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Here you can enjoy a newly created wetland, which provides a safe home for many rare species including water voles and otters. In spring the reedbeds are alive with birdsong and in autumn you can see kingfishers flashing up and down the ditches. Bitterns are seen regularly all year round. More... |
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This small island in the River Ore is famous for its breeding avocets and terns, which can be seen throughout the spring and summer. Access is by boat only and the trip to the island helps you really feel you're getting away from it all. More... |
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If you want to see a golden eagle but can't get to the Highlands of Scotland, you could try Haweswater where a male displays in the hope of attracting a mate. More... |
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In cold winters, as many as 18,000 birds have been seen here, because this most south westerly estuary in the UK never freezes. During spring and autumn, it is an ideal place to see migrant wading birds, gulls and terns. More... |
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This new saltmarsh reserve is a great place to admire the gathered pink-footed geese, wigeons, teals and other wildfowl in winter, along with big flocks of golden plovers, lapwings and black-tailed godwits. In spring the marshes are alive with the sight and sound of displaying waders, including avocets and lapwings. But as recently as 2006, the land was used for growing crops. More... |
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This is a lovely remnant of ancient woodland, with a 2 km nature trail passing amongst a variety of trees. Visit in spring to hear a symphony of birdsong, especially the nightingales which breed here, and to see bluebells and primroses in beautiful bloom. More... |
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This reserve is a magical mixture of land and sea, from sea cliffs to saltmarsh, from moorland to sandflats. Stroll through the moorland and you may well see hen harriers, short-eared owls and red-throated divers, all of which nest on Orkney's moorland. More... |
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The great crested grebe was hunted almost to extinction in the UK for its ornate head plumes. At Hodbarrow in the spring you can see their amazing courtship dance. You can also watch three species of tern in astonishing close-up. More... |
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Horse Island is a small, low-lying exposed island lying off the Ayrshire coast opposite Ardrossan. The bird colonies on the island are nationally important, in particular the large numbers of eiders, cormorants and lesser black-backed gulls. More... |
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This mixture of moorland and cliff tops may be exposed to the elements, so you really do need to wrap up warm, but a visit is very rewarding. You'll see the famous Old Man of Hoy rock stack that has inspired generations of climbers, not to mention the nesting seabirds that have been known to dive-bomb them too! More... |
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