A 3-day Summer Tour & Nightjar Evening looking for some of our rarer summer breeding birds with a day down in the Brecks and Fens for Stone Curlews, Bitterns 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 and in some years we also have summering Honey Buzzards. 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 summer for us, for many waders the breeding season is already over. Particularly for species that breed in Scandinavia or the arctic, they will set off south as soon as they can and even from mid-June we can have the early returning waders here, failed breeders or non-breeders and those sexes which play no role in raising the young. So July can be a good month to see a selection of waders here and there is often a rarity around at this time of the year too. On previous July tours we have seen exciting species like White-rumped and Semipalmated Sandpipers, Lesser Yellowlegs, Long-billed Dowitcher and Black-winged Stilt.

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 the Summer 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.

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

You can read about our 2024 tour here – Day 1, Day 2, Day 3.