Skimmer15
American Birder
Hello,
I’m an American who is planning his first birding trip to Britain in April/May of 2010. At this point, I am just trying to work out a preliminary itinerary. I have been to Britain a number of times, but not since I have taken up birding, so everything would be new to me. My goal would be to see as many species as I could on the trip, while sightseeing at the same time.
I would appreciate any input on birding locations that I should be sure to include in my plans. Can anyone offer a list of “must-see” sites around Britain? The more opinions and lists, the better. I have the book Where To Watch Birds Britain by Harrap and Redman, and it will be a great help to me, but I need a shorter list of the places I should be sure not to miss. The list could consist of specific locations or general areas (counties?) – I just need to make general plans at this point. I expect to spend about six weeks on the trip, covering England, Wales, and Scotland. I can work out the exact route – I just need to know which places I should be sure to visit.
I would be traveling alone and would have a rented car. I would expect to stay in B&B's and self-catering places, stopping for two or three nights at a time, with maybe some one-night stops along the way.
I would also be interested in any advice about timing. I was thinking of April and May, for personal reasons, but would I be better off at the beginning of that time period, or at the end? I could start in late March or extend into early June, if either of those would be better for the birds (and weather?). I’ll put it this way – what six weeks would be best, between late March and early June?
Thanks very much for any help, either here or by email. As the time gets closer and my plans form, I expect I will post in the appropriate County forums, but first I need to decide on a general itinerary.
Thanks very much in advance,
Barry Brugman
I’m an American who is planning his first birding trip to Britain in April/May of 2010. At this point, I am just trying to work out a preliminary itinerary. I have been to Britain a number of times, but not since I have taken up birding, so everything would be new to me. My goal would be to see as many species as I could on the trip, while sightseeing at the same time.
I would appreciate any input on birding locations that I should be sure to include in my plans. Can anyone offer a list of “must-see” sites around Britain? The more opinions and lists, the better. I have the book Where To Watch Birds Britain by Harrap and Redman, and it will be a great help to me, but I need a shorter list of the places I should be sure not to miss. The list could consist of specific locations or general areas (counties?) – I just need to make general plans at this point. I expect to spend about six weeks on the trip, covering England, Wales, and Scotland. I can work out the exact route – I just need to know which places I should be sure to visit.
I would be traveling alone and would have a rented car. I would expect to stay in B&B's and self-catering places, stopping for two or three nights at a time, with maybe some one-night stops along the way.
I would also be interested in any advice about timing. I was thinking of April and May, for personal reasons, but would I be better off at the beginning of that time period, or at the end? I could start in late March or extend into early June, if either of those would be better for the birds (and weather?). I’ll put it this way – what six weeks would be best, between late March and early June?
Thanks very much for any help, either here or by email. As the time gets closer and my plans form, I expect I will post in the appropriate County forums, but first I need to decide on a general itinerary.
Thanks very much in advance,
Barry Brugman