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We very much enjoyed the Ridgeway day trip. We were lucky with bright sunny weather, and notched up a good number of interesting sightings and Martin was a very knowledgeable and personable leader. He punctuated the day with snippets of history and local interest.
PM, Oxfordshire, December 2021
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The Ridgeway - Cow, Bury and Compton Down (Day Trip)
Tour Code: GBR177A lovely birding and wildlife walk high on the Berkshire Downs along what is reputedly Britain’s oldest road, in search of a variety of birds in their winter habitat.
1 days
from
£50 (land only)
£50 (land only)
Highlights
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Summary
Often dubbed the oldest road in Britain, the track along the Berkshire Downs has been in use for at least 5,000 years. This is an ancient landscape on the Berkshire/Oxfordshire border just north of the M4/A34 interchange (junction 13). The views to the north from the ridge are spectacular.
Lead by ornithologist Martin Pitt, we will follow a route both on and around the ridgeway taking in Cow Down, Bury Down and Compton Down in our attempts to find the special birds of the this area. Fieldfare, Redwings, Corn Bunting and Yellowhammers all form flocks with the ubiquitous Meadow Pipits and in turn these attract raptors. Merlin, Peregrine and Hen Harrier can be found joining the plentiful Red Kites and Buzzards. As both these and their prey are somewhat nomadic at this season we will try to find them in this open habitat. Grey Partridge still form coveys in the bare fields, although it is clear that they are outnumbered by the commoner gamebirds. At the end of the day, we will also attempt to find the Short-eared Owls that normally roost in the areas of rank grassland, and these may be joined by a Barn Owl. Expect to walk around 8 miles during the day.
- Airy views from the roof of Berkshire
- Grey Partridge, Corn Bunting, Yellowhammer
- Red Kites and Buzzards plentiful
- Possibly rarer birds of prey and Short-eared Owl if we are lucky
Day Trip Location
Reviews
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It takes a certain level of hope and expectation to get one out of bed more than an hour before dawn on a grey sleety day in winter with the temperature only just over freezing point. Hope and expectation there was aplenty, because was it time for another Naturetrek day trip - this time to Berkshire. We were rewarded with lots of farmland birds, including more singing Corn Buntings in one place than I've heard or seen anywhere in the UK in any season. The guide, Martin, was really knowledgeable and helpful, and we had an enjoyable day's walk. Even the sun came out at the end of the day, reflecting my brightened spirits.
T.A. Buckinghamshire, Dec 20
Dates & Prices
2024
Departures
Availability
Cost
Thu 5th Dec – Thu 5th Dec
6
£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
Martin Pitt
Tour Leader: Martin Pitt
Martin has had an interest in wildlife since an early age and, although he worked in development and consultancy across the globe, he has always kept this interest going. He has been leading tours for Naturetrek, both in the UK and overseas, since 2017.
Primarily interested in birds and mammals, his time living in the Middle East (a year in the UAE and 2 years in Israel) gave him a deep love of desert ecosystems. More recently, he has spent an increasing amount of time focused on butterflies and dragonflies. He is the author of the ‘Crossbill Nature Guide to Southern Morocco’ and as of 2023 he is also the Bird Recorder for Hampshire.
Martin has led a number of tours, including day trips and weekends in Hampshire and the adjacent areas, as well as tours overseas including Austria, Ethiopia, France, Mexico, Morocco, Poland, Romania, Spain and Uzbekistan.
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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