NORFOLK TOURS
Please note that there is NO single room supplement on any of our Norfolk tours
WINTER WONDERLAND 2 & 5 DAY BREAKS
2 DAYS £210pp 5 DAYS £525pp
TOUR DATES: These tours meet on 13th January, 10th February and 23rd November 2008. Other dates may be available by request
Winter is a fantastic time to be birding in Britain's best county, as the spectacle of winter geese involving 100,000 Pink-feet makes for one of the biggest spectacles in the World. Taiga and Tundra Bean Geese, European White-fronted, Barnacle, Brent and maybe something rarer complete the goose fest with Snow Goose in 2005 and Black Brant & 'small race' Canada Geese annual amongst the throng. Shorelark in Holkham bay attended by big flocks of Snow Bunting, Common Cranes in broadland, Hawfinch & Crossbill in the Brecks plus resident Bittern, Bearded Tit, Avocet and Marsh Harrier. Our visit to a raptor roost in Broadland provides the spectacle of 30+ Marsh harrier floating in at dusk alongside Hen Harrier, Merlin, Sparrowhawk, Peregrine and Barn Owl. Other species encountered may include Brambling, Lesser Redpoll, all three divers, all 5 grebes, Velvet Scoter, Long-tailed Duck, Woodcock, Water Rail, Little Owl, Long-eared Owl, Great Grey Shrike, Black redstart and maybe last years Lesser Yellowlegs!
Please check when booking which sites we are visiting on which dates if you have preferences.
WINTER SPECIAL OFFER
2 DAYS £160pp, 3 DAYS £240pp, 4 DAYS £320pp, 5 DAYS £400pp
TOUR DATES: These tours operate from Sunday 24th February to Friday 29th February 08
Following the success of this tour again in 2007, we are running this special tour again this year offering cut price birding tours for guests staying between the dates shown! Aimed to fill our accommodation and keep the minibus full at this quiet time of year for tourism, we would like to offer new customers and old the chance to sample our guiding services and find out for themselves what the Oriole Adventures experience is all about.
A fixed birding itinerary for the week will be offered to our guests so it should be checked before booking which destinations we visit on which days. Birds and sites featured will be the same as for the 'Winter Wonderland' tours.
BRECKLAND & COASTAL 3 DAY BREAK
3 DAYS £315pp
TOUR DATES: These tours meet on the evenings of 6th and 23rd March 08, other dates may be available by request.
These two March short breaks in Norfolk are at a time of transition, as the winter visitors linger and the first migrants of spring arrive from the south. We cover an excellent cross-section of Norfolk habitats and birds, with a full day in Breckland exploring the woodland and open heath of this bird rich area. On sunny spring mornings mighty Goshawk display over their woodland territories, and we make a special effort to look for these birds if weather permits. Elsewhere in the forests, with foliage still at a minimum, we look for secretive Lesser-spotted Woodpecker, Hawfinch, Crossbill, Willow Tit and Firecrest. On the later tour, we also look for newly arrived Stone Curlew and singing Woodlark in the Brecks. On the coast at Holkham, flocks of winter geese linger while on the earlier tour, Shorelark and Snow Bunting flock on the saltings. Offshore a range of seaduck, grebes and divers may be seen and in 2007 Waxwing, Red-breasted Goose and Great Grey Shrike were also seen. At Titchwell, a wide range of species awaits, perhaps with the first Sand Martin, Garganey or Wheatear of spring. Bearded Tit, Marsh Harrier and Avocet are in evidence and perhaps a redpoll flock may contain the rare Arctic. All in all an excellent start to the spring!
