Planning a birding trip (1 Viewer)

This my have been covered in other threads, if so can someone point me in the right direction.

As a fairly inexperience birder with many more lifers to achieve i think i need to broaden my horizons. Im after some tips for planning a birding trip somewhere in the UK, Main choices so far being Scotland, Norfolk or the Scilly isles. I'm not going for mega rarities just yet but more for birds that you dont generally get in central England (although rarities would be a bonus). I know all about reading up on the birds and the areas to get a feel for what to expect from where, but tips would be handy. My main question is how do you plan the actual trip, say if i went to the Scilly isles for example, how do i get there? (Are there travel agents specifically for birders?!) How do i travel around/from island to island? Which season is the best (id like to go in spring but everyone seems to go in the autumn?)

Any help much appreciated |=)|

Hi Gareth

I had a week on the West Coast of Scotland earlier this year so you may find my report helpful. Trip Report If you have longer you could easily fit in the Isle of Mull - you'll find several reports in the Vacational Trip Reports forum.

Hope this gives you a start anyway.

D

Birding trips

Firstly acquire some birding holiday magazines such as Avian Adventures and generally read up on the birds and the time of year that they visit the destinations. Once you get a feel for the areas or countries that appeal to you then you need to decide upon the accomodation and the classifieds at the back of the RSPB mag is very good. Travel is obviously the next step to work out. If you are going abroad you will need to be prepared to hire a car as you will never see anything, at this point you think what a hassle, why don't I go on an organised trip? The answer is because you're trying to save a few bob!

It goes without saying that the internet is a fantastic help and the travel companies show their itineries and kind birders file their trip reports. Look at Fat Birder website. I have not yet discovered a website that is specifially designed for DIY bird trips. I have tried twice to organise a trip to Hungary but can't find where the right accomodation is (in my case its for a family of 4) depite hours on the web.

Finally you do need bird guides for foreign countries but these are easily found on Amazon.

For Scilly travel see http://www.ios-travel.co.uk/

If you're young at heart also try youth hostels in the UK: http://www.yha.org.uk/

Birders out there, why don't you offer informal B&B if you are near great places/reserves?

Jane

janel said:

Firstly acquire some birding holiday magazines such as Avian Adventures and generally read up on the birds and the time of year that they visit the destinations. Once you get a feel for the areas or countries that appeal to you then you need to decide upon the accomodation and the classifieds at the back of the RSPB mag is very good. Travel is obviously the next step to work out. If you are going abroad you will need to be prepared to hire a car as you will never see anything, at this point you think what a hassle, why don't I go on an organised trip? The answer is because you're trying to save a few bob!

It goes without saying that the internet is a fantastic help and the travel companies show their itineries and kind birders file their trip reports. Look at Fat Birder website. I have not yet discovered a website that is specifially designed for DIY bird trips. I have tried twice to organise a trip to Hungary but can't find where the right accomodation is (in my case its for a family of 4) depite hours on the web.

Finally you do need bird guides for foreign countries but these are easily found on Amazon.

For Scilly travel see http://www.ios-travel.co.uk/

If you're young at heart also try youth hostels in the UK: http://www.yha.org.uk/

Birders out there, why don't you offer informal B&B if you are near great places/reserves?

Jane

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Hi Jane,
If you are trying to organise a trip to Hungary, or any other part of Eastern Europe may I suggest you contact Gerard Gorman on www.probirder.com/gerardspage.html.
Gerard has lived and birded in Hungary for over 20years, what he do'nt know about Hungry ain't worth knowing.
As he is a professional bird guide and author I'm sure he could furnish you with the type of info you require.
Gerard is Liverpudlian by birth and possesses their word famous wit.
Best of Luck
Pat

Books for birdwatching sites

Best Birdwatching Sites in The Scottish Highlands :news:

Gordon Hamlett

Paperback: 240 pages
Publisher: Buckingham Press (9 May 2005)
Language English
ISBN: 0953384098

Best Birdwatching Sites in Norfolk 2nd Edition(Paperback) :news:

Neil Glenn

Paperback: 256 pages
Publisher: Buckingham Press
Language English
ISBN: 0955033918

I don't have experience with the British sites, but "Where to find birds in ...." books for other parts of the world often contain some hints on which accomodations are available. Combine that with a "Lonely Planet" or similar, and the planning phase normally becomes quite fun!. Quite often, if you go at low season, it is not even all that important to have reservations ahead of time, you can be quite flexible in your itinerary that way. Campgrounds often allow for some flexibility except at the most busy season.

Niels

Thanks all

I'm thinking of going to Scotland for a spring trip. Should be loads to see up there by the end of May. I'll have to get planning. Maybe if i can afford it i'll go to the scillies in the autumn.

Quick question about Scotland and travelling around. How accessable is it? Will i be able to get to those nice rmote birding sites in my fiesta (or near to with a trek) or will i need a trusty old landy?

Cheers

Gareth,

We have never needed 4 wheel drive on our numerous Scottish trips (unlike some other places we have been!).

You should see all the specials in Speyside without straying far from tarmac.

