Flamborough Headland is renowned for having the largest mainland seabird colony in Britain and a reputation for top drawer seawatching. Not least, the area is a fantastic place to witness bird migration and see small birds such as thrushes, chats and warblers making landfall after crossing the North Sea and it also has an impeccable pedigree in attracting scarcities from continental Europe and rarities from farther east.
Latest Sightings
- 25th April 2025
A gentle south-easterly, mainly cloudy with brighter spells and a maximum of 13°C. A total of eleven Whimbrel were logged on the Outer Head. The Yellow-browed Warbler spent another day in Old all Plantation while three White and five Yellow Wagtails were south of Lighthouse Road. A Short-eared Owl was… - 24th April 2025
A light north-westerly veered to north-easterly by mid-afternoon. Mainly cloudy and a maximum temperature of 12°C. Yesterday’s Subalpine Warbler sp. was seen again though very briefly in the Gorse Field and the Yellow-browed Warbler remained at Old Fall. The Golf Course continued to be attractive to a Blue-headed Wagtail, five… - 23rd April 2025Sunny until mid-morning then overcast and the wind became a moderate easterly. The temperature reached a high of 13°C. A female Subalpine Warbler type was an early morning find and showed intermittently for an hour and a half along the Motorway Hedge. It is difficult to specifically identify with certainty…
- 22nd April 2025Warmer again with a maximum temperature of 16°C, a light westerly veering south-east by late afternoon. An eventful day with the main event being a Spotted Crake found feeding in the reeds at Thornwick Pools. There are only a handful of previous records, the last being in October 2005. Waders…
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Flamborough Bird Observatory (FBO) is one of only twenty bird observatories located at key migration hotspots in Britain and Ireland. It is run by a team of dedicated, enthusiastic volunteers whose aims include studying bird populations and and recording migration. FBO’s recording area is broadly the same as the Flamborough Headland Heritage Coast and encompasses the whole area east of Danes Dyke including the village of Flamborough and also, west of Danes Dyke, the neighbouring settlements of Bempton, Buckton and Speeton on the north side of the headland and Sewerby on the south.
FBO is also involved in creating and maintaining habitats for wildlife, and promoting conservation in the local community. Our annual events include a Seawatching Festival over a long weekend in late August and a nine-day ‘Migweek’ in mid-October.
The headland won the accolade of being the birdwatching site of the year by ‘Site of the Year’ title, in Birdwatch magazine’s Birders’ Choice Awards for 2021 and again after a stellar year in 2024. It is a testament to the work on the headland, together with our partners at Bempton Cliffs RSPB, in relation to conservation, public engagement and not least the field work of those who monitor bird populations and provide daily bird news updates.
As a registered charity, FBO’s work is wholly reliant upon the help and goodwill of our Friends and volunteers. If you would like to support us, please become a Friend of Flamborough Bird Observatory. You can join online in seconds by registering your personal details and payment here!