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Burns, Birds & Highland Beasties. Plus Solway Firth extension

Type: Wildlife Watching Tour

Dates: 24 January to 31 January 2025

Overview: Our Burns Breaks for January 2022, 2023 and 2024 sold out within a week, so early booking is recommended. See below to read about the optional extension to this holiday. We're even offering transport there and back from our base near Solihull West Midlands.

The Burns Night Gala Dinner at the Grant Arms Hotel is always fun, entertaining, with fabulous food and great service. The piper welcomes in the Haggis (other food available of course), which will be toasted by us all.

This great night will just be a part of this winter break in the Highlands as we visit various wildlife hotspots within the Cairngorm national park.

Snow isn't guaranteed even in this part of the world, but does add to the atmosphere of the break and we are more likely to encounter some on a trip to Cairngorm Mountain. Snow Buntings should be around the car park here at this time of year and we may even be able to catch a glimpse of Ptarmigan.

This area is stunning at all times of the year, but be sure to bring a camera for this one as if we do get snow, the landscape is truly breathtaking and makes the evening meal and a dram of whisky by the fire at the end of the day, go down even better.

A trip to the coast for some birdwatching can be very productive, with Waders like Purple Sandpiper, offshore Divers, Scoters and Long-tailed Duck being targets.

The Price of £1005 includes -
* Five nights full board accommodation at the wonderful Grant Arms Hotel, within the Cairngorms national park.
* Transport and guiding throughout
* Burns Gala Dinner
* Cairngorm mountain visit looking for Snow Buntings & Ptarmigan
* Visit to Udale Bay RSPB and other coastal sites for wintering birds
* Visit to Findhorn Valley in search of Golden Eagle & Mountain Hare
* Hunt for Crested Tits and Red Squirrels in Anagach woods and Abernethy forest.
* Evening talk by Ashley

Transportation throughout is provided, including collection and drop of from Aviemore railway station, or Inverness airport if required. See below if you'd like a lift there and back..

FULLY BOOKED

Transportation by minibus is provided throughout this holiday, but you may also be interested in our offer to take you there and back for just an additional £95. Contact us for more information.

Those opting for the return transportation might be interested in an optional two night extension near Dumfries, where we'll not only enjoy some very nice accommodation and good food, but have a full day to explore the local wildlife.

SOLWAY FIRTH TWO NIGHT EXTENSION
This extension will include a visit to Caerlaverock WWT centre or Mersehead RSPB reserve and a chance to witness what is surely one of the best wildfowl spectacles in the British Isles, with thousands of over wintering Barnacle Geese and much more besides, including Hen Harriers which are a regular sight in this area in winter.

The cost of this extension to the main holiday is just £299 and includes two nights on a dinner bed and breakfast basis in a very nice local hotel, transportation throughout and cost of entry to the wetland centre and of course guiding throughout.

The price for this full week long 2 centre holiday including transportation there and back is £1399

Just get in touch for full information.

FULLY BOOKED

Cost: £1399

Deposit: £250

Request a full itinerary here

Contact me here to book your space.

or book your space online. (Requires a deposit).

       

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Southern Portugal, Alentejo & Algarve Birdwatching

Type: Wildlife Watching Tour

Dates: 09 February to 16 February 2025

Overview: Portugal offers a fantastic diversity of habitats and consequently of birds in a relatively small area, so this birding programme will enable you to visit several species rich areas without needing to travel long distances. The first four nights of the holiday we stay in Tavira where the coast and salt pans are literally on the doorstep.

From Faro city centre and its International Airport, Ria Formosa Natural Park is just 15 minutes’ drive away, while Castro Marim Nature Reserve can be reached in 40 minutes. These two important protected wetland areas offer extensive bird lists that include Greater Flamingo, White Stork, Eurasian Spoonbill, Glossy Ibis, Purple Heron, Booted Eagle, Pallid Swift, Bluethroat, European Serin and an excellent selection of ducks, waders, gulls and terns. Some of the places you will visit are unique in Portugal as sites for rare and highly localised species, like Audouin’s and Slender-billed Gulls and Lesser Short-toed Lark. These are also excellent spots for getting close views of scarce species like Little Bittern and Western Swamphen. Little Owl, Red-necked Nightjar, Eurasian Hoopoe, Common Kingfisher, European Bee-eater, Sardinian and Spectacled Warblers and Iberian Magpie are particularly abundant here. The cliffs and shore at Cape St. Vincent should provide an excellent opportunity for participants to see a wide range of sea bird species.

Another short 45-minute drive takes you to complementary biotopes and consequently new bird species in the Alentejo. We stay at another lovely hotel for our last three nights in this tranquil area, where again the wildlife is all around us.
Here, you will visit both the rolling plains of Castro Verde (the home of Great and Little Bustards, Red Kite, Montagu's Harrier, Black-winged Kite, Lesser Kestrel, Eurasian Stone- curlew, Black-bellied Sandgrouse, Great Spotted Cuckoo, European Roller, Calandra Lark, etc...) and the bluffs and hills of the Guadiana Valley Natural Park, noted for species like Black Stork, Iberian/Spanish Imperial, Golden and Bonelli's Eagles, Eurasian Black and Griffon Vultures, Turtle Dove, Eurasian Eagle Owl, Iberian Green Woodpecker, Eurasian Crag Martin, Red-rumped Swallow, Black-eared Wheatear, Blue Rock Thrush, Spotless Starling, Golden Oriole, Spanish Sparrow, Hawfinch, Cirl Bunting and Rock Bunting.

