North Kent Birding. Chris is also offering tailor-made budget birding itineraries in the UK.

South-east England offers some fine winter birding relatively close to London. Large numbers of wintering wildfowl and waders may be found on the estuaries of North Kent, whilst the superb reserves of the North Norfolk coast offer excellent winter birding. In late February the first signs of breeding activity will be expected in the woodlands of Kent and we shall find many of the commoner resident species.

Day 1

After collection from the airport we shall make the short journey to Wraysbury Gravel Pits where we shall search for wintering Smew. This area is one of the best sites in the UK for this species and we have a good chance of connecting with this species. From here we shall drive to the nearby Lee Valley, on the north side of London, where we shall look for Eurasian Bittern. This species is increasingly regular in this area
and we will have a good chance of finding this elusive species. If we have time we shall drive to Welney to look for Whooper and Bewick's Swans which winter in the area in very large numbers. Overnight in Norfolk.

Day 2

Today we shall drive to the Yare valley where we should find flocks of Bean Geese at one of the UK strongholds. We shall drive up to the North Norfolk coast where we shall visit a number of different areas. We shall search for flocks of wintering geese. Amongst the species we should encounter will be large flocks of Brent and Pink-footed Geese and hopefully a few Barnacle Geese and Greater White-fronted Geese. There will be large numbers of wildfowl and waders that will include Common
Teal, Gadwall, Pochard, Tufted Duck, Greater Scaup, Redshank, Dunlin, Knot, Bar-tailed Godwit, Sanderling, Ringed Plover and Golden Plover. We shall drive south arriving in Kent for the night.

Day 3

We shall explore some Kentish woodlands in search of some resident species that will be starting to show signs of breeding activity. We will look for all three British woodpeckers, Marsh Tit, Treecreeper, Nuthatch and Yellowhammer. A visit to an area of water cress beds should produce Water Pipit and Water Rail, whilst we shall also visit the reed beds and damp woodland of Stodmarsh where we should find Bearded Tit and Cetti's Warbler, whilst we have a good chance of finding Siskin and Redpoll. We shall make a visit to the Isle of Thanet at high tide where we will look for Purple Sandpiper. Overnight in Kent.

Day 4

Today we shall visit Dungeness where there will again be large numbers of wintering wildfowl, grebes and loons, waders and gulls. We shall visit the trapping area at the Dungeness Bird Observatory where we shall look for the small population of Firecrest that spend the winter here. We will visit Copt Point, Folkestone where we will find the large flock of Mediterranean Gulls that congregate on the sewage outfall here in the
winter. Overnight in Gillingham.

Day 5

Transfer to the airport.

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