| Strictly for birds |
| It's ornithology or bust on this day of birdwatching bliss. Here
are four sites that will suit both beginners and seasoned spotters |
Norfolk is a bona fide birdwatching paradise. There are many outstanding spots from which you can see rare and interesting birds, but there are a number of particularly well-known locations which provide an ideal bridge between the uninitiated and the experienced birdwatcher (or ‘twitcher'). The sites we have chosen offer hardened twitchers their fix of our rarer feathered friends while providing the sort of useful information and facilities which will allow anyone's first foray into this hobby to pass without mishap or inconvenience.
You can buy optical equipment at Cley Spy in Cley (tel 01263 740088) or at Titchwell Marsh RSPB Birdshop (tel 01485 210779). We made do with a regular pair of binoculars and were still able to get a close look at all manner of avians. Another useful item is Norfolk: A Birdwatcher's Site Guide, published by Shoebill.
1. Spot the birdie
One of the jewels of North Norfolk's birdwatching areas is Cley Marshes. Over 325 different species have been recorded here, including the shy bittern, and you can expect to see a good variety of birds all year round. Spot them from the comfort of a number of wooden hides, which can be reached by walkways across the marshes. There's a charge to pay but the reserve is open all year (bank holidays excepted) every day except Mondays .
When you arrive at Cley, check the ‘What's about' board in the
visitor centre or the log book in Dauke's Hide (which is the middle one in the cluster of three).
2. All kinds of everything
At Holkham you will find part of the Holkham National Nature Reserve available for
birdspotting. It offers a variety of
habitats in one spot, including mudflats, sand dunes and woodland, with a couple of hides.
Wildlife abounds here, with natterjack toads lurking in the dunes and a gaggle of geese paying visits throughout winter.
There are three areas within
the reserve in which it's best to concentrate your efforts. In summer, the most populous area is the grazing marsh, where you can follow a trail that runs between the car park at the end of Lady Anne's Drive and the A149, and passes the two hides. The other two areas, Holkham Bay and the belt of pine trees close to Wells Wood, are best visited in winter.
3. Twitchers' choice
Titchwell Marsh is the RSPB's most popular birdwatching reserve and the ideal place for any ornithological first-timers. You can hire binoculars from the shop and join in organised bird watching
rambles and other regular events. Like Holkham, the site plays host to a diverse range of habitats, and
it's also well-known for attracting particularly rare birds such as
laughing gulls and black-winged stilts. In summer, common sandwich terns and little terns abound, as do marsh harriers and avocets.
4. Snettisham spectacle
The westerly RSPB reserve at Snettisham is best known for its waders in summer and pink-footed geese in winter, though you can also catch sight of gulls and terns in
summer. It's best to visit on a day when there's a big high tide (call the reserve for a forecast) to witness the tide of the Wash pushing tens of thousands of wading birds and ducks up the beach and into the reserve's pools. Arrive about an hour and a half before and you'll see some spectacular waders in flight, too.
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Distance 81 miles
Time All day
Suitable for Adults and older children. There is disabled access at Cley Marshes and at Snettisham.
Refreshments
Titchwell Marsh
Tel 01485 210779
The Victoria Hotel, Holkham
Tel 01328 711008
Attractions
Cley Marshes Tel 01263 740008
Holkham NNR Tel 01603 620558
Titchwell Marsh RSPB Reserve
Tel 01485 210779
Snettisham RSPB Reserve
Tel 01485 542689
Tourist information
Wells-next-the-sea
Tel 01328 710885
Sheringham Tel 01263 824329
Hunstanton Tel 01485 532610
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