Live in the North of England?
In summer, hobbies can be spotted hunting dragonflies over the freshwater areas of RSPB Leighton Moss and Burton Mere Wetlands. Dragonflies are abundant on these reserves, but can be found near most rivers, ponds and freshwater lakes in throughout the summer.
Look out for dragonflies and other freshwater species including Marsh Harriers, herons and ducks at RSPB Saltholme
Salmon are sadly a rare sight in England now but thanks to the rewiggling of the Swindale Beck and partnership work at RSPB Haweswater, these threatened fish can be found spawning in the river.
Bats can be found on a number of our reserves, including RSPB Saltholme and RSPB Leighton Moss. One of the best ways to find them is to join a guided walk, where experts and specialist equipment called a bat detector are often used to identify the bat species by their clicks!
The courtship dance of the Great Crested Grebe is best observed in early spring. If you’ve missed this spectacle for this year, it’s well worth watching the backs of the grebes in summer as you might just spot a striped chick or two peeking out between the parent’s feathers! Head to RSPB Saltholme and RSPB Leighton Moss and let us know if you spot one on Twitter!
The dramatic flocks of whirling waders in the final scenes of tonight’s Wild Isles are a rare and seasonal spectacle, only occurring in autumn and winter when high tides push these Knot off the Wash and into the nearby lagoons for shelter. Yet estuaries and coastlines around the country are internationally important for waders and shorebirds year-round.
In the North of England, Estuaries like the Dee Estuary and Ribble Estuaries, and Morecambe Bay can hold vast numbers of shorebirds and waders in autumn and winter. To help give nesting and roosting birds the space they need around our coastlines, sticking to paths and using hides and specially designed viewing screens can help you get the best views of breeding and roosting birds without disturbing them.
Live in Central England?
Hobbies can be spotted around at RSPB Minsmere and Lakenheath Fen, Suffolk during spring and summer months. As hobbies feed on dragonflies, they will wait for prey to become active before hunting, which makes them a great bird to try and spot from mid-morning onwards on sunny days! Dragonflies are abundant on these reserves, but can be found near most rivers, ponds and freshwater lakes in throughout the summer.
Bats can be found on a number of our reserves, including at RSPB Minsmere and Lakenheath Fen.
The courtship dance of the Great Crested Grebe is best observed in early spring. If you’ve missed this spectacle for this year, it’s well worth watching the backs of the grebes in summer as you might just spot a striped chick or two peeking out between the parent’s feathers! Head to at RSPB Minsmere and Lakenheath Fen, and let us know if you spot one on Twitter!
Across England, estuaries and coastlines can hold vast numbers of shorebirds and waders in autumn and winter. In spring and summer some of these shorelines become nesting sites for terns and ringed plover too, particularly around the Norfolk and Suffolk Coasts. To help give nesting and roosting birds the space they need around our coastlines, sticking to paths and using hides and specially designed viewing screens can help you get the best views of breeding and roosting birds without disturbing them.
Live in Southern England?
In the South West, Hobbies can be spotted around at RSPB Ham Wall and Powderham and Exminster Marshes reserves. RSPB Dungeness, Rainham Marshes, and RSPB Pulborough Brooks, are the best RSPB reserves to try and spot these areal acrobats on during spring and summer in the South East. Dragonflies are abundant on these reserves, but can be found near most rivers, ponds and freshwater lakes in throughout the summer.
Look out for dragonflies and other freshwater species including Marsh Harriers, herons, and noisy warblers around the reedbeds at Marazion Marshes, Cornwall and RSPB Radipole, Dorset.
The stunning Raft Spider sequence was filmed at RSPB Arne, Dorset where Raft Spiders patrol heathland ponds in spring and summer.
Bats can be found on a number of our reserves, including Ham Wall, Somerset, RSPB Arne and RSPB Radipole in Dorset and RSPB Pulborough Brooks Sussex. One of the best ways to find them is to join a guided walk, where experts and specialist equipment called a bat detector are often used to identify the bat species by their clicks!
The courtship dance of the Great Crested Grebe is best observed in early spring. If you’ve missed this spectacle for this year, it’s well worth watching the backs of the grebes in summer as you might just spot a striped chick or two peeking out between the parent’s feathers! Head to RSPB Radipole, Dorset, RSPB Ham Wall, Somerset or RSPB Dungeness, Kent and let us know if you spot one on Twitter!
In the South of England, Estuaries like Hayle, Cornwall, the Exe Estuary Devon, Wallasea in Essex and the Middlebere Look-Out at RSPB Arne in Dorset can hold vast numbers of shorebirds and waders in autumn and winter. To help give nesting and roosting birds the space they need around our coastlines, sticking to paths and using hides and specially designed viewing screens can help you get the best views of breeding and roosting birds without disturbing them.
You can find lots more info about the Wild Isles series on the RSPB website here too!