During our time in Portugal we'll stay at two very well chosen hotels, each close to some amazing habitats to keep road time to a minimum. As with all of our holidays the pace is gentle, putting the emphasis on relaxed birdwatching with photographic opportunities and as one of my regulars puts it, some first class "Apres Birding"... A holiday in the true sense of the word.

Whats included
- 7 nights Half board accommodation at two great hotels
- Lunches each day in local restaurants
- Local guide plus one or two Experience Nature guides
- Transportation throughout in an air-conditioned vehicle
- Airport transfers to and from Faro International airport
- All reserve entry permits
- Drinking water throughout & wine with meals
- A contribution of 40 Euros the Conservation Project in the Guadiana Valley Natural Park

- The price below does NOT include flights, but these are often reasonably priced, often less that £150 return. Our preferred flight for this holiday will be with Jet2 from Birmingham to Faro, but please discuss with us if you prefer to use a different UK airport.

FULLY BOOKED

Cost: £2295

Deposit: £350

Request a full itinerary here

Contact me here to book your space.

or book your space online. (Requires a deposit).

       

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Devon's Winter Birdlife

Type: Wildlife Watching Tour

Dates: 23 February to 28 February 2025

Overview: Join us in Devon for a five night, half board birdwatching break based at TLH leisure resort Torquay.

These holidays have attracted repeat visitors annually since we started running them in 2018 because of their great value, fab birding and have proved a great starting point for beginner and novice birders over the years.

We visit several of Devon's top birdwatching sites to see a variety of birds that take advantage of the warmer winters the county enjoys.
Flocks of waders including Avocets, Godwits & Golden Plover enjoy the food rich marshes and at points along the coast we have the chance of catching up with Cirl Buntings, which breed in this part of the country alone.

This break offers a great combination of quality birdwatching and excellent hotel facilities at an affordable price.

Whats included:
- 5 nights dinner, bed & breakfast at the TLH Victoria Hotel
- Pre dinner drinks reception on the first night to meet your host/tour guide Ashley Grove and fellow bird watchers
- Half day trip of bird watching to Bowling Green Marsh RSPB (Topsham)
- Full day trip of bird watching at Exminster Marshes RSPB & Dawlish Warren
- A talk on How to be a bird watcher
- Half day trip to Stover Country park
- Evening talk by Ashley 'Shetland to Scilly, Birds of The British Isles'
- Transport for all trips is included.
- (Packed lunches not included but can be ordered at TLH Victoria Hotel) 

To book a place, Contact TLH directly on 01803 400500

No Single Supplement on this break!!

2 SPACES AVAILABLE

Cost: £400

Deposit: £

Request a full itinerary here

Contact me here to book your space.

or book your space online. (Requires a deposit).

       

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Swedens Crane Migration, Grebes & Great Food

Type: Wildlife Watching Tour

Dates: 09 April to 13 April 2025

Overview: The Lake Hornborga area of Sweden plays host to one of the most incredible bird spectacles to be seen in Europe. From late March to mid April, thousands of Common Cranes stop here to feed up on their journey to more northerly breeding grounds. The quantity of birds varies from year to year, but we have timed this trip to catch the peak of the birds movement and hope to see between 15 and 30,000 cranes at this time. In 2019 the peak count reached upwards of 27,000 birds, plus of course a wide variety of wildfowl that are present at this time. A highlight of this trip will be the sight and sound of thousands of Cranes coming into the lake at dawn, which really has to be experienced.

Whooper Swans and Goldeneye that stay on to breed in the area are joined by White Fronted & Pink-footed Geese, Wigeon, Pintail, Gadwall, Teal, Shoveler, Pochard and Tufted Duck in large numbers.
Other breeding birds in the area are setting up territory at this time and very evident are the grebes. Great-crested and Little Grebes are present, but in addition Red-necked and Slavonian Grebes breed here and often Black-necked pass through at this time, so it can be a Grebe bonanza.

We also visit other areas locally which are fabulous for birdwatching, sites where we could be lucky enough to see some birds that are either very rare in the UK, or don't occur at all. Capercaillie, Black Grouse, Black Woodpecker, Hawfinch, even Eagle Owl and Pygmy Owl are all possible.

Our base for the 4 nights is a converted water mill, where the owner prides himself in offering top quality, locally sourced and organic food and wine.
This tranquil riverside location has some wonderful local walks to enjoy and we also will have a canoe safari on one evening in search of Beaver which are relatively common in the area.

The gentle flow of the water and sound of bird song is only broken by the occasional splosh of a beaver submerging as we approach.

This break has a very relaxed pace to it, with ample down time to enjoy the locality and its wildlife and to round off the package, we have a meal in a very well recommended local restaurant on one of our evenings.

Flights are in addition to this price and are with British Airways from Heathrow, coming in usually between £150 and £250 return.

The minimum number for this trip is 5, with a max of 8. There is a single supplement charge of £245, but please let us know if you are willing to share.

FULLY BOOKED

Cost: £1475

Deposit: £300

Request a full itinerary here

Contact me here to book your space.

or book your space online. (Requires a deposit).

       

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Spring Migration in Lesvos

Type: Wildlife Watching Tour

Dates: 27 April to 04 May 2025

Overview: Spring in the tiny Greek island of Lesvos has long been renowned as one of the best places to experience bird migration in Europe.

Resident species will now be on territory, so we'll look for singing Cinereous Bunting and Kruper's Nuthatch, along with Masked Shrike, Middle-spotted Woodpecker and Sombre Tit.

We should see other Shrike species arrive as the week progresses, Red-backed, Woodchat & Lesser Grey, along with Olivaceous Warbler and Hoopoes arriving in numbers to nest.

Rarer species also begin to move through at this time which may include Red-throated Pipit, Thrush Nightingale and Red-breasted Flycatcher, Great Snipe, Marsh Terns, Barred Warbler, River Warbler and Wrynecks.

