Scarborough got a new lifeboat station in 2016, and shortly afterwards, in 2021, a brand new lifeboat to go with it!
Frederick William Plaxton in the harbour
The all-weather Shannon-class lifeboat was named after Frederick William Plaxton, the founder of Scarborough coach building firm Plaxton Ltd. It cost in excess of £2 million pounds and is capable of reaching a speed of 25 knots.
The lifeboat is launched and recovered using a Shannon Launch and Recovery System (SLARS): a tracked vehicle which transports the lifeboat from the boathouse to the sea, tilts to act as a slipway for launching, and then uses a powerful winch to haul the boat back onto the carriage for recovery.
Earlier this year (July 2025) I photographed the whole procedure of recovering the lifeboat at low tide on Scarborough’s South Bay.
Recovering the Frederick William Plaxton lifeboat on 8 July 2025 (1)Recovering the Frederick William Plaxton lifeboat on 8 July 2025 (2)Recovering the Frederick William Plaxton lifeboat on 8 July 2025 (3)Recovering the Frederick William Plaxton lifeboat on 8 July 2025 (4)
Just so it does not feel left out, there is another smaller lifeboat called D-856 John Wesley Hillard IV, a D-Class inshore lifeboat, which arrived on on Thursday 10 June 2021. It had come in a bit before the larger one on 8th July (see below).
D-856 John Wesley Hillard IV, a D-Class inshore lifeboat, Scarborough
Imagine coming back from a winter spent at sea to find that your nest site is no longer there! That’s what’s happening to many kittiwakes in Scarborough this year.
Black-legged kittiwakes (Rissa tridactyla) excluded from previous nest sites by new wire mesh
You’ve come back and have found your long lost love – kittiwake pairs do not stay together during the winter – but the euphoria is heavily dampened by the fact that your nesting site has gone! (Removed by the Council or the owners of the buildings).
Whereas, in years gone by, you had a lovely big nest of seaweed – built over a previous bed of spines, it has to be said (see below) – now there are just long vicious spines.
Kittiwakes nesting on a ledge on the Grand hotel, Scarborough
New spines have replaced the nests on this ledge (below), shown above with nesting birds.
In other places in the town, the nests have been removed, and ledges have been covered on seagull-excluding mesh.
2nd April 20252nd April 2025Kittiwakes return in the Spring to find their old nest sites covered in mesh (2 Apr 25)
Now, one can understand that not everyone wants their window ledges covered in bird’s nests! But what’s a bird to do if it’s nested there for years and years?
The poor kittiwakes returning to their old nest sites look bewildered to me. They are standing on the mesh, looking down at where their nest used to be. I can almost hear them muttering “WTF!”
‘What happened? We’ve been nesting here for years! We have always nested in the town, unlike our cousins on the cliffs. What shall we do? Where shall we go?’
Some clever pairs have learned how to nest balanced on top of lamp-posts, but there are not too many of these, and we don’t all enjoy living above a busy road!
Nesting on a street lamp. This amazing couple has brought up many chicks – sometimes two a year! – balanced on this street light.
Another pair have opted for this other street light – at least they still have a nest site!
Kittieakes nesting on a lamp-post. Not for the faint-hearted!
It’s a problem. Kittiwakes have been moving into seaside towns for many years now, since the 1940’s. Life on a window ledge may seem challenging to us, but for kittiwakes, it offers an existence relatively free from predators: like peregrine falcons, which predate the birds living on the cliffs. They don’t seem to mind the hustle and bustle of the town, but unlike the larger herring gulls – which steal pasties and ice creams from unsuspecting sea-siders – kittiwakes are not living with us for our food. They fly off every day to catch fish and bring these back to their chicks. You will never see a kittiwake begging for food or stealing a chip!
Black-legged kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla) adult
There are still some places left in the town where kittiwakes can nest on buildings (below), but understandably, many shops and buildings have taken measures to excude them.
Kittiwakes are starting to nest on window ledges in Scarborough. The lucky ones, I suppose.
So, what’s the solution? Kittiwake hotels! In other parts of the world, like in Tromsø, Norway, people have constructed artificial bird cliffs to encourage kittiwakes nesting away from nesting on building.
