KENFIG NNR, RED KITE …...Woodpecker, Pied Flycatcher, Redstart, Raven, Buzzard, Goshawk, Hawfinch...

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KENFIG NNR, RED KITE FEEDING STATION, RSPB NEWPORT WETLANDS, FOREST OF DEAN & WWT SLIMBRIDGE FRIDAY 11 TH MARCH 2016 TO MONDAY 14 TH MARCH 2016 £399pp for 4 days 8 single + 4 double rooms available Trip Leader: Simon Ginnaw “Value for money bird watching trips for birders on a budget” www.bargainbirdingclub.com Itinerary at a glance Included in the price: Friday 11 th March 2016 Saturday 12 th March 2016 Sunday 13 th March 2016 Monday 14 th March 2016 En-suite room (Newport & Gloucester) a a a 3-course evening meal a a a Breakfast & picnic lunch a a a RSPB Nagshead (Forest of Dean) a Kenfig NNR (sand dunes & reedbeds) a Red Kite feeding station a RSPB Symonds Yat Peregrine Platform a RSPB Newport Wetlands a Slimbridge Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust a Guiding services a a a a

Transcript of KENFIG NNR, RED KITE …...Woodpecker, Pied Flycatcher, Redstart, Raven, Buzzard, Goshawk, Hawfinch...

Page 1: KENFIG NNR, RED KITE …...Woodpecker, Pied Flycatcher, Redstart, Raven, Buzzard, Goshawk, Hawfinch and Crossbill. There will also be time to visit the Lower Hide pond in search of

KENFIG NNR, RED KITE FEEDING STATION, RSPB NEWPORT WETLANDS,

FOREST OF DEAN & WWT SLIMBRIDGE

FRIDAY 11TH MARCH 2016 TO MONDAY 14TH MARCH 2016

£399pp for 4 days

8 single + 4 double rooms available Trip Leader: Simon Ginnaw

“Value for money bird watching trips for birders on a budget”

www.bargainbirdingclub.com

Itinerary at a glance

Included in the price: Friday 11th March 2016

Saturday 12th March 2016

Sunday 13th March 2016

Monday 14th March 2016

En-suite room (Newport & Gloucester) a a a

3-course evening meal a a a

Breakfast & picnic lunch a a a

RSPB Nagshead (Forest of Dean) a

Kenfig NNR (sand dunes & reedbeds) a

Red Kite feeding station a

RSPB Symonds Yat Peregrine Platform a

RSPB Newport Wetlands a

Slimbridge Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust a

Guiding services a a a a

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At ‘Bargain Birding Club’ we are constantly striving to bring you great value for money bird watching experiences. This self-drive trip is no exception and we will visit 6 reserves in 2 countries (England and Wales) in Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, taking in breath-taking views of the Forest of Dean, Wye Valley, Severn Estuary, Gower Peninsular and Brecon Beacons.

We will stay at two different hotels during this trip to minimise travelling. Our 1st night will be at the Holiday Inn Express at Newport (NP10 8BB), our 2nd and 3rd nights will be at the Holiday Inn Express Gloucester (GL2 2AB). Wherever possible we will drive in convoy and over the 4 days from our first reserve at Nagshead to our last reserve at Slimbridge the total distance is approximately 320 miles. All meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner), guide fees and entrance fees are included and we pride ourselves on never charging single guest penalty supplements. Please compare our prices below …

Bargain Birding in the Welsh Borders

Operator Trip date Duration Trip Itinerary £ per person

Bargain Birding Club

11-14 March 2016

4 days birding

RSPB Nagshead & Symonds Yat, Kenfig NNR, Newport Wetlands,

Red Kite feeding station, Slimbridge WWT

£399 (includes en-suite room, breakfast,

lunch and evening meal)

Naturetrek 4-6 March

2016 2 days birding

RSPB Nagshead & Symonds Yat (Trip reference GBR47)

£350 (excludes packed picnic lunch)

Friday 11th March 2016: RSPB Nagshead, Forest of Dean (GL15 4JA)

Our trip starts at 12 noon (please meet Simon Ginnaw in the car park) at RSPB Nagshead Reserve which is in the heart of the Forest of Dean. This is a great time of year to enjoy the early spring bird life in the extensive broadleaved woodland. The old 'Napoleonic' oaks date from the early 19th Century and were originally planted for ship timber.