We'll visit raptor watch points where we'll look for Red-footed & Eleanora's Falcons, Honey Buzzard and maybe even Lavant Sparrowhawk among other more common species.

Wetland areas are hotspots for much of the bird movement and Spotted Crake & possibly Little Crake are likely, along with Night Heron, Glossy Ibis & Purple Heron while overhead both Alpine & Pallid Swifts are possible among the Commons hawking for insects.

Basing ourselves in a small quiet hotel, right next to coastal lagoons and salt pans, we'll be in the right place at the right time and could see close to 150 species of birds during our week on the island.

This holiday will have our usual relaxed approach to birdwatching, quietly enjoying the wildlife in its environment, but a few early starts will be necessary to get catch the "early bird".

There is no doubt that this trip will be full of surprise encounters and plenty of wow moments for us among some stunning landscapes and hopefully under sunny skies. And while predominately a holiday for birders of all levels, there will no doubt be plenty of photographic opportunities throughout.

Whats included;
- 7 nights accommodation, including breakfast, dinner & lunch.
- Transportation throughout your stay.
- 2 birdwatching guides

Your flight is not included, but this holidays dates are based on return flights with Jet2 from London Stansted.

Double rooms for single occupancy are available at a supplement of £180

4 SPACES REMAINING

Cost: £1595

Deposit: £300

Request a full itinerary here

Contact me here to book your space.

or book your space online. (Requires a deposit).

       

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Spanish Pyrenees & Med Coast. Birds, Butterflies and so much more.

Type: Wildlife Watching Tour

Dates: 5 June to 15 June 2025

Overview: The Lammergeier is one of those must see birds and this tour gives you unrivalled opportunities to get up close to these amazing creatures.

We will use purpose built hides, overlooking where these birds feed throughout the year, high in the Spanish Pyrenees. Three hides offer different views of the birds, plus a forth hide close by overlooking a deep valley, offers the opportunity to photograph these birds against a spectacular mountain backdrop.

This fourth hide is almost guaranteed for very close views of Golden Eagle, as the locally nesting pair are fed regularly here by the hide owner. Nesting on adjacent cliffs, they often arrive just moments after the carrion is put in place.

Other regular raptors include, Griffon Vulture (over 400 birds during a feed) , Monk (Black) and Egyptian Vultures, Peregrine and Red Kites. In fact this is one of the only sites where you'll find all 4 of Europe's Vultures in one location. Booted Eagle are also seen here almost daily.

A fifth hide overlooks a natural pool, where regular Dartford, Bonelli's, Orphean & Subalpine Warblers, Rock & Cirl Bunting, Hoopoe, Crested Tit and plenty more besides come in to drink and bathe.

We will rotate use of each of the hides to give everyone ample opportunity of photographing or watching each key species on this holiday.

In addition to the birds, alpine flowers are numerous and over 100 Butterfly species have been recorded here, so plenty to keep all wildlife enthusiasts busy.

Sunsets are amazing up here at nearly 4000ft and to watch these with a cold beer at the end of the day, while Nightjars, Nightingales and Scops Owl call around you and Red Deer and Wild Boar emerge from the trees to graze, is it truly magical.

Holiday cost includes all transportation, accommodation and meals throughout your stay, plus use of the hides. Ashley will be on hand to offer advise to photographers where required and of course to spot the wildlife for you. The holiday dates are based on flights from Birmingham to Girona with Jet2. We will likely be travelling with you from Birmingham airport, if not we will meet you in Girona. However we advise reserving a couple of days either side of the holiday dates as flight schedules have changed a lot since the pandemic and could mean us flying to Barcelona El Prat airport instead.

We will also take time to explore the local area, where different birds and flora may be found. Plus Ashley will site pop up hides for photographers wishing to photograph some additional species. Red-backed Shrike is a particularly good opportunity.

Around the seven nights in the Pyrenees, we have three nights on the coast based near Empuriabrava. This adds a relaxing start and end to the holiday, where we can explore local wetlands for a different variety of colourful Spanish birds.

We can tailor the itinerary to suit you, with the right balance between, wildlife watching, walking, photography, or just downtime to relax in this tranquil setting.

The stay in the Pyrenees is on the site of a village that was abandoned in the 1970's. The new owner of the site has created a lovely dwelling which consists of five ensuite bedrooms for guest use, plus a further bedroom with adjacent bathroom.

There are two single ensuite rooms available, double ensuite rooms being used for single occupancy would be an additional £295 for the week.

We can comfortably accommodate a maximum group size of 7 people, plus two guides.


FULLY BOOKED

OTHER DATES MAY BE AVAILABLE ON REQUEST

CONTACT US ABOUT A FULLY BESPOKE HOLIDAY FOR JUST 6 PEOPLE IN THIS LOCATION

Cost: £2599

Deposit: £350

Request a full itinerary here

Contact me here to book your space.

or book your space online. (Requires a deposit).

       

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Beginners Birdwatching in Devon

Type: Wildlife Watching Tour

Dates: 01 September to 06 September 2025

Overview: Although Birders of all experience levels are welcome on all our holidays, this one will concentrate more on bird identification, noting the key features of the birds which separates them from being a similar species.

We'll visit a variety of habitats in South Devon giving us a good range of species to get to grips with at a relaxed pace.

Ashley will also give a couple of talks, one of which will give some handy pointers for telling similar species apart.

You'll return home a little wiser and better equipped to enjoy this relaxed pastime.

