The Great British Bird Race - Kent

Tour Code: GBR347

Join us in Kent for an exhilarating adventure. It’s the perfect antidote to the winter blues, and a chance to start the year with plenty of birds and a lot of fun.

3 days from
£595
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Highlights

Summary

Summary

Join Naturetrek for a thrilling winter bird race in Kent, a county famed for its remarkable variety of habitats and exceptional birdlife. From the windswept North Kent Marshes to the shingle beaches of Dungeness and the rolling chalk downlands to ancient woodland, this is a landscape brimming with winter birding potential.

The goal: to record as many bird species as possible in 48 hours. We will be in friendly competition with the best birding counties in Britain, so every species will count.

Our race will include the expansive North Kent Marshes, where vast flocks of Lapwing, Golden Plover and Brent Geese swirl over the flats, while raptors such as Marsh Harrier, Peregrine and Merlin patrol the skies. Along the Thames and Medway Estuaries, we’ll scan for gulls, waders and flocks of wintering wildfowl.

No Kent bird race would be complete without a visit to Dungeness — one of the UK’s premier birding sites — where we’ll search for wintering grebes, divers, Bitterns and scarcer gulls. Inland, the chalky downlands and Beech woodlands offer a change of pace, with chances of Firecrest, Hawfinch and mixed finch and thrush flocks.

Led by expert local guides, this tour blends fast-paced, high-reward birding with the natural beauty and diversity of the Kentish landscape. Whether you're hoping to boost your year list or just enjoy the challenge, this bird race promises memorable sightings and great company.

Join us for birds, banter, and the thrill of a winter bird race!

  • The thrill of the bird race
  • Marsh & Hen Harriers on the North Kent Marshes
  • Bewick's Swans & Geese flocks
  • Wintering waders at Oare Marshes
  • Grebes & divers offshore
  • Wintering finches with Brambling under the Beeches
  • Short-eared & Barn Owls likely
  • Potentially a big total in a rich and diverse county
Itinerary
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Dates & Prices

Dates & Prices

2026

Departures Availability Cost
Wed 28th Jan – Fri 30th Jan 3 £595
Book Tour Show Details
Land only cost:
The "Land Only" cost is the tour price you will pay if you choose to arrange your own flights/transport.
£595
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
Andy Warren
Andy-Warren.jpg

Tour Leader: Andy Warren

Andy became interested in nature at an early age but became hooked on birds after befriending a fellow young birder at secondary school in 1972. Together, and later joined by two other birders they met at grammar school the following year, they formed a lifelong friendship that continues to this day. Andy’s passion for all things avian began with local patch watching at Shipley Country Park, but soon expanded to a global scale. To date, he has seen a third of the world’s bird species across 58 countries.
 
His career has taken him from RSPB Assistant Warden at various reserves – including Titchwell, Loch Garten, Ynys-hir and Dungeness – to Warden at Sandwell Valley, before becoming a self-employed Consultant Ecologist, now based in the North Cotswolds. Andy is a keen communicator and has given many talks on his wildlife adventures and lectured extensively at night school.
 
He began leading international conservation projects in 1987, taking an RSPB group to the Camargue. Since then, he has organised and led over 65 projects in 15 countries, including a three-month expedition to Chile with Raleigh International, a five-week expedition to Kenya with Yorkshire Schools Exploring Society, and numerous Conservation Working Holidays for the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers in Belgium, Bulgaria, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Japan, Norway, Poland, Slovenija, Spain and the USA.

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?

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!