These artificial structures are starting to be built in the UK as well, such as these artificial nesting structures at Ness Point, also known as Lowestoft Ness, the most easterly point of England, Great Britain,
A kittiwake hotel has also been built in Gateshead: the Saltmeadows Tower has reportedly been a great success, and kittiwakes successfully fledge young birds, see here and here.
Kittiwakes are Red listed species of highest conservation concern, so we need to take good care of them. Measures were taken to try and exclude them from the famous Spa Bridge in Scarborough – read about it here and here – but in subsequent years they have largely recolonised it.
Kittiwakes are amazingly clever and adaptable birds! As you might have gathered, I love them. Some people visiting the seaside may not know the differences between kittiwakes and herring gulls, but they have undoubtedly heard the raucous cry of the kitiwake, which gives them their onomatopoeic name.
The majority of kittiwakes still live on sea cliffs, but increasing numbers now live on man-made cliffs: such as bridges and buildings. If we decide to change the rules and tell them they are no longer welcome on our buildings, we have a duty, I think, to provide them with alternative accommodation. Many towns have started to do this. Scarborough needs to do so urgently! It’s a problem we can easily solve with a bit of money and ingenuity.
Update (August 2025).
The really good news is that the kittiwakes overcame the obstacles by pulling up seaweed on the wire mesh. It took them quite a long time, but most managed to build excellent nests composed of over avfoot of dried seaweed. Such clever birds! I love their tenacity and adaptability.
Saturday 29th June 2024 was Armed Forces Dayin Scarborough; an annual event celebrated around the country to commemorate the service of men and women in the British Armed Forces.
Whatever you may think about celebrating the contributions of ex-servicemen and women, it is a great opportunity for photography! Personally, I think we owe these veterans a huge debt.
I went down to the seafront to try and capture some interesting images; there were bands, marches and stalls; what follows is an eclectic series of images; just things that caught my eye.
Let’s start with the bands.
The band of the sea cadets was rather more youthful!
I love a good reflection, and highly polished tubas are great for capturing curved panoramas of the surroundings!
Some images of people and street scenes.
And, of course, it wouldn’t be Britain without the dogs!
This year was the 80th anniversary of D-Day.
Finally some images from the beach. It was only 18 deg C, but the sun came out and the hardy northerners (not me!) were even venturing into the water!
Some photographs of the Armed Forces Day in Scarborough on 25th July 2022.
Crowded South Bay Beach Scarborough 25 July 2022HMS Westminster anchored offshoreMarking upTalking aimReloadTyphoon displayTyphoon displayTyphoon displayUpside downFlying the flagWatching the air displayAttentive poochBorder force dogArmy No. 1’s I think
Yesterday was a beautiful sunny day with a rich evening light. Evening being between 2-3 pm at this time of year in North Yorkshire!
Fishing boats in the afternoon sun (16 Dec 2021)Reflections on the water (no cropping)
I strolled around the harbour here in Scarborough, a very familiar tramping ground, as there is always something to photograph: fishing boats, birds, people, reflections, the list goes on. The light at this time of year (mid December) is wonderful because the sun is so low in the sky.
Ruddy turnstones (Arenaria interpres) enjoying the last of the winter sun
I am always drawn to reflections, be they on glass or water. The play of colours created by ripples on the surface of water creates fascinating effects. Particularly, if you ‘sample’ them with a long(ish) lens. The effects can be quite creative; abstract patterns that can be further sampled (i.e. selecting a portion of the image) on the computer.
Boat and reflections in the inner harbour, Scarborough
The light really was lovely. No need to do any processing. Apart from cropping and a slight increase in exposure, these images are straight out of the camera (Nikon D7500).
More reflections
By sampling, I mean zooming in, cropping out a smaller portion of the image (see below). It makes the whole thing more abstract. It is easy to get carried away! I think it works best if one does not over-do the cropping?
Cropped image from above
It is just a matter of taste really. Some things crop better than others. I like it when there are an eclectic mix of colours and shapes.
As I continued my walk around the harbour, past the light-house, I noticed a different sort of pattern. There were some sandstone flags (paving stones) that had lovely ripple marks. They were particularly apparent on this afternoon, as the sun was low, high-lighting the protrusions.
