Rare Breeding Bird Tours Summer 2010
The Rare Breeding Bird Tours take place during June, July & August and are amongst the most exciting
summer bird watching experiences in Britain.
Golden Oriole Tour
The sight and sound of the male Golden Oriole is extremely evocative and we have been very lucky in spotting
these notoriously evasive birds on most dates over the past few years. In 2009 we had a 75% success rate
and in 2008 it was 80%.
The morning is dedicated to watching the Orioles, we should also see Marsh Harriers, Hobby, Cuckoo, Turtle
dove, Bearded Tits and have a chance of Common Cranes and Bittern. After lunch, we move on to sites
where we will look for Stone Curlew, Woodlark, Tree Sparrow, little Owl, Spotted Flycatcher & Firecrest.
Montagu's Harrier & Honey Buzzard Tour
Raptors have a special place in many a bird watchers heart and the Montagu’s Harrier and Honey Buzzard are
extremely exciting to watch. During the past few years we have had a high success rate with the Harriers 100%
in 2009 and 92% in 2008.The Buzzards have been less predictable 60% in 2009 and 73% in 2008 this may
be because their breeding success rate has been more erratic.
The morning is spent looking for the Harriers. After lunch we head for the Honey Buzzard site. Other
raptors we usually see include Marsh Harrier, Hobby, Kestrel, Sparrowhawk and Common Buzzard.
Occasionally we also see Goshawk, Red Kite and Osprey. If we score with both in the morning we sometimes
visit Cley or Titchwell in the afternoon.
The Tour
The tour group meet at a central and safe parking area, in either Swaffham for the Orioles at 8.30am or
Fakenham for the raptors at 9am. The tour leader then chauffeurs the group to the sites during the day,
returning them to the meeting point around 4pm. Lunch is provided and is included in the cost of the tour,
we use a good quality public house or a packed lunch is provided. We can cater for any dietary needs
within reason, please indicate your requirements on the booking form. The tour group is normally kept
to a maximum of six clients.
The cost of this tour is £50.00 per person and includes all transport from the meeting point and lunch.
During the Rare Breeding Bird Tours no species are disturbed and The Bird I.D Company abide by the Bird
Watchers Code at all times and ask our clients to do the same. We do not visit close to the nesting
sites of rare species and report any suspicious activities in the areas of these breeding birds. The
birds welfare must always come first.
Our success rate with the species involved is generally high, though can be dependent on the weather.
Please choose your preferred dates from the
itinerary
and contact us to check availability and reserve your place on the tour of your choice. For more information
please refer to the
guidance notes.