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The weather was horrible - very wet and rather cold. Our trip leader, Brian, is a true expert on all things bird related and he made the day really worthwhile. We were very impressed with Brian's extensive knowledge and enthusiasm. His quiet good humour and encouragement meant that we had a lovely day despite the ghastly weather and were able to see 47 different species of wild bird, including a beautiful Short-Eared Owl which we enjoyed watching for several minutes until it was chased away by an attacking gull. It was good to be with a small party of like-minded people, seeing and learning so much about these amazing creatures. We look forward to our next Naturetrek trip.
C.L. Essex, Oct 20
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Benacre & Covehithe Broads and Blyth Estuary - Suffolk (Day Trip)
Tour Code: GBR175A lovely walk in Suffolk around the coastal hamlet of Covehithe. At nearby Blythburgh, best known for its church, Holy Trinity - the ‘Cathedral of the Marshes’, lies the large open expanse of the Blyth Estuary.
1 days
from
£50
£50
Highlights
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Summary
Formerly a small fishing village with a quay, Covehithe is now all but lost to the sea. A sign of its wealth is the shell of St Andrews Church, the starting point for our walk to Benacre Broad to the north, then Covehithe Broad to the south. In autumn both broads hold shallow water and are fringed with reeds that are especially attractive to migrant waders, including Greenshank, Dunlin, 100s of Lapwing and sometimes something rarer. Standing on the beach, with its scattered ‘tree skeletons’, flocks of pipits, buntings and finches head south and offshore a Fulmar is often patrolling. At Blythburgh, best known for its church, Holy Trinity, the ‘Cathedral of the Marshes’, the Blyth Estuary is a large open expanse often covered in shorebirds, especially Black-tailed Godwits, Redshank and Avocet. A walk here in the afternoon, with the sunlight turning everything to gold is truly memorable.
- Peaceful Suffolk coastal walk
- Benacre & Covehithe Broads
- ‘Shorebird Special’; up to 15 species including Avocet
Day Trip Location
Reviews
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This was a day looking at birds on the Suffolk coast. We saw many, including migrants flying in, and two birds I had not seen before, the short-eared owl and the hen harrier. We had an excellent group leader whose knowledge of birds was amazing.
C.J. Norfolk, Oct 20 -
[We] had a really enjoyable day out at Benacre and Covehithe on Tuesday with Brian Small. He is extremely knowledgeable and a charming fellow. Caring and thoughtful, and gave us a very pleasant day out in Suffolk. Even the rain held off until our journey home. We look forward to next Wednesday and our trip to Walberswick with Brian, and are keeping our fingers crossed for the weather. Thank you all at Naturetrek for organising these extra day trips. They are such a great idea, something to look forward to after such a grim year.
M.B. Essex
Dates & Prices
2025
Departures
Availability
Cost
Fri 10th Oct – Fri 10th Oct
3
£50
Land only cost:
The "Land Only" cost is the tour price you will pay if you choose to arrange your own flights/transport.
£50
Tour Leader:
Please note that, whilst we assign leaders to particular tours well in advance, we reserve the right to make changes if necessary
Brian Small
Tour Leader: Brian Small
Brian was a teacher for 12 years and lives in Suffolk with his wife. He has guided tours since 2000, leading over 100 tours to 30 countries, including Malaysia, Argentina, Brazil, Italy, Georgia and New Mexico. He has a special affinity with the birds and butterflies of Switzerland (walking on the glaciers with his dad from the age of 7) and Cape May on the New Jersey coast.
He is also a talented bird artist - examples of his work can be seen in the acclaimed Handbook of the Birds of the World (HBW), and the Helm Field Guide Birds of Madagascar and the Indian Ocean - and his current projects include work on two major new guides: the Birds of Southern Brazil and the Birds of Greater Southern Africa.
In his spare time at home, he concentrates on working his local patch at Southwold, Walberswick and the Blyth estuary on the Suffolk coast, searching especially for migrants and gulls.
Fri 7th Nov – Fri 7th Nov
SPACES
£50
Land only cost:
The "Land Only" cost is the tour price you will pay if you choose to arrange your own flights/transport.
£50
Tour Leader:
Please note that, whilst we assign leaders to particular tours well in advance, we reserve the right to make changes if necessary
Brian Small
Tour Leader: Brian Small
Brian was a teacher for 12 years and lives in Suffolk with his wife. He has guided tours since 2000, leading over 100 tours to 30 countries, including Malaysia, Argentina, Brazil, Italy, Georgia and New Mexico. He has a special affinity with the birds and butterflies of Switzerland (walking on the glaciers with his dad from the age of 7) and Cape May on the New Jersey coast.
He is also a talented bird artist - examples of his work can be seen in the acclaimed Handbook of the Birds of the World (HBW), and the Helm Field Guide Birds of Madagascar and the Indian Ocean - and his current projects include work on two major new guides: the Birds of Southern Brazil and the Birds of Greater Southern Africa.
In his spare time at home, he concentrates on working his local patch at Southwold, Walberswick and the Blyth estuary on the Suffolk coast, searching especially for migrants and gulls.
Prefer to Travel in a Private Group?
For any interested natural history club or society, we can arrange for a private departure of this tour.
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