North Wales Birdwatching with Celebrity BBC Springwatch Presenter
Iolo Williams
Monday 13th - Friday 17th December 2021
Iolo Williams always makes new friends everywhere he goes!
Overview
This is a five-day birdwatching tour in North Wales.
December is a wonderful time to visit
North Wales so why not treat yourself to a wonderful pre-Christmas present?! Join us here to wrap up your year with our exciting blend of resident and winter birds and wildlife. Add to this the wide variety of habitats and stunning scenery, ranging from mountains to coastline, woodland and estuaries, and you have the perfect mix for a birdwatching break.
Expect to see plenty of exciting birds during your stay in this beautiful part of the world! And with BBC Springwatch's Iolo Williams on hand to share with you the amazing wildlife of North Wales as well as some of the behind-the-scenes stories from the iconic wildlife TV series, you know you will have a wonderful Birdwatching Trip!
Itinerary
Day 1:
Our tour starts with arrival at the Princes Arms Hotel in the picturesque
Conwy Valley in time to check in to the hotel before we have lunch together with your guides, Iolo, Alan and Ruth. After lunch we explore the Conwy Valley where we may see Goshawk, Red Kite, Redwing, Fieldfare, wildfowl and more.
Overnight at the Princes Arms Hotel where we stay throughout the tour.
Image right: Stunning scenery in Snowdonia
Day 2:
We visit the beautiful island of
Anglesey with its dramatic coastal scenery. Chough and Black Guillemot will be high on our wanted list but we will also look for wintering waders, wildfowl, raptors and seabirds. A visit to RSPB South Stack will be one of the highlights on this day to see the dramatic sea-cliffs. Other bird highlights could include Great Northern Diver, pale-bellied Brent Geese, Pintail, Golden Plover and Water Rail. We may also see harbour porpoise, Atlantic grey seals and red squirrels, sure to be an exciting day.
Day 3:
We explore the
North Wales coast, visit a number of wonderful birdwatching sites in this bird-rich area looking for flocks of wildfowl and waders and raptors. Keeping our eyes peeled, we may encounter a colourful Kingfisher. If the sea conditions are calm, we will check the vast flocks of Common Scoter offshore here and may be lucky enough to pick out a rare American Surf Scoter amongst the masses of duck here. In the evening we may take a walk by the Conwy River, close to the hotel, where we may encounter a Woodcock.
Day 4:
Weather permitting, we may make an early start to look for both
Black Grouse and Red Grouse on the high moors. These uplands also hold Ravens and raptors and we may be lucky enough to encounter Goshawk and Peregrine. Afterwards, we will head for the Dee Estuary to visit the wonderful RSPB Burton Mere Wetlands, for masses of waders and wildfowl, and always the chance for more raptors, including the enigmatic Hen Harrier.
Image right: Red-breasted Mergansers add a splash of colour
Day 5:
We spend the morning exploring
RSPB Conwy Nature Reserve. Here we will enjoy close views of waders and wildfowl, perhaps the chance of Kingfisher and stunning views of Conwy Castle and the mountains of Snowdonia. In recent years, this reserve has become a regular site for wintering Firecrest. We return to the hotel for lunch before guests depart for their homeward journey at the end of our North Wales tour.
Please note that the exact itinerary may change due to latest bird news, weather, tides or other circumstances beyond our control.
The tour is based at the
Princes Arms Hotel in
Trefriw, in the Conwy Valley. This lovely country hotel overlooks the Conwy River so the bird and wildlife watching begins right on the doorstep. A warm welcome awaits from hosts Lindsay and Ann Gordon and the wonderful food will be an added bonus of the tour. Additional nights, pre or post tour, can be arranged at the hotel. For more information, visit their website on
http://www.princes-arms.co.uk/ Image right: Princes Arms Hotel, our comfortable base for this tour
Our tour
includes:
- Four nights' accommodation in a comfortable en suite room
- All meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner) from lunch on day one through to lunch on day five
- Guiding throughout by Alan and Ruth
- All entrance fees to reserves
- Use of our top-of-the-range telescopes
- Free loan of binoculars for the trip if requested in advance
- Use of our field guides
- A personal checklist of the birds and other wildlife
Image right: red squirrel, we look for these wonderful characters on Anglesey
The tour does
not include:
- Alcoholic drinks
- Transport to and from the Princes Arms at the start and end of the tour
- Any extra drinks or snacks taken during the tour
- Any items of a personal nature
- Personal travel insurance
Transfer from Llandudno Junction railway station to and from the hotel can be arranged at no extra cost.