Make sure you coincide with the Capercaillie viewing period at Loch Garten (April/May, but check with RSPB)- by far the best and least disruptive way to see this elusive beast.

You can see Ptarmigan from the Top Station of the funicular train on Cairngorm with luck and patience, but may be better to walk up if you are feeling energetic or to try Glenshee over the other side of the hills if you want to search from the road.

Crested Tit are absolute gems, usually best seen around the Loch Garten trails - check with the RSPB staff for latest hotspots for these and the rather more sporadic Scottish Crossbill.

And while in the area, don't miss Findhorn Valley to the north for Golden Eagle and other raptors.

It's then worth tripping over to Skye for the spectacle of White-Tailed Eagle, the veritable "flying barn door".

Hope you little Fiesta can take the mileage!

Have a great time, you will.

Good birding,

Liz

gareth_blockley said:

Thanks all

I'm thinking of going to Scotland for a spring trip. Should be loads to see up there by the end of May. I'll have to get planning. Maybe if i can afford it i'll go to the scillies in the autumn.

Quick question about Scotland and travelling around. How accessable is it? Will i be able to get to those nice rmote birding sites in my fiesta (or near to with a trek) or will i need a trusty old landy?

Cheers

Click to expand...

janel said:

. I have tried twice to organise a trip to Hungary but can't find where the right accomodation is (in my case its for a family of 4) depite hours on the web.

Jane

Click to expand...

Went to Hungary last year, it was a doddle. Just stopped where we liked and found a hotel nearby using the Rough Guide as a reference. Nowhere was full although some were a bit basic.

Back to Gareth's question. Just go....look in the bird reports for somewhere you fancy, book a B&B/Hotel/campsite or whatever (or just wait until you get there) and go. Half the fun is exploring. Alternatively decide on somewhere and the ask on the forum if somebody local will show you round.

HTH

Nick

gareth_blockley said:

Thanks all

I'm thinking of going to Scotland for a spring trip. Should be loads to see up there by the end of May. I'll have to get planning. Maybe if i can afford it i'll go to the scillies in the autumn.

Quick question about Scotland and travelling around. How accessable is it? Will i be able to get to those nice rmote birding sites in my fiesta (or near to with a trek) or will i need a trusty old landy?

Cheers

Click to expand...

Hi again Gareth

The roads are good everywhere you shouldn't need to do much (if any) off-roading - I certainly don't in my little Colt!

If you come back to us with some 'target' birds we may be able to help more.

D

OK, thanks for the tips thus far.

delia todd said:

If you come back to us with some 'target' birds we may be able to help more.

Click to expand...

Now i did say i'm a fairly inexperienced birder, so my list of birds still to see is immence. Here are the birds i would like to be able to see in Scotland, understandably it probably wont be possible to see them all especially the scarcer breeders or sensitive species, but here goes;

Red T Diver
Black T Diver
R N Grebe
B N Grebe
Slavonian Grebe
Shag
Eider
R B Merganser (sumplum)
Goosanger (sumplum)
White taile sea eagle
Hen harrier
Golden eagle
Osprey
Merlin
Red grouse
Black grouse
Cappercaillie
Dotterel
Dunlin
Golden plover (sumplum)
Greenshank (sumplum)
Black guillimot
Rock dove (proper ones)
Winchat
Ring ouzel
Wood warbler
Crested tit
Hooded crow
Siskin
Twite
Redpoll
Crossbills

Any tips?!

All good advice offered above but I would just like to point out, if you want to see a lot of new species in an unfamiliar area in a short time, then it can be well worth the money to spring for a professional guide. I cannot afford a guided trip every time, but even just one guided trip every year or so has taught me a great deal about finding and seeing birds that I never would have figured out bumbling around on my own. It's still important to do some bumbling around on your own, of course. Otherwise, you never put all the skills together. But don't under-estimate the value of a watching a pro in action who has a network of other professionals and who has spent time on the scene prior to your trip scouting the sites.

I do as NJLarsen says for unguided trips -- get the bird-finding and identifying guides for the area if available, then get a guide to accommodations and other travel info from Lonely Planet, AAA, or even web sources depending on where I'm going.

Scotland won't be a problem, but some areas of the world still have poor bird guides or no bird guides available in English. Here is where your local birding community may be able to help out. When I visited Japan, the bird guide in English was out of print, however, another birder was able to loan me a copy for my trip.

gareth_blockley said:

OK, thanks for the tips thus far.



Now i did say i'm a fairly inexperienced birder, so my list of birds still to see is immence. Here are the birds i would like to be able to see in Scotland, understandably it probably wont be possible to see them all especially the scarcer breeders or sensitive species, but here goes;

Red T Diver
Black T Diver
R N Grebe
B N Grebe
Slavonian Grebe
Shag
Eider
R B Merganser (sumplum)
Goosanger (sumplum)
White taile sea eagle
Hen harrier
Golden eagle
Osprey
Merlin
Red grouse
Black grouse
Cappercaillie
Dotterel
Dunlin
Golden plover (sumplum)
Greenshank (sumplum)
Black guillimot
Rock dove (proper ones)
Winchat
Ring ouzel
Wood warbler
Crested tit
Hooded crow
Siskin
Twite
Redpoll
Crossbills

Any tips?!

