Peregrine falcon snatches puffin at Bempton Cliffs

Photographer Dan Howe believes the puffin later escaped from the peregrine falcon

A photographer has captured the moment a peregrine falcon flew off with a puffin in its talons at a nature reserve.

Dan Howe spotted the birds at Bempton Cliffs near Bridlington in East Yorkshire on Thursday afternoon.

He said although the peregrine appeared to be planning to eat the puffin, he believed the smaller bird had escaped.

Mr Howe said he could not be sure of the final outcome but described the encounter as "very dramatic".

"It's a cruel world we live in, but this story doesn't end there. After catching the puffin [the peregrine falcon] then seemed to lose it by the time she went to perch again," he said.

The peregrine was later seen at her perch without the smaller bird

Peregrines feed primarily on other birds, which they catch in mid-flight, according to the RSPB.

Their prey usually includes pigeons and small mammals, according to the organisation.

Bempton Cliffs is a site of special scientific interest where half a million seabirds, including puffins, gannets, kittiwakes and guillemots, breed each year.