See the birds at Bempton Cliffs reserve with RSPB

An RSPB volunteer has adapted spectacles to help people see birds at Bempton Cliffs nature reserve.

Ian Crossley noticed that not everyone could see the birds when using a telescope. He spoke to Specsavers’ Bridlington practice in Yorkshire, who donated discontinued spectacles so he could remove one lens and paint the other with black nail polish to help people see through the telescope better.

Crossley said: ‘They either close one eye or both eyes as they look down the lens. It sounds funny but it’s extremely frustrating – especially for children who desperately want to spot a seabird. By wearing the spectacles, you don’t need to decide which eye to close or even close one at all. You just look through the lens with the eye that isn’t blacked out.’

Mark Kunz, practice director at Specsavers in Bridlington, said: ‘We’re always looking for ways in which we can help local groups and organisations in our community, so when such a creative and unique opportunity arose from the RSPB group at Bempton we had to get involved! We hope our discontinued spectacles are being put to great use, and that many visitors to the Bempton nature reserve are enjoying a spot of bird-watching as a result.’