Whats included:
- 5 nights dinner, bed & breakfast at the TLH Victoria Hotel, Torquay
- Pre dinner drinks reception on the first night to meet your host/tour guide Ashley Grove and fellow bird watchers
- Guided throughout by Ashley Grove
- Two instructive talks illustrated with images from Ashleys wildlife portfolio
- Transport for all trips is included.
- Return transport if required from the Solihull area.

- (Packed lunches not included but can be ordered at the Hotel, or purchased locally)

The holiday will be limited to 8 participants only. 

To book a place, Contact Ashley on 07704 189835 or email experiencenaturetours@gmail.com

No Single Supplement on this break!!

SPACES AVAILABLE

Cost: £655

Deposit: £200

Request a full itinerary here

Contact me here to book your space.

or book your space online. (Requires a deposit).

       

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Carcassonne, Wine Tasting, Fine Food & Birds of Southern France

Type: Wildlife Watching Tour

Dates: 13 September to 20 September 2025

Overview: This will be our third time taking group to stay in 'Maison Tranquil' and the name of this lovely property really sums up the holiday we have planned for you in this beautiful part of France. We'll have sole use of the property for the week of our stay.

Set deep in the countryside overlooking a lake, with its own heated swimming pool, this large country house with seven large en-suite bedrooms is the perfect place to stay, relax and enjoy the birdlife of the Languedoc region of Southern France.

The local area has a variety of habitats to explore including woodland, rivers, wetland, farmland and 'Garrigue' a heathland type of habitat found only in Mediterranean countries, which supports a diverse range of wildlife.

Birdlife we might expect to see locally would be Firecrest, Tawny Pipit, Honey Buzzard, Short-toed Eagle, Hoopoe, Cirl Bunting, Rock Sparrow, Black Redstart, European Bee-eater, but going a little further afield on day trips out its possible to see various Heron species, Rock Thrush and perhaps some migrants as they head south for the winter.

An equal part of this holiday though will be put aside for relaxing in different ways. We've organised some wine tasting in the historic old village of Montoleiu, which is twinned with Hay-on-Wye in Herefordshire, both famous for the number of book shops they have. We'll spend time exploring this quaint village which sits in an elevated position with a river running either side of it.

We'll also spend a day visiting the nearby Medieval City of Carcassonne, which looks like it came straight out of a fairytale with its many turreted towers.

Our breakfast, most lunches and evening meals will be lovingly prepared by Wendy who has gained quite a reputation on our holidays as being quite a chef, so yet another reason to join us on this holiday.

We'll start the holiday with arrivals at Carcassonne airport, where Ashley will be ready with a minibus to transfer us all to the house, roughly 35 minutes drive. The minibus will be used throughout for our transportation.

The cost of the holiday below does not include flights and is based on one person sharing a double/twin room. Three double rooms are available for single occupancy at no additional charge.

Whats Included;
- All food, including any meals out are included in the price of this holiday, along with some wine with meals.
- Transportation throughout
- Wine tasting experience
- 7 nights accommodation at Maison Tranquil

Maximum group size is 7 people.

FULLY BOOKED

PRICE HELD FROM 2024 HOLIDAY
NO SINGLE SUPPLEMENTS ON THIS HOLIDAY

Cost: £1995

Deposit: £300

Request a full itinerary here

Contact me here to book your space.

or book your space online. (Requires a deposit).

       

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Devon Birding for the RSPB

Type: Wildlife Watching Tour

Dates: 28 September to 3 October 2025

Overview: Having now run over a dozen birdwatching holidays based at the Victoria Hotel, Torquay, we know we'll be in for a warm welcome and be well looked after for this holiday.

It's a great base for exploring some of South Devons top reserves, plus we'll drop in on a few others on our way down and back from the midlands.

Included in the price is minibus transportation throughout, including the journey there and back from a designated pick up point or two near Solihull/North Worcestershire.

The holiday is timed to coincide with the Autumn migration which will add to the diversity of the birdlife on offer in this area.

We'll visit sites in Devon like Exminster Marshes, Bowling Green Marsh, Slapton Ley, Dawlish Warren and on our journey there and back probably Slimbridge WWT and Ham Wall in Gloucestershire and Somerset respectively.

As ever the pace will be relaxed, but we'll certainly see a good variety of birdlife from various habitats. On previous holidays to this area at this time of year we've seen Cirl Bunting, Black Redstart, Pomarine Skua, Yellow-browed Warbler, Firecrest, Spoonbill, Long-billed Dowitcher, Spotted Redshank and Black-winged Stilt, plus a host regular species.

So what's included;

- Transportation throughout including return transport
- Five nights at the Victoria Hotel Torquay including breakfast & evening meal
- Visits to various top reserves in the Southwest.
- Fully guided and driven throughout by Ashley Grove


That's a great value holiday for less than £110 per day!

FULLY BOOKED

NO SINGLE SUPPLEMENT ON THIS HOLIDAY!!

SOME PROFIT FROM THIS HOLIDAY DONATED TO THE RSPB

If you'd like to book a place or have any questions please contact Ashley via email - experiencenaturetours@gmail.com, or by phone - 07704 189835

Cost: £645

Deposit: £180

Request a full itinerary here

Contact me here to book your space.

or book your space online. (Requires a deposit).

       

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North Norfolk Birds

Type: Wildlife Watching Tour

Dates: 17 October to 22 October 2025

Overview: The Feathers Hotel is our base for this holiday on Norfolks famously bird rich North coast.

Our holidays based at the hotel have proved a great hit, with the 2023 holiday pretty much selling out at the dinner table on our last evening in 2022! This left leaving little room for anyone else to enjoy the holiday, But new people have got in to try this out in October 2024 but we're already sold out!

We've extended this 2025 holiday to 5 nights from the original 3 to broaden the birding opportunities and now more nights to enjoy the hotels excellent hospitality and socialise with like minded group members.

