UK BIRDING HOTSPOTS
COVID-19 and the associated lockdowns have, of course, meant that most of us have been staying very close to home for the last year. As we go to press, that’s continuing, and we continue to urge readers to adhere strictly to the restrictions. When travel does become possible, though, we know there’s already huge interest in exploring the UK’s birding hotspots. Here are three to start planning for…
NORTH YORKSHIRE
Bempton Cliffs RSPB rightly gets plenty of attention for its breeding seabirds, but North Yorkshire has an undersung birding spot in Wykeham Forest, between Pickering and Scarborough. Goshawks and Honey Buzzards, both of which have bred in the area, can be looked for over the canopy in spring and summer, and small numbers of Turtle Doves are also seen. Look, too, for woodland species such as Crossbill and Siskin, and the likes of Spotted Flycatcher.
FOREST OF DEAN
Western forests mean Pied Flycatchers, Redstarts and Wood Warblers, all possible at Nagshead RSPB and at other spots around the Forest of Dean. Nagshead is also a good site for Goshawks, while another raptor, the Peregrine, has long been associated with the scenic Symonds Yat. Look out for Wild Boar, too.
KENT AND SUSSEX
Kent boasts the rarity hotspot of Dungeness, the extensive North Kent Marshes, which include a number of RSPB reserves and the nearby and sadly-threatened Nightingale hotspot of Lodge Hill, and superb inland sites such as Grove Ferry NNR and Stodmarsh NNR, while Sussex has a wealth of sites around Chichester and Selsey, including Pagham Harbour and Medmerry RSPB, plus Ashdown Forest, and the inland wetlands of Pulborough Brooks RSPB and Arundel WWT.
One site that’s worth another look even if you’ve visited in the past is Rye Harbour SWT. While the avian attractions are as plentiful as ever, including breeding Sandwich, Little and Common Terns, waders such as Ringed Plover, Avocet, Oystercatcher, Redshank and Lapwing, and breeding Wheatears, the reserve now has a brand-new Discovery Centre, complete with café, shop, toilets, classrooms, viewing areas, volunteer facilities and more.
It makes it much easier to explore a very extensive, and very walkable, site.
● More details at: ryeharbourdiscoverycentre.org.uk/ discovery-centre-project/what-will-the-discoverycentre-offer