LighthouseOuter harbour wall
There were (are!) relatively few paving stones that had very good ripple marks! Perhaps the stone masons discarded the more uneven ones?
Ripple marks on sandstone flags, Scarborough harbour
There were small, round, stone bosses in the middle of the flags. I had never noticed these before. I suppose they were holding the slabs in place?
Ripple marks on sandstone slabs, Scarborough
There is much that these ripple marks can tell us about the environment in which they were laid down. Follow the links! Wave-formed ripples.
Finally, as I was ending my walk, I noticed some really interesting, almost psychedelic reflections, coming off the corrugated iron wall at the end of the harbour (below).
When I focussed in on these reflections, I was amazed how interesting they were!
None of these reflections lasted very long. The sun set and they were gone! But sure to reappear, in a different way, on a different day! Our world is infinitely variable and infinitely fascination!
It’s hard to keep up a travel blog in these times of lockdowns and travel restrictions. So, I thought, why not do one on your home town?
Scarborough harbour 6 May 2020
Starting out near home, we come across this lovely house (below). Many of the houses in the Old Town, Scarborough, are Grade II listed, which means that ‘are subject to regulations which protect their historical and architectural significance’. In other words, you can’t mess about with them!
Wesley House, Castlegate, Scarborough
Going down to the seafront, there are many fish and chip shops to choose from.
Princess Cafe
The fun fair is open now. It was closed and empty all through lockdown (16 March to 10 May 2020), so the owners are making some money again, hopefully.
Fun fair 19 Sept 2020
Things were very quiet in Scarborough during lockdown, but when the restrictions eased, people flooded to the seaside. They were still supposed to be observing social distancing, and for the most part I think they were, but as these shots show, there were a lot of people on the beach on this warm day in July (below).
South Bay beach, Scarborough on 31 July 2020
South Bay beach, Scarborough. 31 July 2020
We are lucky to have lots of seabirds in Scarborough. My favourites are the Kittiwakes, and they kept me amused and interested all through the summer; following the birth and development of the chicks. For more of kittiwakes, see previous blogs here and here.
Black-legged kittiwake chicks, mid July
Having the sea on your doorstep is a real bonus and I never get tired of the views.
South bay with Ferris wheel
Every one likes to dip their toes in the (North) sea, but it’s cold!
Lighthouse from South Bay
Better to sit in a deckchair on the beach perhaps, and enjoy the late summer sunshine.
Deck chairs on South Bay beach
Or, take a donkey ride (children only)!
Donkeys on South Bay beach
Walking around the harbour, I could not resist a quick grab shot of this girl’s lovely red hair!
Girl with red hair
At this time of year there are lots of juvenile Herring gulls around, pestering their parents with their rather pathetic, high-pitched cries.
Juvenile Herring Gull on Marine Drive
Scarborough harbour at dusk
The Harbour is always an interesting place to visit, although there are not very many working fishing boats, at least compared to the past.
Fishing boats in Scarborough harbour
However, there is still a demand for new lobster pots, called creels (below). This is how they are used.
Creels stacked up in Scarborough harbour
Scarborough was a popular holiday venue for the Victorians, and they left us some wonderful architecture, like the lovely Cliff (Spa) bridge, built in 1827 (which the kittiwakes like to nest on!).
The Kittiwake nests are all empty now in Scarborough; on the cliffs and in the town, the birds have all gone. Long gone. Gone to sea.
Katie did not want to go to sea; she wanted to stay on her ledge above Marks and Spencer and try all the lovely food her gull-friends on the roofs around her were eating. But it was not to be. Her parents had looked after her and fed her well all through the summer, but now they were tired and needed a break. They wanted to go to sea. Katie would either have to come with them or look after herself, but she was quite incapable of finding food. Walking about the town begging for chips, like the herring gulls, looked like fun, but she didn’t think she could do it. Her legs were too short and she was not cut out for street life. Reluctantly, she came to conclusion that Yes, it was time to go. So one day in late August they all set off.
Newly-fledged Kittiwake chick just like Katie!