The timing of this break gives us the chance of not only catching some late migrants, but also the arrival of the counties Winter visitors.

Thousands of Waders and Wildfowl spend the winter months in around the salt marsh habitat of Titchwell, Cley-next-the-sea and other famous coastal sites nearby, so we'll explore these thoroughly, along with other local hotspots like Snettisham, Holkham and Wells-next-the-sea.

Resident birds like Bearded Tit and Marsh Harrier are pretty much guaranteed at these sites, plus there's usually the odd rarity around like Yellow-browed Warbler, Shore Lark, Black Brant, perhaps a Stint, Hen Harrier, Grey Phalarope and it's always worth spending time staring out to sea.

Various Diver & Grebe species spend the winter months at sea and can be picked up close to shore at various places along this stretch of coastline, along with regular sightings of Scoters and Red-breasted Merganser and auks.

The holiday includes the following;

- 5 nights on a half board basis at the Feathers Hotel Dersingham

- Minibus transportation is also provided throughout this holiday, either make your own way to the hotel or jump in at our start point near Solihull or perhaps a pick on route.

Room availability;

We have six Double/Twin rooms available, so a maximum group size of 12.

For more information contact Ashley on 07704 189835 or by email experiencenaturetours@gmail.com

FULLY BOOKED

Cost: £955

Deposit: £250

Request a full itinerary here

Contact me here to book your space.

or book your space online. (Requires a deposit).

       

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Winter Waders Workshop in North Norfolk

Type: Wildlife Watching Tour

Dates: 30 October to 02 November 2025

Overview: Using The Feathers Hotel Dersingham as our base for this short break, we'll be well placed to explore the famous coastline and salt marsh habitats of North Norfolk, which hold a wide variety of overwintering wading birds.

Waders or Shorebirds are a hugely interesting group of birds, with each species specialising on a particular food, hence the diversity in their appearance. Bill length and shape vary greatly, with each species evolving to eat a particular prey and likewise leg length is also a key identification feature.

Identifying UK waders in their winter plumages requires a certain amount of knowledge, so we'll be looking at the key features to tell them apart.

Of course there will be other birds to see at the sites we'll visit which won't go unnoticed, but the main aim of this break is to go home a little more confident with your wader identification.

So if you're new to birding, or just want to get a good fix of a wonderful group of birds, you'll be very welcome.

The holiday includes the following;

- 3 nights on a half board basis at the Feathers Hotel Dersingham

- Transportation is included for this holiday by minibus and this includes a lift there and back from the Solihull area if required.

Room availability;

We have six Double/Twin rooms available. Double rooms are available for single occupancy for an additional £125.

Max group size is 8 people.

For more information contact Ashley on 07704 189835 or by email experiencenaturetours@gmail.com

SPACES AVAILABLE

Cost: £675

Deposit: £180

Request a full itinerary here

Contact me here to book your space.

or book your space online. (Requires a deposit).

       

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Jewels of The Gambia

Type: Wildlife Watching Tour

Dates: 07 November to 21 November 2025

Overview: The Gambia has been a popular Birdwatching destination since the 1970's and is still probably the safest African Country to visit. No wonder our tour leader Ashley has visited well over 25 times, leading 23 holidays here since 2011.

As with all our trips, this is run at a relaxed pace, giving ample opportunity to enjoy the wildlife and in particular the many colourful bird species that can be found here. With 9 Kingfishers and 8 Bee-eater species for example, this guarantees to be a real feast for the eyes.

With little effort we can hope to see upwards of 250 bird species, with the photographers among us expecting to get quality images of a good percentage of these.

Throughout the trip we will have 3 guides and our own driver, making sure individual group members needs are catered for, so photographers for example can spend longer with a single species if they wish. The max group size will be 12 people.

We spend time near the coast, but also travel inland to experience the real Gambia and it's various habitats and associated wildlife, including Hippo's, Bee-eater colonies, bird rich rice paddies and ancient forests.

The tour dates coincide with return flights from Gatwick, but flights may also available from Birmingham and Manchester. These were axed post covid, but may be re-introduced.

Please contact Ashley for a full itinerary and do check out the Gambia gallery through the link below for further temptation.

The price below does not include flights.

FULLY BOOKED

SEE BELOW FOR 2026 DATES

Cost: £2495

Deposit: £300

See images from this Wildlife Watching Tour here

Request a full itinerary here

Contact me here to book your space.

or book your space online. (Requires a deposit).

       

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Sri Lanka - Birds, Leopards & Blue Whales

Type: Wildlife Watching Tour

Dates: 10 January to 29 January 2026

Overview: With so much to see in this wonderful little country, we have extended our original tour to 18 nights, two more than the 2023 holiday, enabling us to visit some of the wildlife rich areas in the North of the country, but also build in some quality downtime at first class locations.

In addition to the well known sites in the southern and central regions, visiting the north will increase our chances of seeing key species like Sri Lanka Leopards and Sloth Bears which proved very successful in 2023 with 3 Leopard and 2 Sloth Bear sightings on the same day.

We have chosen to stay at some of the best accommodation in Sri Lanka, so along with great food, we can enjoy comfortable, restful nights between our wildlife watching and some typical Sri Lankan hospitality.

Sri Lanka's bird list tops 430, including 33 endemics, and with the help of two highly experienced English-speaking guides, who will be with us throughout the tour, we will see most of them, including the rare Serendib Scops Owl, which was only discovered in 2004! Our visit coincides with the presence of winter visitors, including waders from Siberia and songbirds from the Himalayas.