SPRING MIGRATION BREAKS
3 DAYS £315pp, 5 DAYS £525pp
TOUR DATES: These tours operate from 13th - 18th April and 2nd - 5th May 2008
With a choice of two breaks this year of 5 or 3 days length, we aim to offer flexibility for those wishing to witness the magic of spring migration in Norfolk. April and May are exciting months, as our summer migrants flood in from their winter quarters. Willow, Sedge, Reed, Grasshopper and Garden Warblers, Common and Lesser Whitethroat, Blackcap and Chiffchaff are joined by flocks of vivid Yellow Wagtails, gaudy Whinchat and parties of nervous Ring Ouzel. Wader passage too is underway with Little-ringed Plover, Common, Green, Wood and Curlew Sandpipers, Spotted Redshank and Greenshank all possible. The song of the Nightingale is always a highlight, and the chance of the unexpected keeps us searching as this period has produced some great birds in the past. Perhaps a male Redstart or singing Wood Warbler may put in a brief appearance, while we found Red-rumped Swallow on this tour in 2004 and in 2007 April has already produced Black Kite and Iberian Chiffchaff! A slightly different range of species might be expected on each tour so contact us for further details.
COMPLETE TOUR 6 DAY BREAKS
6 DAYS £630
TOUR DATES: This tour meets on the evening of Sunday 11th May 2008
Still one of our most popular tours, and for good reason! This superb week in Norfolk during the peak time for both breeding birds and scarce migrants combines the best habitats and birds of Britain's best county. Rare breeding species such as Golden Oriole, Honey Buzzard, Montagu's Harrier, Stone Curlew, Woodlark, Bittern, Marsh Harrier, Bearded Tit and Avocet are in residence, while migration along the north coast can produce some quality birds at this time. Redstart, Pied Flycatcher, Yellow Wagtail, Northern Wheatear, Cuckoo, Turtle Dove, Tree Pipit, Wood and Curlew Sandpipers, Little and Temminck's Stints are all likely with Hobby, Red Kite and Osprey supplementing the resident raptors. Typical spring overshoots can include Serin, Hoopoe, or Red-footed Falcon while Scandinavian bound drift migrants such as Red-backed Shrike, Wryneck, Bluethroat or maybe something better, can appear at any time. A bird-filled break often with warm weather makes for a great week - book early!
RARE BREEDERS 3 DAYS BREAKS
3 DAYS £315 pp
TOUR DATES: These tours meet on the evenings of 1st, 5th and 19th June and 10th July 08
Other dates may be available by request
Norfolk in mid-summer is certainly not a time to put away your binoculars! Heading south into Breckland, we will be searching for the magnificent Golden Oriole in the black poplars at Lakenheath, and we hope to not only listen to their tropical fluting call but glimpse them as they flit through the canopy. Garden Warbler, Hobby, Green Woodpecker, Kingfisher and a host of warblers provide supporting cast here while out on the brecks themselves, cryptic Stone Curlew skulk among the grass while Woodlark song-flight above.
Our second day focuses on the elusive Honey Buzzard in its East Anglian stronghold only a few miles from our base. Common Buzzard, Marsh Harrier, Sparrowhawk and sometimes Red Kite are also seen here, and hopefully the Honeys in wing-clapping display in the skies above us. In the afternoon, we head over to Cley reserve for Bearded Tit, Avocet, the first returning Green Sandpiper and Spotted Redshank plus gulls, terns and wildfowl.
The third day will see us visiting a watch point for the rare Montagu's Harrier, and in 2006 our groups enjoyed stunning views of these birds hunting over the cornfields and food-passing in front of us! With an afternoon at Titchwell filled with more waders, warblers and terns, you can see why there's only one place to be this summer!
BUTTERFLIES & DRAGONFLIES 3 DAY BREAK
£325pp
TOUR DATES: This tour meets on the evening of Thursday 17th July 08
A new tour for 2007 led by expert Adrian Riley, we will be searching for a range of insects across Norfolk that could include up to 28 species of Butterfly, and up to 20 species of Dragonflies and Damselflies. Norfolk Hawker and Black Darter are two of our rarest species, though Small Red-eyed Damselfly and Keeled Skimmer are also very localised in Britain. Beautiful White Admirals and dainty Purple & White-letter Hairstreaks will keep us on our toes in the woodlands while on the heaths and dunes Four-spotted Chaser, Essex Skipper, Brown Argus, Holly Blue, Dark-green Fritillary, Small Heath and Grayling may all be found-even Hummingbird Hawkmoth is possible here. Emerald and Scarce Emerald Damselfly, Silver-studded Blue, Four-spotted and Broad-bodied Chasers, Southern, Brown and Migrant Hawkers and Banded Demoiselle are other species which may be seen and we will also include some birding interest when visiting Titchwell, Cley and Holkham.
