Bird Observatories in the UK (3 Viewers)

[Peewit]

Hi there

Just watching the backend of Springwatch at Easter on the BBC (repeated from the other night)

There was a mention of Bird Observatories - has anyone ever been to an Observatory, and what are the pro's and cons of visiting one?

Is there a cost attached? :smoke:

http://www.noa.org.uk/docs/observatories.html

 

[silverback69]

I have stayed a few times at Portland Bird Obs in the past. Very good if you happen to be there when migration is in full swing. Anything can turn up on land and in their mist nets or fly past during sea watches. If the bird is particularly good/rare/of interest, they bring it to show those that are there at the time after they have processed it before they release it. Nice area to walk around in the summer months. Self catering and accommodation is cheap. Cheaper if you're a member. Advise to book well in advance during peak times although this is no guarantee of a bed! Weymouth down the road so you can visit Radipole Lake and Lodmoor. Bleak in winter lol

 

[Phil Andrews]

A good starting point with links to all the accredited British observatories: http://www.birdobscouncil.org.uk/

 

[Cheshire Birder]

Hilbre can be visited anytime during daylight hours but the observatory is not manned all the time. The island gets cut off from the Wirral by the tides, so once on the island you get a few hours birding before you can get off. Please carefully check the tide times if visiting this site.

CB

 

[Bird-Nut]

Hi Kathy, Bird Obs. are great places to see bird migration in action as others have said, ringing, and the collective effort of birdwatchers and Obs staff to record migration gives one a buzz helping to better understand and find out population trends etc. "Citizen Science".

If you Google "bird observatories uk" that will give a wide selection of UK bird obs websites.

Also, The Bird Observatories book "Bird Observatories of Britain and Ireland (Poyser Monographs)
by Mike Archer, Mark Grantham, Peter Howlett , Steven Stansfield is an excellent volume describing all things about bird obs life and birds etc.

 

[West End Birder]

I just started reading that book yesterday!

 

[PhilW]

Hilbre can be visited anytime during daylight hours but the observatory is not manned all the time. The island gets cut off from the Wirral by the tides, so once on the island you get a few hours birding before you can get off. Please carefully check the tide times if visiting this site.

CB

Check the fog as well. 50 + people escorted off the beach Easter Sunday by the beach patrol. We used GPS to navigate the Landrover off yesterday afternoon.

 

[Cheshire Birder]

Check the fog as well. 50 + people escorted off the beach Easter Sunday by the beach patrol. We used GPS to navigate the Landrover off yesterday afternoon.

I heard the coast had been fog bound for nearly 3 days!!

The Wirralcam website allows you to see the view from several points along the North Wirral shore, so you can check the weather for fog before you leave!

CB

 

[MSA]

I've had a few enjoyable stays at Portland - I was staying there when my O-level results came through, cycled to the phone box at 8 Kings to call home and find out how I did. Also stayed there with my wife, who's not a birder - she found it a bit basic but otherwise OK. Well worth doing at least once in your life.

 

[Andy1979]

I usually stay at Dungeness once in the spring and once in the autumn. I love it, and it is the highlight of my birding year. Early starts for either seawatching (great at Dunge in the the spring for Pom passage) or a walk around the land if there are loads of migrants about. Then it's off to find your own birds and reoprt back during the day. Most Obs are now also running moth traps and Dunge has done so for a long time, so both my hobbies are well fed. Cheap self-catering with plenty of birds. What more do you want?

 

[Tiraya]

Portland is good and a bonus if you like moths. It gets very easy to lose track of what is going on, to give you an idea of how the birds go sometimes. Especially for someone like me who still needs great skua, little gull, several other seabirds as well as several landbirds, and people are calling them everywhere or not calling them at all because they've seen them 60 times already.

 

[super-silly-um]

Fair Isle is an amazing, beautiful and magical place. Every birder should have a week or two there at some point in there lives. It is awkward to get to, but this adds to the appeal of knowing you are somewhere remote and special.

Richard.