Cley Windmill
Located on the North Norfolk Coast, this has been a sort of
spiritual centre for birdwatchers. It was probably our first bird
reserve when it was founded in 1926, being originally a shooting
marsh and then turned into a bird reserve after it was purchased.
It is worth visiting at any time of year, but spring and autumn
are the two main times to visit.
It has recently had its hides rebuilt and now boasts, I think,
some of the best hides in the country. There is now very good
wheelchair access to some of the hides thereby allowing everyone
to enjoy the magic of Cley.
Celebrating its fiftieth year in 1997 this is the RSPB's premier
reserve, comprising a diverse range of habitats, it is a joy to
visit at any time. There are several nature trails to follow around
the reserve and during the spring / breeding season, it bulges
with birds. It is one of the best sites in the country to see
one of our rarest breeding birds the enigmatic Bittern.
The new Visitor Centre is superb with an excellent shop and Tea
Room, which serves mouth watering food for lunch and tea.
It is worth joining the RSPB just for this reserve alone!
Situated west of Cley this reserve has gone from strength to strength and is now, I believe, the top visited reserve in the country. Another RSPB site that shows off their reserve management skills to there best. As with the previous sites this one is also worth visiting at any time of year. A good sight for sea watching, two Surf Scoters turned up here in 1997, and it currently has a resident Black-Winged Stilt.
One of the last strong holds of our Bittern, which is sadly declining as a breeding bird in this country. A superb reserve with extensive reed beds which host along with the Bittern, Bearded Tit and Marsh Harrier, the site can be good for waders. Winter is often a good time to glimpse the shy Bittern and to see the winter wildfowl.
Dungeness
Another RSPB site which is situated on a shingle bank and comprises several lagoons with islands and areas of vegetation. It has a Visitor centre which also looks over one of the lagoons. Then there are numerous hides overlooking the other areas of water and a circular walk around the reserve takes you to them in turn. Nearby is the Dungeness Nuclear Power Station and just off shore is an area called "The Patch" which is where the hot water outflow from the station enters the sea. This attracts the gulls and terns and at migration time it is always worth checking in case something a little unusual has turned up. Nearby the power station is the the Dungeness Bird Observatory which again is well worth a look at the right time of year. The whole area is superb for birds and during migration time it is worth spending some time checking those bushes!
Snettisham
Again another RSPB reserve, this one is for birds on the Grand scale, which is located on the coast of The Wash which is a huge estuary. High tide is the key to visiting this site and to seeing one of natures spectacles! Spring tides are best as they are the highest and you should aim to arrive while the tide is still rising. It is fair old walk from the car park to the reserve proper across shingle so make allowances for this. During the winter keep an eye out for Snow Buntings which explode into the air like small bits of paper caught in the wind while walking along the shingle.
As the tide rises thousands upon thousands of waders will be pushed up towards the shore congregating on mass, the air above you can fill with waders looking for somewhere to roost. The lagoons which several hides look over will fill up with these waders as they lseek refuge at the top of the tide. A truly fantastic spectacle well worth the walk.
Stockgrove Country Park
This is a superb woodland site just off the A5 in Bedfordshire where you can find quite a variety of our woodland birds. It has a small lake which often boasts up to 60 Mandarin Ducks during the winter. I think it is a little gem of a place to go birding and has some wonderful walks.