Katie had been down to the sea a few times with her parents. She had had a go at sitting on the ocean and trying to peck at the occasional morsel that passed by, but she had never really been out to sea. She had not flown far out, far away from the land. She had just jumped in and out, and sat on the sea wall smelling the ocean and watching all the other gulls.
This time was different. Her parents looked serious and in no mood to put up with her reservations. Her Dad, Harold, said: ‘Come on Katie. If you don’t come with us now, you will sit here and starve. A Kittiwake has to go out to the sea. The ocean is where we really belong. You’ll see.’ So off they went; flying high and further out than Katie had ever been before.
A lot of other gulls were leaving Scarborough at the same time, and soon they joined up with others in a large flock, heading north along the coast. The were soon joined by some other Kittiwakes flying over from the land. ‘Where do you come from?’ Katie asked one of them. ‘Newcastle’ he replied, in a strange accent she had not heard before. ‘Ooh eye, its great there said one of the older gulls; we have nests on a bridge, high above the river’. ‘Oh I was born on a bridge’ said one of the other birds from Scarborough. ‘It’s great, you have a lovely view and it’s very safe. There were so many of us, all close together on the bridge.’ ‘Sounds just like Newcastle’ said the newcomer. ‘So we have something in common then’ he said, flying closer to the bird from Scarborough who happened to be a female. ‘Perhaps we should stick together for a while’ he smiled. Yes Kittiwakes can smile, only they can see it. Humans don’t know what a Kittiwake smile is!
In winter. many kittiwakes move in small flocks …. Some flocks include both adults and first-year birds, but I doubt if there is any kinship between the individuals, as pairs and their offspring separate once they leave the colony in autumn. (Coulson, 2011).
Newly-fledged Kittiwake chick in July. Just like Katie before she went to sea!
After joining up with all the new birds from Newcastle, Katie looked around to see where her Mum and Dad had gone. They weren’t there. She couldn’t see them anywhere. ‘Where’s my Mum and Dad?’ screamed Katie! They’ve gone!
‘You are on your own now’ said one of the older birds from Newcastle. ‘You probably won’t see them again until next year now.’
Since Kittiwakes are not fed by their parents after they leave the nest sites, successful (and rapid) dispersal to good feeding sites is probably critical for the survival of the juvenile birds. (Wernham et al., 2002).
‘How am I going to survive!’ moaned Katie. ‘I don’t even know how to catch fish!’ ‘Don’t worry’ said the older bird. ‘Stick with us and we’ll show you. You’ll soon get the hang of it’. ‘Yea stick with us’ said some of the other juveniles. ‘Our parents have left us as well! We’ll be OK if we stick together’. So off they flew; a small flock of adults and juveniles, not related, but with a shared purpose and common interest. Flying into the unknown, but armed with the instincts and adaptations millions of years of evolution had provided them with. Enough to give them more than a sporting chance of surviving in this new world.
Katie and her companions flew north helped by a strong wind blowing from the south-west. They made rapid progress and were soon up near the coast of Norway.
‘My Dad came from Norway’ said Katie, excitedly. ‘Let’s go and find him! ‘It will be like looking for a needle in a haystack’ said one of the older birds. ‘What’s a needle and what’s a haystack said Katie’, confused. ‘Forget it’ said the older bird. Stick with us and we will look after you’. ‘OK’ said Katie, looking wistfully across to the foreign shoreline they were flying next to.
‘We are going to go much further north, and then we will head over to Greenland for the winter’. Greenland sounds nice thought Katie. It should be warm there by the sound of it. Little did she know!
Some young Kittiwakes probably remain on the other side of the Atlantic, off Newfoundland and Greenland (Wernham et al., 2002).
They flew on, stopping off to rest and feed on the surface of the sea at night. Eventually the reached a new land. A strange place with huge cliffs and thousands and thousands – hundreds of thousands – of Kittiwakes. Katie had never seen so many Kittiwakes. They joined up with the huge flocks and Katie started chatting to some of the other juvenile birds.
Hundreds of thousands of Kittiwakes nest at Diskobukta on Barent’s Island (Barenstøya), Svalbard Archipelago, where they are preyed upon by Arctic foxes.