SHOREBIRD SPECTACULAR 3 DAY BREAK
£315pp
TOUR DATES: This tour meets on the evening of Thursday 28th August 2008
This new tour for 2008 is timed specifically to coincide with the southward autumn journey of the arctic breeding waders as they head for their African wintering grounds. Shorebird passage begins in late June with the first returning Spotted Redshanks, Ruff and Black-tailed Godwits, and picks up pace during July. By August the number of waders passing the scrapes, pools and estuaries of north Norfolk is impressive, and this can include 25 or more different species such as Common, Green, Wood and Curlew Sandpipers, Little Stint, Greenshank and rarities such as Pectoral, White-rumped, Buff-breasted or Broad-billed Sandpipers. Of course, interest is not just confined to the bird-filled lagoons and August marks the beginning of the landbird migration. This is a great time to look for Pied Flycatcher and a variety of warblers, while Wryneck, Ortolan Bunting and Greenish Warbler have all been seen at this time. Offshore, impressive gatherings of terns can include scarce species such as Black and Roseate, while skuas will be loafing inshore as the first waves of seabirds begin to pass our shores. Come and join us this year and discover why August is Ashley's favourite birding month!
AUTUMN MIGRATION 6 DAY BREAK
£630pp
Red-backed Shrike by tour participant Peter Harvey
TOUR DATES: These tours meet on the evenings of 14th and 21st September 2008
Our week in Norfolk concentrates primarily on birding along the North coast taking in the lesser known sites and finding our own birds, as well as catching up with any 'goodies' found by others. This truly is an exciting time to be in Norfolk as literally anything can turn up as birds move south. Waders flock on every coastal lagoon and shoreline, bushes can be bouncing with warblers, chats and flycatchers, seabirds are passing offshore, sometimes in spectacular movements, and raptors move through on warm days. Typical migrants include Pied Flycatchers and Redstarts, which can occur in 'falls' in the correct conditions, normally involving easterly winds and poor visibility. Northern Wheatear, Whinchat, Redwing, pipits, larks and wagtails plus all the common warblers occur, while 'expected' scarce migrants include Wryneck, Red-backed Shrike, Barred Warbler, Red-breasted Flycatcher, Yellow-browed Warbler and Common Rosefinch. A fall in 2005 brought 3 Greenish warblers and a Great Snipe in addition to the latter so you just never know! Waders can include Red-necked Phalarope, Pectoral Sandpiper and Temminck's Stint as in 2005 but Curlew Sandpiper and Little Stint are regular. Offshore, strong north-westerlies can produce Manx, Balearic & Sooty Shearwaters, Arctic, Great, Pomarine and Long-tailed Skuas, Leach's Petrel and Sabine's Gull among the commoner seabirds.
LATE AUTUMN SPECIAL 5 DAY BREAK
5 DAYS £525pp
TOUR DATES: This tour meets on the evening of Sunday 19th October 2008
This special tour is timed specifically to coincide with the returning winter visitors but also allow us the chance to catch up with Siberian strays that may be drifted in on the last easterly winds of the autumn. Goose flocks will be building in numbers and the many tens of thousands of Pink-footed Geese can hold Tundra Bean, Greenland White-front, 'small race' Canada, Snow, Ross's and pale-bellied Brent. In Holkham bay Shorelark and Snow Bunting flocks are reliable now as they settle for the winter and offshore, divers, grebes and seaduck entertain us. In woodland, Lesser-spotted Woodpecker, Hawfinch, Crossbill, Siskin and Lesser Redpoll are targets while flocks of winter thrushes will now be arriving in numbers on some days. It is these late autumn movements which can also involve continental Goldcrests and Robins, with a late Redstart or Ring Ouzel possible, but it's the 'sibes' that we hope for! Late Oct/early Nov can produce Yellow-browed, Dusky and Pallas's Warbler, Desert & Pied Wheatears, Olive-backed Pipit, Hume's Warbler and Little Bunting or maybe something rarer! Join us this year to find out what's in store!
