United Kingdom Birding Tour: England in Spring
United Kingdom Birding Tour: England in Spring
May 2026/2027
This small-group birding tour of eastern England starts in the south in the capital London, then travels north via some of the best birdwatching areas of the UK, such as Norfolk and North Yorkshire, until we get to beautiful Northumberland just south of the Scottish border. From here, it is a short journey to Edinburgh in southern Scotland, from where you can either join our Scottish birding tour or fly home. Spring is the best time to look for European breeding birds in England, and our tour is timed during the peak of the spring migration and when breeding will be well underway.
Atlantic Puffin is one of our spectacular targets on this trip.
Some of the key targets on this England in spring tour include the UK endemic Red Grouse, getting amazing close views of seabirds like the charismatic Atlantic Puffin, and seeing iconic species such as Black Grouse, European Nightjar, Eurasian Stone-curlew, Pied Avocet, Common Kingfisher, European Robin, Common Nightingale, and Bearded Reedling (Bearded Tit). During this tour we will look for a number of scarce, or very local breeding species in England like Garganey, Common Crane, Eurasian Woodcock, Purple Sandpiper, Little Tern, Mediterranean Gull, Eurasian Spoonbill, Red Kite, Short-eared Owl, and Eurasian Hobby. While traveling through eastern England, we will enjoy repeat views of many resident and common bird species (which are spectacular to the visiting birdwatcher or bird photographer), such as Common Wood Pigeon, Northern Lapwing, European Green Woodpecker, Eurasian Blue, Great and Long-tailed Tits, European Nuthatch, European Goldfinch, Eurasian Bullfinch, and Yellowhammer. We have put together a detailed “Common Birds of the UK” blog series presenting a photographic look at the common garden, farmland and woodland, and wetland and coastal birds of the United Kingdom, many of these species are possible on this tour. These common resident species will also add great value to our tour and are sure to delight.
Eurasian Blue Tit, gorgeous and abundant in the United Kingdom.
England is home to a number of brilliant nature reserves that offer easy access to the country’s wildlife, and we make use of these throughout the tour. Starting in Norfolk, we visit excellent wetland and coastal reserves in search of species like Western Marsh Harrier, Red Knot, Black-tailed Godwit, Ruff, Eurasian Bittern, Cetti’s and Dartford Warblers. Traveling inland, we explore the Brecks, a unique region of sandy heath and pine forest that spans parts of Norfolk and Suffolk. Here we will look for Eurasian Stone-curlew, Eurasian Goshawk, Eurasian Hobby, Woodlark, Common Firecrest, and (with luck) Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, among others.
We then travel north to the beautiful Roman city of York, where much of our birding takes place in the grasslands, moorlands, and woodlands of the Vale (a large valley) of York. We will look for the now rare European Turtle Dove, along with Grey Partridge, Willow Tit and Black Grouse, amongst many others. We visit the famous Bempton Cliffs Nature Reserve, part of the dramatic Yorkshire coastline. These towering chalk cliffs are home to thousands of breeding seabirds, including Black-legged Kittiwake, Northern Fulmar, and Northern Gannet. During our time in Yorkshire, we will search for nocturnal species such as European Nightjar and Tawny Owl. We finish the tour in Northumberland with a boat trip to the Farne Islands, where we expect close views of the characterful Atlantic Puffin and many other seabirds, before enjoying some final coastal birding on the way to Edinburgh, Scotland, where the tour ends.
Red Grouse was recently split from the widespread Willow Ptarmigan and is a UK endemic.
As this England bird watching tour will take place during the spring passage period, we could be interrupted by a scarce migrant such as European Bee-eater, Red-backed Shrike, Icterine Warbler, or something altogether much rarer. Spring rarities in the United Kingdom can come from far-flung places such as the United States of America, the Mediterranean and Eastern Europe, or Siberia, so almost any migratory species could be on the cards! This tour can be combined with our Scotland birding tour immediately after this England trip.
Itinerary (11 days/10 nights)
Day 1. Arrival in London and transfer to a hotel near the airport
After your arrival in London (Heathrow) you will transfer to our hotel and gather for our group evening welcome meal together. If you would like to explore the many tourist attractions of the city of London (Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, Houses of Parliament and Big Ben, Kew Gardens, Natural History Museum, etc.) please organize an early arrival into England as we will not be ending the tour in London.
Overnight: Heathrow Airport area, London
Day 2. Transfer to Norfolk
We will leave the Heathrow area after breakfast and will commence our journey to central Norfolk, our base for the next four nights. Birding near London may get our lists going with some of the many exotic, feral species present in the United Kingdom, such as Egyptian Goose, Mandarin Duck, or Rose-ringed Parakeet. We will also likely see the first of the common species that we should get to know very well over the course of our birding tour, such as Common Wood Pigeon, Eurasian Magpie, Eurasian Blue and Great Tits, European Robin, and European Goldfinch. On arrival in Norfolk, we will likely get our birding underway at one of the many nearby birding sites described below.
Overnight: Norwich
European Robin is a common and attractive garden bird in the UK, and we will likely see it on most days of the tour.
Days 3 – 5. Norfolk and Suffolk birding
We will spend three full days at a selection of Norfolk birding sites and in adjacent counties (especially Suffolk) as we explore East Anglia, one of the best birding areas in the whole of the UK. East Anglia is great for a number of restricted-range breeding birds and has a fantastic reputation for spring passage migrants and rarities. Some of the coastal and inland reserves we can visit during our time in the area include Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) Titchwell Marsh, RSPB Lakenheath Fen reserve, and Norfolk Wildlife Trust (NWT) Cley Marshes, amongst others. We will visit vast areas of saltmarshes, freshwater marshes, inland and coastal wetlands, and estuaries that could be teeming with passage shorebirds changing color into their gorgeous breeding plumage as they head north. Some of these include Common Ringed Plover, European Golden Plover, Wood Sandpiper, Dunlin, Curlew Sandpiper, and Temminck’s Stint, as well as several raptors such as Western Marsh Harrier, Red Kite, and Eurasian Goshawk.
The water and its surrounding edge habitat are likely to hold a wide array of breeding ducks such as Common Shelduck, Tufted Duck, and Garganey, along with a mix of wading birds like Pied Avocet, Little Ringed Plover, Eurasian Bittern, Eurasian Spoonbill, Little Egret, Grey Heron, and Water Rail. Bearded Reedling (Bearded Tit), Sedge, and Common Reed Warblers can be found in reedbeds, and scrubland may support the prized Common Nightingale, Cetti’s, and Dartford Warblers.
Pied Avocet is a striking bird.
