Had a wonderful day. Walks were lovely. Great leader whose knowledge and experience meant we saw an amazing range of birds and not just the 2 new species I'd hoped to see - Hawfinch and Crossbill, but a whole host of favourites including 2 species of woodpeckers, dipper, brambling, siskin and even a Little Egret. Trip was well organised and hassle free. Will be doing more of these day trips. Trip was straightforward to book and good value. Joining instructions were clear. On the day everything went smoothly.
P.R. Gloucestershire, Dec 21
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The Forest of Dean (Day Trip)
Tour Code: GBR82Visit England's second largest expanse of ancient woodland in search of a special array of species including Hawfinch, Redpoll, Siskin and Brambling.
£50 (land only)
Highlights
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Summary
Join Naturetrek Operations Manager and naturalist Tom Mabbett or leaders Marcus John, Dan Watson or Oliver Smart for a day out in the Forest of Dean. This forest is England’s second largest expanse of ancient woodland, and home to some very special woodland species, whichever time of year you visit.
During the winter months, the forest comes alive with finches and foraging woodland birds. Flocks of Hawfinch can be reliably found, plus Lesser Redpolls, Siskins, Bramblings and Crossbills. It is also an excellent time to see Mandarin Duck and Goosander on the lakes, while Dipper may be seen the year round. During the winter it is often the sheer number of woodland birds that delights with Blue, Great, Coal and Marsh Tits, Nuthatches, Chaffinches and Siskins all possible. Out on the open glades we will keep our eyes to the sky for Goshawks over the forest and most winters at least one Great Grey Shrike winters here, and we will try to find this special bird!
Coming to the spring and summer, species will be returning from Africa to breed here. Highlights of the day may include Pied Flycatcher, Wood Warbler, Redstart, Spotted Flycatcher and, more recently, Firecrest has colonised. Hawfinches and Goshawks breed here and are possible to see throughout the year but are more difficult in the spring and summer. Nightjars are also to be found on the open glades (mid-May through July) and for those who wish to stay for the evening to listen for 'churring' and see them displaying, Tom, Dan, Oliver or Marcus will be more than happy to advise exactly where to go, with Woodcock also possible.
Whichever time of year we visit, we will keep our eyes peeled throughout the day for Wild Boar and Fallow Deer which are also likely. The area is superb for dragonflies and butterflies too. We expect to walk around 6 miles during the course of the day, at a very leisurely pace and over easy terrain. There will be some very short drives between sites.
- Flocks of Hawfinch possible in the winter months as well as Redpoll, Siskin and Brambling
- Great Grey Shrike often winters here and will be searched for
- Wild Boar possible throughout the year
Day Trip Location
Reviews
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A days birding trip with excellent views of many winter birds, which exceeded our expectations. New locations we had not previously found by ourselves. Natutretrek as usual provided an excellent informative guide providing all the knowledge and background we needed.
D.P. Avon, Dec 21 -
A great day in the Forest of Dean. Dan was very knowledgeable & great at getting elusive birds in his scope & ensuring that everyone who wanted one got a good view. A good variety of locations during the day. Crossbills, Siskin & Hawfinches were particular highlights.
C.P. Somerset, Dec 21 -
We thoroughly enjoyed walking around the Forest of Dean, with our excellent, very knowledgeable and friendly guide. We were shown birds, mammals, amphibians and insects. The other walkers were also interesting and we all had a wonderful day. Excellent organisation, very efficient and prompt in replying to queries etc. I couldn’t fault them.
H.C. Gloucestershire, May 21 -
Exploring the birds and wildlife of the Forest of Dean. Led by Tom of Naturetrek who was very professional and enthusiastic. Great at recognising birdsong, he helped all the tour guests to experience and view many species of birds and mammals they would normally find very difficult to spot. Lovely chap, a credit and first class ambassador for Naturetrek.
K.S. Wiltshire, May 21 -
Guided day trip to the Forest of Dean. The guide was friendly, knowledgeable and entertaining. We learned a lot about the local wildlife and had a good walk. Pace was just right. Excellent customer service in all dealings with the company.
L.W. Gloucestershire, May 21 -
Visited parts of the Forest we had never explored before on our one day trip with Tom. Great Grey Shrike to Marsh Tit, we had a very enjoyable birding experience. Lovely time in the heart of the Forest. Thank you.
