Wildlife watching recommendations for a trip

[Indecisivelurcher]

Hello nature lovers of Mumsnet! My sister and I have started to take one/two night trips once a year to do something wildlifey. So far we've been to the rewilded farm in Knepp and we've been to see puffins in Pembrokeshire. We don't know what to do next though! We would welcome suggestions!

I've heard them there. It's an incredible spot.

I used to live near Minsmere (RSPB, Suffolk) and back then they did nightjar walks on their heathland. All in the summer though. Arne has nightjars too and is closer to you (and has heath). Their churring call is quite easy to hear and learn to identify, but finding them is another matter. They're definitely made for the dark - the noise carries a long way, even when you can't see them.

How about stone curlew? I think black-winged stilt and glossy ibis are very slowly becoming more common with climate change, so keep an eye on eBird if you fancy finding them. Or you could go to Mallorca for two days to see them all pretty easily 😅 I use eBird to plan my birding holidays, it's great.

As @Agapornis has said nightjars are easy enough to hear in the right spots, although seeing them is harder. If you can rent a thermal scope then a whole new world of wildlife spotting opens up after dark

Xeno canto is useful for familiarising yourself with calls/song.
https://xeno-canto.org/species/caprimulgus-europaeus

Purbeck
There are no tourist boats to Brownsea in the winter. However you are 99% sure to see a red squirrel, sometimes even at the outdoor tables at the cafe. Several bird hides as well for watching the birds in Poole Harbour.
Arne nearby is a great Nature Reserve (much resented now by locals by upping their price by about 400% after having Winterwatch etc. there). Loads of deer there too (and in our garden 😡- 16 of the blasted things the other day)
Then there's the beavers at Little Sea, if they haven't escaped. One made it's way to Swanage and was found in the Swan Brook right in the town.

@Indecisivelurcher really close to you the Forest of Dean has wild boar, deer, beavers, highland cattle, lots of sheep and he usual squirrels etc.

Ed Drewitt is brilliant https://www.eddrewitt.co.uk/about#:~:text=I%20specialise%20in%20exploring%20the,and%20experience%20the%20dawn%20chorus.

Chantal Lyon’s also wrote a book about the wild boar https://chantallyons.uk/

there are seals and salmon in the wye at Chepstow too

Almost guaranteed to see them in October 🐿️

https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/dorset/brownsea-island/wildlife-spotting-on-brownsea-island

You’d 100% see red squirrels in Aberfoyle in Scotland.

I might try Brownsea island end of half term! Do you need a car on the island??? Or is it tiny?! @CalzoneOnLegs@imbolic

Have you heard of the Merlin app? It identifies bird song. I love having it on when I go for walks,, so instead of hearing a pretty chirping sound, you’ll be able to tell whether it’s a robin, wren , chiff chaff etc.

(I know this isn’t what you asked about, but I thought you may be interested. Wildlife weekends with your sister is a great idea. May suggest it to my sister also).

Bempton cliffs in the summer was amazing for birds. Might be too long/far but had an amazing trip with mull wildlife tours- sea eagles, golden eagles, porpoise, ll the sea birds, hen harrier, red, fallow deer etc. Was brilliant.

It’s really tiny and no cars allowed you can walk round the whole island in a couple of hours (slowly!) you get a boat from Poole quay, if you need any further info, hopefully I can help as I’m a Poole resident.

Thank you! Is it best to book in advance?

Yes love Merlin! My sister first showed it to me in fact.

We have seen choughs in Anglesey, Pembrokeshire and Cornwall.

We’ve seen ravens round here, but they are not that common. I wouldn’t suggest here for a wildlife trip though.

As pp have said, look up RSPB reserves.

We go on wild life trips especially to North Norfolk coast (for birds), Pembrokeshire, Cornwall and the West coast of Scotland. We go to Oban, looking for white tailed eagles, golden eagles and sea otters - especially on the Isle of Mull. I assume there’s red squirrels there too. We do go to other reserves like Martinmere, Minsmere, Slimbridge, Formby (although the red squirrels there might have been hit by the pox?), Longshaw estate, Rainham marshes, Donna Nook, Framlingham marshes and any others, featured on Springwatch, etc.

If you want to see dolphins, Cardigan bay is a good place. We saw them off Pembrokeshire.

I forgot Bempton, as a pp has said. It’s an amazing sight in breeding season - my favourites are the puffins!

@Indecisivelurcher

https://www.greensladepleasureboats.co.uk/brownsea-island-ferry

we just paid at the kiosk on the quayside, should be quiet-ish especially on a weekday
its a much better time to go than mid-summer and like I said you will see the squirrels, they are so used to petiole that by the church they come up to you. No dogs allowed either which helps their confidence

https://www.dorsetwildlifetrust.org.uk/brownsea-island

We had Nightjar behind us on the reserve in the summer, I didn’t see them but we heard them loud and clear ❤️ now we have the annual Brent Geese migration, they are amazing and they overwinter here, we all love hearing them coming in to roost every evening 🪿 in their V formation

@Indecisivelurcher Red squirrels on the Isle of Wight and Brownsea Island.

Puffins at Bempton Cliffs, Yorkshire.

For a bird watching holiday - the Farne Islands or The Hebrides. RSPB has sites so check what’s near you.

In my life I’ve seen one purple emperor butterfly. They have very specific habitat requirements. You need to know where otters live too. Certainly Devon. Seeing one is another matter. Beaver? Very few and not popular - has beaver reintroduction started? Golden eagles and pine Martin - Scotland but difficult to see!

RSPB rewilds quarries and there’s a good habitat at Otmoor near Oxford. Then go to College Lake in Herts (near Tring). You must look at time of year though. Puffins are summer coastal visitors. Others birds are winter visitors. RSPB tells you about spoonbills on their web site. They are rare! Join them to access their protected sites. There’s Gloucestershire wildlife trust. BBOWT is the Oxfordshire one.

Different habitats attract different birds and you have to get lucky. We’ve heard bitterns but have only seen one flying. I would look to see what’s local to you and often counties have web sites. There’s Gloster Birder or Going Birding. Find out what’s around.

@OhDear111 Beaver introduction here in Dorset 🦫

https://www.dorsetwildlifetrust.org.uk/what-we-do/conservation-work-land/dorset-beaver-project

@CalzoneOnLegs Ah! I wasn’t sure if any were up and running. It’s a risk to introduce species I think. Grey squirrels? Muntjack deer? Released Mink? Red kite have multiplied like topsy and are out of control taking prey. All causing problems.

Red kites are native here. They were driven to extinction except in Wales. Red kites are becoming a problem, because of supplementary feeding by people - which teaches them not to be afraid of people and snatch food off them.

Grey squirrels, mink, etc are not native species,

The beavers were once native to Dorset 🦫 the article linked is interesting

@OhDear111 The only time I have seen a purple emperor butterfly was a couple of years ago in Black Park in Slough!

Red kites might have been native but they take small prey and other birds! A few people might feed them but not in the countryside. There are too many and they take other species. They are very successful breeders. By the way, other birds get fed, so why are they struggling? The tools bombard the kites here! They hate them near their nests. Breeding them was not necessary. Now we have vast numbers.