We will spend some time inland in the unique sandy heath and pine forests of the Brecks. Here we will be on the lookout for breeding Common Crane, Eurasian Bittern, Little Egret, Water Rail, Eurasian Goshawk, Little Owl, Eurasian Stone-curlew, Common Kingfisher, Eurasian Hobby, European Green Woodpecker, Woodlark, Common Firecrest, Western Yellow and White Wagtails (Pied Wagtail), Red Crossbill, and hopefully Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, which is unfortunately now rare throughout the UK. The above is just a small selection of the birds we may encounter and the places we will visit during our time in Norfolk.
Overnight: Norwich (three nights)
Eurasian Hobby will be a target in the Brecks.
Day 6. Transfer between Norfolk and the city of York
This will be a travel day as we move between Norfolk and the city of York after our final early-morning birding session in the area. York will be our base for the next three nights as we spend time birding across Yorkshire. York, the former Roman capital of the north of England, is a walled city and has some very impressive buildings, none more so than York Minster, although Clifford’s Tower and ‘the Shambles’ (an ancient street) also take some beating. We will have some time to see these areas while we are in the city. One evening while in York, we will search for a range of crepuscular and nocturnal species, such as European Nightjar, Eurasian Woodcock, Western Barn, Tawny, Little and, with luck, Long-eared Owls, not far from the city itself.
Overnight: York
Days 7 – 8. Yorkshire birding
We will spend two full days birding in North Yorkshire, and the East Riding of Yorkshire, focusing on the farmed landscape of the Vale of York and the surrounding chalk hills of the Yorkshire Wolds. This patchwork of arable and pastoral farmland with many areas managed specially for flora and fauna, interspersed with woodland and ‘common land’ (shared land) forms an incredibly important mosaic of habitats. Here we may find European Turtle Dove, which is now, regrettably, a rare breeding bird in the country.
Species we will search for around the city of York include Red-legged, and Grey Partridges, Common Pheasant, Common Swift, Common Cuckoo, Western Marsh Harrier, Red Kite, Common Buzzard, Western Barn Owl, Northern Lapwing, Eurasian Whimbrel, Common Redshank, Common Snipe, Common Kestrel, Eurasian Hobby, Peregrine Falcon, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Rook, Western Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, Eurasian Skylark, Common House and Sand Martins, Marsh and Willow Tits, Goldcrest, Common and Lesser Whitethroat, Dunnock, Song and Mistle Thrushes, Common Blackbird, Eurasian Tree Sparrow, Common Linnet, European Goldfinch, Common Chaffinch, Corn and Common Reed Bunting, and Yellowhammer.
Lesser Whitethroat, one of the many migrant passerines we will look for around York.
Part of the farmland in the Vale of York forms a seasonally flooded wetland and, depending on water levels, we will look for species such as Garganey, Ruff, Black-tailed Godwit, Common Tern, and rarities like Common Quail, Black-necked Grebe, Black Tern, Spotted and Corn Crakes.
Moving further from the city of York, one of the must-see sites on the Yorkshire Coast is Bempton Cliffs RSPB reserve. These towering sea cliffs will be packed with returning breeding seabirds, including Common Murre (Common Guillemot), Razorbill, European Shag, Black-legged Kittiwake, Northern Fulmar, and Northern Gannet. We may also have our first chance to see the gorgeous and charismatic Atlantic Puffin, while Great Skua, Peregrine Falcon, European Herring, Great Black-backed, and Lesser Black-backed Gulls will likely be seen patrolling the sea cliffs in search of an easy meal.
Bempton Cliffs RSPB reserve is home to a large nesting colony of Northern Gannet, and great eye-level views will be possible as they fly onto and off the cliffs.
While we are at the coast we will keep an eye out for passage migrants, as anything could turn up at this time of year, from White Stork to Eurasian Hoopoe to Eurasian Wryneck. Although none are necessarily to be expected, our tour coincides with the peak of spring migration and this area has a strong track record of rare birds turning up! More likely migrants include the exciting British woodland trio of Wood Warbler, Common Redstart, and European Pied Flycatcher. We will probably also visit the rarity hotspots of Flamborough Head or Spurn Point, though the exact locations will depend on the weather and rarity forecast.
European Golden Plover will be moving onto the moorland to start breeding.
The moorland in Yorkshire is also known for its excellent birding, and here, as well as in the nearby dales and Wolds (chalk hills), we will search for species such as Black and Red Grouse, Eurasian Dotterel, European Golden Plover, Eurasian Oystercatcher, Eurasian Curlew, Short-eared Owl, Merlin, Common Grasshopper and Garden Warblers, Eurasian Blackcap, Whinchat, European Stonechat, Ring Ouzel, Tree Pipit, and Redpoll. Woodland bordering the moorland may hold a wide range of migrant and resident breeders including Great Spotted Woodpecker, Wood and Willow Warblers, Common Redstart, European Pied and Spotted Flycatchers.
Overnight: York (two nights)
Common Linnet is an attractive species that can be found on this tour.
Day 9. Transfer between Yorkshire and Northumberland
This will be a travel day as we move between York and our next base near Alnwick, in Northumberland. We will make a couple of stops along the way (there are a lot of great options) depending on what we’ve seen over the past couple of days.
Overnight: Alnwick
Day 10. Northumberland Coast
We will spend the day birding in Northumberland, visiting the spectacular Farne Islands. The seabird nesting colony here will likely be a highlight of the tour, with close views of breeding Atlantic Puffin, Common Murre (Common Guillemot), Razorbill, European Shag, Black-legged Kittiwake, and Northern Fulmar, as well as Common, Sandwich, Roseate, Little, and Arctic Terns, which will allow excellent photography opportunities. Common Eider, Purple Sandpiper, and Ruddy Turnstone are found around the rocky shores of the islands, with the shorebirds coming into breeding plumage.
Overnight: Alnwick
We should have excellent photographic opportunities for Purple Sandpiper in Northumberland.
Day 11. Northumberland to Edinburgh, and tour conclusion
Today is mostly a travel day as we leave England and drive to Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. If tidal conditions allow, we may stop at Holy Island, where the mudflats often have an interesting mix of shorebirds such as Grey Plover, Bar-tailed Godwit, Red Knot, and Sanderling. The tour will conclude at midday on arrival at Edinburgh airport. However, those interested in continuing birding across the United Kingdom will continue on our Highlands and Islands of Scotland in Spring tour.
Overnight: Not included
Please note that the itinerary cannot be guaranteed as it is only a rough guide and can be changed (usually slightly) due to factors such as availability of accommodation, updated information on the state of accommodation, roads, or birding sites, the discretion of the guides and other factors. In addition, we sometimes have to use a different international guide from the one advertised due to tour scheduling.
