Spring Birding Bonanza Tour - 4 Days

Arrive Walls Farm mid-afternoon settle in to your comfortable cottage accommodation. After a cup of tea you will be free to do a spot of birding around the large garden, pond and orchard at Walls Farm or use the heated indoor swimming pool adjacent to your accommodation. Welcome dinner with canapes and wine prepared by Kay and served in Walls Farm. Stephen will join us for supper and to brief us about our planned birdwatching excursions.

Breakfast in your cottage – cereal, muesli, yoghurts, bread, with home-made preserves will be provided in your accommodation for you to prepare. There will be the option of a Dawn Chorus walk (not compulsory) with an early departure of no later than 0700 to ensure the best morning birding. RSPB Ham Wall will be heaving with birds. Hawking Hobbies will be chasing dragonflies, Egrets will have started nesting, and if we get lucky we may see displaying Great Crested Grebe. Drop into the Avalon Centre for coffee and bacon butties. A walk round Stephen and Graeme's 'Patch' on the Levels offers a real personal touch, where every tree, every bush, and every stretch of reed-bed has a story to tell. Who knows, the 'Bird in Question' might be singing. A light pub lunch will be included as part of the afternoon’s birdwatching plans. Possible afternoon visits include RSPB Greylake, West Sedgemoor and Aller Moor. We will return to Walls Farm early in the evening in time to relax and debrief the bird sightings we have seen. The evening will be free to either self-cater in the cottage or to go to a local pub/restaurant. Transport to and from local hostelries can be arranged at agreed times.

Breakfast is again in your cottage – fresh eggs, bread, muesli, yoghurts home-made preserves all provided. Birdwatching all day including a visit to a 14th Century church yard home to a large heronry and nesting egrets whose gargling call must be one of the strangest calls in nature. We will continue to Steart Marshes overlooking Bridgwater Bay where we will expect to see many wading birds including avocet, redshank and egrets. Later will pop to the coast at Wall Common for curlews and other wading birds along with any spring migrants passing through. A light pub lunch is included. Afternoon woodland and heathland walk in the beautiful Quantock Hills offering a wider range of birdlife. Return to Walls Farm by about 5.00pm in time to relax and discuss the bird sightings we have seen. Dinner with canapes and drinks will be served in Walls Farm with your hosts Stephen, Graeme and Kay Mitchell.

Breakfast is in your cottage – fresh eggs, bread muesli, yoghurts, home-made preserves all provided. Morning birdwatching to reservoir and riverside habitats, for kingfisher, grey wagtail and possible dipper sightings returning to Walls Farm by 12.30 when it will be time to depart and head for home. (lunch not included)