WINTER BIRDS AND CHRISTMAS MUSIC
2 DAYS £250pp
TOUR DATES: This tour meets at noon on Thursday 4th December 2008
New for 2006 this tour combines 2 days superb winter birding with an evening at one of Britain's most acclaimed concerts, the Christmas Spectacular at Thursford just a few miles from our base in East Barsham. With singing, dancing, lighting, music, professional cast and the world famous Wurlitzer organ, the show attracts huge crowds from all over the UK. Travelling to the show by minibus we can expect a fairly late finish though we will have dinner beforehand.
Birding speaks for itself at this time, and we will visit Holkham and Titchwell as two main sites with a few lesser known areas in between. Please see the descriptions for the winter wonderland tour for a taste of what to expect.
UK TOURS
SCOTLAND - SOLWAY COAST 3 DAY WINTER BREAK
£350pp SINGLE SUPPLEMENT £45
TOUR DATES: This tour meets on the evening of Thursday 31st January 2008
OPERATED IN CONJUNCTION WITH CELTIC BIRD TOURS
Scotland in February may not sound appealing for a bird watching tour, but the Solway coast provides some fabulous birding in beautiful coastal scenery at this chilly time of year!! Who could tire of sitting in the tower hide at Caerlaverock, watching thousands of Barnacle Geese grazing on the frosted fields with a dramatic backdrop of snow-capped peaks behind? Geese form a major spectacle here, and Greenland White-fronted and Icelandic Greylag graze the waterside meadows of Loch Ken viewed from our B&B base near Castle Douglas. Raptors include the now well established Red Kite, flocking to a local feeding station in the afternoons alongside Raven and Common Buzzard, while elsewhere Merlin, Peregrine and Hen Harrier completes the raptor scene. Whooper Swan, Willow Tit, Lesser Redpoll, Pink-footed Geese, Purple Sandpiper and Goldeneye will also feature while at Castle Loch, the Goosander flock can reach over 100 birds!
Highlight of the trip is bound to be our full day exploring Loch Ryan by Stranraer, where a feast of wintering birds awaits! All three divers are possible here, as well as Black Guillemot in winter dress and flocks of Eider and Scoter, the former hosting a drake King Eider some years. Black-necked Grebe is a speciality, while Slavonian can reach double figures and the Scaup flock is regularly 500+! What a sight! Pale-bellied Brent Geese feed along the southern loch shore while on the western side, fields often hold Twite and attendant Merlin.
SOUTH WALES - WINTER 4 DAY BREAK
£299pp, single supplement £50
TOUR DATES: This tour meets on Thursday 24th January 2008
OPERATED IN CONJUNCTION WITH CELTIC BIRD TOURS
Following our successful tours with Celtic Bird Tours to South Wales in spring 2006 and January 2007, we are heading back again this year for another winter visit. With its usually mild climate the South Wales coast is a haven for wintering shorebirds and gulls and we visit some beautiful coastal areas in search of more unusual species such as the resident Chough and Dartford Warbler. Neil Donaghy and Ashley Saunders will lead this holiday, with accommodation in en suite rooms at the Atlantic Hotel, Porthcawl.
