Date
Cost
Availability
Deposit
Single Supp
| 06 Feb - 13 Feb 2027
£2495.00
5 Spaces
£450.00
£280.00
Book Now
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| Day 1 | Arrive for a 7 night stay at Briarfields Hotel, Titchwell. |
| Days 2-7 | Wildlife and birdwatching exploration of the North Norfolk coast, Welney, the Broads and other sites. |
| Day 8 | Depart after breakfast. |
| Weather | Norfolk in winter can be unpredictable. It might be lovely with plenty of sunshine - but can also be very cold indeed, if there is a northerly wind! There is always a chance of rain, so bring waterproofs and warm clothes just in case. Likely temperatures 0° - 12°C |
| Walking | Short walks on easy terrain. Walking
boots or strong shoes are recommended
however, as some paths may be uneven
or muddy |
| Meals | All included from dinner on Day 1 to breakfast on Day 8. |
| Insects | Biting insects will not be a problem. |
| Accom | Double, twin and single rooms all ensuite. |
| Group | 6 |
Norfolk has exceptional birding at any time of year – but winter can
be especially good, with thousands of geese, plus swans, waders,
raptors, local specialities and the chance of something rare as well!
| * Famous sites such as Titchwell, Cley, Holkham and Welney make for a fabulous week
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| * Large flocks of geese, with chance of scarcer species amongst them
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| * Chance of Common Cranes, Hawfinch, Avocet and maybe Bearded Tit
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| * Staying at delightful Briarfields Hotel - a warm welcome with great food close to Titchwell
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| * Fingers crossed for scarce birds - Shorelark, Bean Goose, Water Pipit and Snow Bunting
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| * Feeding time at Welney - ducks, geese and swans with chance of Bewick’s Swan
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| * Marsh Harriers galore and chance of Hen Harrier, Short-eared Owl, Peregrine and Merlin
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| Day 1 | Dinner together on Saturday evening starts
the holiday followed by a chat about the
coming week.
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| Days 2-7 | Norfolk is rightly acclaimed as one of
the best birding areas in the United
Kingdom, with fabulous birding all year round. In
winter it is simply fantastic, with exciting goose
flocks, waders, raptors and specialities such as
Common Cranes, Hawfinch, Chinese Water Deer,
Shorelark, Egyptian Goose and with luck birds
such as Bittern and Bearded Tit.
Most of the north Norfolk coast is either Reserves
or great habitat for birds, with Titchwell and Cley
two of the best-known sites. Their shallow lagoons
host a nice mix of waders and wildlfowl, while
the surrounding reedbeds hold Bittern, Bearded
Tit and Cetti’s Warbler - though they can prove remarkably hard to see! Marsh Harriers winter in
good numbers and raptors such as Hen Harrier,
Peregrine, Merlin and Short-eared Owl are also
possible, while ghost-like Barn Owls are resident
and can sometimes be seen from the hotel! Sites
may attract wintering Ruff, Spotted Redshank,
Snipe and Avocet, with a chance of Jack Snipe or
Water Pipit in the margins, or Water Rail lurking
in the ditches. Brent Geese can be a lovely feature
of these Reserves and we’ll hope for a wintering
Black Brant or even a Red-breasted Goose
amongst them.
The beach at Titchwell may have a small flock
of Snow Buntings and if not, Holkham Beach
may prove more reliable, with the chance
of Shorelark here too. We’ll scan the sea for
Red-throated Divers, Red-breasted Merganser and scoters, with slimmer chances of Slavonian Grebe,
Long-tailed Duck or Eider. Nearby, Holkham may
have enormous flocks of Pink-footed Geese and
perhaps a few White-fronted Geese as well and
we’ll watch out for Great White and Cattle Egrets
and Grey Partridge - a scarce bird these days!
On one day we shall head south east towards the
Broads, where we’ll look for Common Cranes. A
slow drive through an area they often frequent
may turn up trumps and nearby is a spot where
Hen Harrier and Short-eared Owl can also be
seen. We may visit Hickling Broad, where the
raptor roost is remarkable, with up to 40 or
more Marsh Harriers and other species such as
Hen Harrier or Merlin are possible. The Common
Cranes also roost here late in the day.
The woodlands and scattered trees of Lynford
Arboretum are famous for their resident
Hawfinches and we’ll try not to become too
distracted by the Nuthatch, Marsh Tit, Bramblings
and Yellowhammers that may be around the
feeding area. Firecrest are here, but are very
elusive, as are Common Crossbill, but Treecreeper,
Long-tailed Tit, winter thrushes and Green and
Great Spotted Woodpeckers are possible.
Welney WWT Reserve with its heated hide, can
be wonderful on a cold winter’s day. Masses of
Wigeon, Teal, Shoveler and Pintail winter, along
with up to a thousand Pochard! Thousands of
Whooper Swans feed out on the fields, with
much smaller numbers of Bewick’s Swans, which
we shall look for - if not, there are often a few Whoopers on the Reserve. Feeding time is a lot
of fun, with Pochard and other ducks scrambling
for the seed, along with small numbers of swans.
Black-tailed Godwit can be numerous, while other
likely waders include Ruff, Dunlin, Avocet and
flocks of Golden Plover. Cattle Egret and Great
White Egret are now regular here, as are distant
Common Cranes.