Woodland birds are Simon’s speciality and he will lead a gentle paced meander around the Short Trail looking and listening for Bullfinch, Nuthatch, Treecreeper, Great-spotted Woodpecker, Pied Flycatcher, Redstart, Raven, Buzzard, Goshawk, Hawfinch and Crossbill. There will also be time to visit the Lower Hide pond in search of Mandarin, Kingfisher and, if we’re really lucky, possible sightings of Wild Boar.

At 4pm we’ll make a quick stop at Fountain Lodge (GL15 4JD) to see if Dipper is present in Oakwood Brook, then continue to Newport (34 miles / 45 mins) to our hotel (NP10 8BB).

A 3-course evening dinner will be served at The Dragonfly Vintage Inn next door to our hotel at 7.30pm. Forest of Dean

“Value for money bird watching trips for birders on a budget”

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Our first full day starts with a hot or continental breakfast at 7.30am. After checking out of the hotel we will depart at 8.15am to Kenfig NNR. A hotel prepared takeaway picnic lunch is included and will be available to collect at breakfast.

On arrival at Kenfig NNR at 9.30am, Simon will lead you on a gentle clockwise 3 mile circular walk around the reserve from the visitors centre to the beach and back.

This reserve is designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest and is one of the finest wildlife habitats in Wales on account of it having one of the last remnants of a huge dune system that once stretched along the coastline from the Ogmore River to the Gower Peninsular. Glamorgan's largest natural lake, Kenfig Pool, is set on the edge of this beautiful reserve with spectacular views across Swansea Bay to The Gower.

As we take in the sights and sounds of Kenfig NNR we hope to see Bittern, Bearded Tit, Short-eared Owl, Merlin, Peregrine, Hen Harrier, Gadwall, Shoveler, Tufted Duck, Pochard, Goldeneye, Ruddy Duck and Smew. There is an Information Centre and toilets next to the car park.

Further details can be found on the website: http://www.first-nature.com/waleswildlife/e-nnr-kenfig.php

Or by watching the short film by Natural Resources Wales: http://www.kenfig.org.uk/naturereserve.html#.VkmL53bhDIU

“Value for money bird watching trips for birders on a budget”

Saturday 12th March 2016: Kenfig National Nature Reserve (CF33 4PT)

Red Kite Feeding Station (SA19 9YG):

At 12 noon we will drive 39 miles (70 mins) to the Red Kite Feeding station at Llanddeusant in the Brecon Beacons.

Feeding time is at 2pm so we’ll have plenty of time to settle down in the observation / photography hide ready to witness the amazing spectacle of Red Kites, Buzzards and Ravens competing naturally for the meat provided 365 days a year by the feeding centre. Click on the link to watch a short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqV9TkU3vfo

At 4pm we’ll head to our hotel in Gloucester (GL2 2AB). Dinner will be at 7.30pm in the Bumble Bee Inn next door.

Kenfig NNR

Red Kite

Bargain Birding in the Welsh Borders

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After a hot or continental breakfast at 7.45am we’ll grab our hotel prepared picnic lunch and depart at 8.30am to the RSPB viewing platform at Symonds Yat Rock. It’s only a 25 mile (40 minute) journey from our hotel so we’ll quickly be enjoying fabulous views 120m (400 feet) above the picturesque Wye Valley which forms the border between Herefordshire and Gloucestershire. Our target birds here are Raven, Peregrine and Goshawk. At 11am we’ll take a short walk across the raised boardwalk to the café for a toilet, tea & cake stop, before setting off at 12noon to the RSPB Newport Wetlands Reserve. Drive time is 33 miles / 45 mins.

