Traveling to England...any bird lists for us? (1 Viewer)

[lmhall2000]

Hi all! I have an 11 year old that is fascinated/obsessed with birding. His face just lights up when he talks about them! We've pretty much found most the birds in our area over the past year...but at the local wildlife refuge there are species that just wander through every now and then and he's excited to find new ones there....but for a fresh change of pace we're taking the kids to England for their first trip abroad (two daughters ages 8 & 7) in about 10 days (September 12th). We'll spend 5 nights in London and 5 nights in Bruern (which is about an hour and a half northwest of London in the Cotswolds)....I have planned a special day for him with a raptor/falconry centre in the Cotswolds and plan to hit St. James Park and the Wetlands Fowl Centre (sp?) but I thought it would be neat to make a birding list for him for birds that he might run into in those two areas....the only areas we'll venture from London/Bruern are Warwick Castle area, Hampton Court, Oxford and Cirencester and all through the Cotswolds.

If any of you could suggest a few birds he might be on the lookout for..please list them and I'll make a complete list for him. Thanks so much for your help!! It'll make this a trip for all of us to remember!
Tara

 

[Chris Monk]

Here's a starter list for you...

We'll spend 5 nights in London and 5 nights in Bruern (which is about an hour and a half northwest of London in the Cotswolds)....I have planned a special day for him with a raptor/falconry centre in the Cotswolds and plan to hit St. James Park and the Wetlands Fowl Centre (sp?) but I thought it would be neat to make a birding list for him for birds that he might run into in those two areas....the only areas we'll venture from London/Bruern are Warwick Castle area, Hampton Court, Oxford and Cirencester and all through the Cotswolds.

If any of you could suggest a few birds he might be on the lookout for..please list them and I'll make a complete list for him. Thanks so much for your help!! It'll make this a trip for all of us to remember!
Tara

Tara have a look at this site:

http://www.chilternsaonb.org/caring/red_kites.html

for details of Red Kites in the Chilterns near Oxford. High Wycombe is good as is Aston Rowant National Nature Reserve:

http://www.english-nature.org.uk/sp...&local_team=0&spotlight_reserve=0&X=&NNR_ID=8

There's also Richmond Park NNR at:

http://www.english-nature.org.uk/sp...ocal_team=0&spotlight_reserve=0&X=&NNR_ID=250

Together with Ruislip Woods NNR:

http://www.english-nature.org.uk/sp...ocal_team=0&spotlight_reserve=0&X=&NNR_ID=199

Burnham Beeches NNR:

http://www.english-nature.org.uk/sp...local_team=0&spotlight_reserve=0&X=&NNR_ID=31

London Wetland Centre at:

http://www.wwt.org.uk/visit/wetlandcentre/

Lady Park Wood NNR at:

http://www.english-nature.org.uk/sp...local_team=0&spotlight_reserve=0&X=&NNR_ID=97

Hope this is a good start for you and your son.

Let us know how you get on.

All the best for a good trip for birds and the rest :flyaway:

Cheers,
Chris B

 

[scampo]

Hi all! I have an 11 year old that is fascinated/obsessed with birding. His face just lights up when he talks about them! We've pretty much found most the birds in our area over the past year...but at the local wildlife refuge there are species that just wander through every now and then and he's excited to find new ones there....but for a fresh change of pace we're taking the kids to England for their first trip abroad (two daughters ages 8 & 7) in about 10 days (September 12th). We'll spend 5 nights in London and 5 nights in Bruern (which is about an hour and a half northwest of London in the Cotswolds)....I have planned a special day for him with a raptor/falconry centre in the Cotswolds and plan to hit St. James Park and the Wetlands Fowl Centre (sp?) but I thought it would be neat to make a birding list for him for birds that he might run into in those two areas....the only areas we'll venture from London/Bruern are Warwick Castle area, Hampton Court, Oxford and Cirencester and all through the Cotswolds.