Masses of waders can be on The Wash at
Snettisham with Knot, Dunlin, Bar-tailed Godwit
and other waders providing quite a show as the
tide comes in. We are not here for the big spring
tides, but even if the tides are lower, the number
and variety of waders make for a fabulous visit -
and on the gravel pits there may be Goldeneye,
Red-breasted Merganser, grebes and waders.
Depending on recent sightings, there are so many
other sites we could visit. In February, Glaucous
or Iceland Gulls are possible, there may be rare
geese such as Red-breasted or Snow Goose, or
perhaps a Great Northern Diver or Rough-legged
Buzzard. Over the years we have seen a number
of rarities - Pallid Harrier, Eastern Black Redstart,
Red-breasted Goose, Short-toed Lark and even a
Black-winged Kite - so keep your fingers crossed
for something exciting.
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| Day 8 | After breakfast on Saturday morning we say
our farewells.
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Just some of what we hope to see..
| Common Crane | Spotted Redshank | Shorelark |
| Cattle Egret | Black-tailed Godwit | Cetti’s Warbler |
| Great White Egret | Hen Harrier | Bearded Tit |
| Short-eared Owl | Marsh Harrier | Brambling |
| White-fronted Goose | Peregrine | Hawfinch |
| Whooper Swan | Barn Owl | Water Pipit |
| Bewick’s Swan | Red-throated Diver | Snow Bunting |
| Egyptian Goose | Slavonian Grebe | Rarities |
| Brent Goose | Long-tailed Duck | Chinese Water Deer |
| Avocet | Velvet Scoter | Reeve's Muntjac |
"The week in Norfolk was brilliant and, although it focused mainly on coastal birds / reserves, we also travelled inland with visits to Lynford Arboretum near Thetford (hawfinch, crossbills and bramblings) and WWT Welney near Ely where we drove alongside fields of swans (Mute, Whooper and Bewick's) and saw mixed flocks of Golden Plover and Lapwing on the reserve itself. For me, Norfolk in February is synonymous with large flocks of geese and the week certainly did not disappoint! In fact, the field by the hotel car park became our starting point each morning, where we scanned the field finding Greylags, Pink-footed and White-fronted Geese and on one morning were delighted when two Tundra Bean Geese also appeared! In addition to the wonderful flocks of geese we saw on a daily basis, there were many other highlights for me including: a flock of delightful Snow Buntings flying back and forth from the beach at Winterton-on-Sea onto the roof of the beach hut just in front of us; cranes and Marsh Harriers flying into roost at Stubb Mill by Hickling Broad; great views of a Water Rail and Snipe at Cley Marshes; waders galore at high tide on the Wash at Snettisham; the Eastern Black Redstart on Sheringham Seafront; Glossy Ibis and Cattle Egret on Stiffkey Marsh; and a small group of Velvet Scoters flying off shore at Hunstanton. None of this would have been possible without our very knowledgeable guide Roy who led us expertly through the week, driving us over many miles in search of all of the above - thank you!"
Catriona Smart
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"Thousands of Pink-feet in skeins crossing high in the sky as light faded. The sight of Marsh Harriers coming in to roost at Tichwell, and similarly Marsh Harriers and Cranes flying in to roost near Stubb Mill, Hickling"
Roger Rooke
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"Sighting 114 species, of which 7 were new to me"
Roger Shorrock
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"A Barn Owl fly by at close quarters - my first UK Barn Owl. Hundreds (and hundreds) of geese in flight. A Firecrest showing clearly its acrobatic skills feeding in a holly bush. At least a dozen Long-tailed Tits and a Treecreeper feeding on the ground. The vista over Old Hunstanton beach with the tide out, the sun shining and Shore Larks on the edge of the dunes. A male Marsh Harrier displaying with the sun highlighting his wing colours - so close!"
Linda Fitch
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"Too many highlights. Shore Larks on the beach and good views of Goshawks. Best of all
Lynford Arboretum with amazing views of a Hawfinch on the ground and many other birds
coming and going. All due to two great leaders Roy and Jane who complemented each other
perfectly"
John and Melanie Parker
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"Dusk at the roost when cranes and Marsh Harriers came in, and out on the marsh with
geese flying out and some spectacular sunsets. Fields full of birds and hares"
Barbara Yorke
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"Seeing a Pallid Harrier for the 1st time, with a setting sun and beautiful sunset. Also, spending time with a happy and friendly group of people"
Jill Patrick
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"The sights & sounds of birds en masse, moving from place to place, especially in evening light. Being with people with common interests, who are happy to share their expertise"
Dorothy Hutchinson
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"The group had a variety of highlights; mine were the sight of Shore Larks on a beach, 25+ Cranes quite close in a field and the huge numbers of Pink-footed Geese and Brent Geese. What, though, I want to emphasise was the calibre in all respects of Roy and Jane Atkins. They are a great advertisment for your company. They ensured that nobody was excluded from seeing whatever had been spotted and were ever alert to those that might need a little help. Their contributions meant that the holiday exceeded our expectations"
John Lander
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"Spectacular views of geese especially flying in. Very good views of Chinese Water Deer. Snettisham at high tide with thousands of Knot"
Sheila Jones
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"After watching the Knots and Oystercatchers being pushed off the mud by the rising tide, the icing on the cake was a magnificent and noisy flyover by thousands of Pink-footed Geese coming in to roost for the night. Something I'll never forget"
Sue Aldam
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