Dunstanburgh
The area around Dunstanburgh Castle (featured in three paintings by Turner) is both a SSSI and an AONB. A spectacular seabird colony offering many of the species found on The Farne Islands further North.
Seabirds
The cliffs shown here at Castle Point lying to the rear of Dunstanburgh castle are made of hard Whin Sill basalt rock.This promotory provides a home to the largest mainland colony of Kittiwakes in Northumberland as is also an excellent seawatching point.
Breeding : Fulmar, Kittiwake (over 500 pairs), Puffin (now scarce, scan the cliff top grassy areas) , Razorbill and Shag.Wheatear,Stonechat, raven, kestrel, Yellow Wagtail, linnet, rock pipit, meadow pipit and reed bunting.
The Arnold Memorial Reserve below Craster Heugh,a whinstone outcrop,was set up in 1973 in memory of Dr. Lawrence Arnold on land sold by Sir John Craster to the Northumberland Wildlife Trust.It's ex-quarry workings,secondary Blackthorn scrub, gorse and woodland, together with its position next to the coast makes the reserve particularly important for both migrant and breeding birds. Breeding bird species include sedge and willow warbler, chiffchaff and blackcap. Amongst the migrants, a number of rarities have been recorded including wryneck, icterine, reed and barred warblers, red-breasted flycatcher and bluethroat.
Birds you may hear at Dunstanburgh
Best visited in spring and early summer. The cliffs will be deserted in winter apart from resident stonechat, kestrel and rock dove. Listen to Mike's recording made here in 2023 (Above).