If any of you could suggest a few birds he might be on the lookout for..please list them and I'll make a complete list for him. Thanks so much for your help!! It'll make this a trip for all of us to remember!
Tara

You'll all have a great time, I'm sure - I hope the weather holds out for you! Whilst you're in London, a visit to London Zoo would surely entertain your son - lots of birds and animals there.

The bird density in inland UK is nothing like it is in warmer climes and the best place to see larger numbers of birds most easily is on the coastline. If you have time, not too far north-east of London is one of our best and most famous bird reserves (refuge) called Minsmere - here is a link to a map:

http://www.multimap.com/map/browse.cgi?client=public&X=650000.999816006&Y=250000.892671058&width=700&height=400&gride=647299.999816006&gridn=267199.892671058&srec=0&coordsys=gb&db=grid&addr1=&addr2=&addr3=&pc=&advanced=&local=&localinfosel=&kw=&inmap=&table=&ovtype=&keepicon=&zm=1&scale=100000

And this is a link to details of Minsmere:

http://www.rspb.org.uk/reserves/guide/m/minsmere/index.asp

Whilst you're there, a visit to the nearby seaside resort of Southwold will show you a piece of rural England that still retains some real charm.

 

[pauljones]

H Tara,

If you are looking for a list of bird names you may be better getting hold of a field guide to help with the id. The London Wetlands Centre has a shop with plenty of choice of books so if you do this early in the holiday you'll get the use for the rest of the time (the RSPB Handbook of British Birds is about $10).

If we start listing species you may see in the area you are visiting you'll end out with quite a long list.

Paul

 

[lmhall2000]

Thank you all!! I've got some homework for my son to do! That's the first thing he mentioned is that he really needs a field guide for England...quite literally we have over 15 field guides he has memorized, but alas, none for England so I'm going to hit Amazon.com or buy.com to find some books we might be able to take on the plane and find cheaper than in England...the pound to dollar is pounding us!

He's excited about making a list and this will get him started...thank you to duxor who sent me a list on PM...my son's eyes were twinkling as he read the birds you mentioned! It's so wonderful to see your children fascinated in something, and birding is a wonderful learning tool!

Thanks!
Tara

 

[Cudyll Bach]

Try the Collins Field Guide to Birds of Britain and Europe, you will not be disappointed. Collins being the publisher.

 

[Colin]

Go around the Cotwold Water Park. There is an east and a west section. The latter is around the village of South Cerney and is the biggest section by far and that is the one that I would recommend. The east section is near Fairford. In the west section, there are probably over 100 lakes, some of them are private but with an Ordnance Survey map you will find many public footpaths. There is an information centre at one of the lakes at Keynes Country Park in the middle of the western section and they supply maps of the lakes. If you want any more information, pm me. I live in Gloucestershire but in the far west of the county, to the west of the River Severn.

 

[Chris Monk]

Collins Bird Guide

Try the Collins Field Guide to Birds of Britain and Europe, you will not be disappointed. Collins being the publisher.

Collins Bird Guide: The Most Complete Guide to the Birds of Britain and Europe (Paperback)
by Lars Svensson

Product details:

Paperback: 412 pages
Publisher: Collins (2 April 2001)
Language English
ISBN: 0007113323

US Amazon page for this book:

http://www.amazon.com/Collins-Bird-...ef=sr_1_1/103-0947381-0049429?ie=UTF8&s=books

 

[joannec]

It sounds like you have been given some good suggestions but here is one more. While in London you could do a Thames river trip too. As well as seeing birds you see aspects of London you wouldn't otherwise see.

