Print pageSeasonal highlights
Each season brings a different experience at our nature reserves. In spring, the air is filled with birdsong as they compete to establish territories and attract a mate. In summer, look out for young birds making their first venture into the outside world. Autumn brings large movements of migrating birds - some heading south to a warmer climate, others seeking refuge in the UK from the cold Arctic winter. In winter, look out for large flocks of birds gathering to feed, or flying at dusk to form large roosts to keep warm.
Spring
Look for marsh harriers 'sky-dancing' above the reedbed. Listen for booming bitterns and pinging bearded tits. Redshanks and lapwings nest on the grazing marshes and avocets on the shore pools. Little terns and ringed plovers often nest on the shingle from mid-May. Listen for warblers and woodlarks in the forest.
Summer
Marsh harriers and bitterns may be doing feeding flights to feed nestlings. Look for migrant wading birds in the shore pools, including spotted redshanks, greenshanks, ruffs and curlew sandpipers. Take care not to disturb nesting little terns, ringed plovers and skylarks on the shingle. Look for shingle flowers, including sea kale and yellow horned-poppy. Excellent for butterflies, including grayling on sandy tracks, white admirals in the forest, and check for white-letter hairstreaks in taller elms. Lots of dragonflies.
Autumn
An excellent spot for migrant wading birds, including greenshanks, curlew sandpipers and grey plovers. Large flocks of wigeons, teals and other ducks return for the winter. Little egrets should be easy to find. Wheatears, whinchats and other migrants may be on the shingle beach. Check offshore for passing flocks of brent geese, red-throated divers and gannets. Look for rutting red deer in the nearby forest. Large flocks of starlings often roost in the Westwood Marshes reedbed.
Winter
A wide variety of ducks and wading birds use the marshes in winter. Flocks of linnets, twites and sometimes snow buntings visit the saltmarsh and tidal pools in search of seeds. Look offshore for red-thraoted divers and great crested grebes on the sea. A dusk visit should produce marsh harriers and hen harriers heading to roost in the reedbed, and there are usually up to 60,000 starlings roosting.