A 3-day tour looking for some of our rarer summer breeding birds with a day down in the Broads for Swallowtail butterflies and other wildlife.

Summer Birds

East Anglia is lucky to be blessed with several very rare or scarce breeding species – including Spoonbills, Nightjars, Dartford Warblers, Woodlarks, Bitterns, Cranes and Stone Curlews. In 2022 and 2023, we also had breeding Bee-eaters in a local quarry. Our summer tours will focus on looking for these rare breeding birds, as well as providing opportunities to catch up with other iconic local breeding species, such as Marsh Harriers, Avocets and Bearded Tits.

Despite it being early summer, there is often a rarity around at this time of the year too. On previous June tours we have seen exciting species like Red-footed Falcon, Red-backed and Lesser Grey Shrikes, Great Reed Warbler and Rose-coloured Starling. There is also a good variety of other wildlife to see at this time of year, and we always see a great selection of different butterflies, dragonflies, etc on these tours.

Nightjar Evening

Nightjars are summer visitors to heaths and forest clearings, and we are blessed with a good population here. Listening to their distinctive churring on a warm evening is a unique experience, and we can often watch them performing from their favoured perches or flying around low over our heads. On one evening, we will go out to look for and listen to Nightjars on one of the local heaths. There should also be the opportunity to look for owls, particularly Barn Owls, and we often at least hear the hooting of the local Tawny Owls.

Swallowtails

The Swallowtail butterfly is a true Norfolk speciality. Our largest native butterfly, its range is restricted to the Norfolk Broads. It is a real spectacle to see the adults flying over the reeds or settling to feed on a Marsh Thistle. The area is also alive with dragonflies at this time of year and we will look for the distinctive Norfolk Hawker amongst them. At the same time, there should still be plenty of birds to see, with the Norfolk Broads playing to host to such rare breeding species as Cranes and Bitterns, as well as Marsh Harriers, Bearded Tits, Grasshopper Warblers and many others.

You can expect to see between 100-120 species across the three days.