Your guides for this tour will be
Iolo Williams, the celebrity BBC Wildlife Presenter and the local experts
Alan Davies and
Ruth Miller who have many years’ experience as professional bird guides. Alan is author of the popularly-acclaimed site guide entitled ‘Best Birdwatching Sites in North Wales’ so nobody knows better than him just where to find all the best birds in North Wales. Alan and Ruth worked for the RSPB before setting up their successful birdwatching tour company back in 2009, and they now spend most of their time sharing the wonderful birdlife of North Wales with visitors to this beautiful area.
Black Grouse looking stunning in the snow
Charismatic Chough, one of our target species
Drawing on our huge experience of running tours in this area, we visit the best birdwatching sites that
North Wales has to offer. We will also be in touch with all the latest birdwatching information to ensure we see as many birds as possible. The pace of the tour will be
relaxed as we take our time to enjoy the wonderful birds and mammals in the area.
On this special celebrity small-group guided birdwatching tour, we take a maximum of
six participants and
three guides, Iolo, Alan and Ruth, to make sure that everyone receives individual attention and the best possible opportunities to enjoy the all birds that we encounter. At
BirdwatchingTrips, we work hard to ensure that everyone enjoys the best possible guided birdwatching experience.
Image right: Dramatic coastline at South Stack
During the tour, we will be looking for:
Red-throated Diver, Great Northern Diver, Great Crested Grebe, Slavonian Grebe, Fulmar, Shag, Little Egret, Whooper Swan, Pink-footed Goose, pale-bellied Brent Goose, Pintail, Eider, Surf Scoter, Velvet Scoter, Red-breasted Merganser, Goosander, Red Kite, Hen Harrier, Goshawk, Merlin, Peregrine Falcon, Red Grouse, Black Grouse, Water Rail, Golden Plover, Purple Sandpiper, Woodcock, Black-tailed Godwit, Bar-tailed Godwit, Greenshank, Turnstone, Mediterranean Gull, Common Guillemot, Razorbill, Black Guillemot, Stock Dove, Kingfisher, Skylark, Rock Pipit, Grey Wagtail, Dipper, Stonechat, Fieldfare, Redwing, Firecrest, Great Grey Shrike, Chough, Raven, Brambling, Siskin, Lesser Redpoll, Common Crossbill, Bullfinch, Hawfinch, Reed Bunting and any other scarce and rare birds that may be around at this great time of year. Expect to enjoy around 120 species of bird on the tour.
Other Information
The dates of this special tour are:
Monday 13th - Friday 17th December 2021
The price of this fully-inclusive guided birdwatching holiday is
£1550 per person, no single supplement . There will be a maximum of
six participants plus your
three guides, Iolo Williams, BBC Wildlife Presenter, Alan and Ruth, on this
guided birdwatching trip to ensure everyone has the best possible experience. Delicious breakfasts and evening meals will be taken at our hotel while tasty lunches will be enjoyed at local cafes.
To book your place or to ask for more information on our
Best of North Wales December 2021 Trip please email us on
info@birdwatchingtrips.co.uk
We look forward to hearing from you and sharing the best birdwatching in
North Wales with you!
General Tour Information:
Difficulty:
Easy. Walks are on trails and footpaths which may have an uneven surface. You should be able to walk unaided at least a mile on rough or uneven surfaces. Please contact us if you have any concerns over your participation.
Payment:
Payment can be made by cheque or electronic bank transfer. We ask for 20% deposit upon booking with the balance due by 70 days before travel. Full details are provided on our Booking Form. Please ensure you also see our Terms and Conditions and Booking Confirmation Statement. We are compliant with the Packaged Travel Regulations 2018 and have Financial Failure Insurance in place to give you and your money the fullest possible protection.
Transportation:
Transport will be in a comfortable air-conditioned minibus.
Accommodation:
Accommodation will be in a very comfortable hotel, all bedrooms are ensuite. There is no lift in this delightful Victorian hotel.
Participants:
This tour will run with a minimum of three and a maximum of six guests. The tour will go ahead provided at least three guests have booked by 70 days before the start of the tour.
Cancellation:
Please see our the Terms and Conditions on our website. Full cancellation details are on our booking form. Please ask us if you would like us to send you a copy.
Travel and medical Insurance:
Please make sure you have the correct insurance cover in place for this tour before the start of the trip.
Terms and Conditions
Please see our
Terms and Conditions page for all the details.