Description
The Hunstaton Cliffs are located on the northern side of Hunstanton and face the Wash bay area. The cliffs are coloured white and red and are famous for their fossils and, of course, the breeding colony of Havhest. The number of breeding pairs peaked in 1995 with about 200 pairs, but nowadays, the number is averaged around 100 pairs. They can be seen from the beach, sitting on their ledges or from the top where you can see them flying away and coming in from the sea.
The beach, especially during low tide, is a great place for many shorebird species, like gulls and waders. Large flocks tend to stay and forage for prey on the tidal mudflats. Common species are Tjeld, Polarsnipe, Lappspove and Rødstilk. The scattered rocks are a great place for Fjæreplytt.
From the clifss, you'll have a perfect view over the bay. You can find species like Krykkje, Havsule, Toppskarv and even skuas and shearwaters, with a bit of luck. Flocks of scoter, both Svartand and Sjøorre, can be found and small numbers of Smålom are present.
Details
Access
The area is easy accessable due to the parking lot on top of the cliffs and the pathway down to the beach. You can walk over the beach towards the cliffs and find the Havhest there, mostly by sound.
