RSPB Bempton Cliffs - Black-browed Albatross

The Black-browed Albatross was first reported at RSPB Bempton Cliffs this year (it has visited the location in the 2 previous summers) on 28th June 2021 and was then seen for the next 2 days before going “missing”. 

Therefore, I was not anticipating seeing it during my visit to RSPB Bempton Cliffs on 4th July 2021. However, by mid-morning, there was a lot of talk amongst birders that it had been seen again off Staple Newk at the southern end of the cliff walk.

This indeed proved to be the case with regular reports appearing on the BirdGuides website. However, this was a typical report …. “adult still on sea ENE of Staple Newk although distant and lost to view in heat haze”.

After much patient waiting with a growing congregation of birders, I finally saw the Black-browed Albatross at around 3 p.m. In total, I had 3 views of several minutes each at Staple Newk when it flew close to the cliff edge.

This was quite simply an amazing experience and the best bird that I have ever seen in the UK!

The Black-browed Albatross is the most widespread and common member of its family and it has a circumpolar range in the southern oceans and breeds on 12 islands throughout that range. In the Atlantic Ocean, it breeds on the Falkland Islands, South Georgia, the South Sandwich Islands and the Cape Horn Islands and it also breeds on several islands in the Pacific Ocean. This bird shouldn’t even have crossed the Equator, let alone found its way as far north as the North Sea in Europe!

Here is a full species account of the Black-browed Albatross …. Wikipedia - Black-browed Albatross

Here are some articles regarding the bird at RSPB Bempton Cliffs and a short video ….

BBC News - Bempton Cliffs albatross makes return to Yorkshire coast

Yorkshire Post - Northern Hemisphere's only albatross moves visitors to tears as it returns to RSPB Bempton Cliffs in Yorkshire

The Black-browed Albatross even managed to make it on to BBC One - Countryfile …. see BBC iPlayer - Countryfile - Flamborough Head from 2:38.

Here are 2 excellent photos of the Black-browed Albatross (not mine and I have forgotten where I sourced them .... my apologies to the photographers for not providing credits) ....

Unfortunately, I was unable to get any photos of the Black-browed Albatross other than record shots. The first is a heavily cropped photo of it as it flew above cliff top level. The second photo of it above someone's head suggests that this was a small bird .... it most definitely wasn't!

As the morning and early afternoon progressed, increasing numbers of birders arrived to see the Black-browed Albatross. Fortunately, this was outdoors (as a great ocean wanderer, not many Black-browed Albatrosses find their way indoors!) so hopefully it was not a Covid-19 "super-spreader" event. In any case, I was able to find a much less congested view away from the main crowd.

I have no idea what the collective noun is for an excited group of birders watching out for an extreme rarity but here are some photos ....

I would imagine that people on the "Yorkshire Belle" Bempton Cliffs cruise also had excellent views of the Black-browed Albatross and from a very different perspective than those of us at the top of the cliffs.

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Stay safe, stay well, stay strong, stay connected with nature