Click to expand...

A week based in speyside should get you most of these in May (I would expect over 90% of these in a trip) with a day trip to the Gruinard area (Rock Dove, WT Eagle, Black and Great Northern Diver, Blk Guillemot, Hooded Crow). Just use the Hamlett book or do a bit of internet research.

BN Grebe only at well-known loch further south (name escapes me) but I am sure it will be in Hamlett.

The one you are unlikely to get in May is Red-Necked Grebe though these are possible in March/April at Burghead/Findhorn.

Many of these would be hard to miss (i.e siskin, osprey, shag, eider, goosander, merganser)

Gareth

Daft though it might sound, given the cost of petrol too/from northern Scotland you might find that it is better to fly to Inverness and hire a car rather than to drive all the way. It would also give you more daylight hours in Scotland to do some birding.

Quite a lot of your target species should be quite easy. We’ve had two 5 night breaks to the north in the last two years when we did some birding but not to the exclusion of other activities. We saw the birds that I’ve listed on those trips – you can find some detail in the two Scottish trip reports on www.avengerpenguins.co.uk with photos as well. Depending upon time/budget I’d look at linking several places together – Aviemore/Strathspey/Loch Ruthven, Mull/Ardnamurchan, Durness are three distinctive areas that could be covered in a few days each and would probably give you most of your target birds – some are much harder than others, though. They’ll also give you a chance to see some of the splendid scenery of the area.

I think some of the birds you’re after will be found at altitude, and if you’re planning on going high, then make sure you know what you’re doing. The hills can be dangerous for the unwary and the unlucky.

If you have a few days, try to include 5th June. This is supposed to be the most reliable date in the calendar for dry, sunny weather. We were in the Highlands on 5/6/05 and 5/6/06 and had really good weather for several days. Also the long hours of daylight make the 15 hour birding day a formality – you could even go for 21 hours in Durness! There are other birds to look for as well – don’t forget puffins, Bonxies and even corncrakes.
Species we’ve seen in 05 or 06
Red T Diver – Loch Ruthven
Black T Diver – Loch Sheil
Slavonian Grebe – Loch Ruthven
Shag – anywhere on west coast
Eider – most of west coast, Kyle of Durness
R B Merganser (sumplum) - anywhere on west coast
Hen harrier – Loch Sheil
Golden eagle – several seen
Osprey – around Aviemore
Merlin - Ardnamurchan
Dunlin – Kyle of Durness
Black Guilliemot – common. Incredible views on the Corran Ferry pier – west side
Rock dove (proper ones) – Smoo Cave, Durness
Winchat – quite a few seen in coastal sites, I think
Hooded crow - common
Siskin – Rothiemurchus and many other areas
Redpoll – Rothiemurchus, Loch Sheil

and don't forget the seals, dolphins, otters, deer and Pine Martens.

Thanks for the extra help, i did only put down some target species that im yet to see or too see in full summer plumage, i'm sure many of them are easy to see in scotland though.
I'll definately look into flying up there, but i was planning on buying a new (decent-ish) scope before then as well though - otherwise the trip could be pointless!

It seems as though i should go as late in May as possible or early june then. I'll study peoples trip reports, local reports and all the literature i can find and i'll be sure to see all plus more!

Thanks again

Nick-on said:

Went to Hungary last year, it was a doddle. Just stopped where we liked and found a hotel nearby using the Rough Guide as a reference. Nowhere was full although some were a bit basic.

HTH

Nick

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With 2 children 10 and 12 I'm reluctant just to fly and then find accomodation but if you say it's easy perhaps we will just take off next October, we want to see the cranes at the Hortobagy NP, is that easy?

In response to an earlier posting re contacting Gerard Gorman, I did and he referred me to a tour company in this country and I do not want to pay their prices.

janel said:

With 2 children 10 and 12 I'm reluctant just to fly and then find accomodation but if you say it's easy perhaps we will just take off next October, we want to see the cranes at the Hortobagy NP, is that easy?

In response to an earlier posting re contacting Gerard Gorman, I did and he referred me to a tour company in this country and I do not want to pay their prices.

Click to expand...

Hello,
I assume you are going in October half-term? In that case Cranes should be easily visible and fairly easy to find (up to c70000 birds at the end of October) and there is an information centre in the village of Hortobagy itself where they will tell you the best areas. They can also sort out your accomodation as well and if you want to hire a local guide (about£65 for a day when we were there) they can sort that out too. You will have to visit there to get your permits anyway, can't remember how much they cost but it was only a pound or two. We stayed in a hotel almost opposite the information centre (not the 'relatively' posh one) and it was fairly basic but the food was good. Don't worry about late nights as everywher shut just after 21:00!!!!!!
Have a look at these websites, if youv'e not seen them already, should give you some info/ideas
http://www.probirder.com/tours_autumn.html
http://www.hungarianbirdwatching.com/
and this site has a couple of phone numbers which might be useful http://www.llbean.com/parksearch/parks/html/1766llt.html#Outdoor
HTH

Nick