By Sian Williams
If lockdown has made you more appreciative of the birds in your neighbourhood, why not further your interest with a visit to a bird reserve during your staycation?
Birdwatching doesn’t need to be an expensive hobby – you don’t need to buy a huge telescope like you see some twitchers carrying, just as you don’t need to sit for hours munching on sandwiches, praying for that one elusive bird to show up!
If lockdown has made you more appreciative of the birds in your neighbourhood, why not further your interest with a visit to a bird reserve during your staycation?
Birdwatching doesn’t need to be an expensive hobby – you don’t need to buy a huge telescope like you see some twitchers carrying, just as you don’t need to sit for hours munching on sandwiches, praying for that one elusive bird to show up!
A good pair of binoculars (many reserves offer them for sale, or check out second-hand pairs on sites such as eBay), a bird book or app so you can identify what’s in front of you, and a little bit of patience will reward you with an absorbing day out.
Although spring and summer are great for spotting birds during the breeding season, autumn and winter also offer a great deal of variety as many species prepare to migrate.
Bird-watching is truly a year-round activity the whole family can enjoy.
Here are our top nine bird-watching sites in England.
Farne Islands
A 20-minute boat trip will take you to the dramatic Farne Islands off the Northumberland coast.
Once home to saints and monks, today the tiny archipelago supports breeding colonies of several species of seabird. At the height of the season (May to June), you could see around 70,000 Puffins!
The islands are also a haven for Eider Ducks, Razorbills, Little Terns, Arctic Terns, and Sandwich Terns. Look out for seals basking on the rocks or swimming, too.
Find it: Boat trips to the Farne islands run from Seahouses. Check out Serenity, Billy Shiel’s or Golden Gate. The National Trust cares for the islands; non-members must pay a landing fee in addition to the cost of the boat trip.
Bempton Cliffs
Known locally as Seabird City, the towering white cliffs at Bempton, near Bridlington, in East Yorkshire, attract up to half a million seabirds every year.
Between March and October, they come to nest and raise their young, making this place a must-see for any bird-watcher.
The cries (and smells!) are unforgettable as thousands of birds swoop around you.
Look out for the Gannets with their startling blue eyes and large grey bills. True romantics, Gannets mate for life – and often the male will offer the female little gifts of flowers.
Bempton is the only mainland seabird colony in England, so you’re guaranteed to see ‘the big eight’ of species that visit our shores: Gannet, Guillemot, Puffin, Razorbill, Kittiwake, Fulmar, Shag and Herring Gull.
Find it: RSPB Bempton Cliffs, Cliff Lane, Bridlington, YO15 1JF
Coombes Valley
A lovely oak woodland in a steep-sided valley, this Staffordshire spot provides an ideal habitat for migratory birds such as the Pied Flycatcher, Redstart and Wood Warbler to nest.
A trail leads you around the site – look out for Dippers and Willow Tits in summer, and in winter, hundreds of Redwings and Fieldfare descend to feed on the berries.
A steep climb will take you to open moorland and pasture, where you may see Woodcock and Sparrowhawks.
Find it: RSPB Coombes & Churnet Valley Nature Reserve, Bradnop, Leek, ST13 7EU
Goyt Valley
With a diverse habitat of woodland, open moor and pasture, plentiful streams, a river and a reservoir, birds and bird-watchers in the North West all head for the Goyt Valley.
It’s a great place to spot summer migrants such as the Pied Flycatcher, Spotted Flycatcher, Willow Warbler and Tree Pipit.
Cuckoos have been seen, along with the shy Ring Ouzel and Golden Plover. Tawny Owls hunt through the woodland, while the speedy Merlin can be spotted over the moorland.
Top tip: Seasoned birders claim the area around Errwood is particularly good.
Find it: There are a number of car parks around the reservoir. The main car park is on The Street, Buxton, SK17 6SX. Or try Fernilee car park or Errwood Hall car park (both signposted).