At Kenfig Pool and surrounds, large numbers of wildfowl may be observed including occasional Smew, Scaup or Long-tailed Duck, while Bittern and Firecrest sometimes appear and we saw Jack Snipe in 2007. Gulls are also a major focus of the region and Ring-billed is annual along this coast with Ross's, Ivory, Laughing and Bonaparte's also recorded. Several rarities have been noted during the winter period and these have included Bearded and Penduline Tit, Surf Scoter, Royal Tern, Pallas's Warbler and Pied-billed Grebe. On the Gower Peninsula, large wader roosts may be observed as well as wintering Brent Geese with Slavonian Grebe, Red-breasted Merganser and Common Eider most years. We check a small copse for Woodcock, and if time permits, we will drive back along the coast to Penclawdd to view the salt marsh. Water Pipit is a regular, if uncommon migrant and there is the possibility of finding a wintering Common Sandpiper or Greenshank and one or two Spotted Redshank are also found most years. Eurasian Spoonbill has also been recorded during winter. In the late afternoon, we visit Llanrhidian Marsh, where we hope to encounter a Hen Harrier or two as they fly into roost, Little Egrets on the salt marsh and Short-eared & Barn Owls, Jack Snipe and Green Sandpiper are also possible (we found a Spoonbill in 2007!). Peregrine, Goshawk and Red Kite are among the raptors we may encounter, while along the coast at Ogmore both Chough and Dartford Warbler may be seen, as well as Goosander, Mediterranean Gull and Purple Sandpiper. All in all, this tour offers excellent winter birding variety.
SPAIN - SPRING IN EXTREMADURA
£1150pp, single supplement £150, deposit £200
TOUR DATES: 19th - 25th APRIL 2008
OPERATED IN CONJUNCTION WITH CELTIC BIRD TOURS ATOL 6839
Leaders: Ashley Saunders and Paul Roberts
Following our successful tour here in 2006, we return again in 2008 for some fantastic birding in the beautiful and bird-filled Spanish Steppes. Tour leaders will be Ashley Saunders and Paul Roberts with accommodation at Vina las Torres near Trujillo. Extremadura is like a land that time forgot, with the miles of cork oak woodland or 'dehesa' filled with birdlife and carpeted in wild flowers. Garden birds include Azure-winged Magpie, hoopoe, Bee-eater, Woodchat Skrike, Great-spotted Cuckoo and Sardinian Warbler while Golden Oriole, Nightingale and Scop's Owl call from the surrounding olives and cork oaks. In Monfrague National Park we seek endemic Spanish Imperial Eagle among a stunning raptor cast that includes Booted, Short-toed, Golden and Bonelli's Eagles, Goshawk, Peregrine, Red & Black Kites, Griffon, Black and Egyptian Vultures. Lesser Kestrel and Pallid Swift frequent Trujillo itself, the gateway to the vast rolling steppe where we look for Great and Little Bustard, Pin-tailed and Black-bellied Sandgrouse, Roller and Montagu's Harrier. Add Black-winged Kite in its only European stronghold, Eagle Owl nesting on the cliffs, Black Storks and a range of wetland birds such as herons and warblers and you can see why this is such a great birding destination. Book early to avoid disappointment!
THE NORTH-EAST GRAND TOUR
£625pp, single supplement £70
TOUR DATES: These tours meet on Sunday 18th and Sunday 25th May 2008
OPERATED IN CONJUNCTION WITH CELTIC BIRD TOURS
Now in its fifth year, this magical tour has become our most popular UK offering in recent years. Our friends at Celtic Bird Tours are running the trip with us again this year following the huge success of our previous visits. A two-base tour of northern England, we start in East Yorkshire and finish in Northumberland, passing through the fells and dales of Co. Durham en route. In East Yorks, Spurn Point and Flamborough Head provide the opportunity to search for spring migrants which have included Red-backed Shrike and Golden Oriole on previous tours, as well as warblers, wheatears, chats and flycatchers. This is a good time for spring overshoots and eastern bound drift migrants and Wryneck, Bluethroat, Red-footed Falcon, Alpine Swift, Subalpine Warbler or Red-rumped Swallow could well liven up our visit! Seabirds feature throughout this tour and there is no better mainland site than Bempton cliffs for viewing auks, gannets, fulmars and kittiwakes in huge numbers and at close range.
