Birdwatching holiday help

[Jonquil_d]

All depends on a number of factors we don't know:
a: means of travel
b: time of year
c: starting and finishing place.
d: duration of trip

From where I am (Yorkshire West Riding) I would want to include Flamborough Head, Spurn Point, Blacktoft Sands, Old Moor, , Conway,
some coastal stuff near Southport, the list is endless but it depends on time of year for what is good when..further afield Anglesey (South Stack) is worth a trip if you are over that way....but that is definitely one to watch your timing for and in Northumberland the Farne Islands are a must but again watch the time of year....then there is Scotland...,
Edit: just re read first post: Anglesey Conway and Scotland are not England but for birding they all do have something to offer.

[Picidae]

Originally Posted by Quack

Also does anyone have any other ideas about where it might be interesting for us to go?

Thanks for any help in advance

Much will depend on the criteria Jonquil has laid - however:

Probably best to focus on your Counties first when planning an around England trip: Norfolk is an obvious one, taking in Titchwell, Holme, Cley, Salthouse etc Invernesshire and Argyle/bute
Sussex and Hampshire is another two Counties well worth touring - taking in for Sussex, Pulborough RSPB, Pagham Harbour NR, Titchwell Haven (Hants) and Farlington Marshes (Hants)

Really depends on how much time you have and what species would interest most

Might be easier when planning your birding trip to google the RSPB reserves around the UK from the RSPB web pages then it's possible to add these to your google earth page as placemarks which is what I have done - very useful addition to google earth and very easy to do!
The RSPB: Reserves: Google Earth
Once these are on your Google Earth page, if you click on any of the RSPB icons it will take you straight into each reserve giving you directions/access/species list and opening times/facilities etc

[pete-c]

RSPB Radipole and Lodmoor in Weymouth are 2 very good reserves also Portland Bill.

Pete

[Quack]

a: means of travel: car
b: time of year: This coming October
c: starting and finishing place: London
d: duration of trip: Originally it was meant to be a 5 day trip, but I think I'll extend it so that we could have time to see more of the locations mentioned earlier.

Sounds like Norfolk will be our main destination. And I'll try to draw a route there through the Suffolk coast.

After Norfolk, this might be unreasonable, I somehow also want to end up North to see the Hadrian's Wall:
Hadrian's Wall Country
On the way we could stop near Blacktoft Sands. Many of the other places Jonquil_d mentioned are on the route, so I think I'll ask my boyfriend where he would most like to go.

We could visit the Chew Valley lake on the way back to London. (That's in Bristol, right?) While we're there we can decide whether we are up for going to the Somerset marshes. Depending on how exhausted we will be.

I also want to visit Arundel, but it seems to be a bit out of the way. Maybe that resort will have to be left for another time.

Thanks for the Google Earth tip, Picidae. It will come to be quite useful.

Oh and, wow, Portland Bill would be fun, but will have to go there another time too.

Do you think if we go in October we will get the most out of the regions? Or should we go during spring?


Thanks everyone for posting. It's been very helpful.

[shenk1]

RSPB Old Moor Wetlands near Barnsley is well worth a visit in October ( or any other time) as there are usually thousands of waders there.
10 minutes off the M1 or 15 from the A1 ,really good cafe on site and a Premier Inn/pub across the road (and a new hotel nearby - think its a Park Hotel- it will be classed as Dearne Valley).

shenk1 (would-be Stand in Promotions Manager Barnsley Tourist Board)