• Welcome to BirdForum, the internet's largest birding community with thousands of members from all over the world. The forums are dedicated to wild birds, birding, binoculars and equipment and all that goes with it.

    Please register for an account to take part in the discussions in the forum, post your pictures in the gallery and more.
ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

"Easy" long weekend suggestions in Europe (1 Viewer)

Isurus

Isurus

Well-known member
I turn 30 at the end of January and the idea is to celebrate with a weekend away. I have a couple more days holiday than my better half so my plan was to travel a couple of days earlier than her, get a nature fix, then meet her for the weekend. So the goal is:
- some cool wildlife (birds are always cool but mammals/reptiles would earn a brucie bonus),
- easy flight (or other travel) from London,
- a reasonable sized town nearby for food, shopping, beers etc for the weekend.

I fancied a trip down to Donana but can't seem to make flights work for such a short time (unless anyone has any suggestions). Any ideas any one?
 
What about the Algarve?
Faro has great shopping and some good restaurants and tapas bars. Plus there's the whole of the wetlands to explore right on your doorstep
 
Keith Dickinson said:
What about the Algarve?
Faro has great shopping and some good restaurants and tapas bars. Plus there's the whole of the wetlands to explore right on your doorstep
Click to expand...

I second keith's suggestion! A great place for birding, eating, shopping and relaxing!:t:
 
Not sure where you are based in the UK at the moment but flights from the london area work for the following.

Madeira - good for whale watching, mediterranian monk seal and a few endemics and a good selection of sea birds.

Any of the Canary Islands each having a different selection of endemic birds, not many mammals apart from whales. They all have endemic lizards. Some islands also have endemic bats.

For Donana fly to Malaga, and go via Gibraltar for Babrabry Ape, barbary Partridge, whale watching then onto Donana. We drove to Donana from Faro so you could do it from that side as well. Chameleons and Oscillated lizard should be straightforward, I have some sites.

Tuscany crested porcupine, corsican hare, mouflon, a good selection of birds and culture cities, Florence, Sienna and Pisa, great food. I have some good info on exotic species in the area and a cracking wild boar site.

Let me know if you want any more info on any of the suggestions

Mark
 
The Camargue and northeast Spain are also worth considering. You could even do the Camargue quite easily by train from London, if that appeals.
 
Isurus said:
- some cool wildlife (birds are always cool but mammals/reptiles would earn a brucie bonus),
QUOTE]

A man after my own heart.

It’s probably not what you’re after, but Scotland would tick many boxes.

Plenty of mammals and birds (probably not many reptiles!), some large cities/towns for the romantic part, good food and drink etc, etc.

Flights should be easy although I’ve always driven.

On the negative side there is the January weather! Might be some shock after your tropical island.

Actually, some of the other suggestions sound tempting…
Click to expand...
 
skink1978 said:
Isurus said:
- some cool wildlife (birds are always cool but mammals/reptiles would earn a brucie bonus),
QUOTE]

A man after my own heart.

It’s probably not what you’re after, but Scotland would tick many boxes.

Plenty of mammals and birds (probably not many reptiles!), some large cities/towns for the romantic part, good food and drink etc, etc.

Flights should be easy although I’ve always driven.

On the negative side there is the January weather! Might be some shock after your tropical island.

Actually, some of the other suggestions sound tempting…
Click to expand...

Thanks all. Mike, scotland was choice one but the weather was the #1 issue.:-O
Click to expand...
 
Well, obviously (given my track record in these things) I'd suggest a trip based in Cadiz province. Lots of good birds in a relatively small area - Alpine Accentor, Black Wheatear, etc towards Ronda in the mountains, some excellent wetland birding along the Guadalquivir (Flamingos, various waders & a chance of Pin-tailed Sandgrouse), possibility of bustards near Seville (see earlier post on this topic), wintering Cranes, lots of BoPs (Bonelli's Eagle, B-w Kite [easier than Extremadura] Griffons, etc), Crested Coot and Little Swift (yes, they're present in the winter). Towns - Cadiz (the oldest city in Europe), Seville [simply stunning], Jerez, Vejer, etc. Good food and those superb sherries. Access - good choice of airports as you can fly into Gibraltar, Jerez, Seville or Malaga. Plus, should you go (or even if you don't) I have detailed birding notes for the area.

Alternatively pop over and stay in northern France/Belgium - KP's, Crested Lark, Sh-t 'creeper, Black Woodpecker, etc. Again I have some notes I'd happily share. Then again a quick bit or research might take you to a site where Wallcreepers are present which, if you've not seen the species, would be a quite an attraction,
 
long w/e

Isurus Hi

Feel free to take a look at my website www.catalanbirdtours.com. Some similar species to down south - I can take you to the steppes (bustards, sandgrouse, etc.), pyrenees (lammergeier, snowfinch, etc.), ebro delta (third most important website in Europe) - and I have a couple of local wallcreepers showing very nicely too.

You would need flights to Barcelona El Prat or may be Reus would work too. Let me know if you want more info, no obligation of course.

All the best
 
I wonder how east Austria birding is this time of the year, Great Bustard ought to be fairly easy at least; Fly to Vienna, walk Vienna Woods, drive SE a couple of day and meet up in Vienna for the cultural fix. Middle spotted woody and black woody should be fairly guaranteed with chances of more exiting species.

Niels
 
Jon Turner said:
There's a Wallcreeper near Paris at the moment I think!

Jon
Click to expand...

Indeed Jon; it's still here but I wouldn't really recommend Paris as Europe's best birding area! There are some good spots out of town but not a lot more than you'd expect in much of southern England. Of course, as a setting for a weekend away for a celebration it's hard to beat and easy to get to, assuming Eurostar behaves itself.

I'd plump for Andalucia, being based in Seville, which would give access to Donana or, as a certain John C has already said - Cadiz. Seville is a beautiful city with plenty of good restaurants and touristy things to see and do.

David
 
Warning! This thread is more than 14 years ago old.
It's likely that no further discussion is required, in which case we recommend starting a new thread. If however you feel your response is required you can still do so.

Similar threads

foresttwitcher
A Scilly long weekend - April 2023
Replies
8
Views
1K
foresttwitcher
foresttwitcher
Evan Atkinson
A nice weekend out and about.
Replies
1
Views
679
watcher347
W
dandsblair
Natural Wonders of Chile - 27th January to 19th February 2024
Replies
9
Views
1K
dandsblair
dandsblair
Brian Stone
Tenerife January 2024
Replies
11
Views
1K
MKinHK
MKinHK
G
  • Article
Addicted To Spring
Replies
0
Views
580
Green Sandpiper
G

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 2 (members: 0, guests: 2)
Back
Top