Destinations far & wide
I also lead trips further afield as a freelance guide for other tour companies such as Bird's Wildlife & Nature, Wings and Oriole Birding.
Some may be to far flung places while other short breaks may be closer to home
Somerset Levels & the Forest of Dean with Oriole
8th -12th March 2024
The tour will start in the Forest where Goshawks, Dippers, Hawfinches (pic) and Firecrests should be encountered and with some luck we might see Wild Boar too before heading to the Levels to look for Bitterns, Egrets, Cranes, wildfowl and possibly even the first summer migrants.
For more details and booking information please visit here:
Sri Lanka with Bird's Wildlife & Nature
16th-30th March 2024
Known as the tear drop of India, Sri Lanka is home to over 300 species of bird, of which 33 are endemic. We shall be visiting many well-known areas across a diverse range of habitats such as Sinharaja, Kitulgala, Newara Eliya and Sigiriya with a focus on finding as many of these stunning endemics as possible. These will include the Bush Warbler, Scimmitar Babbler, White-eye, Jungle Fowl and Blue Magpie all with the Sri Lanka prefix along with the rare Serendib Scops Owl, Spot-winged Thrush and Velvet Fronted Nuthatch. Add in Asian Elephants, primates, the chance of Leopard and a host of Reptiles, Butterflies and Dragonflies it should be a memorable adventure.
For more details and booking information please visit here:
Lesvos
17th- 24th April 2024
A week in the spring on this most magical of islands. We utilise the Jet2 package option on this trip so please message me for more details about costings. I have spaces for 6 guests.
Spain - the Grand Tour with Wings
27th April - 12th May 2024 - myself and John Muddeman once again
The 2023 tour was a great success with a superb tally of 243 species encountered as we also migrated from the southern Straits of Gibraltar where raptors and vultures streamed across from Morocco up through Donana and the plains and gorges of Extremadura to the unique Gredos and finally the mighty Picos with its Alpine specialities.
It was not just about the birds and we also saw over 50 species of Butterfly, along with Dragonflies, Moths, some amazing botany, Wild Boar, Iberian Hares and Ibex amongst a good mammal list. There is something for everyone.
For more details and booking information please visit here:
Visit my blog and work your way up for the full trip report.
pic - Black Vulture
Hungary with Bird's Wildlife & Nature
19th-25th May 2024
Our Hungary trip takes you firstly to the famous flat grassland, the puszta’ of Kiskunság and then to the Bükk hills. These two completely different areas offer very diverse habitats and a long list of unique species of birds, mammals, dragonflies, butterflies & moths along with spectacular flora. The scenic Kiskunság preserves form part of the once continuous Eurasian steppe dotted with alkaline lakes, channels, oxbows and crossed by the two largest rivers of Hungary.
Along with Great Bustards, Rollers and wonderful wetland species, there are many Woodpeckers including Syrian and Grey-headed along with Sakers and even Ural Owls (pic).
For more details and booking information please visit here:
Estonian Summer with Oriole Birding
6th - 13th June 2024 NOW FULLY BOOKED AND GOOD TO GO!
Our Estonia Summer birding tour offers some of the most extraordinary birding opportunities in eastern Europe. This new early summer itinerary sees us making a circuit of the best birding areas, from the taiga forests and their owls, woodpeckers, Red-breasted Flycatchers and Greenish Warblers, to the vast bogs and marshes where Wood Sandpipers display. There are some really great birds on offer here, such as breeding Thrush Nightingales (pic), Blyth’s Reed and Booted Warblers on the western edge of their range, Ural Owl, and all the European woodpeckers.
For more details and booking information please visit here:
The Scottish Highlands in early summer with Bird's Wildlife & Nature
15th- 22nd June 2024
Summer in the Scottish Highlands is one of the supreme birding pleasures in the UK. The Cairngorms National Park is home to much iconic and celebrated wildlife, which includes a remarkable number of threatened birds, insects and plant species that live and breed here.
In June, summer breeding birds are present and Black Grouse are still performing amazing displays set against a sprawling backdrop of incredible beautiful forests and mountains. Ptarmigan and Dotterel can be found high up in the spectacular Cairngorms National Park, while Golden and White-tailed Eagles, Crested Tit, Black-throated Diver, Slavonian Grebe, Black Grouse and Scottish Crossbill can all be found in and around this rugged part of Scotland. There is also the chance of seeing some of our most enigmatic mammals such as Red and Roe Deer, Otter, Pine Marten, Red Squirrel, Badger and Mountain Hare and it becomes clear that this is an area very unique within the United Kingdom.
From the tundra like plateau of the Cairngorm mountains, to stands of Caledonian Scots Pine forests, this a wild land full of natural wonder, expectation and possibility. Our base at the Grant Arms Hotel in Grantown on Spey is located within the Cairngorms National Park and it is a perfect location from which to explore the Cairngorms, the Moray and north-eastern coastlines which are a short drive away, and the rugged and remote north west coast of the Highlands.