‘Where do come from’ asked one of them. ‘Scarborough’ said Katie.
‘Where is that?!’ the other bird asked. ‘It’s a town far to the south from here. I was brought up on a ledge above Marks and Spencer’ said Katie. What’s that?’ said the other bird. ‘It’s a shop’ said Katie. ‘That sells food’.
‘Are there foxes there?’ said the newcomer. ‘Well a few’ said Katie, ‘but we don’t see them much’. ‘Here the foxes try and eat you’ said the local bird. It’s a nightmare I can tell you. My sister was taken by a fox. I can’t wait to get away from the land and head out to sea!’
So off they flew travelling west this time. Soon they saw something floating in the sea. ‘What’s that?’ asked Katie. ‘It’s ice stupid! Haven’t you ever seen ice before?’ ‘No’ said Katie. It looked very strange, and she was not sure if she liked it. ‘Look, you can stand on it’ said one of her new friends’ swooping down and landing on a small lump of ice.
In winter, some Kittiwakes remain as far north as the Arctic Circle, so how do these birds feed and survive in the total darkness? The answer is not known. Some may feed behind fishing boats using floodlights, whilst others may be attracted to luminous prey. (Coulson, 2011).
What happens next? Will Katie survive the winter and learn to look after herself? Find out in the next installment of Katie the Kittiwake!
References
Coulson, J. (2011). The kittiwake. A&C Black.
Wernham, C., Toms, M., Marchant, J., Clark, J., Siriwardena, G., & Baillie, S. (2002). The migration atlas: movements of the birds of Britain and Ireland. T & AD Poyser.
It was a cold and windy day here in Scarborough today (4th May 19), for the finish for Stage 3 of the Tour de Yorkshire 2019, cycle race. The waves were sweeping into North Bay, driven by a strong wind. It must have been grueling to have cycled 135 km in this weather. The men’s race finished about 18:30. The women’s race had taken place earlier.
North Bay Scarborough
I have no idea who the individual cyclists are, but some people may recognize them.
Tour de Yorkshire finish 4 May 2019
I missed the winners! The light was so bad that it was hard to get any useful shots. But then the sun came out for a few minutes and I managed to get some photos of the later riders.
Tour de Yorkshire finish 4 May 2019
The crowd had waited patiently in the cold for the riders to arrive, but those beneath the large screen could follow the progress of the race via the helicopter video. Sadly two riders crashed out.
It was all over in a flash, but exciting and one cannot help but be impressed (and in awe) of the cyclists who could cycle so far and so fast, in such awful weather!
The third and final stage of the Tour de Yorkshire cycle race began at Middlesbrough and ended up in Scarborough, 196 km later. The course of the race can be viewed on the race website (1) and the ups and downs are shown on the Cycling Weekly site (2).
Prior to the arrival of the racers it was a very relaxed atmosphere.
Laughing policeman Scarborough
Spectators awaiting the cyclists could see where they were on a giant monitor screen.
Giant monitor screen showing the race live
Spectators waited in anticipation of the riders.
Waiting for the Tour de Yorkshire riders to arrive
Some young fans awaiting the riders
Numerous police cars and motor bikes heralded the arrival of the cyclists.
Police car in front of riders
It was a cold and windy day and the riders must have been exhausted after the gruelling ride, which included six hill climbs. Despite this, there was still a sprint to the finish and only six seconds between the race winner – Frenchman Thomas Voeckler – and the Irish rider Nicolas Roche who came second in this stage. I managed to grab this shot as the two front riders passed beside the harbour in Scarborough, a couple of kilometres from the finish.
Thomas Voeckler leading Nicolas Roche
I got better shots of some of the following riders, although I am not able to put names to those further down the rankings.
Team Sky riders
Riders near the finish of Stage 3, Tour de Yorkshire
Riders near the finish of Stage 3, Tour de Yorkshire
A rider near the finish of Stage 3, Tour de Yorkshire
Support cars carrying spare bikes followed the riders.
Support car following riders
A lorry came along at the end telling everyone that the race was over and the road was open again.
End of the cycle racing
Race results of the Tour de Yorkshire 2016 can be seen on the Cycling Weekly website (3).
Ray's ramblings 