D.I. Somerset, Dec 20 -
A day, mostly birding in different locations in the Forest of Dean. The Guide was friendly, knowledgeable and had excellent bird “spotting” skills. The pace was relaxed and we were a group of six including our Guide. I really enjoy the Naturetrek day trips and have done several. First class trips.
T.S. Avon, Dec 20
Dates & Prices
2024
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We are delighted to offer a series of Naturetrek Day Trips which visit a wonderful selection of reserves and habitats across the UK, each guided by one of our expert naturalist tour leaders, many of whom are leading our Day Trips on their own ‘local patch’! Meeting at around 9am, and exploring largely on foot until around 5pm (though note that specific Day Trip timings do vary slightly by location and season), these trips are designed to spend a full day out in the fresh air, in search of a wide range of special British wildlife.
Whether you would like to explore a new area in the company of a local, expert naturalist tour leader, try a guided wildlife day out for the very first time, or perhaps you simply wish to spend the day learning more about your own local wildlife, you will find yourself most welcome on one of our Naturetrek Day Trips. We also offer days out specifically aimed at beginner birders and amateur wildlife photographers, and some trips even extend after sunset to allow us to take you on a guided tour of the night skies above. Whatever the trip focus – be it birds, botany, fungi, photography, butterflies, dragonflies, geology or a mix of just about everything – your leader will take you to the very best places to search for wildlife, and will share their knowledge generously along the way.
Our Day Trips have been fully risk assessed, and all activities are carried out in line with UK government and industry Covid-19 guidance. Most Day Trips from 17th May 2021 onwards will have a maximum number of 7 people, with a handful, such as cruises with a slightly higher number. We have also been certified as 'Good to Go'; the domestic tourism industry standard mark for Covid-19 protocols. Your safety is paramount, and we will be complying fully with UK government guidance throughout all of our Day Trips.
How to Book
The price for all our standard Naturetrek Day Trips is £50 per person and payment is by debit card only. You can book online, or you are very welcome to book over the phone by calling us on 01962 733051. Some Day Trips operate seasonally, and we are continuing to add additional departure dates for our fully booked Day Trips, so if you would like to be added to our wait list for any of these trips please just email info@naturetrek.co.uk or register your interest via the tour page.
Joining Instructions for Day Trips
[params] => stdClass Object ( [category_layout] => [image_az] => https://i.assetzen.net/i/SrjQ75yotFrO/w:500/h:500/q:70.jpg [image_alt] => ) [metakey] => Day Trips [note] => 33 [parent] => stdClass Object ( [id] => 165 [parent_id] => 1 [level] => 1 [path] => tour-focus [title] => Tour Focus [alias] => tour-focus [description] => [params] => stdClass Object ( [category_layout] => [image_az] => [image_alt] => ) [metakey] => [note] => ) ) )If you, or someone that you have been in close contact with, has displayed symptoms of Covid-19 in the 14 days prior to the Day Trip, or if you receive an alert from NHS Track and Trace, you MUST NOT JOIN the Day Trip. Please let us know in the Naturetrek office as soon as possible and we will be happy to refund you in full.
- Upon booking we will email you with a designated meeting point and confirmed timings, along with contact details for your tour leader.
- During some Day Trips we will each use our own vehicle to move the short distances in between sites (group transport is not provided).
- Please do not bring your dog, or other pets, as they may disturb the wildlife!
- Please bring your own lunch.
- Please bring plenty of water, snacks, hand sanitiser, tissues, your own face covering (this will not be compulsory whilst we are out in the fresh air and wide open spaces throughout during the day but may be required to enter toilets, visitor centres, etc.) along with anything else that you might need for the day. You will need to be able to carry everything yourself. Suitable footwear (walking shoes or walking boots) will be essential, along with sensible layers and waterproofs plus sun hat and sun cream or woolly hat and gloves etc., depending on the weather forecast.
- Wherever possible, we will try to arrange comfort breaks during the day. On some of our more remote Day Trips this isn’t always possible, and on those occasions you will need to be prepared for the odd ‘bush stop’! If this is likely, we will alert you in the joining instructions beforehand. Please be stringent with hygiene when using public facilities.
- We ask you to respect minimum social distancing AT ALL TIMES (currently 2m where possible between households at the time of writing, but could be updated at any time). To help ensure this, we ask group members and tour leaders not to share optics, field guides or any other equipment.