Passing through County Durham allows us to explore the fells for Black Grouse, with fabulous views often possible of this rare bird. Red Grouse, Golden Plover, Snipe, Common Sandpiper, Ring Ouzel, Garden Warbler, Spotted Flycatcher, Dipper and Grey Wagtail may also be seen while our trip into oak woodland can produce Redstart, Pied Flycatcher and Wood Warbler.
Northumberland is a beautiful county, and our trip out to the magical Farne Islands is a breathtaking experience. We cruise around the islands watching throngs of seabirds on the cliffs, Common and Grey Seals on the rocks and of course the famous Grace Darling Lighthouse. Landing on Inner Farne, we have an hour to walk among the Arctic Tern colony where we will be bombarded by these fantastic birds, allowing simply stunning close-ups! Eider nest beside the path, Sandwich Terns have a colony just feet away from us and Puffin, Shag, Razorbill, Guillemot and Kittiwake occupy ledges at touching distance! Further down the coast, a second boat trip takes us to Coquet Island for Roseate Terns, and once again close views are possible as well as tens of thousands of Puffins. All this plus great birding in the valleys with Redstart, Tree Pipit, Whinchat, Ring Ouzel, Peregrine, Garden Warbler, Spotted Flycatcher and Redpoll.
ROMANIA - THE DANUBE DELTA AND DOBROGEA PLAIN
£1249 per person, single supplement £125, deposit £350
TOUR DATES: 10TH - 17TH JUNE 2008
OPERATED IN CONJUNCTION WITH CELTIC BIRD TOURS
Leaders: Gerard Gorman and Ashley Saunders
Cruising the spectacular Danube Delta aboard our floating hotel, and joined by one of Eastern Europe's foremost birders, this fabulous birdwatching tour provides an opportunity to see some of the Palaearctic's rarest birds including Pygmy Cormorant, White Pelican, Paddyfield Warbler and Marsh sandpiper. We'll have our own crew and chef, a motorboat and rowing boats for excursions and twin and single cabins onboard. As well as exploring the bird filled waterways of the delta and their stunning array of herons, egrets, terns, waders and warblers, we spend three days exploring dry land searching for such species as Calandra Lark, Grey-headed, Black and Syrian Woodpecker, Roller and Sombre Tit, as well as an array of raptors that may include Long-legged Buzzard, Lesser Spotted Eagle, Red-footed and Saker Falcons and even Pallid Harrier. Please contact us for a more detailed itinerary for this wonderful excursion into Eastern Europe.
SCOTLAND - MULL & IONA
£799pp, single supplement £100
TOUR DATES: This tour meets in Oban on 23rd June 2008
OPERATED IN CONJUNCTION WITH CELTIC BIRD TOURS
Mull is the island of Eagles and Otters and from our base at the wonderful Pennyghael Hotel we will explore the mountains, lochs and glens of this beautiful region. The short ferry crossing to Mull will allow us the opportunity to look for terns, gannets, auks, skuas and petrels, with Shag, Black Guillemot and even Otter along the shore near our hotel. Otters are easily seen on Mull and we will make several attempts to get good views of these magical animals. With one of the highest breeding densities of Golden Eagle in Europe, we are sure to see this magnificent bird during our stay, though the enormous White-tailed Eagle breeds too and we have a ranger visit organised to a nest site. Red-throated and Black-throated Divers breed on the lochs and Hen Harrier and Short-eared Owl quarter the plantations and moor lands. Our boat trip to Staffa and Fingal's Cave will be a memorable experience as we see hundreds of breeding seabirds including Puffins at our feet, while our day on beautiful Iona will give us the chance to look for elusive Corncrake as well as visit the ancient abbey.
