Kittiwakes

A day out with E, the first in over three months of lockdown. We decided to head to the coast at Flamborough to explore a headland that neither of us knew. There was a promise of slightly cooler weather to the east and less risk of thunderstorms. It proved to be an excellent decision. The cliff scenery was spectacular. It's been a long time since I've done a coastal walk.

I hadn't before appreciated the scale of the population of seabirds that nest around the Flamborough cliffs. They're a truly incredible sight. Every tiniest nook on the chalk cliffs is home to a nest and one or more little balls of fluff, each waiting to make its maiden flight. I could only sit in awe of the precariousness and improbability of their existence. They'll spend the winter a thousand miles away in the middle of the North Atlantic before returning to these very same cliffs to begin the process all over again. It's all rather humbling.