How Albie is attracting so many to the reserve

THE black-browed albatross is a bird of the southern hemisphere.

The worldwide population is approximately 1.2 million birds, with the largest concentration being on the Falkland Islands, which has 400,000 pairs.

You don’t need to travel to the Falklands to see one though. Since 2016 a single bird has been visiting Bempton Cliffs, East Yorkshire, on a very sporadic basis.

From July of this year the bird has been a more frequent visitor at this RSPB reserve.

I have been to Bempton three times thus far this year. My disappointment was tangible when I missed out on seeing the bird on my first visit. Copious numbers of gannets, fulmars, kittiwakes and puffins were a welcome and joyous sight, but no albatross!

On my second visit I hit the jackpot, seeing the bird well on the cliffs. But it was a case of third time lucky in regard of seeing the bird at its imperial best. It was on this occasion I had majestic, close up views of “Albie”, as he has been unimaginatively christened, soaring up and down the cliffs. With a wingspan of over 7ft the bird is a master of the sky.

People have been visiting the reserve in large numbers eager to catch a glimpse of this spectacular seabird.

The car park is usually rammed full and the cafe does a roaring trade. Albie has become quite a celebrity, enchanting all and sundry with his artistry on the wing.

The bird has a grace and elegance which is compelling viewing. I have met people who have travelled from all over the UK who have been intoxicated by Albie’s serenity in the air.

The black-browed albatross is a very long lived bird. It’s not unusual for an albatross to live to be over 70 years old. It’s possible Albie could have been around when Bobby Moore lifted the Jules Rimet trophy aloft in 1966 when England won the World Cup!

Richard Carl Nielsen, Loughborough