wildlife ST. BEES HEAD RSPB NATURE RESERVE contains the only cliff-nesting seabirds in Northwest England, to which thousands of birds return each spring to lay their eggs and hatch their chicks before returning to the seas where they spend three-quarters of their lives. Most numerous are the guillemots, the northern equivalent of the penguin; over 5,000 crowd on to the open ledges where they jostle for the best position to lay their single egg. Their close relative the razorbill is represented by only a few hundred birds, preferring the privacy of nooks and crannies in the cliffs. This is the only place in England where black guillemots nest, and you would be unlucky not to see one in their favourite spot - Fleswick Bay. In summer they are easily identified by the big white wing patch on the otherwise black body, and close views reveal their bright crimson legs and gapes. Among the fulmars and various gulls, about 1600 pairs of kittiwakes build their precarious nests of mud and grass on the most meagre foundations on the cliff face, and the interest is not limited to seabirds. Those typical occupants of many Lakeland crags, peregrine, raven and wheatear, seem unconcerned that their seem unconcerned that their homes overlook the Irish Sea rather than screes and sheep walks Many thanks to Dr. Ian Mcandrew and Doug Sim (St. Bees Parish Council Chairman) for information and photos. Log on to www.rspb.org.uk/st_bees_head
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