 

[Chris Monk]

RSPB Reserves in Central England

Try this part of the RSPB web site:

http://www.rspb.org.uk/reserves/area/england/centralengland.asp

 

[Marcus Lawson]

You can combine a bit of culture with some birding by having a look for the Peregrines at the Tate Modern Gallery - see the attached link (note the last day is Sept 17th). Also quite a good selection of restaurants around here - something for everyone :t:
http://www.rspb.org.uk/events/details.asp?id=112410&c=19

Have fun
Marcus

 

[lmhall2000]

I'm so excited to go now!!! I have to admit I had trepidation with all the travel warnings...but now to have all these cool sites for our family is great! I tried to get the Collins guide but they're sold out for 2-5 more weeks...I ordered two other guides..one being "Birds of Britain" or something like that and another small pocket field guide. Both of those only had one copy left...so am hoping I nabbed them.

HOW WONDERFUL about the peregrines! I've never appreciated modern art and was not going to visit the Tate...but now I have a reason to!

Oh! And yes we've got a Thames river trip planned...thinking of rescheduling it for another day, didn't realize the Thames Mayor's festival was going on that weekend....might be busy! Thanks!!!

Tara

 

[rjb25073]

Tara have a look at this site:

http://www.chilternsaonb.org/caring/red_kites.html

for details of Red Kites in the Chilterns near Oxford. High Wycombe is good as is Aston Rowant National Nature Reserve:

If you are driving to the Costwolds then Chris' suggestion re Red Kites is a very good one. Just drive up the M40 from London and look around High Wycombe or Stokenchurch (further south than Oxford), you are virtually guaranteed a siting from the motorway and if the weather is good you can have a drive around the local area and will have an excellent chance of really good views.

Have a great holiday,
Richard

 

[Marcus Lawson]

HOW WONDERFUL about the peregrines! I've never appreciated modern art and was not going to visit the Tate...but now I have a reason to!
Tara

Forgot to say that the RSPB (Royal Society for Protection of Birds) have telescopes trained on the birds if they are present, so no need to lug your optics around London.

 

[foxsparrow]

Collins Bird Guide: The Most Complete Guide to the Birds of Britain and Europe (Paperback)
by Lars Svensson

Product details:

Paperback: 412 pages
Publisher: Collins (2 April 2001)
Language English
ISBN: 0007113323

US Amazon page for this book:

http://www.amazon.com/Collins-Bird-...ef=sr_1_1/103-0947381-0049429?ie=UTF8&s=books

This book is for US from this side of the pond. There is the Princeton edition, easily available in the States: the same book, the same authors !:

http://www.amazon.com/Birds-Europe-...ef=sr_1_8/104-4487474-0152735?ie=UTF8&s=books

Cheers

 

[Stewart J.]

If you require a bird list :- http://www.printablebirdchecklists.homestead.com/SpeciesLists.html

Good birding and enjoy your holiday.

Stewart

 

[lmhall2000]

England is not available on that checklist! I've got enough to get us started and we're compiling a list from everyone who has been so kind to provide them and links! Thanks so much....can't wait to get our field guides...going to check out that other Collins one by the different publisher! Thanks!
Tara

 

[Stewart J.]

Hi Tara, never thought to check try

http://www.bsc-eoc.org/avibase/avibase.jsp?region=uk&pg=checklist&list=clements

or

http://www.bou.org.uk/recbrlst1dna.html

Stewart

 

[Evanji Axu]

Here's a little challenge for ya: See how many birds you find that are also from your side of the big puddle. As well as the introduced three (House Sparrow/Starling/Pigeon) there are:

Black-Crowned Night-Heron (Oddly absent where I live, Yellow-Crowned is locally common)
Barn Swallow
Mallard
Great Egret
Northern Harrier

 

[Marcus Lawson]

Here's a little challenge for ya: See how many birds you find that are also from your side of the big puddle. As well as the introduced three (House Sparrow/Starling/Pigeon) there are:

Black-Crowned Night-Heron (Oddly absent where I live, Yellow-Crowned is locally common)
Barn Swallow
Mallard
Great Egret
Northern Harrier

Blimey guv'nor (getting you used to the London lingo ), if you are lucky enough to find BC Night Heron or Great Egret then please make sure you log onto here whilst still in town to report them as they are rather rare in these parts.