Siân in the Wild - YouTube Channel Launches!
My first ever visit to RSPB Bempton Cliffs and my first YouTube film!
I’m so excited to share that I have finally taken the plunge and launched my YouTube Channel ‘Siân in the Wild’.
It’s been many, many years in the making and I have procrastinated for various reasons but now, I am ready and I am going for it!
It’s a little bizarre that I decided now to be the optimal time, considering my health is no where near my best, in fact, some could argue, it’s the worst possible timing to try something like this.
However, for years, I have struggled to feel like I had a purpose because my chronic illnesses took so much from me. The one thing that I kept coming back to was how photography lifted me through the dark times and helped get me outside, even if it was sitting in the garden or in the car…
Learning to film has been fun and I am sure you might see the progression in the films that will come out over the next coming months. I have already filmed a lot of content when I was able to, building a “bank’ so that on days when I am housebound (like today) I can sit and edit at my own pace and feel that I am achieving something.
My first trip to RSPB Bempton Cliffs was back in July 2025 - a last minute trip when most of the southern parts of the UK were having a full on heatwave. As the heat doesn’t always agree with me (I have really bad temperature regulation thanks to POTS) we decided to head up North to cooler climates. I didn’t realise how much temperature difference there would be on those cliffs first thing in the morning!
Luckily, I packed my thermals - they come with me everywhere, even if its predicted 40 degree heat! Why? Because as soon as I stand or sit still waiting for wildlife, I get super cold (again, thanks POTS!) Just can’t win!
I will never forgot my initial disappointment when I arrived at Bempton and the weather was super foggy and I could hardly see anything. My heart sank a little that this trip had been a waste of money. It’s certainly not cheap getting from the Isle of Wight all the way up to Yorkshire - and getting last minute accommodation meant paying a premium too.
But when I was up on those cliffs, seeing the Gannets for the first time and then when the sun started to pierce through the seafret - wow!
I hope I remember that scene in my memory for the rest of my life, because it really was something truly special.
Canon R5 + RF 70-200mm F2.8L - Settings: F4.5, 1/2000s, ISO500 - @200mm focal length
The weather wasn’t overly kind to me on this trip… everything it was meant to be, it wasn’t!
I got absolutely drenched the second day because I was adamant that the threatening cloud that loomed over me was just passing…
Needless to say, I sacrificed myself so that my camera equipment could stay dry! My trousers literally clung to my legs and it felt like I was in a swimming pool fully clothed. Not fun!! (it was funny though!)
I forgot to include this image in the YOUTUBE video! There was this tiny dry patch against the fencing that I tried to shrink myself into - clearly it wasn’t working and I had to face the fact that, yes, I made a mistake with the weather!
I wasn’t prepared for this weather in terms of clothing. If I had worn waterproofs, I likely would have stayed out a bit longer. I have realised though that I need to get an extra waterproof covering for my big lens... (on the Christmas list!!)
As I write this, my first film about RSPB Bempton Cliffs has nearly 6,000 views! I am completely blown away by the level of love and support that I have received for this and honestly, it has made every health struggle feel so much more worth it!!
I’m not entirely sure whether I can deliver a new film every week, so I have promised that a new film will become available on Wildlife Wednesday's, when the next adventure is ready… this means I’m delivering something that I am proud of when I have completed it, not just a video for a video’s sake.
I have two more Bempton videos in the pipeline, one from April this year which covers 3 days at Bempton and then another from August, when I ended up having an impromptu day there after the Diving Gannet Boat Trip with Yorkshire Coast was cancelled due to bad swells. I was completely gutted as I have wanted to do that for such a long time but I don’t know the waters around there and if the Captain says no, it’s better to be safe and cancel.
I have already booked by trip to RSPB Bempton Cliffs for next year and I hope to get a few diving Gannet trips booked in too, as it’ll be great to see the Gannets from a different viewpoint diving into the water and to look up at the Cliffs from the water too. I can’t wait!
If you would like to join me on a Diving Gannet boat trip next year, get in touch via my website for more details.
Canon R5 + RF 70-200mm F2.8L - Settings: F4, 1/2500s, ISO640 - @135mm Focal Length
This last image is one that I am truly proud of. It was taken on that very first morning at Bempton Cliffs, my first ever trip there and it was just a moment that really just sticks in my memory.
‘Gannet Get Together’ was shortlisted in the British Photography Awards Birdlife Category - which I was so proud of! It’s an image i’ve not been able to replicate again because the moment was so unique. The colours, the poses, the action!
What do you think of it?
Canon R5II + RF600mm - Settings: F5.6, 1/2500, ISO500
Stay tuned because the next film is all ready and set to be released on YouTube this Wildlife Wednesday at 4PM BST. Subscribe to be the first to be notified when it’s out!
The thumbnail for the new film will be released the day before on Instagram but a clue is… What’s green and pink and loves being in the city!?