Download Itinerary
Red Grouse
Northern Gannet
Atlantic Puffin
Garganey
Common Eider
Eurasian Bittern
Eurasian Hobby
European Robin
Purple Sandpiper
Pied Avocet
Common Crane
Common Linnet
European Golden Plover
European Robin
Black Grouse
United Kingdom: UK Spring Tour Trip Report, April 2024
28 APRIL – 20 MAY 2024
By Chris Lotz
DOWNLOAD TRIP REPORT
Snow Bunting was great to see in Cairngorms National Park, Scotland.
Overview
This was a wonderful 3.5 week birding, mammal and sightseeing tour of a large part of England and Scotland. During this tour, we saw a good proportion of Britain’s birds, mammals and other wildlife. The tour participants, Dan and Bobby, were great company and, being from New Zealand, most of the fauna was new for them, apart from a handful of British birds that have become established in their home country.
I fetched Bobby and Dan in London and we immediately headed to Knepp, famous for its rewilding. Here, we enjoyed White Storks and listened to the beautiful (and very loud!) songs of Common Nightingales, amongst numerous other birds. We then headed back to London for a bit of sightseeing and the Abba Voyage concert, which was even better than expected, what a spectacular show! We then headed west, visiting Glastonbury, Stonehenge and Highclere Castle where Downton Abbey was filmed (and the third movie is being filmed there as I write this!). We also saw some truly brilliant birds such as Great Bustards on the Salisbury Plain.
The proper birding began, after the more sightseeing-focused “pre-trip” described above, when we headed to Norfolk for five days. Norfolk and adjacent Suffolk in East Anglia are two of Britain’s best birding counties, and we thoroughly enjoyed visiting some of the famous bird reserves in this part of the world. These included the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) Titchwell and Minsmere reserves, and the Norfolk Wildlife Trust (NWT) Cley Marshes reserve.
Three nights in Yorkshire were next on the agenda. Here, we enjoyed seeing White-throated Dippers, Willow Ptarmigan (Red Grouse) and the spectacular seabird colony at RSPB Bempton Cliffs (huge numbers of Northern Gannets and other seabirds breed on the impressive sea cliffs here). Our last bit of birding in England (before heading for the Scottish Highlands) was in Northumberland, where we enjoyed seeing some Black Grouse en route. In Northumberland, we saw some excellent birds and were also treated to a spectacular display of the Northern Lights. There were other distractions from the birding, such as some impressive castles (e.g. the imposing Bamburgh Castle) and the fascinating Holy Island of Lindesfarne. One of the biggest highlights of the entire trip was, however, our boat trip to the Farne Islands, where we got wonderfully close to comical Atlantic Puffins, other beautiful, close-up alcids and various other breeding seabirds.
There were lots of great highlights (besides the birds and other wildlife) on this trip, including a superb Northern Lights show!
We then crossed the border into Scotland, skirting past Edinburgh and driving right through Glasgow, then through Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park. We eventually found ourselves at the Scottish Beaver Centre near Knapdale. This stunningly beautiful part of the world allowed us to see Eurasian Beavers, Red Squirrels, our first divers (loons) and lots more. We then headed to the Isle of Mull, part of the Inner Hebrides. This is eagle paradise, and we got great views of Golden Eagle at its eyrie, plus a White-tailed Eagle atop a hill. There were lots of other wonderful birds around in this spectacularly scenic part of the world, including a Surf Scoter visiting from North America.
After an all too short “Mull sampler” (just two nights), we then headed northeast, and spent the last five days of our epic trip around Aviemore to explore the Cairngorms National Park. The Caledonian Pine Forest, birchwoods and beautiful lochs here were a delight to explore and we added many excellent birds and mammals to our trip list. These included Snow Buntings in summer plumage, breeding Pied and Spotted Flycatchers, breeding Black-throated Loons (Divers) and many others.
I eventually dropped Dan and Bobby at Edinburgh airport for their flights home, after a spectacular introduction to British wildlife.
White Stork at Knepp.
Detailed Report
Day 1, 28th April 2024. Arrival in London and transfer to Knepp Rewilding Estate
I fetched Bobby and Dan from Heathrow airport and we immediately embarked on our drive southwards to the Knepp Rewilding Estate, the home of reintroduced White Storks and many other birds. Being from New Zealand and never having birded Britain before, most species were new, and we enjoyed encountering some of our first common English birds such as European Robin, Common Blackbird, White Wagtail, Dunnock, Eurasian Chaffinch, Eurasian Goldfinch, Common Linnet, Eurasian Wren, Song Thrush, Mistle Thrush, Eurasian Blue Tit, Long-tailed Tit, Common Wood Pigeon, Eurasian Collared Dove, Common Moorhen, Grey Heron, Eurasian Magpie, Eurasian Jay, Western Jackdaw, Rook and Carrion Crow. Several warbler species were around; there were many Common Chiffchaffs, Common Whitethroats and Lesser Whitethroats, plus we also found a plain-looking Garden Warbler. One of the star birds at Knepp, which we heard singing beautifully but only glimpsed a couple of times, was Common Nightingale.
European Green Woodpecker and Great Spotted Woodpecker both put in appearances here at Knepp. Raptors came in the form of Eurasian Sparrowhawk, a Common Kestrel and quite a number of beautiful Red Kites.
Our first mammals of the trip were Fallow Deer with nice antlers, European Rabbit and Grey Squirrel.
Day 2, 29th April 2024. Sightseeing and Abba concert in London
We had breakfast near the Worthing Pier on the south coast of England with a view across the English Channel. We got our first decent views of Herring Gull here.
We then headed into central London for some drive-by sightseeing. We drove past the Royal Albert Hall, Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, London Bridge and Tower Bridge. We then headed to a different part of London to the purpose-built Abba Arena, near the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park area, where we thoroughly enjoyed the spectacular Abba Voyage concert.
Day 3, 30th April 2024. The Salisbury Plain Great Bustards, and Highclere Castle
We embarked on a three-hour drive to the Salisbury Plain, site of Stonehenge and Great Bustards. We enjoyed over 20 bustards on a Great Bustard Group tour. We also saw other excellent birds during this tour, such as a Eurasian Stone-curlew, Northern Lapwing,a pair of close-up Grey Partridges, a few Red-legged Partridges, Corn Buntings, Common Linnets and many others. We also had excellent views of Meadow Pipit, Common Whitethroat, European Stonechat and White Wagtail.There were numerous Red Kites, a couple of Common Buzzards and a Common Kestrel around. Our first Barn Swallow of the trip flew low over.Mammal-wise, we saw some Roe Deer today, albeit a bit distant.
After checking into our bed and breakfast, we went to Highclere Castle where we thoroughly enjoyed the beautiful gardens, followed by an early evening tour of the inside of the building, the setting of Downton Abbey. We also looked at the ancient Egyptian museum section.
One of over 20 Great Bustards we saw.
