Short birdwatching visit · RSPB
St Bees Head
- Tier
- Worth a special trip
- Best season
- spring and summer
- Headline birds
- Kittiwake · Fulmar · Guillemot
- Parking
- Council pay-and-display parking is at St Bees shore, but its usual onward cliff path is currently closed.
- Hides
- Three public viewing platforms on North Head overlook the seabird cliffs.
- Step-free
- Not stated by the operator
St Bees · CA27 0EN
St Bees Head is a spring and early-summer seabird destination on the Cumbrian coast. Fulmar, Guillemot, Kittiwake and Herring Gull use the cliffs, while public North Head viewpoints provide the established watching places. The open coastal setting suits a sustained seabird watch combined with a walk, but the paths are steep and uneven. A landslip has closed the public footpath between St Bees shore car park and Fleswick Bay. The RSPB lists alternative walking approaches from Sandwith and from Whitehaven or Kells; plan around that closure and stay behind the cliff-edge boundaries.
When to go and where to look
Spring and early summer are the focus for St Bees Head's nesting seabirds, including Guillemot, Kittiwake and Fulmar in the RSPB account. Use the three public viewing platforms on North Head to watch the cliffs from an authorised position. The St Bees-to-Fleswick path is recorded as closed after landslips, so an apparently familiar coastal approach must not be assumed open. Confirm a currently permitted alternative before travelling and remain well back from cliff edges. Give the platforms time for a settled watch rather than searching for a closer route down towards the birds.
Sources: RSPB visitor guide and facility details · Visitor routes and access. Planning reviewed 2026-10-25.
Birds and seasons
- Kittiwake · Headline bird — Typically spring and summer Source for Kittiwake
- Fulmar · Headline bird — Typically spring and summer Source for Fulmar
- Guillemot · Headline bird — Typically spring and early summer Source for Guillemot
- Herring Gull — Typically year-round Source for Herring Gull
Plan your visit
- Hides and viewpoints
- Three public viewing platforms on North Head overlook the seabird cliffs.
- Paths
- The St Bees–Fleswick path is closed after landslips; use an authorised alternative approach.
- Toilets
- There are no toilets on the headland reserve; council facilities are at St Bees shore.
- Parking
- Council pay-and-display parking is at St Bees shore, but its usual onward cliff path is currently closed.
- Dogs
- Dogs are permitted on leads on public paths and bridleways.
- Access notes
- Coastal routes include steep ground, wet rock and loose material.
- Step-free access
- Not stated by the operator – check before travelling
Getting there: St Bees has a station; confirm an open public approach from Sandwith, Whitehaven or Kells before travelling.
Sources
Social preview photograph: Common Starling standing in grass in Oxfordshire. Charles J. Sharp · CC BY-SA 3.0. Resized and converted for the preview.
Nearby special trips
- Caerlaverock NNR public trails · 33.9 straight-line miles
- Foulshaw Moss · 35.5 straight-line miles
- Hesketh Out Marsh · 61.0 straight-line miles
Continue birding nearby
Nearest full guide: RSPB Hodbarrow, 24.3 miles away in a straight line.
- Southwick Coast · 27.7 miles in a straight line
- Caerlaverock NNR public trails · 33.9 miles in a straight line
- Meathop Moss · 35.4 miles in a straight line