For more details and booking information please visit here:
Norfolk Butterflies & Dragonflies with Oriole Birding
3rd - 6th July 2024
Mid summer is often a time when many birdwatchers turn their attentions to other forms of wildlife, notably butterflies and dragonflies. Our aim on this exciting Norfolk wildlife tour is to enjoy a wide range of these fascinating insects, some of them in very specialised habitats, and to connect with as many of the speciality species as possible.
We will also be incorporating a bit of birding into this tour particularly when we visit sites such as Cley, so it offers a broad natural history interest. Scarce Emerald Damselfly, Black Darter, Scarce Blue-tailed Damselfly, Keeled Skimmer, Silver-washed Fritillary, White Admiral and Purple Emperor are all possible. Good weather though, is paramount for success with insects and the flight periods can vary tremendously depending on the climate in any given year.
For more details and booking information please visit here:
New Forest Summer Wildlife with Oriole Birding
7th - 11th July 2024
This New Forest wildlife tour is designed with the budding entomologist in mind. It offers opportunities to see some of Britain’s rarest damselflies, including Small Red, Southern, Scarce Blue-tailed and White-legged while Beautiful Demoiselle and majestic Golden-ringed Dragonflies patrol the streams. A good selection of Butterflies will be encountered as well with the chance of Purple Emperors and Chalkhill Blues as we explore Martin Down and Bentley Woods to the north of the Forest. In July 2023 we also managed 12 species of Grasshopper and Cricket and Raft Spiders amongst other inverts.
Of course there will be birds too with Redstarts, Firecrests, Dartford Warblers, Woodlarks and the chance of Goshawk and even Honey Buzzard. Let's hope for some nice weather!
For more details and booking information please visit here:
Uganda with Bird's Wildlife & Nature
20th July - 2nd August 2024
Our new and improved tour itinerary is probably the very best tour to Uganda you will find. Uganda, also known as the pearl of Africa has an equatorial climate and lies within the Nile basin. There are an incredible 1,090 species of bird and over 300 species of mammal, making Uganda a paradise for wildlife enthusiasts.
During our trip we will visit the magical Murchison Falls NP, Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, Kibale Forest, Lake Mburo NP, Queen Elizabeth NP and not forgetting Mabamba Swamp, home of the legendary Shoebill.
We will not only be looking for birds on this tour with the opportunity to see Chimpanzees, the unique tree-climbing Lions and not forgetting the endangered Eastern Mountain Gorillas. It is certainly an experience not to be missed!
For more details and booking information click here.
Hampshire & Dorset Summer Wildlife with Oriole Birding
4th - 8th August 2024
A short break, with the butterfly- and dragonfly-enthusiast particularly in mind, where we are based once again in the delightful New Forest town of Lyndhurst for this Dorset & Hampshire wildlife tour.
We have timed this holiday to optimise the chances of seeing some of Britain’s most localised, and scarcest, butterflies, such as Chalkhill, Silver-studded and Small Blue, Brown Hairstreak, Grayling and Lulworth and Silver-spotted Skipper. A supporting cast of Silver-washed Fritillary, White Admiral, Wall Brown and Purple Hairstreak may also be available should the season be slightly late.
The rarer Odonata will be represented by Small Red-eyed Damselfly, Southern Damselfly, Small Red Damselfly, Black Darter and Beautiful Demoiselle.
At this time of the year, birding should also be very interesting in the New Forest. Honey Buzzard and Northern Goshawk will now have young on the wing and we also stand a good chance of finding Dartford Warbler, Woodlark and Firecrest. Our visit to Portland may be rewarded with early migrants such as sea birds warblers and waders.
For more details and booking information please visit here:
Latvia Autumn Migration Special with Bird's Wildlife & Nature
14th- 21st September 2024
The largely undiscovered country of Latvia offers the birder a truly magical experience. With migration in full swing set alongside stunning scenery, this is an opportunity not only to visit a new country but to experience nature at its best. The sheer number of birds on some days when the weather and other forces all align can be simple breath-taking with hundreds of thousands of birds making their way south.
For more details and booking information click here.
Brazil - Atlantic Rainforest endemics with Oriole Birding
8th-13th December 2024 - an updated itinerary will follow soon with a special mammalian addition!
For our foray into this endemic-rich region, we will be based throughout at the delightful Itororo Eco-lodge, set within the 58,000ha Tres Picos State Park in the heart of the Atlantic rain forest, south-east Brazil. The lodge sits at an altitude of 1200m, tucked away in its own private valley of 50 acres and offering not only excellent birding opportunities in its own grounds, but with easy access to all of the other key birding spots in the area. As the lodge is surrounded by forest, the flora and fauna in the gardens alone is quite spectacular.
In the fifty acre grounds of the lodge over 180 species have already been recorded, of which 60 are Atlantic forest endemics making Itororo Lodge a prime location in which to stay in the Atlantic rain forest. The grounds also have a number of bird tables, feeding stations and hummingbird feeders, which offer a chance to see a species close-up. Your tour leader will be Howard Vaughan who will be assisted throughout by Andy Foster, who owns the lodge and runs birding tours year round in the Atlantic Forest region where he has been guiding since 1995. You can expect to see approximately 270 species of which 80 are endemic
For more details and booking information please visit here:
Pic is of a Plovercrest by Ashley Saunders
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