CORNWALL & ISLES OF SCILLY
£699 per person, single supplement £100, deposit £200
TOUR DATES: 15TH - 20TH AUGUST 2008
OPERATED IN CONJUNCTION WITH CELTIC BIRD TOURS
Leaders: Ashley Saunders and Neil Donaghy assisted by John Swann and Bob Flood
This exciting early autumn break is a culmination of Celtic Bird Tours successful pelagic weekend on Scilly and our own Cornwall early migrants tour, offering some truly mouth-watering birding amid fantastic coastal scenery and led by an expert team! With three nights based on St Mary's we have arranged one full day and two half day pelagic trips on board the Sapphire, one of the vessels which has pioneered these trips for which the islands have become famous. Crucially, our trips allows us to study the seabirds closely, something not possible on the larger cross channel ferries. Wilson's Storm Petrel is the key bird, supported by European Storm Petrel, Cory's, Great, Manx, Balearic and Sooty Shearwaters, terns, auks, gannets, fulmars, kittiwakes, skuas and even Sabine's Gull. With free time on the islands we can also explore for any interesting landbird migrants that might be present. Returning to Penzance on the Scillonian MV with more opportunities to look for seabirds, we will be based in Penzance for a further 2 nights where we will explore the various valleys and headlands of the Penwith District for migrants. Marazion Marsh, Hayle estuary, Drift and Stithians will also feature in the itinerary.
SOUTH WALES EARLY AUTUMN MIGRATION
£529pp, single supplement £75
TOUR DATES: 22ND - 27TH AUGUST 2008
OPERATED IN CONJUNCTION WITH CELTIC BIRD TOURS
South Wales is one of the most under rated birdwatching destinations in the British Isles, and following several successful tours here with Celtic Bird Tours in recent years, we are pleased to be returning twice in 2008! August is a great time to visit the region, as a wealth of migrant birds head south through the wide variety of coastal habitats. Sites such as Kenfig Pool and Ogmore Estuary offer great birding close to our base in Porthcawl, which itself offers seawatching opportunities in onshore winds. Kittiwakes, Terns, Gannets, Fulmars and Skuas all pass offshore, with Storm Petrel and Shearwaters also possible. At Kenfig and Goldcliff, passage waders can include Spotted Redshank, Curlew Sandpiper, Little Stint and many more, whilst migrant warblers, Redstart, Flycatchers and Whinchat may also be seen. Europe's rarest songbird, the Aquatic Warbler, occurs annually at Kenfig and with over forty records, it can claim to be Britain's best site for the species. Spotted Crake often skulk in the reedbeds during August and the pool itself hosts various waterfowl and flocks of feeding swifts and hirundines. A day on the Gower peninsula offers a wealth of habitats that can host migrant passerines, as well as further opportunities to seawatch, though this is a beautiful stretch of coast and birding here is a real joy. Rarities such as Semi-palmated Sandpiper, Sabine's Gull, Eurasian Spoonbill, Great White Egret, Little Whimbrel, Buff-breasted and Pectoral Sandpipers, Red-necked Phalarope, Garganey, Black Tern, Wood Sandpiper, Marsh Harrier, Gull-billed Tern, Icterine Warbler, Ring-necked Duck Purple Heron and Lesser Yellowlegs have all been seen in this area in autumn - join Neil and Ashley in 2008 for a great few days birding!
EAST YORKSHIRE - AUTUMN MIGRATION
£579 per person, single supplement £60, deposit £100
TOUR DATES: This tour meets on the evening of Sunday 26th August 2007
OPERATED IN CONJUNCTION WITH CELTIC BIRD TOURS
Leaders: Ashley Saunders and Neil Donaghy
Based once again at the superb West Carlton Farmhouse, we spend 5 days exploring the East Yorkshire coast during autumn migration when quite literally, anything can turn up! Equidistant between the key sites of Spurn Point and Flamborough Head, we will spend plenty of time at these sites looking for migrant birds which could include Wryneck, Red-backed Shrike, Red-breasted Flycatcher, Icterine Warbler, Common Rosefinch or Tawny Pipit among more regular Willow Warbler, Common and Lesser Whitethroat, Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Sedge & Reed Warbler, Pied & Spotted Flycatcher, Common Redstart, Whinchat and Northern Wheatear. Ringing activities at Spurn mean that we may also get the chance to observe migrant birds in the hand. Offshore, seabird passage can be good in the right conditions and could include Gannets, Auks, Terns, Fulmars, Kittiwake, Skuas, Shearwaters, Petrels and maybe a Sabine's Gull. Raptors may include Merlin, Peregrine and even Red Kite and perhaps and Osprey may drift over on its way south. Waders will be a major focus on the Humber Estuary and a huge number and variety may be expected including Curlew Sandpiper, Little Stint, Greenshank, Spotted Redshank and perhaps something rarer - Broad-billed, Pectoral and White-rumped Sandpipers have all been recorded here! Join us for a relaxed and enjoyable birding break led by the 'A-Team' !
