Anytime is a good time to come and enjoy Norfolk’s wonderful scenery, diversity of birds and wildlife. Each season offers different opportunities and a range of species.
Our tours and walks are designed to maximise what is seen in the time you have available, but also ensure we have time to discuss and educate you about the species we see.
Spring - March to May
The first summer migrants arrive in mid March and overlap with the departure of our winter visitors. Brown Hares are boxing in the fields and by late March early summer migrants such as Sand Martin, Little Ringed Plover, Wheatear, Chiff-Chaff & Sedge Warbler start to arrive. An early morning walk in April is a joy to the ears and lifts the spirit, with many birds in full song.
Across the heathlands the beautiful song and calls of Woodlark, Curlew & Stone Curlew can be heard, and now is a good time to look for the scarce and shy Lesser Spotted Woodpecker.
Mid - late April heralds the mass arrival of many of our summer visitors and is often excellent for visible migration and passage waders. Occasionally, 1000’s of birds bound for breeding grounds further north can be witnessed overhead as they continue on their epic migrations.
During this period scarcer birds such as Osprey, Ring Ouzel, Whinchat, Firecrest & Black Tern occur annually. By May nearly all the summer migrants have arrived, and this is an excellent time for rarer species such as Red-backed Shrike, Red-footed Falcon, Purple Heron, Temminck’s Stint, Bluethroat, Hoopoe & Dotterel. May is unequalled in terms of the numbers of species we record, and a full day will rarely record less than 100 species. By late May our special breeding birds Golden Oriole, Honey Buzzard, Marsh Harrier, Montagu’s Harrier, Stone Curlew, should all be present at their breeding haunts. Although unpredictable, the whole of this period is also good for rarer birds as well.
T h e N o r f o l k W i l d l i f e C a l e n d a r
Summer - June to July
This busy period provides a good chance of observing some of our breeding species; Nightjar, Woodcock, Bearded Tit, Stone Curlew & Tern colonies are all very active & relatively easy to observe. The first Common Seal pups are born in June & a trip to see these can be combined with fantastic views of breeding Wader & Tern colonies.
June & July is also the best overall time to seek out some of our wonderful orchids and insects with Norfolk Hawker, Scarce Emerald Damselfly, Scarce Chaser, Keeled Skimmer, Small Red-eyed Damselfly, Swallowtail, White Admiral, Silver-studded Blue, Greater Butterfly Orchid, Fen Orchid being a few of the most sought after species.
By mid - late July the first waves of migrant waders are evident with Ruff, Green Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, Greenshank, Spotted Redshank & Black-tailed Godwit being the first species to pass through on their southward migration.
Winter - Mid November to late February
By mid - November spectacular numbers of Pink-footed Geese arrive from their Arctic breeding grounds, followed in December by smaller numbers of White-fronted and Bean Geese. The Pink-feet numbers usually peak in mid December when around 100,000 are present and it is possible to witness a winter roost of 30,000 birds. The glowing embers of a “big” Norfolk sky combined with the backdrop of 10,000 geese, and the deafening noise is a lifetime moment to cherish!
Other special birds to arrive and winter in Norfolk along the coastline and marshes are Brent Goose, Shorelark, Snow Bunting, Lapland Bunting, Hen Harrier, Short-eared Owl & Merlin, this combined with the sea also supporting numbers of Red-throated Diver, Great Northern Diver, Black-throated Diver, Slavonian Grebe, Long-tailed Duck, Eider, Common Scoter & Velvet Scoter make for an exciting winter days Birdwatching.
Another amazing and recent spectacle is the raptor roost in the broads where upward of 100 Marsh Harriers use a single reedbed as a safe haven for roosting, late afternoon can produce over 100 Marsh Harrier, 4-5 Hen Harrier, 1-2 Merlin, 1-2 Barn Owl & skeins of geese. There is also the chance of a grand finale with small flocks of Common Crane - one of Britain’s rarest birds often seen flying overhead.
Harsh weather during the winter makes for excellent wildfowl watching as hundreds of thousands concentrate into food rich areas, it is also an excellent time to watch Barn Owls whom are often forced to hunt through the daytime if food is scarce.
Another shy and scarce species the Hawfinch is regularly seen from December to February, and winter birdwatching in Breckland results in a good diversity of woodland species, occasionally large numbers of Brambling and Crossbill can occur.
By the start of March nature’s cycle is all set to repeat the complete cycle over again!
What we offer
BIRDWATCHING & WILDLIFE TOURS consisting of ½ day, full day, 2 day, 3 day and 7 day trips throughout the year.
BIRDWATCHING & WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY TOURS
DIGITAL WILDLIFE PHOTOGRPAHY WORKSHOPS AND TUTORIALS