a register shot.

Lovely day, very sunny – with additional exposure problems of white plumage against sky or water. Made me long for the simplicity of a bird perched on a branch, but hey, a photographer has to cope with all scenarios.

I had no major problems with focus and metering with this jackdaw, away from sky and sea

On the way back we stopped briefly at another RSPB site, Fairborn Ings. Only there a short time, but long enough to get some fresh air and take my one good shot of the day: a mute swan in all its majesty. A couple of cormorants were displaying themselves nicely too.

Majestic swan sailing down a stretch of water at Fairborn Ings

Cormorant drying out after a little light fishing