In addition to the abundant birdlife, other wildlife we can expect to see are Marsh Mugger Crocodile and various land mammals such as Grey Langur and Purple-faced Leaf Monkeys, Water Buffalo, Sambar and Spotted Deer, Wild Boar, Indian Fruit Bat, various Mongoose species, Golden Jackal Sloth Bear, Leopard and Asian Elephant. On top of all this, our visit to the south coast is timed to coincide with a calm sea and the presence of Blue Whales, as well as several other whales and dolphins, which can often be seen from a boat at close range. Sri Lanka also has 244 species of Butterflies.

The price includes full board en-suite accommodation, all transport in Sri Lanka by air conditioned vehicle, all excursions and reserve entry fees, including three jeep safaris in national parks, and one whale watching excursion, plus bird checklist and the services of local guides & two Experience Nature guides.

The price does not include your flights (from £550 return pp from LHR with Sri Lanka airlines). Your personal travel insurance, alcoholic drinks or items of a personal nature.

Our visit in 2023 was a long time in coming due to Corona and Sri Lanka's instability as a result, meaning 3 cancelled holidays, but they are well and truly ready to receive tourists again and our 2023 holiday couldn't have gone better. Over 250 species of birds seen and rare Mammals like Sloth Bear, Leopard, Stripe-necked Mongoose and Golden Jackal, plus dozens of Butterfly species.

We're often asked asked "If I picked just one holiday, which should I go on?" This has to be the one, it really does have everything.

FULLY BOOKED

DUE TO THE POPULARITY OF THIS HOLIDAY WE HAVE ADDED ADDITIONAL DATES BELOW

Cost: £3365

Deposit: £395

Request a full itinerary here

Contact me here to book your space.

or book your space online. (Requires a deposit).

       

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Sri Lanka - Birds, Leopards & Blue Whales

Type: Wildlife Watching Tour

Dates: 31 January to 19 February 2026

Overview: With so much to see in this wonderful little country, we have extended our original tour to 18 nights, two more than the 2023 holiday, enabling us to visit some of the wildlife rich areas in the North of the country, but also build in some quality downtime at first class locations.

In addition to the well known sites in the southern and central regions, visiting the north will increase our chances of seeing key species like Sri Lanka Leopards and Sloth Bears which proved very successful in 2023 with 3 Leopard and 2 Sloth Bear sightings on the same day.

We have chosen to stay at some of the best accommodation in Sri Lanka, so along with great food, we can enjoy comfortable, restful nights between our wildlife watching and some typical Sri Lankan hospitality.

Sri Lanka's bird list tops 430, including 33 endemics, and with the help of two highly experienced English-speaking guides, who will be with us throughout the tour, we will see most of them, including the rare Serendib Scops Owl, which was only discovered in 2004! Our visit coincides with the presence of winter visitors, including waders from Siberia and songbirds from the Himalayas.

In addition to the abundant birdlife, other wildlife we can expect to see are Marsh Mugger Crocodile and various land mammals such as Grey Langur and Purple-faced Leaf Monkeys, Water Buffalo, Sambar and Spotted Deer, Wild Boar, Indian Fruit Bat, various Mongoose species, Golden Jackal Sloth Bear, Leopard and Asian Elephant. On top of all this, our visit to the south coast is timed to coincide with a calm sea and the presence of Blue Whales, as well as several other whales and dolphins, which can often be seen from a boat at close range. Sri Lanka also has 244 species of Butterflies.

The price includes full board en-suite accommodation, all transport in Sri Lanka by air conditioned vehicle, all excursions and reserve entry fees, including three jeep safaris in national parks, and one whale watching excursion, plus bird checklist and the services of local guides & two Experience Nature guides.

The price does not include your flights (from £550 return pp from LHR with Sri Lanka airlines). Your personal travel insurance, alcoholic drinks or items of a personal nature.

Our visit in 2023 was a long time in coming due to Corona and Sri Lanka's instability as a result, meaning 3 cancelled holidays, but they are well and truly ready to receive tourists again and our 2023 holiday couldn't have gone better. Over 250 species of birds seen and rare Mammals like Sloth Bear, Leopard, Stripe-necked Mongoose and Golden Jackal, plus dozens of Butterfly species.

We're often asked asked "If I picked just one holiday, which should I go on?" This has to be the one, it really does have everything.

JUST 5 PLACES REMAINING

Cost: £3365

Deposit: £395

Request a full itinerary here

Contact me here to book your space.

or book your space online. (Requires a deposit).

       

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Devons Spring Birdlife

Type: Wildlife Watching Tour

Dates: 19 April to 24 April 2026

Overview: Having now run over a dozen birdwatching holidays based at the Victoria Hotel, Torquay, we know we'll be in for a warm welcome and be well looked after for this holiday.

It's a great base for exploring some of South Devons top reserves, plus we'll drop in on a few others on our way down and back from the midlands.

Included in the price is minibus transportation throughout, including the journey there and back from a designated pick up point or two near Solihull/North Worcestershire.

The holiday is timed to coincide with the arrival of migrants to our shores, so we could be lucky enough to see a few rarities among the regular breeding birds, like the Little Bittern we saw on a previous holiday at this time.

We'll visit sites in Devon like Exminster Marshes, Bowling Green Marsh, Slapton Ley, Dawlish Warren, Yarner Woods and on our journey there and back probably Slimbridge WWT and Ham Wall in Gloucestershire and Somerset respectively.

As ever the pace will be relaxed, but we'll certainly see a good variety of birdlife from various habitats.

So what's included;

- Transportation throughout
- Five nights at the Victoria Hotel Torquay including breakfast & evening meal
- Visits to various top reserves in the Southwest.
- Fully guided and driven throughout by Ashley Grove


Thats's a great value holiday for just £132.50 per day!

