Sandwich Bird Tours

Kent Birding Breaks ...

Guided Bird watching in Kent

Kent has long been known as one of the prime counties for bird watching. Its variety of habitats and close proximity to the continent ensures a long list of birds can be seen. With a bit of effort and some local knowledge it would not be unusual to find up to 100 species in a day.

Local areas of interest include the Nature Reserve at Stodmarsh where in winter many species of wildfowl, waders and specialities such as Bittern, Hen and Marsh Harrier, Kingfisher, Water Rail and many more species can be found.  Cettis' Warblers first established themselves here when they arrived from the continent in the 1970's and it is one of the best places in the country to see Bearded Tits. In spring and autumn the place is alive with warblers in particular Reed and Sedge Warblers and in spring Nightingales can be heard in the adjoining woodlands.

Other areas of interest are Sandwich Bay with its Bird Observatory where often bird ringing can be observed and migrant species can be found. One of their specialities is the nationally declining Corn Bunting. There are two scrapes where in autumn waders can be seen at very close range enabling one to compare species and study identification features with ease. The area is also very special for orchids in late spring and summer and the nationally rare Lizard Orchid can be found in huge numbers. Pegwell Bay is a nationally important stop-over point for migrating shorebirds and other waterfowl and at the right state of the tide huge numbers of many species may be seen.

A little further afield are areas such as Dungeness which is an internationally famous gravel peninsula where the large RSPB reserve holds spectacular numbers of terns, gulls, waders and migrants of all sorts. This is a great place for seawatching also.  Elmley RSPB reserve is also within striking distance from the east coast and here Avocets breed and many shorebirds can be seen all year round and birds of prey include Hen and Marsh Harrier, Buzzard, Peregrine, Merlin and often in winter Rough-legged Buzzard. Another spot on the other side of the river is Oare where waders are the speciality and again here they can be seen at close range.

These are just a few of the spectacular areas one can visit while based in East Kent.

Should you have some spare time while visiting East Kent and you would like to do some  bird watching accompanied by a local expert, then  contact us at Sandwich Bird Tours. We are a small company based in the village of Worth between Sandwich and Deal and specialise in guided bird tours at home and abroad.

We are able to arrange anything from just a few hours to a full week's bird watching tour. We will design a tailor-made itinerary to suit your requirements. We will help you find the birds you wish to see at a price you can afford.

Details and an example itinerary of a complete fully inclusive three day bird watching break based at St Crispin Inn, Worth can be found below.

We can lend you quality binoculars should you require them and we carry a top quality telescope at all times. Just let us know at the time of your inquiry shouild you require binoculars. We look forward to hearing from you.

St Crispin Birdwatching Break

Sandwich Bird Tours and the St Crispin Inn would like to invite you for a three day bird watching break in Kent. The emphasis is to provide a break based very much on the personal touch and staying at a unique country pub. The hostelry is situated in the pretty little village of Worth just one and a half miles from the historic town of Sandwich and three miles north of the bustling town of Deal. It serves the finest of wines and an extensive range of traditional beers and continental lagers alongside tasty home cooked food for all the family.

Its single, double and family rooms are clean and comfortable and can be viewed on the pub website at www.stcrispininn.com.

Bird watching breaks are provided over a three day period both during the week and at weekends and can be tailored to suit your requirements. The number of days is flexible also. Bird watching can be combined with site seeing such as Canterbury cathedral, Dover castle etc. You contact us and we will design the itinerary to suit your needs.

A typical itinerary could be:-

Day 1

Arrive lunchtime

Check into your rooms. Have a light lunch after which we could visit Pegwell Bay (depending on tide times) for shorebirds, ducks and other waterfowl. Little Egrets are  virtually always present and birds of prey such as Peregrine, Marsh Harrier, Sparrowhawk, Hobby (in summer) are regular.

Day 2

Early breakfast after which we will visit Stodmarsh and Grove Ferry. Depending on time of year we will look for Marsh Harriers, Bittern (winter), Bearded Tits, a speciality of this site, an assortment of warblers, nightingale (spring and summer) as well as shorebirds and wildfowl. Many unusual and sometimes rare birds turn up here.

After a picnic lunch we can visit one of the local woods or check out Thanet for Purple Sandpipers (in winter) and other waterfowl or drive to Oare for shorebirds.

Day 3

After breakfast we can visit Sandwich Bay and may be able to see some ringing. Being a site of migration, birds seen will depend very much on the time of year. We can visit their wader scrapes, check the bushes for migrant warblers, chats etc.

There are many sites for orchids in East Kent which we could visit if your visit coincides with their flowering.

We will return to the St Crispin for a light lunch before departure.

The above is just an example itinerary. Every break is likely to be different depending upon your requirements, weather, time of year and local conditions such as tides etc. The objective is to have a fun-filled and relaxing bird watching break.

Other possible sites we can visit are Dungeness, Elmley on the Isle of Sheppey and the rest of the North Kent Marshes.

All breakfasts and lunches are included in this break  but evening meals are not. This allows you to make your choice of venue for dinner.

All transport is provided.

Bookings are subject to availability of accommodation and guide and can be made through Sandwich Bird Tours at john@sandwichbirdtours.co.uk  Should you prefer another type of accommodation then we can arrange that for you also. Check out Orchard Barn at www.orchardbarn-worth.co.uk

SOME COMMENTS FROM MAGGIE AFTER A DAYS BIRDING IN KENT

I really felt privileged to benefit from your ears and eyes and knowledge about the world of birds around us. I would have been otherwise almost completely oblivious of them. You were patient, encouraging and very relaxed- ideal for a novice! And I learnt so much, in what seemed such a short space of time. For example, the seasonal variations in song and plumage, and I love thinking about the Lesser Whitethroat heading off to Lebanon by night with a little fuel tank in his breast.

Maggie

AND GARY SAID

Thanks for the list I cant believe we actually saw that many different birds, I could only remember about 50 of them when I got back home.

As you promised it was an excellent day, and as a beginner to birding it proved to be an ideal way of learning not only what to look and listen for but also how to go about it. I am now totally enthused and looking forward to my next day out, but it probably will not be as long as our venture on Saturday.

 John van der Dol