Where to Watch Birds in Britain - Everthing you need

Local Places

Apart from our own gardens, there are numerous public places and areas of open access where birds can be observed and the 'right to roam' gives us access to most land using public paths and bridleways clearly marked on Ordnance Survey maps. Any park, heath, wood, open heath land, moor land, or countryside that is accessible to you is a place to watch birds. Try to find a regular 'patch' that you go to and observe and record the different birds that frequent it throughout the year. Your local Authority website will probably have a list of parks or nature trails that you can use and they usually provide maps to help you. The web link takes you to interactive Ordnance Survey Maps.

Fresh Water Places

Like humans, birds need water to survive - for drinking and bathing. Not surprisingly then birds are attracted to places where there is a ready supply of clean water. Streams, rivers, ponds, marshes and reservoirs are likely places to find birds, especially if there is good habitat around them that also provides food and shelter. These are the places to find waterfowl like ducks and geese. Look on your local map and you will find rivers and reservoirs well marked.

Canals

The industrial revolution in Britain left us with a wide network of canals and waterways that used be used for transporting goods and services between cities but are now used for recreational purposes. They make great bird watching venues and provide easy access for the disabled. British Waterways is the organisation responsible for maintaining 2,200 miles (3,540km) of this inland waterway network today, so that people can use it for a wide range of leisure activities. The web link takes you to their recreational site, Canal Walks.

Sea Water Places

Being a group of islands means that we are never far from the coast in Britain. The thousands of miles of coastline provides ideal vantage points to see seabirds nesting on the cliffs or in saltwater marshes. You will see a wide variety of gulls, terns and other seabirds. In spring and summer it is often possible to see huge flocks of passing migrant birds as they travel north for the summer or south for the winter. Mudflats and tidal estuaries are good places to spot wading birds feeding on the edge of the tide. The National Trust cares for over 700 miles of coastline in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, nearly 10 per cent of the total mileage. The web link tells you more. National Trust Coast.

Nature Reserves

There are many nature reserves around Britain. Some run by local authorities, some by local voluntary groups and others by national organisations. The Wildlife Trusts, for example, protect wildlife for the future by managing in excess of 2,500 nature reserves, ranging from woodlands and peat bogs, to heath lands, coastal habitats and wild flower meadows. There are 47 local Wildlife Trusts throughout the British Isles who are part of The Wildlife Trusts partnership. Many of them produce a guide to local nature reserves. Wildlife Trusts Reserves

National Trust Locations

The National Trust works to preserve and protect the coastline, countryside and buildings of England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Over 90,000 hectares (223,000 acres) of Trust land is already 'always open' in England and over 17,500 hectares (43,000 acres) in Wales. They produce a comprehensive handbook for members showing all of their sites and this website link takes you to a list of where their 'open access' land is situated. National Trust Land

RSPB Reserves

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds has over 150 reserves to visit throughout the UK. They provide excellent opportunity to watch birds and other wildlife in some of the most beautiful parts of the country. The website link takes you to their list of locations. RSPB Reserves.

WWT Reserves

The Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT) is the UK's only specialist wetland conservation charity with a national network of wetland visitor centres. In total, over 4,000 acres are managed by WWT, including seven Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI's), five Special Protection Areas (SPAs) and six Ramsar sites. The link takes you to a list of them. WWT Reserves.

National Parks

We are very fortunate that our 14 National Parks are home to some of the most spectacular and valued landscapes in Britain. They are great places to get away from it all and go bird watching in the wild. The link takes you there. National Parks Land.