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East Sussex - Bird Migration Special
Tour Code: GBR231A 5-day holiday to East Sussex in search of the many migrants which stop off on their way to southern Europe and Africa. From famous headlands to the vast Rye Bay, we will be sure to cover as many habitats as possible.
£1,145
Highlights
Tour Itinerary and Reports
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Summary
Join a 'bird migration' enthusiast as they guide you around the migration watchpoints in East Sussex during the most exciting period of the birding calendar. Based in East Dean, we have the perfect gateway to one of the south coast's prime migration hotspots at Beachy Head! Here, we can hope to come across a variety of warblers, chats and flycatchers, which will be stopping off to feed before crossing the English Channel. Of course, the time of year can enable us to see, or perhaps find, a scarcity or two, and September is ideal for species such as Wryneck, Red-backed Shrike or Ortolan Bunting to appear. Whinchats, Wheatears, Spotted Flycatchers, Blackcaps, Chiffchaffs, Tree Pipits and large gatherings of House Martin and Swallow are usually present on the headland, while Peregrine and Raven are daily occurrences. If the weather is unfavourable, we will undertake a seawatch to see Gannets, Fulmars, and maybe, Sooty Shearwaters.
Close by, we will also visit Cuckmere Haven, as well as walking Seaford Head and taking in the world-famous view of the Seven Sisters. We will also visit Rye Harbour LNR; many waders, ducks and smaller passerines gather here and we will enjoy one of our days out in the east of the county to observe a different variety of birds and habitats.
- Enjoy a variety of migrating birds on Beachy Head
- Passage waders at Rye Harbour
- Raptor migration could produce a Honey-buzzard or Osprey
- Visit famous landmarks of Beachy Head and Cuckmere Haven
- Led by an expert and local birdwatcher
Outline Itinerary
Dates & Prices
2025
Tour Leader: Jonathan Mycock
Jonathan is a professional conservationist with over 30 years' experience in nature conservation and environmental management. Much of this has been working in protected areas, including the Shropshire Hills & Sussex Downs AONBs and the Peak District, New Forest and South Downs National Parks. He gained a BSc Hons in Applied Biology from Liverpool John Moore's University, and a Post-Graduate Diploma in Countryside Management from Manchester Metropolitan University, during the 1980s. His last position was Environmental Project Manager with the Environment Agency in Worthing, from which he retired in October 2023.
Jonathan has been a keen naturalist from a very young age. He honed his birding skills on the moors, dales and reservoirs of the Peak District during his teenage years, together with regular stays at Spurn Bird Observatory. During this period Jonathan gained a detailed knowledge of the songs and calls of British birds which has stood him in good stead when undertaking bird surveys and leading guided walks.
Jonathan has travelled extensively in Europe, Turkey, North Africa and the Middle East, The Gambia, India, Nepal, Thailand, Malaysia, California, Costa Rica and Ecuador in search of birds and other wildlife. Since retiring he spent 3 weeks birding in Madagascar and a week in Taiwan, together with 2 weeks in the Canaries (El Hierro and Lanzarote).
Jonathan has led tours for Naturetrek in the Dordogne, France; the Sorrento Peninsula, Italy; Sicily; the Carpathian Mountains and Danube Delta in Romania; and Finland and Arctic Norway. He has also led various UK tours, including in Hampshire, Dorset, Somerset and the Forest of Dean, as well as local day trips to Pagham Harbour and the Sussex Downs and Heaths. In his ‘spare time’, Jonathan is a voluntary warden at RSPB Pulborough Brooks and undertakes local surveys for the BTO and Sussex Ornithological Society.
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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