Day 4, 1st May 2024. Stonehenge and Glastonbury
After breakfast at our pleasant guest farm accommodation, we took the five-minute drive to Stonehenge. Here, we enjoyed not only this prehistoric megalithic phenomenon made from sarsen stones, but also obtained close-up photographic views of the three more common corvids, Corn Buntings,a male Northern Wheatear, Eurasian Skylarks, and various other birds.
We then explored the town of Glastonbury, including Glastonbury Abbey (allegedly the site of King Arthur’s tomb and with birdy grounds where we saw some new trip birds such as European Greenfinch, Coal Tit and Great Tit at feeders), the site of the Glastonbury Festival, and Glastonbury Tor.
We then continued northwards, bypassing the western side of Bristol, with Wales visible in the distance, and stayed the night at Slimbridge.
Day 5, 2nd May 2024. To Norfolk, arguably Britain’s best birding county!
After an excellent breakfast, we headed to the amazing Cotswold Christmas shop (open year-round) in Lechlade-on-Thames, for an hour. We then embarked on the three-hour drive to the Welney Wetland Centre in western Norfolk near the Cambridgeshire county line. The highlight here was a couple of late Whooper Swans (large flocks of these overwinter here but almost all of them are gone by early May) among large numbers of Mute Swans. We also saw many other new trip birds including Greylag Goose, Common Shelduck, Northern Shoveler, Gadwall, Eurasian Wigeon (these also overwinter in Norfolk in large numbers, but again only a handful remain by early May), Common Pochard, Tufted Duck, Stock Dove, Eurasian Coot, Great Crested Grebe, Eurasian Oystercatcher, Pied Avocet, beautiful breeding plumage Black-tailed Godwit, Common Sandpiper, Common Redshank, Black-headed Gull, Little Egret, Great Egret, Western Marsh Harrier, Cetti’s Warbler and Sedge Warbler (poor views today but we’d see this species very well the next day). One of the target birds here was the scarce Eurasian Tree Sparrow, and we saw a couple of these quite close-up.We also heard the bizarre, deep booming of a Eurasian Bittern.
We then headed to Norwich, which we used as a base for the next five nights to further explore East Anglia.
Day 6, 3rd May 2024. Birding the northeast Norfolk coast
We only started birding in the late morning, and stopped mid-afternoon because of rain, but it was nevertheless another very productive day! We started in Salthouse where we saw and photographed some birds we’d already seen before, but this time really close-up. We then headed slightly further west to the famed Norfolk Wildlife Trust (NWT) Cley Marshes Nature Reserve. We were pleased to add many more new trip birds here. These included Brant Goose (another mainly winter species), Egyptian Goose, Common Swift, Little Grebe, Common Ringed Plover, neat Little Ringed Plover, Eurasian Curlew, a breeding plumage Bar-tailed Godwit (and more breeding plumage Black-tailed Godwits which we’d also seen the previous day), Common Gull (which is actually not particularly common), a flock of five Eurasian Spoonbill flying over, Sand Martin, Common Reed Warbler and some stunning Common Reed Buntings.
We then went to the Sheringham area to look for Firecrest, and were not disappointed, getting eye level views.
An eye level Firecrest is always a delight to see.
Day 7, 4th May 2024. Birding RSPB Minsmere and other Suffolk birding sites
We started the day at Walberswick on the Suffolk coast, where we saw flocks of Common Scoters out at sea, two Eurasian Whimbrels,some Dunlins in the marshes, a close-up Common Kestrel, and a few other species. We then went to Saxmundham, where Bohemian Waxwings had been present for over a week, but these had sadly gone now, as we discovered. We finally headed to the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) Minsmere nature reserve for the rest of the day. Here at Minsmere, we quickly found a number of new trip birds like Barnacle Goose, Common Tern, Sandwich Tern, Black-legged Kittiwake and Eurasian Blackcap. We then went to the Bittern Hide where we were treated to five Eurasian Bittern sightings as they flew by, many Western Marsh Harriers quartering low over the reeds and some other good birds. On the way back to the visitor center, we saw a cute little deer, Reeve’s Muntjac.
We ended the day at Dunwich Heath, where we saw some Dartford Warblers.
Day 8, 5th May 2024. Birding RSPB Titchwell and Sculthorpe Moore nature reserves
We had a wonderful session at Titchwell, a famous birding reserve in north-western Norfolk. Arguably the best highlight here was seeing Bearded Reedlings nicely. But we sure did also enjoy all the other bird species that were around. These included Mediterranean Gull, Common Cuckoo, some Great Crested Grebes on the calm sea, Eurasian Curlews, a few Sanderlings and many Ruddy Turnstones on the beach.
One of the Bearded Reedlings we saw at Titchwell.
We then visited Sculthorpe Moor Nature Reserve, where we enjoyed Tawny Owl at its nest box, Coal Tit, Marsh Tit, Grey Wagtail and various other new birds for the tour.
Day 9, 6th May 2024. Birding Hickling Broad Nature Reserve and Santon Downham
After breakfast, we headed to the largest of the Norfolk Broads, Hickling Broad, where our main target was Common Crane. After a bit of a wait, we eventually saw two flying in and landing, and we managed to scope them from a viewing platform. We also enjoyed listening to some close-up Eurasian Bitterns. About eight Great Egrets put on a flight show for us, as did some Western Marsh Harriers. We saw a gorgeously bright Yellowhammer clearly in freshly molted plumage, shining in the sun along a side road. We improved our views and photos of some species we’d already seen earlier in the trip, e.g. Long-tailed Tit and Eurasian Teal.
We then headed to the Horsey Windpump, where we found our first Willow Warblers of the trip.
We opted to end the day on the other (western) side of Norfolk – on the Suffolk county line – to look for Mandarin Duck. We enjoyed seeing four of these beautiful birds. Another highlight here was a close-up Grey Wagtail, a better view than we’d had previously.
We also saw a couple of non-avian critters today. Mammal-wise, we were pleased to see a Stoat running across the road in front of us, on our way to our first site. We also got brief views of a Palmate Newt.
Day 10, 7th May 2024. Drive to the York area via RSPB Frampton Marsh
We had a superb three or so hour session at RSPB Frampton Marsh in Lincolnshire, conveniently breaking the journey northwards from Norwich to York. A beautiful drake Garganey and quite a close-up Greenshank were two solid new trip birds. Just after enjoying these, we heard that the Red-breasted Goose that had been frequenting this reserve had just been found. We rushed to where it was and, after a bit of scanning, we picked this stunningly beautiful bird out from among a flock of Brant Geese. What a win! A superb-looking rarity. We got better views than previously of Whooper Swan and some Mediterranean Gulls, along with extremely close-up nesting Great Crested Grebes. All in all, not bad for a “travel day” in which we had to get to a new part of England.
