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A fantastic insight in to the varied scenery and wildlife present in the Forest of Dean. We packed so much in to the three days and saw so much beautiful scenery and wildlife. I have travelled many times with Naturetrek and can't fault them. Everyone in the UK office is friendly, helpful and very knowledgeable and the overseas tour guides have exceptional knowledge of their area of the world.
E.F. Surrey, May 22
Tour Itinerary and Reports
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The Forest of Dean in Spring
Tour Code: GBR75A 3-day break focusing on the birdlife and other natural history of the beautiful Forest of Dean in late spring.
3 days
from
£475
£475
Highlights
Tour Itinerary and Reports
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Summary
The Forest of Dean covers an area of about 100 square kilometres and is England’s second largest expanse of ancient woodland. From our comfortable hotel base in the heart of the forest, we will make daily walks exploring the surrounding trails during the day, and on one evening head out in search of Wild Boar! In May and June the woodlands are home to Pied and Spotted Flycatchers, Redstarts and Wood Warblers along with many other species. We’ll look for these and visit a clearing at dusk to look - and listen for - Nightjars.
- Enjoy the varied birdlife of the Forest of Dean
- A chance of Wild Boar in one of their UK strongholds
- Pied Flycatcher, Wood Warbler, Redstart & Spotted Flycatcher all breed here
- An evening excursion for Nightjar
- Roding Woodcock possible
- Butterflies may include Wood White and Small pearl-bordered Fritillary amongst others
- Goshawk breed in good numbers and we'll search for them
- Crossbill and Firecrest possible
- Excellent food from a superbly located hotel
We also offer this holiday in late winter/early spring which offers the chance to see displaying Goshawk and hear Lesser Spotted Woodpecker drumming, as well as Hawfinch, Redpoll, Siskin, Crossbill and Brambling all possible through less densely leaved surroundings. For this holiday please see The Forest of Dean.
Whichever time of year you choose, this is sure to be a memorable birding break!
Reviews
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This was a short break looking primarily for birds in the Forest of Dean. The weather was mainly dry though overcast and although the Forest was fairly quiet we saw the key species with superb views of a Redstart family, Wood Warbler singing and flitting about and both Pied and Spotted Flycatchers. Evening visits produced Woodcock, beautiful Tawny Owl and on the second evening Nightjar. On Sunday we visited Symonds Yat and had good views of the Peregrine Falcon family amongst others. An area of gorse produced Tree Pipit, Stonechat and Willow Warblers. I had originally been booked to go to the Camargue in May 2020 which scuppered by Covid. I transferred my deposit to May 2021 but when that became doubtful transferred again to two short breaks in England. This was the first. The staff at Naturetrek have been excellent rearranging things and laying on many more short and one-day outings in the UK.
H.B. Devon, Jun 21 -
Excellent variety of reserves and habitats. Our leader Greg Mabbett worked hard to ensure that all the group had good views of the birds
L.H -
The Speech House Hotel is an excellent base for the tour and both the accommodation and the catering are of a very high standard. Marcus clearly knows the forest really well and was an excellent trip leader; he was flexible with the programme but was prepared to work very long days in order to ensure that people saw as much as possible. I have done this trip twice now and I hope to do it again.
P.B, Shropshire, June 2019 -
The Forest of Dean weekend was one of the best wildlife experiences we have ever had- we can't say enough good things about it, particularly about Tom, whose fieldcraft and kind and patient attitude to the group was TRULY outstanding
L.S -
Greg was a delight to spend time with and this made the difference to make it a successful trip. Greg’s local knowledge allowed him to be flexible with the itinerary. Greg was excellent and the tour was better than I anticipated
G.W
Dates & Prices
2026
Departures
Availability
Cost
Fri 22nd May – Sun 24th May
SPACES
£475
Land only cost:
The "Land Only" cost is the tour price you will pay if you choose to arrange your own flights/transport.
£475
Single Room Supplement:
Single Room Supplement.
£95
Tour Leader:
Please note that, whilst we assign leaders to particular tours well in advance, we reserve the right to make changes if necessary
Oliver Smart
Tour Leader: Oliver Smart
Following a childhood fascination with the natural world, Oliver went on to study ornithology at the University of Birmingham during his mid-twenties. Alongside an emerging interest in photography, learning the art of bird ringing and volunteering for the Avon Wildlife Trust, BTO and RSPB, Oliver has put time to good use. His main passion is birds and through photography he has built a diverse collection of imagery, which is represented by both RSPB Images and Alamy. Combined with a desire to travel, Oliver has explored many parts of the world; his favourite destinations usually including a seabird colony or two, where the sight, sound, smell and opportunities for a photographer are second to none. His claim to fame to date though is an image he took in the Seychelles which has been used on a bank note!
Wed 3rd Jun – Fri 5th Jun
6
£475
Land only cost:
The "Land Only" cost is the tour price you will pay if you choose to arrange your own flights/transport.
£475
Single Room Supplement:
Single Room Supplement.
£95
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.
Enquire
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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