Birdwatch world of birds
Fancy a bird-filled trip in Europe or beyond? Look no further than our World of Birds reader tours for 2023!
OUR World of Birds reader tour programme has been longestablished and popular. Working in association with a select group of specialist birding tour operators, we offer destinations and departures with the promise of some fantastic birding and, importantly, excellent value for money. With travel becoming easier again, we have started to put together another exciting schedule of holidays for 2023 and beyond.
An early spring eight-day tour starting on 25 March to western Sweden should bring the memorable sight (and sound) of many thousands of Common Cranes and Whooper Swans as they stage in the area before dispersing to breed. We have several days to soak in the spectacle, before we move further north to explore the old-growth forests in search of Scandinavian specialities such as Eurasian Eagle-Owl, Ural,
Great Grey, Eurasian Pygmy and Tengmalm’s Owls and Black, Greyheaded and Eurasian Three-toed Woodpeckers.
Then, 29 April-8 May sees us head to Bulgaria for some classic spring birding. Dividing our time between the mountains and the coast, we will search for breeding Wallcreeper in a spectacular gorge and should also encounter a wide range of raptors, including Cinereous Vulture and Levant Sparrowhawk, as well as tracking down newly arrived breeders such as Semicollared Flycatcher, Barred Warbler and Masked Shrike. Moving on to the coastal wetlands, we will be treated to a host of heron species, Pygmy Cormorant and both Great White and Dalmatian Pelicans.
As autumn migration gets into full swing, we will visit Spain to watch the passage of multiple species of birds of prey, storks, swifts and hirundines as they head towards Tarifa to cross the Straits of Gibraltar and on to Africa. The tour should be exciting but with a relaxed pace, as we explore various habitats and look for both classic Mediterranean residents and birds on the move.
Further afield, our early October tour to Senegal in West Africa will offer the opportunity to see a host of unusual bird families, plus a good chance of encountering the rare and elusive Golden Nightjar.
Our free online World of
Birds 2023 travel guide is now available to read online. Packed full of information on exciting destinations, including Tasmania and Colombia, as well as features on the greatest migration
spectacles and where to see the most iconic birds from across the globe, this 28-page digital magazine is sure to whet your appetite for an adventure.
The World of Birds 2023 guide can be downloaded by visiting bit.ly/3W05fRe. Additionally, you can log on to www.birdguides.
com to check out detailed itineraries for the numerous holidays listed above, and start planning your birding trip for 2023. ■