Sunday 13th March 2016: RSPB Symonds Yat Rock (GL16 7PW)

“Value for money bird watching trips for birders on a budget”

RSPB Newport Wetlands (NP18 2BZ)

Arriving around 1pm, we consume our picnic lunch in the new RSPB visitors centre before setting off on a leisurely 3.5mile (5km) afternoon ramble around the woodland, wetland and estuary trails in search of winter wildfowl, waders and thrushes, and early spring migrants. We’ll have time to re-visit the visitors centre, café, toilets and shop before making our way as dusk approaches at 6pm back to the reedbeds to witness the spectacle that is the shape shifting black clouds of 50,000 Starlings. If you’ve never seen a ‘starling murmuration’ it truly is one of the great wonders of nature. The sheer noise is deafening as the birds descend wave after wave from the sky like a black waterfall crashing into the reed bed. Predators such as Sparrowhawk wait in anticipation of supper and cause panic and pandemonium among the flock which splits and divides into smaller groups in an attempt to escape the claws of the hungry raptor. The spectacle is usually all over within an hour so around 7.30pm we’ll head back to our hotel (43 miles / 50 mins) for a late 9pm dinner at The Bumblee Bee Inn.

Starling murmuration

RSPB Newport Wetlands

View from Symonds Yat Rock

Bargain Birding in the Welsh Borders

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After a hot or continental breakfast at 8.30am we’ll check out of our hotel, grab our picnic lunch and depart at 9.15am to WWT Slimbridge. Drive time is 10 miles / 20 mins.

Slimbridge is both a wetland reserve and home to the largest captive collection of ducks, geese and swans. The wilder side of the reserve has 16 hides overlooking fields, streams and lakes bordering the River Severn. During our walk around ‘The Wildside’ we may get lucky and see Common Crane from Rushy Hide or Martin Smith Hide. A quick stop at the woodland feeders opposite Robbie Garnett hide should pull in all the usual tits and finches. Early migrants such as Sand Martin and Chiffchaff should be around and expect gulls, ducks and waders from the Holden Tower, Zeiss and Kingfisher hides. There’s even the opportunity for a free ‘canoe safari’ for those that feel the urge to take to the water.

After eating our picnic lunch we’ll wander through the impressive captive wildfowl collections which are home to over 2500 birds organised conveniently into ‘Continental Pools’.

In ‘South America’ we’ll marvel at Argentine Red Shoveler, Puna Teal and Chiloe Wigeon. In ‘North America’ we’ll feast our eyes on Hawaiian Goose, Carolina Wood Duck, Caribbean Flamingo, American Wigeon, Canvasback and Laysan Duck.

In the ‘Arctic Tundra’ we’ll drool over Ross’s Goose, Snow Goose and Red-breasted Goose. After warming up in the ‘Tropical House’ in search of African Pygmy Goose we’ll step outside into ‘Africa’ for Lesser Flamingo and Cape Shelduck.

Next stop will be ‘Australia’ on the trail of Black Swan, Magpie Goose and Plumed Whistling Duck. Last stop will be ‘Europe’ to enjoy close up views of more familiar species such as Smew, Eider, Goldeneye, White-headed Duck and Marbled Teal. We’ll have time to tune into an informative talk by the keepers of the resident otters Minnie, Ha-Ha and Flo, and climb the steps of Sloane Tower for a scenic 360 degree view of the whole reserve. This trip sadly comes to an end at 5pm and so after a visit to the gift shop, café and toilets, we’ll bid everyone a fond farewell and a safe journey home – until next time!

