Lost gannet found 70 miles from coast

Jean Thorpe rescued the gannet from a garden near Harrogate

A lost gannet found more than 70 miles away from the nearest colony has been rescued.

The seabird was discovered in a garden in Killinghall, near Harrogate, on 21 September before being driven to RSPB Bempton Cliffs to be released.

Jean Thorpe, who helped rescue the bird, said she feared that had she not stepped in to help it would have died.

Danielle Jackson, visitor experience manager at RSPB Bempton Cliffs, said to find a gannet one mile from the coast was "unusual" but to find one near Harrogate was "very bizarre".

Northern gannets are one of Britain’s largest seabirds with a wingspan of up to 6ft (1.8m).

They are bright white with black wingtips and a yellow head. They feed on fish by diving into the water at speeds of up to 60 miles per hour.

There are 30 colonies across the UK. The biggest is at Bass Rock near Edinburgh, which is visible from Arthur’s Seat.

Ms Thorpe, who runs a wildlife rehabilitation centre, said: “The lady in the house called me and she couldn’t get anyone else to come out for it.

"All it was going to do was sit there – so without help it definitely would have died.

"Once I got it home, it ate well – I fed it some raw fish, some sprats. It was very aggressive, which is normal for them.

“I took it right down to the cliff edge. It soared straight into the air using the updraft of the cliff. They soar beautifully. I left a ring on its leg, so if it turns up again, we’ll know it’s him.”

Gannets come to the UK to breed between mid-February and October

'You could lose a finger'

Ms Jackson said the bird could have come from any of the northern colonies – along the north east coast and Scotland.

She said: “Often what happens is that the colonies travel through the English Channel to get into the Bay of Biscay and then they winter there.

“They can get lost if there’s a big sea fret or it’s a foggy day. We’ve had some in Bempton village, which is only a mile away, but that is unusual. So to have one in Harrogate is very bizarre.”

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