Frustrated Birdwatcher

Hi All - hope everyone is enjoying the summer?!

I am hoping you guys can help me as I'm getting more and more frustrated when I go bird watching - because I never seem to see any!!  This is gonna sound really stupid but I spend ages with my head in my bird identification books and on the internet so am quite good at bird identification but whenever I go out I never seem to see anything!  I've been to the hide that overlooks the harbour at Arne and have seen the waders and the ducks / geese from a distance but what I really want to see are woodland birds and especially some birds of prey.  I've seen on the website that there will be some raptor walks coming up - so I am planning on going to some of those - in the meantime, can anyone let me know some good places where I might see some birds of prey?

I have a few days off work and am planning another visit to Arne - can anyone give me any tips?  Do you just walk along the paths, keeping quite and keeping your fingers crossed?  Or do you find a spot and sit down and wait for birds to come by?  What's the secret?  I know they are all wild and nothing is guaranteed but I'm hoping there's a way of increasing my chances?  I have a good camera with 500mm lens so am really hoping to get some photos.  What do you reckon?

Yours hopefully!!

Andy