SPACES AVAILABLE

NO SINGLE SUPPLEMENT ON THIS HOLIDAY!!

If you'd like to book a place or have any questions please contact Ashley via email - experiencenaturetours@gmail.com, or by phone - 07704 189835

Cost: £795

Deposit: £250

Request a full itinerary here

Contact me here to book your space.

or book your space online. (Requires a deposit).

       

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Ontario Spring Migration

Type: Wildlife Watching Tour

Dates: 29 April to 07 May 2026

Overview: After lengthy research and a recce planned for May 2025 we’re now ready to launch this long awaited holiday to one of the worlds premier areas for witnessing bird migration.
Point Pelee is within 30 minutes of where we’ll be staying and is famous for it’s spectacular birdwatching experiences, as numerous bird species pass through on their spring migration.
The reserve is most famous for its sightings of ‘New World Warblers’, with 41 of North America’s 53 colourful warbler species being recorded here, plus plenty more besides.
The bigger falls of migrants are weather dependant so we’ll be keeping the itinerary flexible and rely on the local knowledge of our guide as to where to birdwatch on each day.
The majority of the holiday will be spent exploring the various areas and habitats within Point Pelee national park, but we’ll also cover nearby Hillman Marsh and a little further around the bay, Rondeau Provincial Park which also experiences some epic falls of migrants.
We’ve already met our local guide face to face, exchanged umpteen emails and had a zoom meeting, so we’re very happy with the choice we’ve made. He’s been birding Ontario since he was a child with his dad and has guided many groups there over recent years. He also shares the same birdwatching ethos and ethics we do, so we’re in very good hands.

Our accommodation -
We’ll be staying in a very spacious residence in Kingsville, on the shoreline of Lake Erie with steps down to the beach and plenty of outdoor seating and a fire pit to sit around and discuss our daily adventures with a drink each evening.
The house will sleep 16, however we’ll be limiting the group size to 9 (including Wendy and myself) as the house has three and a half bathrooms.
The house has plenty of areas to relax when we’re home, but also offers a few extras like a hot tub, pool table and for the more energetic, a gym, basketball hoop and badminton court…

Room allocations -
1 x Double King ensuite.
1 x Double/Twin Ensuite (King and a Queen double bed in the room).
1 x Spacious Queen double
3 x Smaller Queen doubles for single occupancy with no supplement.

Remembering we will be running two 9 day holidays back to back, we’ll allocate one of the ensuite rooms for each holiday on a first come first served basis.

Wendy and I will take the remaining ensuite room for each holiday, but will be sharing our ensuite bathroom with another two people from the group. This leaves the remaining three people to share one and a half bathrooms.

We’re hoping you won’t mind which group dates you’ll be allocated too as this will make life easier for us, but please do express if you have a preference.

The choosing of our accommodation was the most lengthy process of organising this holiday and while there are a few properties in the area that will sleep a good group size, these just didn’t fit with our other must-haves, like proximity to the point, tranquil surroundings and being close to local restaurants.
The alternative was to stay at a hotel throughout, but this would have added an additional £500 per person to the holiday cost, plus hefty single supplements and of course removed the social aspect of the holiday and the flexibility of setting our own meal times.

Meals -
Breakfast - We’ll have a couple of early starts for sure and if there’s no time for breakfast before we leave we can take a birders breakfast at Point Pelee after some birding. We’ll be buying in plenty of options for you to help yourself in your own time to cereals, toast, etc each morning before we head out.
Lunch - Will usually be a packed lunch, but some lunches we’ll eat out.
Dinner - Wendy will prepare a few evening meals, but we’ll most often eat out at local restaurants.
We’ll know more detail on this once we’ve sampled the various eateries during our May 2025 recce.

Holiday add on ideas & Flights -
We’ve made the holiday length 8 nights as we feel this will give ample opportunity to get the best of this area. This of course also gives you the chance to add on some additional sightseeing to the trip without being out of the UK for too long for those that are still time restricted by work or other commitments.
The flights from the UK (LHR) will be into Toronto and onward to Windsor, which is around a one hour drive to where we will be staying in Kingsville. Just to give you an idea, the return flights with Air Canada came in at £900 each for our planned trip in May 2025.
Stay longer in the area? - Kingsville is Canadas southernmost town and caters well for tourists with plenty of small hotels and guesthouses where you can extend your stay. The town has it’s own winery which welcomes visitors and there’s even a local brewery called ‘Grove Brewing Company’, how good is that!
Toronto - When booking your flights you can of course choose to stay additional days in Toronto before heading home. As the capital city of Ontario it is stacked with history and has a wide range of places to visit and things to see and do. Toronto Pearson airport is Canadas largest by far and of course offers you plenty of choice to extend your stay in Canada to other areas. Perhaps the Rocky Mountains, Montreal or Vancouver?
Niagara Falls - If you fancied a road trip, why not hire a car from Windsor airport and drive to Niagara Falls, just a three and a half hour drive. The town of Niagara Falls straddles the Canadian/American border, but the best views of the falls themselves are from the Canadian side so no need to cross the border. The journey would take you along the northern shores of Lake Erie, with Niagara positioned between the eastern end of Erie to the south and the western end of Lake Ontario to the north, so a chance to see another of the Great Lakes of North America as part of your adventure.

Price includes -
Airport transfers, Windsor airport to accommodation & return
8 nights Lakeside accommodation in Kingsville Ontario
All meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner
Transportation in air-conditioned vehicles
All nature reserve entrance fees
Fully guided by a local guide plus 2 Experience Nature leaders.  