Day 11, 8th May 2024. Birding the Howardian Hills, the North York Moors National Park and Scarborough
We started the day in the Castle Howard area, where we were pleased to find our first Goldcrest (albeit high up in a tree), Eurasian Treecreeper (much better views than the Goldcrest!), and a range of other birds we’d already seen earlier in the trip.
We then continued northwards to the North York Moors National Park, one of the largest areas of heather in the UK. Our main target bird at high elevation here was Willow Ptarmigan (the famous Red Grouse) and it co-operated very well. We also enjoyed seeing a close-up Eurasian Curlew on the moor.
The famous grouse, i.e. the Red Grouse subspecies of Willow Ptarmigan.
Our next stop was in Grosmont (a quaint village and train station) in the valley below. Here, our main target, White-throated Dipper, showed extremely well, along with a pair of Grey Wagtails.
Our final stop for the day was Scarborough, where we saw our first Common Eider (a beautiful drake) and a few other birds.
Day 12, 9th May 2024. RSPB Bempton Cliffs, Filey Dams and Wheldrake Ings birding
Bempton Cliffs RSPB reserve is famous, for good reason. The spectacular sea cliffs are filled with breeding Northern Gannets, Black-legged Kittiwakes, Common Murres and Razorbills. We saw our first two Atlantic Puffins and a couple of Northern Fulmars as well. A pair of Grey Partridges and several Red-legged Partridges were in the grassy fields above the cliffs. We also enjoyed watching a Barn Owl, a couple of Corn Buntings and large numbers of Eurasian Tree Sparrows (generally a scarce bird in the UK).
After a nice lunch at Bempton Cliffs, we drove to the nearby Filey Dams to try and find a Long-tailed Duck that had been reported, but it was MIA. We did see some other nice birds there, but nothing new for the trip.
We ended the day at Weldrake Ings Nature Reserve, where again we found some good birds but nothing new for the tour. Unfortunately, we didn’t see (or hear the diagnostic call of) Willow Tit, our main target here.
Day 13, 10th May 2024. Drive to Northumberland via our Black Grouse site
Today was a fairly long transfer day to Northumberland in northeast England. We enjoyed several birding stops along the way, the best being at our Black Grouse site in the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) where we encountered 13 of these handsome birds (all males). We also found another Willow Ptarmigan (Red Grouse) nearby for comparison.
An even bigger tour highlight than Black Grouse awaited us tonight as the Northern Lights (aurora borealis) showed very well – amazing! We saw predictions that it would be not only visible, but also good, in Northumberland, and we were not disappointed!
Day 14, 11th May 2024. Holy Island and Farne Islands boat trip
This was one of the best days of the whole trip. We started the day crossing the causeway onto Holy Island (Lindesfarne), a really spectacular place. On the causeway (that floods during high tide), we got good views of Dunlin, Common Ringed Plovers and Common Eiders, and distant views of breeding plumage Grey Plovers (a better name in this plumage is Black-bellied Plover, a strikingly beautiful bird), a couple of close flyby Little Terns, a few Sandwich Terns and various other birds. We then explored the town of Lindesfarne, the abbey area and the harbor. This is a fascinating place historically (see here for more about that) and it is also a good birding venue. On our way to the harbor, we were very pleased to see our first Common Merganser (Goosander) of the tour, as well as some birds we’d seen already.
After lunch, we joined an incredible boat trip to the Farne Islands. While waiting at the harbor for our boat trip to start, we saw a few Purple Sandpipers and various other good birds we’d seen before, such as Ruddy Turnstones and Common Eiders. We then took the boat to the islands and saw a few Northern Gannets and alcids as we approached the islands. The Farne Islands are inhabited by 90,000 Atlantic Puffins and we got to walk right near them, so we could even take cell phone photos. What a magnificent experience. Tens of thousands of Common Guillemots (Murres), a handful of them with attractive bridles, and Razorbills, also nest here. We enjoyed seeing a small flock of Arctic Terns and a number of Sandwich Terns flying around. Black-legged Kittiwakes, Great Black-backed, Lesser Black-backed, Herring and Black-headed Gulls were also out in force. We saw a single Northern Fulmar. Great Cormorants and breeding plumage European Shags were around.
Mammal-wise, we enjoyed spending some time with a colony of playful Grey Seals towards the end of our boat trip.
We enjoyed being surrounded by close-up Atlantic Puffins when we landed on the Farne Islands.
Day 15, 12th May 2024. Scottish Beaver Trail
We had a fairly long but very scenic drive today. We headed north and soon crossed the border into Scotland, stopping to take photos of the sign welcoming us to Scotland. We traveled around Edinburgh and then westwards, driving through Glasgow and finally into the scenically spectacular Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park. We eventually reached our hotel, which afforded spectacular views from our rooms. We scoped the calm sea from the hotel and found some great new trip birds in the form of summer plumage Common Loon (Great Northern Diver), Red-throated Loon (Diver) distantly, a pair of Red-breasted Mergansers and our first Black Guillemot.
We then went to the Knapdale Scottish Beaver Trail Visitor Centre where we saw a Bank Vole, a Red Squirrel, many Eurasian Siskins, a close-up pair of Great Spotted Woodpeckers and a close-up Eurasian Nuthatch at the feeders. After a visit to Lochgilphead (where we saw our first Hooded Crows for the trip) and dinner, we returned here for an evening session, where we enjoyed seeing two Eurasian Beavers and a Eurasian Otter. Awesome!
Scotland is great for breeding plumage loons (divers) in spring. This is a Common Loon (Great Northern Diver).
Day 16, 13th May 2024. Ferry crossing to the island of Mull!
We drove from Crinan northwards to Oban where, excitingly, we took a ferry crossing to Mull, the second largest island (after Skye) of the Inner Hebrides. A number of striking summer plumage Black Guillemots showed well in the harbor as we awaited our ferry. A few Common Murres (Common Guillemots) were seen from the ferry.
After landing on Mull (after the hour-long ferry crossing) we had lunch, during which we were rewarded with close views of a displaying European Rock Pipit. We then drove across a chunk of the island, seeing some great wildlife! Species included good numbers of summer plumage Common Loon (Great Northern Diver), a beautiful male Common Merganser (Goosander) and several Red-breasted Mergansers, White-tailed Eagle, a pair of Northern Ravens and many Hooded Crows.
Day 17, 14th May 2024. Full day on the island of Mull
Despite light drizzle, this was a super-amazing day in which we must have covered around 60 % of the roads of the scenically spectacular island of Mull. As we traversed the island, we enjoyed many species we’d already seen on previous days, plus some new ones. Quite close-up singing Tree Pipits were a delight. We then saw a couple of Common (Harbor) Seals. One of the major highlights of the day was a good view of an American vagrant Surf Scoter that had been present for at least a week, according to rare bird reports.
An American vagrant in Scotland, Surf Scoter.
