RSPB Bempton Cliffs
Updated 6 October 2026
What birds can you see at RSPB Bempton Cliffs?
Spring (March to May)
The cliffs fill up. Gannets are already back, having started to return in January. Guillemots, razorbills, kittiwakes and fulmars take up their ledges, and puffins arrive in April. On the cliff-top fields, corn buntings, skylarks and linnets sing, and tree sparrows use the nest boxes at the visitor centre.
Summer (June to August)
This is the peak. Gannets nest within a few metres of the cliff-top viewpoints, on the only mainland gannet colony in England. Puffins stay until mid-July. They nest in rock crevices here, not burrows, so scan the cliff face and the sea below. Guillemots and razorbills leave with their chicks during July. Gannets are still feeding young in August.
Autumn (September to November)
The auks and kittiwakes have gone to sea, and the last gannets leave in September. Attention turns to sea-watching and migrants. In north-easterly winds, sooty shearwaters, skuas and, late in the season, little auks pass the headland.
Winter (December to February)
The cliffs are quiet. The grassland is worth the walk for barn owls, kestrels and wintering short-eared owls, which the RSPB lists for the reserve. Gannets begin to reappear offshore from January.
RSPB Bempton Cliffs recent sightings: where to check
Most people searching for Bempton Cliffs sightings want today's birds. We do not have a live feed for the reserve. These sources are updated by people on the ground:
- Flamborough Bird Observatory recent highlights: the RSPB points visitors here. The observatory logs the headland daily, including Bempton Cliffs.
- RSPB Bempton Cliffs page: official news, events and opening times.
- eBird hotspot map: zoom to Bempton and open the reserve hotspot for recent checklists.
- BirdGuides: national bird news. Some details are for subscribers only.
Our own tools: the sightings map shows what our users have logged nearby, you can log a sighting in under a minute, and species alerts in the app flag birds on your list.
Best time to visit RSPB Bempton Cliffs
Visit between April and July for the full colony. For puffins, the RSPB says April to mid-July, and we would not leave it later than early July. Gannets are present from early spring to September. Early morning and evening are quieter. Tide makes little difference at a cliff colony. In autumn, pick a day with an onshore wind for sea-watching.
Hides, trails and viewpoints
There are no hides. You watch from six fenced platforms on the cliff edge. The RSPB trail map gives three routes from the visitor centre.
- Bartlett Nab is reached by a level walk from the visitor centre and is the RSPB's suggested accessible viewpoint.
- Jubilee Corner Trail: 2.2 km, about 45 minutes, along the cliff top past several platforms.
- Staple Newk Trail: 2 km, about 40 minutes, to two platforms over a natural rock arch with nesting gannets.
- New Roll-up is another of the named cliff-top platforms.
- Nature Trail: 1 km, about 20 minutes, through the meadow and past the pond. Good for farmland birds and owls.
RSPB staff and volunteers on site can help you find puffins.
Getting there and facilities
The reserve is at the end of Cliff Lane, Bempton (YO15 1JF), about 10 minutes' drive from Bridlington and 30 minutes from Scarborough. Follow the brown signs. Bempton railway station, on Northern's Yorkshire Coast Line between Bridlington and Scarborough, is about a mile and a half away on foot. The car park has 74 spaces and 11 Blue Badge bays.
On site: visitor centre, cafe, shop and toilets with baby changing. Two Tramper mobility scooters and two push wheelchairs are available (book ahead). Dogs on short leads are welcome on the footpaths and in the visitor centre.
Entry is free for RSPB members, under-5s, 16 to 24 year olds and carers. Non-members pay £8 per adult and £4 per child aged 5 to 15, with the first child free. From November to February the adult price drops to £4. Parking is included and you do not need to book. Fees were checked on 6 October 2026, but check the official RSPB Bempton Cliffs page before you travel.
What to bring
Binoculars are the main thing: gannets are close, but puffins are small and often on the water. Our binoculars guide has picks from under £100. For autumn sea-watching, a scope makes the difference, and our spotting scope guide covers those.
Nearby places to bird
- Yorkshire birding guide: Flamborough Head, Spurn and more of the county.
- Seabirds guide: other UK colonies and when to visit them.
- RSPB South Stack: the other seabird cliff in our hotspot guides, on Anglesey.
RSPB Bempton Cliffs FAQ
When can you see puffins at Bempton Cliffs?
From April to mid-July, according to the RSPB. May and June are the safest months. By late July the puffins have left for the open sea and do not return until the following spring.
What birds are at Bempton Cliffs now?
It depends on the month. April to July: gannets, puffins, guillemots, razorbills, kittiwakes and fulmars. August and September: gannets and passing seabirds. October to February: owls, farmland birds and sea-watching. For today's birds, check the Flamborough Bird Observatory recent highlights.
How much does it cost to visit Bempton Cliffs?
RSPB members, under-5s, 16 to 24 year olds and carers go free. Non-members pay £8 per adult and £4 per child, with the first child free. From November to February adults pay £4. Parking is included. Prices were checked on 6 October 2026.
Do you need to book Bempton Cliffs?
No. The RSPB says there is no need to book in advance. You pay at the visitor centre when you arrive. Groups of 10 or more need to book.