BIRDWATCHING: ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW

Fly the coop with our roundup of some of the UK’s best birdwatching destinations

Having spent much of the summer indoors, Covid-19 has certainly given us a renewed appreciation for nature. Now, as we head to wide open spaces once again, suddenly only having birds for company no longer feels like social distancing and starts feeling rather nice. And if it’s birds you’re looking for, we know just the spot — three of them, in fact. Plus, with the Swarovski Optik dG, identifying and sharing your findings has never been easier.

Avalon Marshes, Somerset

For most of the 20th century, Avalon Marshes was ravaged by peat extraction on an industrial scale. But in the past two decades, conservation efforts have seen the scarred and desolate landscape restored to a thriving wetland. The region’s autumn and winter murmurations of up to half a million wheeling, diving and swirling starlings quite literally, can’t be missed.

For a little history with your ornithology, go birdwatching from the Shapwick Heath National Nature Reserve’s replica of the Sweet Track, a Neolithic trackway through the swamp, dating back to 3806 BC.

Spot with Swarovski: The ‘Big Three’: the bittern with its booming mating call, the majestic marsh harrier and the great white egret. Not sure if it’s an egret or a heron you’re seeing? Take a picture and the Swarovski Optik dG will identify it.

Cairngorms, Scotland

Located in the eastern Scottish Highlands, the Cairngorms is home to five of the Britain’s six highest peaks. It’s a sprawling expanse of arctic-alpine wilderness with pine forests, waterfalls, granite cliffs and a quarter of the UK’s endangered species. The Loch Garten Nature Reserve in the Cairngorms National Park is renowned for its Osprey Centre — a species that was extinct in Britain until it was reintroduced in Loch Garten in 1954. Spot with Swarovski: The capercaillie is the region’s bucket list sighting. Huge though it is, this woodland grouse is notoriously elusive. Spotting a fan-tailed male engaged in his courtship dance is a rare thrill. If you get lucky, don’t forget to download your pictures to share with other budding twitchers.

Minsmere, Suffolk

Minsmere, on the North Sea coast, is a draw for birdwatchers all year. In spring, the reedbeds play host to wading birds, while in summer, the air is thick with the nightingales’ song. Autumn sees a stream of migratory birds, but the jewel of the area is RSPB Minsmere, a 2,500-acre reserve that’s home to colonies of avocets and is one of the UK’s few breeding sites for bitterns.

Spot with Swarovski: In winter, look out for marsh harriers, peregrine falcons and owls. There are many different types of owls here, so identify each sighting on the app.