One miserable foggy day in the middle of what was once called summer, Y9 set out for the annual field trip to Bempton and Flamborough.
Two bus loads of students as well as Miss Gilmour, Mrs Mitchell, Justin and Rosie set out through the torrential rain and thick mist for the cliffs. At foggy Flamborough, the students investigated the features of the coast. They looked at the evidence of coastal erosion, identifying aspects of the coastline that had fallen away and shifted.
Before lunch, the pupils took a quick trip to the beach, where a few people got rather wet feet! Next stop on the grand tour was Bempton cliffs, where everyone got off the buses in order to visit the RSPB centre for a talk and tour. It was fascinating to see the birds in their natural habitats, and the students identified a number of different varieties including shags, kittywakes and herring gulls. Even a bribe of chocolate couldn’t get them to spot a puffin though!
Whilst talking with the guides, the pupils learned a variety of things about the cliffs and the birds that lived on them. Student Henri said that he learnt ‘how erosion has such a big influence on cliffs’, and that ‘chalk cliffs are the main habitat for seabirds’.
A group session back at the RSPB lodge focused on the impact that humans and other mammals have on the seabirds, and the threats that exist to their habitats. Despite the weather, everyone had fun and learned a lot about the birds that we share our coastline with.
Special thanks to Miss Gilmour for organising the trip and driving the minibus, Miss Mitchell for driving and accompanying us, Justin and Rosie for helping, and to the wonderful staff at the RSPB lodge for sharing their knowledge.
Rosie Havelock