Day 18, 15th May 2024. Mull to Aviemore
After yesterday’s drizzle, we were pleased to wake up to a warm sunshiny day. We were rewarded with good views of a Golden Eagle near its nest. At one point this majestic bird sat in a small tree, then on different rocks after a couple of short flights. We glimpsed its partner on the nest itself, but most of the time it was invisible.
We had to leave the island around lunchtime to comfortably make it to our next destination in a different part of Scotland before dinner, including time for birding stops. We traversed spectacular scenery and did two more ferry crossings (Fishnish to Lochaline and Ardgour to Corran), off the island of Mull and northeastwards on our way to the Cairngorms National Park area where we would spend the last five nights of our trip. Shortly after the second ferry, we found a small flock of Northern Ravens.En route towards Fort William, the last west coast town before we headed inland, we stopped to look at a Wood Warbler we heard singing as we were driving. We also saw a Eurasian Treecreeper and various other woodland birds at this stop. Nearby, we enjoyed seeing some Red-throated Loons (Divers) and a few other nice species.
Day 19, 16th May 2024. Star mammals of the Aviemore area
We started the day among the Cairngorm Reindeer herd, one of the biggest trip highlights for Dan and Bobby who got to hand feed these gentle animals. After lunch, we took a break, noting we were going to have a late night tonight. After an early dinner, we set off around 6.30 pm for a short stint of evening birding at Avielochan. Here, we enjoyed seeing a superbly smart-looking breeding plumage Horned (Slavonian) Grebe, a Common Goldeneye, an Osprey, a Mistle Thrush and various other goodies. We then headed to our mammal hide for an amazing evening that finished around midnight. At this hide, we got close-up views of at least five European Badgers, a European Pine Marten, a Bank Vole and a few Wood Mice (Long-tailed Field Mice). We heard Eurasian Woodcock and Tawny Owl while at the hide. We just missed a Scottish Wildcat that some late arrivers to the hide saw in the carpark once we’d already settled into the hide.
Reindeer!
Day 20, 17th May 2024. High altitude birding
We spent a large part of the day doing the strenuous walk to the Cairngorm Ski Area and then beyond. The highlights were some beautiful summer plumage Snow Buntings, some rather distant male Ring Ouzels and a Mountain Hare. Very unfortunately, we narrowly missed Rock Ptarmigan, which others said had just been around.
Day 21, 18th May 2024. Birding RSBP Loch Garten Nature Reserve and Abernethy National Nature Reserve
We spent a relaxed day birding these beautiful forest reserves with their lovely lakes. We did not find any new birds or mammals for the trip, although we heard Crested Tit. We did get greatly improved views of some species, such as Goldcrest.
Day 22, 19th May 2024. Lochindorb, Nethy Bridge and Craigellachie National Nature Reserve
We started the day with a visit to Lochindorb, where we saw our target bird, a smart summer plumage Black-throated Loon (Diver), with ease. We also enjoyed seeing a couple more Willow Ptarmigans (Red Grouse) here. Just before getting to this loch, we also saw close up Common Cuckoos,which were very vocal too. The road goes straight through a breeding colony of Common Gulls, so we were surrounded by these neat birds.
We had lunch at Nethy Bridge, where we enjoyed close views of a White-throated Dipper feeding its baby. We then proceeded to Craigellachie Nature Reserve, where we obtained excellent views of a European Flycatcher and a quicker view of a Spotted Flycatcher. There were numerous other birds around which we’d seen before, such as Long-tailed Tits, stacks of Willow Warblers and a Eurasian Treecreeper, to name a few. We also saw hundreds of tadpoles, and a couple of Palmate Newts in the ponds.
Day 23, 20th May 2024. Transfer to Edinburgh airport for flights home
Sadly the tour came to an end with a transfer to the airport.
Some of the common British birds like this European Robin were major tour highlights.
Bird List – Following IOC 14.1
Birds ‘heard only’ are marked with (H) after the common name, all other species were seen.
The following notation after species names is used to show conservation status following BirdLife International: CR = Critically Endangered, EN = Endangered, VU = Vulnerable, NT = Near Threatened.
| Common name | Scientific name |
| Ducks, Geese, Swans (Anatidae) | |
| Brant Goose | Branta bernicla |
| Red-breasted Goose – VU | Branta ruficollis |
| Canada Goose | Branta canadensis |
| Barnacle Goose | Branta leucopsis |
| Greylag Goose | Anser anser |
| Mute Swan | Cygnus olor |
| Whooper Swan | Cygnus cygnus |
| Egyptian Goose | Alopochen aegyptiaca |
| Common Shelduck | Tadorna tadorna |
| Mandarin Duck | Aix galericulata |
| Garganey | Spatula querquedula |
| Northern Shoveler | Spatula clypeata |
| Gadwall | Mareca strepera |
| Eurasian Wigeon | Mareca penelope |
| Mallard | Anas platyrhynchos |
| Eurasian Teal | Anas crecca |
| Common Pochard – VU | Aythya ferina |
| Tufted Duck | Aythya fuligula |
| Common Eider | Somateria mollissima |
| Surf Scoter | Melanitta perspicillata |
| Common Scoter | Melanitta nigra |
| Common Goldeneye | Bucephala clangula |
| Common Merganser | Mergus merganser |
| Red-breasted Merganser | Mergus serrator |
| Pheasants & Allies (Phasianidae) | |
| Willow Ptarmigan | Lagopus lagopus |
| Black Grouse | Lyrurus tetrix |
| Grey Partridge | Perdix perdix |
| Common Pheasant | Phasianus colchicus |
| Red-legged Partridge | Alectoris rufa |
| Swifts (Apodidae) | |
| Common Swift | Apus apus |
| Bustards (Otididae) | |
| Great Bustard – EN | Otis tarda |
| Cuckoos (Cuculidae) | |
| Common Cuckoo | Cuculus canorus |
| Pigeons, Doves (Columbidae) | |
| Rock Dove | Columba livia |
| Stock Dove | Columba oenas |
| Common Wood Pigeon | Columba palumbus |
| Eurasian Collared Dove | Streptopelia decaocto |
| Rails, Crakes & Coots (Rallidae) | |
| Common Moorhen | Gallinula chloropus |
| Eurasian Coot | Fulica atra |
| Cranes (Gruidae) | |
| Common Crane | Grus grus |
| Grebes (Podicipedidae) | |