CORNWALL - 6 DAY AUTUMN MIGRATION BREAK
£599pp, single supplement £60
TOUR DATES: These tours meet on the evenings of Sunday 5th and Sunday 12th October 2008
Our sixth year of tours in Cornwall see's us back at Menwidden Farm near Penzance for our traditional October visit when quite literally, anything can and does turn up! Covering the Land's End area and its many valleys, the Lizard peninsula and the RSPB reserves at Hayle and Marazion, just minutes from our base, we will hope for American strays from the west arriving on an Atlantic depression, or Siberian birds drifted in on easterly winds. The list of rare birds is truly phenomenal, and too numerous to list, but in recent years we have seen Pectoral, Spotted, Least and White-rumped Sandpipers, American Wigeon, Green-winged Teal, Lesser Yellowlegs, Long-billed Dowitcher, Common Crane, American Black Duck, Dotterel, Ring-billed Gull, Yellow-browed and Pallas's Warblers (annual), Red-breasted Flycatcher, Wryneck, Melodious and Barred Warblers to name a few! Ring Ouzel, Redstart, Firecrest (daily!), Pied Flycatcher and the commoner warblers are regular migrants, while the supporting cast include Mediterranean Gull, Water Rail, Scaup, Little Gull, Greenshank, Green Sandpiper, Little Egret, Peregrine, Merlin and Raven. At Drift reservoir there is always the possibility of a Ring-necked Duck making an appearance as in 2005 and at high tide on the Hayle, close views of waders and wildfowl allow us to check for something unusual such as the smart Glaucous Gull we found in 2004. With stunning coastal scenery, wonderful food and often good weather at this time, its easy to see why you need to book early for this tour!
SOUTH AFRICA - WESTERN CAPE AND KAROO
£2975 per person, single supplement £175, deposit £500
TOUR DATES: 30TH OCTOBER - 10TH NOVEMBER 2008
OPERATED IN CONJUNCTION WITH CELTIC BIRD TOURS ATOL 6839
Leaders: Ashley Saunders and BirdWatch Cape Guide
This 12 day trip to South Africa's bird rich western cape takes in a variety of specialised habitats for many of the regions endemic species. Our friends at BirdWatch Cape will be providing the ground arrangements and local guidance for this tour, which see's us exploring the semi desert regions of the Karoo, west coast wetlands, mountains, forest and coasts with three hotel bases during our stay. African Black Oystercatcher, a range of endemic Cormorants, African Penguins, Cape Rockjumper, Southern Black Korhaan, Black Harrier and the national bird, Blue Crane, can be expected as well as a variety of sunbirds, mousebirds, chats, flycatchers, canaries and much more! The highlight could well be our full day pelagic off the Cape of Good Hope, where huge numbers of seabirds will include three species of Albatross, White-chinned, Southern Giant, Northern Giant and Wilsons Petrels, Pomarine and Subantarctic Skuas, Sabine's Gull, Great and Sooty Shearwaters and with luck, several cetacean sightings including possible Humpback Whale, Southern Right Whale & Common and Dusky Dolphins. Contact us for a full itinerary of this breathtaking tour.
NORTH WALES 5 DAY BREAK
£599 per person, £100 single supplement
TOUR DATES: 3rd - 8th May 2008, 5th - 10th May 2009
ISRAEL - SPRING MIGRATION IN THE ARAVA VALLEY
£1250 per person, £100 single room supplement
TOUR DATES: This tour runs from 15th - 22nd March 2009