There are two outstanding nature reserves in east Yorkshire that I visited visited in Spring 2025. Bempton Cliffs is managed by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and has excellent walking tracks and lookouts along 300 metre high chalk cliffs that host hundreds of thousands of nesting seabirds including northern gannets, puffins, razorbills, guillemots, fulmars and kittiwakes. For me, the gannets (morus bassanus), with a 2 metre wingspan, delicate colouring, and obvious affection for their mates, were the stars of the show.
NearbyTophill Low Nature Reserve is operated by Yorkshire Water and consists of 300 acres of marshes, ponds, wetlands, grasslands and woods, with well-made hides along the walking tracks. Like Bempton Cliffs, it is a must-visit for anyone interested in nature. gh
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