| Little Grebe | Tachybaptus ruficollis |
| Great Crested Grebe | Podiceps cristatus |
| Horned Grebe – VU | Podiceps auritus |
| Stone-curlews, Thick-knees (Burhinidae) | |
| Eurasian Stone-curlew | Burhinus oedicnemus |
| Oystercatchers (Haematopodidae) | |
| Eurasian Oystercatcher | Haematopus ostralegus |
| Stilts, Avocets (Recurvirostridae) | |
| Pied Avocet | Recurvirostra avosetta |
| Plovers (Charadriidae) | |
| Grey Plover | Pluvialis squatarola |
| Common Ringed Plover | Charadrius hiaticula |
| Little Ringed Plover | Charadrius dubius |
| Northern Lapwing | Vanellus vanellus |
| Sandpipers, Snipes (Scolopacidae) | |
| Eurasian Whimbrel | Numenius phaeopus |
| Eurasian Curlew | Numenius arquata |
| Bar-tailed Godwit | Limosa lapponica |
| Black-tailed Godwit | Limosa limosa |
| Common Sandpiper | Actitis hypoleucos |
| Eurasian Woodcock (H) | Scolopax rusticola |
| Common Redshank | Tringa totanus |
| Common Greenshank | Tringa nebularia |
| Ruddy Turnstone | Arenaria interpres |
| Sanderling | Calidris alba |
| Dunlin | Calidris alpina |
| Purple Sandpiper | Calidris maritima |
| Gulls, Terns, Skimmers (Laridae) | |
| Little Tern | Sternula albifrons |
| Arctic Tern | Sterna paradisaea |
| Common Tern | Sterna hirundo |
| Sandwich Tern | Thalasseus sandvicensis |
| Black-legged Kittiwake – VU | Rissa tridactyla |
| Black-headed Gull | Chroicocephalus ridibundus |
| Mediterranean Gull | Ichthyaetus melanocephalus |
| Common Gull | Larus canus |
| European Herring Gull | Larus argentatus |
| Great Black-backed Gull | Larus marinus |
| Lesser Black-backed Gull | Larus fuscus |
| Auks (Alcidae) | |
| Atlantic Puffin – VU | Fratercula arctica |
| Black Guillemot | Cepphus grylle |
| Razorbill | Alca torda |
| Common Murre | Uria aalge |
| Loons (Gaviidae) | |
| Red-throated Loon | Gavia stellata |
| Black-throated Loon | Gavia arctica |
| Common Loon | Gavia immer |
| Petrels, Shearwaters, Diving Petrels (Procellariidae) | |
| Northern Fulmar | Fulmarus glacialis |
| Storks (Ciconiidae) | |
| White Stork | Ciconia ciconia |
| Gannets, Boobies (Sulidae) | |
| Northern Gannet | Morus bassanus |
| Cormorants, Shags (Phalacrocoracidae) | |
| Great Cormorant | Phalacrocorax carbo |
| European Shag | Gulosus aristotelis |
| Ibises, Spoonbills (Threskiornithidae) | |
| Eurasian Spoonbill | Platalea leucorodia |
| Herons, Bitterns (Ardeidae) | |
| Eurasian Bittern | Botaurus stellaris |
| Little Egret | Egretta garzetta |
| Great Egret | Ardea alba |
| Grey Heron | Ardea cinerea |
| Ospreys (Pandionidae) | |
| Osprey | Pandion haliaetus |
| Kites, Hawks, Eagles (Accipitridae) | |
| Golden Eagle | Aquila chrysaetos |
| Eurasian Sparrowhawk | Accipiter nisus |
| Western Marsh Harrier | Circus aeruginosus |
| Red Kite | Milvus milvus |
| White-tailed Eagle | Haliaeetus albicilla |
| Common Buzzard | Buteo buteo |
| Barn Owls (Tytonidae) | |
| Western Barn Owl | Tyto alba |
| Owls (Strigidae) | |
| Tawny Owl | Strix aluco |
| Woodpeckers (Picidae) | |
| Great Spotted Woodpecker | Dendrocopos major |
| European Green Woodpecker | Picus viridis |
| Caracaras, Falcons (Falconidae) | |
| Common Kestrel | Falco tinnunculus |
| Eurasian Hobby | Falco subbuteo |
| Old World Parrots (Psittaculidae) | |
| Rose-ringed Parakeet | Psittacula krameri |
| Crows, Jays (Corvidae) | |
| Eurasian Jay | Garrulus glandarius |
| Eurasian Magpie | Pica pica |
| Western Jackdaw | Coloeus monedula |
| Rook | Corvus frugilegus |
| Carrion Crow | Corvus corone |
| Hooded Crow | Corvus cornix |
| Northern Raven | Corvus corax |
| Tits, Chickadees (Paridae) | |
| Coal Tit | Periparus ater |
| Crested Tit (H) | Lophophanes cristatus |
| Marsh Tit | Poecile palustris |
| Eurasian Blue Tit | Cyanistes caeruleus |
| Great Tit | Parus major |
| Bearded Reedling (Panuridae) | |
| Bearded Reedling | Panurus biarmicus |
| Larks (Alaudidae) | |
| Eurasian Skylark | Alauda arvensis |
| Swallows, Martins (Hirundinidae) | |
| Sand Martin | Riparia riparia |
| Barn Swallow | Hirundo rustica |
| Western House Martin | Delichon urbicum |
| Cettia Bush Warblers & Allies (Cettiidae) | |
| Cetti’s Warbler | Cettia cetti |
| Bushtits (Aegithalidae) | |
| Long-tailed Tit | Aegithalos caudatus |
| Leaf Warblers (Phylloscopidae) | |
| Wood Warbler | Phylloscopus sibilatrix |
| Willow Warbler | Phylloscopus trochilus |
| Common Chiffchaff | Phylloscopus collybita |
| Reed Warblers & Allies (Acrocephalidae) | |
| Sedge Warbler | Acrocephalus schoenobaenus |
| Common Reed Warbler | Acrocephalus scirpaceus |
| Sylviid Babblers (Sylviidae) | |
| Eurasian Blackcap | Sylvia atricapilla |
| Garden Warbler | Sylvia borin |
| Lesser Whitethroat | Curruca curruca |
| Common Whitethroat | Curruca communis |
| Dartford Warbler | Curruca undata |
| Goldcrests, Kinglets (Regulidae) | |
| Common Firecrest | Regulus ignicapilla |
| Goldcrest | Regulus regulus |
| Wrens (Troglodytidae) | |
| Eurasian Wren | Troglodytes troglodytes |
| Nuthatches (Sittidae) | |
| Eurasian Nuthatch | Sitta europaea |
| Treecreepers (Certhiidae) | |
| Eurasian Treecreeper | Certhia familiaris |
| Starlings, Rhabdornises (Sturnidae) | |
| Common Starling | Sturnus vulgaris |
| Thrushes (Turdidae) | |
| Song Thrush | Turdus philomelos |
| Mistle Thrush | Turdus viscivorus |
| Common Blackbird | Turdus merula |
| Chats, Old World Flycatchers (Muscicapidae) | |
| Spotted Flycatcher | Muscicapa striata |
| European Robin | Erithacus rubecula |
| Common Nightingale | Luscinia megarhynchos |
| European Pied Flycatcher | Ficedula hypoleuca |
| European Stonechat | Saxicola rubicola |
| Northern Wheatear | Oenanthe oenanthe |
| Dippers (Cinclidae) | |
| White-throated Dipper | Cinclus cinclus |
| Old World Sparrows, Snowfinches (Passeridae) | |
| Eurasian Tree Sparrow | Passer montanus |
| House Sparrow | Passer domesticus |
| Accentors (Prunellidae) | |
| Dunnock | Prunella modularis |
| Wagtails, Pipits (Motacillidae) | |
| Grey Wagtail | Motacilla cinerea |
| White Wagtail | Motacilla alba |
| Meadow Pipit | Anthus pratensis |
| Tree Pipit | Anthus trivialis |
| European Rock Pipit | Anthus petrosus |
| Finches, Euphonias (Fringillidae) | |
| Eurasian Chaffinch | Fringilla coelebs |
