Rare seabird prompts celebs to flock to Yorkshire Coast
Famous faces have been spotted at RSPB Bempton Cliffs, trying to get a glimpse of the celebrity bird!
If you've been to visit RSPB Bempton Cliffs, on the Yorkshire Coast, in the past few months, you may have got a glimpse of some famous faces!
Celebrities have been visiting the nature reserve, but they're trying to get a glimpse of a very rare gigantic seabird.
A spectacular black-browed albatross made East Yorkshire its home over the summer, after visiting in previous years.
The animal is usually found in the southern hemisphere, around The Falklands.
Danielle Jackson, visitor experience manager at RSPB Bempton Cliffs nature reserve, told Greatest Hits Radio: "The reason that seabirds are attracted to the cliffs at Bempton is because they're so vast. They're 400-feet cliffs, with all the little ledges and nooks and crannies for all the seabirds to come in and be able to make their nests, and they've got food availability not too far out.
"It's not just the celebrities that we've loved seeing, we've also loved seeing all of the other visitors that have been able to come down, it's just been such a special year for us.
"You think you have to go to Africa or America, or somewhere really exotic to see amazing wildlife, but actually, we've got it on the Yorkshire Coast!"
Actor, Sam West, star of Channel 5’s hit series, All Creatures Great and Small, spent a morning searching for the oceanic bird. Sam has visited the cliff tops with his family several times and describes the nature reserve as ‘sheer paradise’. And it’s definitely one of his ‘go to’ places for a little R &R when he’s filming in Yorkshire.
Anita Rani and the Countryfile Team filmed on the reserve during the summer and captured some stunning footage of the albatross. The One’s Show’s popular bird watching duo, Ollie Olanipekun and Nadeem Perara, founders of ‘Flock Together’, were also gobsmacked by a fly past from the gigantic bird, whose wingspan is around 8 feet.
In July, popular TV medic Dr Amir Khan took a tour of the cliff tops before joining the Bempton Cliffs’ team on a seabird cruise aboard the Yorkshire Belle. He was wowed by the spectacle of diving gannets, tweeting that they were ‘a sight to behold’.
And amongst the high-profile birdwatchers, Mya-Rose Craig, aka Birdgirl, was one of those who travelled miles to catch even a glimpse of the albatross. This enthusiastic young ornithologist and wildlife champion is inspiring the next generation to appreciate the natural world through connecting with her thousands of followers on Twitter and Instagram.
Dave O’Hara, Site Manager at RSPB Bempton Cliffs said: “In many ways this has been a year like no other on the cliff tops: the arrival, and extended stay, of the black-browed albatross has made it even more special. We’re delighted to have been able to share seeing this magnificent seabird with so many people.
“While it’s been a joy to welcome so many celebrities, equally it’s been a privilege to meet all the visitors who journeyed from around the country to see this incredible bird that’s so far very from home.”