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This was a full day on the coast and in the reed beds, the woodland and the heath viewing fauna and flora. The focus was on birds. The tour guide was incredibly knowledgeable about the various species we saw and heard (70+ species identified). The day was enjoyable, interesting and as a novice bird watcher I learned so much. I couldn’t believe how quickly our guide was able to set up his scope so that we could all view the different birds. I was particularly pleased to see a Whimbrel, Dartford Warblers and Stone Curlews. We walked a good 6 miles over the course of the day so I was glad to have my walking boots on.
G.D. Essex, Aug 23
Tour Itinerary and Reports
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Dunwich & Westleton Heath - Suffolk (Day Trip)
Tour Code: GBR173A day exploring the varied habitat and birdlife of the old Suffolk port of Dunwich.
1 days
from
£50 (land only)
£50 (land only)
Highlights
Tour Itinerary and Reports
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Summary
A day with one of our expert local guides exploring the varied habitat and birdlife of the old Suffolk port of Dunwich and heath at Westleton. The beach, shore pools, reedbeds and woodlands are home to shorebirds, wildfowl and herons; the heath and forest has numerous localised species, including Stonechats, Dartford Warbler and Woodlark. We will keep the itinerary fairly flexible to ensure the best use of the weather and recent sightings; the walk will be over easy ground (but sometimes muddy, so bring wellies just in case). Covering up to 6 miles over the course of the day, we take our time to explore the area thoroughly, enjoying all the species we find. The car parks are both free and there are free toilet facilities at Dunwich car park. We operate this Day Trip throughout the year, so please click on our 'detailed information' below to discover the seasonal highlights.
- The lovely village of Dunwich on the Suffolk coast
- A walk along the beach and through Dunwich Forest
- Birds of Westleton Heath include Dartford Warbler and Woodlark
Spring
From the beach car park at Dunwich we head north along the beach with views of the sea, shore and pools for waders such as Snipe and Redshank, whilst in Sole Bay are chances of Gannet, Scoter and Red-throated Diver. The first Wheatears may join the local Skylarks on the cropped grass and Stonechats will be feeding young. The patches of reedbed host Bearded Tit, Marsh Harrier, Sedge Warblers, with a good chance of both Little and Great Egret. In the afternoon we head onto Westleton Heath for a walk amongst the heather and gorse for Dartford Warbler, Stonechat and Woodlark, all of which should be in song. Nightingales arrive in mid April and can then be heard in song.
Summer
Incredibly, autumn begins in July for shorebirds and on the shore pools we could well pick up the first returning Spotted Redshanks or Green and Wood Sandpipers. Marsh Harriers quarter the fields which are also home to plentiful Bearded Tits, Sedge and Reed Warblers; Lapwing and Redshank breed in the cut areas. On the heath a small number of Turtle Dove are sometimes present, while Stonechats and Dartford Warblers will have bred. Hobbies chase the numerous dragonflies, among them Four-spotted Chaser, Norfolk, Southern and Brown Hawkers and the heath here is well known for its Silver-studded Blues.
Autumn
As autumn draws in, the Suffolk coast is a haven for passage migrants as they head south. Wheatears and Whinchats dot the areas north of the village, and swallows, finches, buntings and pipits move south. Commoner shorebirds include Ruff, Curlew, Little Stint and Common Sandpipers and there is always the chance of something more exciting. There can be a mix of ‘fresh-in’ winter wildfowl such as Wigeon and late-staying Hobbies quartering the marshes.
Winter
In winter, good numbers of Shoveler, Teal and Wigeon gather on the coastal lagoons, alongside Black-tailed Godwits, Curlew and good numbers of Lapwing. Rock Pipits and Skylarks can be especially numerous along the beach joined by the local wintering flocks of Snow Bunting and Twite. Marsh Harriers can be seen alongside Hen Harrier and the local Peregrine may be accompanied by a Merlin or Short-eared Owl. On the sea the local Scoter flock reaches its largest and may hold Velvet Scoter. On a crisp winter’s day there are few better places to be.
Day Trip Location
Reviews
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Brian Small, our guide, was superb: knowledgeable, articulate, affable, patient and, most importantly, brilliant at spotting invisible birds for us all then to see.
A.C. Mar 22 -
We thoroughly enjoyed the company of Brian Small, he is an excellent guide. We've never visited the area before and appreciate the work he put in to make the best of our day, despite the inclement weather. His knowledge of the patch was superb and his ears and eyes were honed perfectly. Add to this some fascinating anecdotes and great sense of humour and it adds up to a most enjoyable day out in weather when most people would have stayed indoors!
M.C. Buckinghamshire, May 21 -
We met at 9am at Dunwich beach to begin an incredible day with Brian Small, our birding guide. He clearly knew his local area in great detail and was able to guide us from village to forest then to the pools, scrapes and the sea. In the afternoon, we moved to Westleton Heath for some really special birds although a few kept their heads down in the cold wind. In total, the group saw 94 species of bird in a day which, to birders, is like winning quite big on the lottery. I saw over 90 myself which was due to Brian's quick moves to point them out to us before they flew out of sight. A wonderful day out in a very special part of Suffolk. [Naturetrek] are always up for making their clients' experiences really special. They have responded to the covid restrictions, and especially the Rule of Six, by providing day trips within the UK with expert guides who would normally be leading abroad. Booking is easy and efficient.
J.H. Hertfordshire, Apr 21
Dates & Prices
2024
Departures
Availability
Cost
Fri 3rd May – Fri 3rd May
5
£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
David Walsh
Tour Leader: David Walsh
David has been a keen birdwatcher since his primary school days and still has his notebooks from the early 1970s to prove it! He ran bird clubs at his schools and is very proud of the fact that several of the boys who he inspired as 11-year-olds are now working in full-time conservation; he continues to encourage young birdwatchers whenever possible. David retired from full-time teaching in 2015 but continues to do part-time maths tutoring. In his spare time he enjoys singing in various local choirs.
In 2008 he used a sabbatical to spend three months in Southeast Asia, which included a successful quest to find the endangered White-eared Night Heron in Vietnam. At home in Suffolk, he puts his love of bird songs and calls to good use, running surveys to monitor breeding birds in the spring and searching out migrant passerines in the autumn. He also co-ordinates the submission of Suffolk’s records to the national Rare Breeding Birds Panel, knowing the birding sites in the county very well indeed having lived in Suffolk since 1992.
David has guided over 90 overseas tours since his first to La Brenne in 1986. In the last 10 years he has focused on Europe, North Africa, Asia and South America and has enjoyed developing his interest in butterflies and dragonflies as well as birds. David’s boundless energy and enthusiasm, coupled with a determination to ensure that everyone in the group sees the birds, has understandably made him popular with clients! He is delighted to be joining the Naturetrek team in 2023.
Fri 28th Jun – Fri 28th Jun
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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