More Gannets at RSPB Bempton Cliffs

SAVE BEMPTON CLIFFS FROM FRACKING!

Photo journal of the Gannet colony at RSPB Bempton Cliffs, Yorkshire

IF YOU DON'T WANT TO LOSE THIS NATURE RESERVE YOU NEED TO TAKE ACTION NOW - SIGN THE PETITION TO STOP FRACKING AT BEMPTON CLIFFS

 - AND PASS IT ON TO YOUR FRIENDS. 

http://action.sumofus.org/a/SSSI-fracking/2/4/

I am republishing this as a protest against the decision to allow fracking in  this area - PLEASE HELP 

Gannets with Chicks at RSPB Bempton Cliffs

I can't see too many pictures of gannets - they are so elegant and so charismatic they are hard to resist. So - Here are more beautiful original photographs of nesting North Atlantic Gannets . Follow the gannet's progress and wonder at the many displays of affection these elegant birds take part in.
Watching the huge colony of breeding gannets at Bempton Cliffs Yorkshire is a birder's idea of heaven. Some 2000 birds come back every year, to the same mate and the same nest site. The purpose-built viewing platforms provide a wonderful opportunity to document the gannet's behaviour. Of the hundreds of photographs I took at Bempton this year, it hasn't been easy to select only 25. These are some of favourites and I hope you enjoy them.

Adult Gannets on the nest

The Gannet is an elegant seabird, known as shorebirds in the Americas. They winter mainly in the warm waters off the coast of Africa but breeding adults return to coastal areas of Europe to nest. Interestingly, the juveniles leave the nesting areas when they fledge and join the adults around the Mediterrean. They will be about 3 years old before they return and they will not breed until they are around 10 years old. Juvenile gannets can be identified from the adults because they retain some black markings on body and wings, while breeding adults are pure white with black only on the wing tips and, of course, adults have that beautiful peachy blush on their head and nape.

Juvenile Gannet about 3 years old

The nest sites are packed close together on sheer cliff sides. Indeed, one often wonders how chicks and adults manage to maintain a foothold on the cliffs: there is hanging space only in places. In the original gannet pictures you see here, you can identify the youngest chicks as those being the whitest, except for the mud they collect from the seaweed in the nest of course. The darker the chick, the older it is.

adult gannet with chick in nest -

Fluffy gannet chick with parent

Adult Gannet and Gannet Chick on Cliff Nest

The chick in the picture above is relatively young compared to this one 

Adult Gannet with Gannet Chick on Cliff Edge Nest

All the images on this page are by the author - please do not copy them.

Copyright notice

All images used here are by

AnnMackieMilller: copyright 2011

Please don't copy or use any of the images here without permission. High resolution copies are available for a small fee for use on blogs and websites, they may not be used on cards or photo gift products.

Adult gannets in bonding, preening and greeting rituals

Adult Gannets

Adult Gannets Beak to Beak Ritual Display

Adult gannets go through these type of greeting display every time one of them comes back to the nest. Notice the chick beneath them clinging to the cliff. There is more about their displays on the link --> Gannet Ritual Displays.

Adult Gannets Preening - bonding ritual

Gannet coming in to land

The elegant Gannet was caught in flight as it comes into land. He is collecting grass and so on for the nest.

Adult Gannet coming in to land RSPB Bempton Cliffs

Adult Gannet spreads his wings

Nests need constant attention so collecting fresh grass and seaweed is a frequent task. I was lucky to be able to get quite close to this chat - he landed close to the fence at the viewing point. 

Gannet collecting grass to freshen their nest

more

Gannet collecting grass

Gannet collecting grass

Gannet collecting grass to freshen their nest

Adult gannet with grass in its beak

Gannet collecting grass to freshen their nest

"look what I got!" Gannet with grass in his beak

Gannet Information

Order: Pelecaniformes
Family: Sulidae
Species: Morus bassanus
Common name: Gannet

What do you call a group of nesting gannets?

A gannet colony or gannetry.

One of the gannet colonies at RSPB Bempton Cliffs

gannet colony at RSPB Bempton Cliffs

If you have enjoyed these pictures - there are always more to come so be sure to visit again and share with your friends.

IF YOU DON'T WANT TO LOSE THIS NATURE RESERVE YOU NEED TO TAKE ACTION NOW - SIGN THE PETITION TO STOP FRACKING AT BEMPTON CLIFFS

 - AND PASS IT ON TO YOUR FRIENDS. 

http://action.sumofus.org/a/SSSI-fracking/2/4/

I am republishing this as a protest against the decision to allow fracking in  this area - PLEASE HELP