- Finally, please do share your photos and favourite wildlife sightings with us … we love seeing them! Tweet @naturetrektours, Instagram @naturetrek_wildlife_holidays or find us on facebook.com/naturetrekwildlifeholidays
Should the dates we offer not suit you, or should you wish to have a private, tailored Day Trip, we will be delighted to arrange this for you. Please just call Georgie Head on 01962 733051, or fill out our quick enquiry form and we will get back to you. For inspiration for a Tailormade UK break, please see our Tailormade UK holidays.
Tailormade Day Trips
Reviews:
'The Naturetrek £50 days out have been a lifesaver this year. What better way than to spend a day in the open with four other like minded people in the company of a brilliant guide who can tell you all about the geology, flors and fauna of the area. I’ve been on three of these days with more booked for the future. The days are full, meeting at 9.00am and not finishing until 5.00pm, maybe slightly earlier in the darker winter months, with about 45 minutes for our picnic lunch but never have I ever looked at my watch and wished the time would pass more quickly. Quite the opposite in fact, the time passed so quickly I was amazed when we found ourselves back at the car park. Value for money? Yes, definitely. Thank you Naturetrek.'
VB – The Naze and Walton Backwaters (Essex)
‘The Upper Teesdale Day Trip was brilliant and Andy Bunten was an exceptional guide. So very knowledgeable and an expert spotter, but equally important he had great communication skills so that no-one felt remotely patronised or afraid to ask the most basic of questions. The organisation of the day was impeccably planned too. This was my first Naturetrek outing but I have friends who regularly use you and have spoken of your trips in glowing terms. So I will certainly look at your website and I will hope to travel with you at some point in the future.’
KS – Teesdale‘We had a lovely day on Monday; Matt was terrific - particularly with us being beginners at bird watching! The other attendees were very interesting and one in particular was extremely knowledgeable. So we learned a lot - just got to remember it now! We are looking at the other day trips available to see if we can do another one.’
Ashdown Forest‘I wanted to write to thank you for organising your new Day Trips. It’s an excellent idea and something to give hope to many people, who are keen to get out and about, and to experience the beauty of nature closer to home. Our trip to the Ashdown Forest on Friday was excellent. The weather was kind to us, a lovely sunny, English summer day, but it was our guide, Matt Eade, who made it special. Quite how Matt managed to arrange Goshawk, two Honey-buzzards, Hobby, Treecreeper, and a whole host of other species was remarkable.
Spotted Flycatcher is the personal favourite of my husband Simon – and Matt knew where to find two of them. Simon was over the moon!It was a top day. Matt was informative, very knowledgeable, engaging, encouraging, always happy to help, provide insights and share his knowledge and experiences. He paced the walk just right, thoughtful about short breaks where needed. I worked for 8 years as a Tour Director around Europe and I know how exceptionally hard it can be to keep everyone happy!’
Ashdown Forest‘The trip exceeded our already high expectations. Andy Bunten was kind, humorous, thoughtful and his knowledge of the wildlife truly exceptional. It was a real pleasure and privilege to be in his company.’
KE – Teesdale‘So nice to be on a Naturetrek trip again and had a thoroughly enjoyable day with Russ and our other companions. Everyone just got on even though we had not met before. Looking forward to our next day trip!’
LD – Smardale‘We had a great day, thank you. Matthew Capper was an excellent guide, giving us a wealth of information about the ecology, conservation and social history of the area as well as the wildlife, and having an amazing ability to detect birdlife out of nowhere. The Lammergeier before we'd even left the meeting point was of course spectacular, but it was Matthew's commitment to searching for the birds and Mountain Hares which impressed me even more. We also appreciated his patience and good humour, and his determination to make sure that all 5 of us got to see everything. These day trips are a brilliant idea. We are really looking forward to our next Naturetrek Day in a couple of weeks.’
AB – Peak District
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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Why Naturetrek?
At Naturetrek we craft expertly-guided group and tailor-made wildlife holidays and cruises to all seven continents. On one of our holidays, you can be assured that our passionate team will enable you to experience and enjoy the best of the world's wildlife and natural spectacles in as comfortable and rewarding a manner as possible, caring as best we can for the environment in the process. We are proud to provide:
- The widest choice of wildlife holidays worldwide
- Tours managed and led by naturalists, for naturalists
- Outstanding value and exceptional customer service
Furthermore, as a Naturetrek client, our office team are always to on hand to help you – so if you have any queries about your holiday, whether before or after you have booked, we will be delighted to answer them on the phone. Please just give our team a call!
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Louise Larkinson travelled on our 'Forest of Dean and the Somerset Levels' holiday and submitted this entry to our writing competition.