Puffin escapes gannet in Bempton cliffside clash

A photographer has captured the moment a puffin had a lucky escape following an altercation with a gannet.

Pete Bristo, who lives in Atwick, near Hornsea, photographed the ruckus at Bempton Cliffs, near Bridlington, last week.

Despite the perilous situation, he said the puffin was able to fly away.

The RSPB said it was likely the gannet had been defending its territory.

Mr Bristo, 61, a retired professional photographer, posted his image on social media with the description: “Running the Gannet – A close call for one of the puffins at Bempton this afternoon.”

“The gannet must have been six or seven times the size of the puffin,” he said.

“They are a big bird and the poor little puffin is smaller than a chicken.”

Mr Bristo, who specialises in landscape photography, said he had recently taken up vlogging, and had been at the reserve making a video.

However, he said the shot of the puffin was taken as a still and it was a case of being in the right place at the right time.

Martin Fowlie, RSPB gull enthusiast, said the gannet appeared to be acting aggressively towards the puffin after it “invaded its personal space”.

“Gannets’ diets compromise of fish which they dive for at sea, so it is unlikely it viewed the puffin as a snack,” he added.

According to the RSPB, puffins nest inside the cliffs, so it was likely it was just trying to get past, rather than compete over the same space.