The Best of North Wales Birdwatching Trip October 2022
Saturday 1st - Wednesday 5th October 2022
Please email us on info@birdwatchingtrips.co.uk for more information or to book your place on this exciting birdwatching holiday.
One of our top target birds, the charismatic Red-billed Chough
This is a five-day birding tour in North Wales.
October is an exciting time to visit North Wales with its wonderful blend of resident, migrant, returning winter birds and maybe a few lingering summer birds. Anything can and does turn up here at this time of year. Add to this the wide variety of habitats and stunning scenery, ranging from mountains to coast, and you have the perfect mix for a birdwatching break.
The dramatic coastal landscape of RSPB South Stack
Itinerary
Day one
Our tour starts with arrival at the Princes Arms Hotel in the picturesque Conwy Valley in time for lunch. After lunch we will enjoy some local birdwatching including a visit RSPB Conwy where we can expect to enjoy waders and wildfowl at close range.
Day two
We spend the day on 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 migrants, raptors and seabirds. A visit to RSPB South Stack will be one of the highlights on this day.
Day three
Today we will focus on the North Wales mainland where a short drive takes us to the Great Orme headland; the sea-cliffs and limestone pavements here are a temporary home to migrant birds and this Local Nature Reserve has a track record for turning up the unexpected. We also visit other sites along the nearby coast for more waders, wildfowl and migrants.
We may be lucky enough to encounter a Short-eared Owl
Day Four
We head east to the Dee Estuary in search of more raptors, wildfowl and waders as well as Great White Egret and an excellent chance of something exciting at this time of year; in October anything is possible! A visit to RSPB Burton Mere Wetlands will be part of this exciting day.
Day Five
We spend the morning exploring the Conwy Valley and adjacent uplands. We return to the hotel for lunch before guests depart for their homeward journey at the end of our North Wales tour.
The exact itinerary may change due to latest bird information, weather, tides or other circumstances beyond our control.
Sure to be a smart Yellow-browed Warbler to look for at this time of year
During the tour we will look for such exciting species as:
Red-throated Diver, Great Northern Diver, Great Crested Grebe, Slavonian Grebe, Fulmar, Manx Shearwater, Gannet, Shag, Great Egret, Pintail, Eider, Common Scoter, Pale-bellied Brent Goose, Red-breasted Merganser, Goosander, Red Kite, Hen Harrier, Goshawk, Peregrine Falcon, Red Grouse, Black Grouse, Water Rail, Avocet, Golden Plover, Black-tailed Godwit, Bar-tailed Godwit, Ruff, Greenshank, Arctic Skua, Mediterranean Gull, Common Guillemot, Razorbill, Black Guillemot, Stock Dove, Kingfisher, Skylark, Rock Pipit, Grey Wagtail, Dipper, Stonechat, Ring Ouzel, Chough, Lapland Bunting and any other migrants and rarities that may occur at this great time of year. Expect the unexpected is the watchword in October! You should enjoy over 100 species on this exciting birdwatching tour.
Lapland Bunting is a regular passage migrant in North Wales
Your guides for this tour will be local expert guides
Alan Davies and
Ruth Miller. Alan has many years’ experience as a professional bird guide and is the author of the acclaimed site guide entitled ‘Best Birdwatching Sites in North Wales’. Ruth writes a monthly article in Bird Watching magazine, Britain's most popular bird publicationl. Both Alan and Ruth used to work for the RSPB before setting up their successful birdwatching tour company together back in 2009, and they now spend their time sharing the wonderful birdlife of North Wales with visitors to this beautiful area.
On this special small-group tour, we are only taking a maximum of
six guests with both Alan and Ruth guiding. This allows us to offer an extremely
high guest-to-guide ratio to make sure everyone has the highest levels of individual attention on our tour and the best possible views of all the birds that we encounter.
Handsome Firecrest will be high on our target list
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 birdwatching begins right on the doorstep. A warm welcome awaits you 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. See their website for more details of this wonderful hotel -
http://princes-arms.co.uk/
Our hotel is in the beautiful Conwy Valley where the exciting birdwatching can start right from your bedroom window!
The price of this exciting small-group tour is
£995 per person, deposit £199 per person, and we are pleased to confirm that there is
no single room supplement!.
What is included in the price of this Birdwatching Trip:- Guiding throughout by Alan and Ruth
- Use of our top-of-the-range Leica telescopes
- Free loan of binoculars for the trip if requested in advance
- Use of our field guides
- Individual checklist of the birds we will be looking for
- Four nights' accommodation in a comfortable en suite room - no single room supplement!
- All meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner) from lunch on day one through to lunch on day five
- All entrance fees to reserves
What is not included in the price of this Birdwatching Trip:- Transport to and from the Princes Arms at the start and end of the tour
- Any extra drinks or snacks taken during the tour
- Alcoholic drinks
- Any items of a personal nature
- Travel insurance
We may be able to offer you a transfer from Llandudno Junction railway station to and from the hotel at no extra cost. Please contact us for the most suitable train arrival and departure times.
For more information or to reserve your place on this exciting Birdwatching Trip, please email us on:
info@birdwatchingtrips.co.ukWe look forward to sharing lots of great birds in North Wales with you!
Ring Ouzels will be passing through this area on their autumn migration
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 to give you the fullest possible protection.
Transportation:
Transport will be in a comfortable air-conditioned minibus; you should be able to get in and out of a standard 9-seater minibus unaided.
Accommodation:
Accommodation will be in a very comfortable hotel, all bedrooms are ensuite. There is no lift in this delightful Victorian hotel. Bedrooms are on the first floor but we will be happy to help you with your luggage.
Participants:
This tour will run with a minimum of four and a maximum of six guests.
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 when you are booking the trip.
Terms and Conditions