| European Greenfinch | Chloris chloris |
| Common Linnet | Linaria cannabina |
| European Goldfinch | Carduelis carduelis |
| Eurasian Siskin | Spinus spinus |
| Longspurs, Snow Buntings (Calcariidae) | |
| Snow Bunting | Plectrophenax nivalis |
| Buntings (Emberizidae) | |
| Corn Bunting | Emberiza calandra |
| Yellowhammer | Emberiza citrinella |
| Common Reed Bunting | Emberiza schoeniclus |
| Total seen | 163 |
| Total heard only | 2 |
| Total recorded | 165 |
Mammal List – Following Mammalwatching.com
| Common name | Scientific name | |
| Hares and Rabbits (Leporidae) | ||
| European Hare | Lepus europaeus | |
| Mountain Hare | Lepus timidus | |
| European Rabbit – EN | Oryctolagus cuniculus | |
| Squirrels (Sciuridae) | ||
| Eastern Gray Squirrel | Sciurus carolinensis | |
| Eurasian Red Squirrel | Sciurus vulgaris | |
| Beavers (Castoridae) | ||
| Eurasian Beaver | Castor fiber | |
| Hamsters, Voles, Lemmings, and Allies (Cricetidae) | ||
| Bank Vole | Clethrionomys glareolus | |
| Old World Mice and Rats (Muridae) | ||
| Long-tailed Field Mouse | Apodemus sylvaticus | |
| Brown Rat | Rattus norvegicus | |
| Mustelids (Mustelidae) | ||
| European Pine Marten | Martes martes | |
| Eurasian Otter | Lutra lutra | |
| European Badger | Meles meles | |
| Beringian Ermine | Mustela erminea | |
| Earless Seals (Phocidae) | ||
| Gray Seal | Halichoerus grypus | |
| Harbor Seal | Phoca vitulina | |
| Deer (Cervidae) | ||
| Western Roe Deer | Capreolus capreolus | |
| Caribou – VU | Rangifer tarandus | |
| Western Red Deer | Cervus elaphus | |
| Common Fallow Deer | Dama dama | |
| Reeves’s Muntjac | Muntiacus reevesi | |
| Oceanic Dolphins (Delphinidae) | ||
| Common Bottlenose Dolphin | Tursiops truncatus | |
| Total seen | 21 | |
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UNITED KINGDOM: ENGLAND IN SPRING BIRDING TOUR
TOUR-SPECIFIC INFORMATION
GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE UNITED KINGDOM CAN BE READ HERE
TOUR OUTLINE
This small group, set departure United Kingdom (UK) birding tour along the eastern coast of England in spring will start in London (Heathrow), England and end in Edinburgh, Scotland. The tour is timed during the peak of the spring migration, and when breeding for a large number of species will be well underway. This tour will connect with a wide range of rare and localized breeding species such as the UK endemic Red Grouse, charismatic Atlantic Puffin, European Nightjar, Eurasian Stone-curlew, Pied Avocet, European Turtle Dove, and Common Nightingale among others.
WEATHER/CLIMATE
Spring is generally a calm, cool season, particularly because the Atlantic has lost much of its heat throughout the autumn and winter period. As the sun rises higher in the sky and the days get longer, temperatures slowly rise, but the solar effect is mitigated by the effect of the cool ocean waters and westerly winds that blow across the UK. The average nighttime temperature in the UK in spring is 44 °F (7 oC), with the daytime temperature average of 60 °F (16 °C). We will be making several early morning starts, visiting northern latitudes, and spending some time at higher elevations on this tour, so we will likely experience a wide range of temperatures (see more below).
DAILY ACTIVITIES, PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS, AND TOUR PACE
This tour covers a large part of eastern England and is at a faster pace than some of our other tours, for example, our United Kingdom: England in Winter Tour is a slower-paced and less intensive birdwatching tour, with a different set of birds possible. During this spring tour, sunrise will be around 05:00hrs and sunset around 21:30hrs, and as such the tour will require some early starts and late finishes to our days in the field. Most of the tour is spent in the lowlands and at sea-level, though we will spend time in slightly higher elevations, but these elevations are unlikely to provide any constraints to anyone.
Much of our birding will be undertaken at established nature reserves, such as those managed and operated by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) and regional wildlife trusts and organizations, such as Norfolk Wildlife Trust, Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, and Northumberland Wildlife Trust. Most of the reserves we visit have good facilities, such as trail networks, viewing blinds (hides), and visitor centers often (including gift shops and cafes) though we will also be walking on rough tracks at times. Please note that the further north we go, we will be spending more time on rougher tracks and will spend time walking some hills, though we will go at a pace suitable for everyone in the group.
The nature reserves we visit often allow great views of many species and can also offer good photographic opportunities, though please note that this set departure tour is not designed as a photographic tour, if you would like a custom photography tour for you or a group of friends, please let us know, as we can put together something specific for you.
DOMESTIC FLIGHTS
There are no domestic flights included in this tour. Note the tour starts in London (Heathrow), England and ends in Edinburgh, Scotland.
ACCOMMODATION
We will be staying in comfortable hotels or bed-and-breakfast (B&B) accommodation throughout the tour. All accommodation has private rooms and bathroom facilities.
WHAT TO BRING: CLOTHING
Although this tour takes place in late-spring, suitable clothing for cool mornings and evenings is recommended and rain should be expected at any time, so good waterproof clothing is necessary. Sturdy walking boots are recommended for this tour.
WHAT TO BRING: OTHER ITEMS
A walking/hiking stick will be useful for walking in some areas on this tour, such as when in the hill country around York.
‘England in Spring is the fifth tour I’ve done with BE, and this one was up to your usual standards. With our guide, we saw all the hotspots, and his expertise with the birds and habitats was impeccable. The lodgings were fascinating, as was the driving time, seeing the beautiful character of the English countryside. This is a wonderful tour of the UK during spring migration.’
William