Monday 14th March 2016: WWT Slimbridge (GL2 7BT)

“Value for money bird watching trips for birders on a budget”

White-headed Duck

Otters

Common Crane

Puna Teal

Bargain Birding in the Welsh Borders

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RSPB Nagshead Reserve, Forest of Dean (GL15 4JA) http://www.rspb.org.uk/reserves/guide/n/nagshead

https://twitter.com/rspbnagshead

Kenfig NNR (CF33 4PT) http://www.first-nature.com/waleswildlife/e-nnr-kenfig.php

http://www.kenfig.org.uk/naturereserve.html#.VkmL53bhDIU

Red Kite Feeding Station at Llanddeusant (SA19 9YG) http://www.redkiteswales.co.uk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqV9TkU3vfo

RSPB Symonds Yat Rock, Forest of Dean (GL16 7PW) http://www.royalforestofdean.info/wye-valley/symonds-yat.shtml

RSPB Newport Wetlands (NP18 2BZ) http://www.rspb.org.uk/reserves/guide/n/newportwetlands

WWT Slimbridge (GL2 7BT) http://www.wwt.org.uk/wetland-centres/slimbridge

Holiday Inn Express hotels http://www.ihg.com/holidayinnexpress/hotels

Vintage Inn Restaurants (view and download a menu) http://www.vintageinn.co.uk/restaurants

A little more about your guide:

Your guide throughout this trip is Simon Ginnaw: Naturalist and Senior Ranger at Riverside Country Park.

Simon is a freelance wildlife tour guide who runs regular trips for ‘Bargain Birding Club’. He’s been birding for 20 years and sits on the Conservation & Surveys Committee for Kent Ornithological Society.

You can find further information about Simon and his tours and talks on his website: www.simonginnaw.com

“Value for money bird watching trips for birders on a budget”

Useful websites and videos to help you get the most from your trip

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Trip Itinerary Summary

To reserve your place on this trip please contact Richard Hanman at: Email: [email protected] Mobile: 07785 707 797

“Value for money bird watching trips for birders on a budget”

What IS included in our amazing ‘Bargain Birding Club’ price?

3 nights accommodation and all meals (excluding drinks) as described in the itinerary Services of a professional guide throughout the trip and entrance to all reserves Pre-trip information pack and a full colour post-trip report (PDF and hard copy) Public Liability Insurance

What is NOT included in our ‘Bargain Birding Club’ price?

Transport (suggest guests self-drive or car share as on all previous BBC trips in the UK) Personal effects (birding equipment, toiletries, medications, travel insurance, etc.)

Friday 11th March 2016 • 12 noon Arrive RSPB Nagshead (GL15 4JA). Guided walk with Simon Ginnaw. • 5.00pm Self-drive to the Holiday Inn Express hotel in Newport (NP10 8BB). • 7.30pm 3-course evening meal at ‘The Dragonfly’ Vintage Inn next door to the hotel.

Saturday 12th March 2016 • 7.30am Breakfast then check out at 8.15am for an 8.30am departure. Takeaway picnic lunch. • 9.30am Arrive at Kenfig NNR (CF33 4PT) for a 3-hour guided circular walk by Simon Ginnaw. • 12.00am Self-drive to the Red Kite feeding station at Llanddeusant (SA19 9YG). • 2.00pm Observe Red Kites from the observation / photography hide. • 4.00pm Self-drive to the Holiday Inn Express hotel at Gloucester (GL2 2AB). • 7.30pm 3-course evening meal at ‘The Bumblebee’ Vintage Inn next door to the hotel.

Sunday 13th March 2016 • 7.45am Breakfast then 8.30am departure to Symonds Yat (GL16 7PW). Takeaway picnic lunch. • 12.00am Self-drive to Newport Wetlands (NP18 2BZ) for lunch and guided walk with Simon. • 6.00pm Observe starling murmuration before heading back to the hotel (GL2 2AB). • 9.00pm 3-course evening meal at ‘The Bumblebee’ Vintage Inn next door to the hotel.

Monday 14th March 2016 • 8.15am Breakfast then check out at 9.00am for a 9.15am departure. Takeaway picnic lunch. • 9.30am Self-drive to WWT Slimbridge (GL2 7BT) for a full day guided by Simon. • 5.00pm End of this trip. Fond farewells and a safe journey home.

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“Value for money bird watching trips for birders on a budget”

www.bargainbirdingclub.com