Land’s End
This famous piece of the Cornish coastline, jutting out into the Atlantic, is the first and last port of call for many migrating seabirds. Autumn and winter are the best times to see Whimbrel, Sandwich Terns, Sanderling, Ringed Plover, Purple Sandpiper and Fulmar.
It’s a great place to spot rare visitors to these shores, too, such as a flock of Snow Buntings, Richard’s Pipit and Dotterel.
Perhaps its most famous inhabitant, though, is the Chough. A member of the crow family, the Chough, with its striking red beak and legs, is one of the emblems of Cornwall. Once almost extinct in the county, careful conservation over the last few years has seen these birds return and thrive.
Find it: Follow the A30 until there’s no more road! Car parking must be booked in advance.
Leighton Moss
In winter, visitors come from far and wide to watch a massive Starling murmuration over Leighton Moss.
But that’s not all you can see at this reserve – with a huge reedbed and proximity to Morecambe Bay, it attracts plenty of waders, seabirds and songbirds.
Try to spot the elusive Bittern amongst the reeds, while Bearded Tit flit from stalk to stalk and the Water Rail skulks along the water margins.
Avocets and Little Egrets are instantly recognisable with their striking plumage, and look up during the spring months for the acrobatic aerial displays of the courting Marsh Harriers.
Find it: RSPB Leighton Moss, Myers Farm, Storrs Lane, Silverdale, Carnforth, LA5 0SW
Minsmere
One of the RSPB’s premier reserves, Minsmere boasts 930 hectares of reedbeds and coastal lagoons, making it a perfect site for spotting waders, raptors, ducks and smaller birds such as finches, tits and warblers.
Britain’s rarest bird, the Bittern, can be seen and heard here – listen out for its distinctive ‘boom’ during breeding season.
You may also see Nightingales, Cetti’s Warbler, Nuthatch, Smew, Merganser and Caspian Gull. More than 320 species have been recorded at this Suffolk site, so keep your binoculars handy!
Find it: RSPB Minsmere, Sheepwash Lane, Saxmundham, IP17 3BY
Rutland Water
One of the largest reservoirs in the UK, Rutland Water covers an area of 3,100 acres in Leicestershire. Shallow-water lagoons, wooded shores and open farmland provide a range of habitats for the more than 25,000 birds that flock here annually.
With 30 hides around the reservoir – Egleton and Lyndon reserves are the best – you’re bound to see something good. Ring-necked Duck, Reed Bunting, Black Cap, Wheatear, Bittern, Tawny Owl and Great Spotted Woodpecker are among some of the birds you may see, but Rutland’s star attraction is without doubt the magnificent Osprey.
These endangered birds of prey nest here every year, so head to Lyndon to watch the parents encourage their young to venture out into the world.
Find it: Egleton Reserve – Oakham, Rutland, LE15 8BThttps://get-latest.convrse.media/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.chroniclelive.co.uk%2Fwhats-on%2Ftravel-tourism%2F9-best-bird-watching-sites-20829329&cre=bottom&cip=66&view=web
Lyndon Reserve – Lyndon Road, Manton, Oakham, Rutland, LE15 8RN
Slimbridge
A complete day out, Slimbridge Wetland Centre on the edge of the River Severn in Gloucestershire offers an array of species to please any birdwatcher.
The 800-acre site has a collection of rare and captive-bred birds from around the world, from the Andes to Australia, the Caribbean to the Arctic Tundra.
Away from the zoned areas for foreign species you can explore the wetlands along accessible boardwalks and trails.https://26b019e99ba6854c231b1d6edea8c85d.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-38/html/container.html138212091369
Look out for Kingfisher, Ruff, Sandpipers, warblers of all kinds, Whimbrel, Grey Plover, Cuckoo, Mediterranean Gull and Cranes.
Find it: WWT Slimbridge, Bowditch, Slimbridge, Gloucestershire, GL2 7BT
Source: https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/whats-on/travel-tourism/9-best-bird-watching-sites-20829329