Excluded -
Flights (Circa £900 pp return with Air Canada)
ETA (7 Canadian Dollars)
Alcoholic and soft drinks

3 PLACES AVAILABLE


If you're interested in this holiday, please contact us for more information.

experiencenaturetours@gmail.com

Cost: £2290

Deposit: £350

Request a full itinerary here

Contact me here to book your space.

or book your space online. (Requires a deposit).

       

---

Ontario Spring Migration

Type: Wildlife Watching Tour

Dates: 09 May to 17 May 2026

Overview: After lengthy research and a recce planned for May 2025 we’re now ready to launch this long awaited holiday to one of the worlds premier areas for witnessing bird migration.
Point Pelee is within 30 minutes of where we’ll be staying and is famous for it’s spectacular birdwatching experiences, as numerous bird species pass through on their spring migration.
The reserve is most famous for its sightings of ‘New World Warblers’, with 41 of North America’s 53 colourful warbler species being recorded here, plus plenty more besides.
The bigger falls of migrants are weather dependant so we’ll be keeping the itinerary flexible and rely on the local knowledge of our guide as to where to birdwatch on each day.
The majority of the holiday will be spent exploring the various areas and habitats within Point Pelee national park, but we’ll also cover nearby Hillman Marsh and a little further around the bay, Rondeau Provincial Park which also experiences some epic falls of migrants.
We’ve already met our local guide face to face, exchanged umpteen emails and had a zoom meeting, so we’re very happy with the choice we’ve made. He’s been birding Ontario since he was a child with his dad and has guided many groups there over recent years. He also shares the same birdwatching ethos and ethics we do, so we’re in very good hands.

Our accommodation -
We’ll be staying in a very spacious residence in Kingsville, on the shoreline of Lake Erie with steps down to the beach and plenty of outdoor seating and a fire pit to sit around and discuss our daily adventures with a drink each evening.
The house will sleep 16, however we’ll be limiting the group size to 9 (including Wendy and myself) as the house has three and a half bathrooms.
The house has plenty of areas to relax when we’re home, but also offers a few extras like a hot tub, pool table and for the more energetic, a gym, basketball hoop and badminton court…

Room allocations -
1 x Double King ensuite.
1 x Double/Twin Ensuite (King and a Queen double bed in the room).
1 x Spacious Queen double
3 x Smaller Queen doubles for single occupancy with no supplement.

Remembering we will be running two 9 day holidays back to back, we’ll allocate one of the ensuite rooms for each holiday on a first come first served basis.

Wendy and I will take the remaining ensuite room for each holiday, but will be sharing our ensuite bathroom with another two people from the group. This leaves the remaining three people to share one and a half bathrooms.

We’re hoping you won’t mind which group dates you’ll be allocated too as this will make life easier for us, but please do express if you have a preference.

The choosing of our accommodation was the most lengthy process of organising this holiday and while there are a few properties in the area that will sleep a good group size, these just didn’t fit with our other must-haves, like proximity to the point, tranquil surroundings and being close to local restaurants.
The alternative was to stay at a hotel throughout, but this would have added an additional £500 per person to the holiday cost, plus hefty single supplements and of course removed the social aspect of the holiday and the flexibility of setting our own meal times.

Meals -
Breakfast - We’ll have a couple of early starts for sure and if there’s no time for breakfast before we leave we can take a birders breakfast at Point Pelee after some birding. We’ll be buying in plenty of options for you to help yourself in your own time to cereals, toast, etc each morning before we head out.
Lunch - Will usually be a packed lunch, but some lunches we’ll eat out.
Dinner - Wendy will prepare a few evening meals, but we’ll most often eat out at local restaurants.
We’ll know more detail on this once we’ve sampled the various eateries during our May 2025 recce.

Holiday add on ideas & Flights -
We’ve made the holiday length 8 nights as we feel this will give ample opportunity to get the best of this area. This of course also gives you the chance to add on some additional sightseeing to the trip without being out of the UK for too long for those that are still time restricted by work or other commitments.
The flights from the UK (LHR) will be into Toronto and onward to Windsor, which is around a one hour drive to where we will be staying in Kingsville. Just to give you an idea, the return flights with Air Canada came in at £900 each for our planned trip in May 2025.
Stay longer in the area? - Kingsville is Canadas southernmost town and caters well for tourists with plenty of small hotels and guesthouses where you can extend your stay. The town has it’s own winery which welcomes visitors and there’s even a local brewery called ‘Grove Brewing Company’, how good is that!
Toronto - When booking your flights you can of course choose to stay additional days in Toronto before heading home. As the capital city of Ontario it is stacked with history and has a wide range of places to visit and things to see and do. Toronto Pearson airport is Canadas largest by far and of course offers you plenty of choice to extend your stay in Canada to other areas. Perhaps the Rocky Mountains, Montreal or Vancouver?
Niagara Falls - If you fancied a road trip, why not hire a car from Windsor airport and drive to Niagara Falls, just a three and a half hour drive. The town of Niagara Falls straddles the Canadian/American border, but the best views of the falls themselves are from the Canadian side so no need to cross the border. The journey would take you along the northern shores of Lake Erie, with Niagara positioned between the eastern end of Erie to the south and the western end of Lake Ontario to the north, so a chance to see another of the Great Lakes of North America as part of your adventure.

Price includes -
Airport transfers, Windsor airport to accommodation & return
8 nights Lakeside accommodation in Kingsville Ontario
All meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner
Transportation in air-conditioned vehicles
All nature reserve entrance fees
Fully guided by a local guide plus 2 Experience Nature leaders.  

Excluded -
Flights (Circa £900 pp return with Air Canada)
ETA (7 Canadian Dollars)
Alcoholic and soft drinks

2 PLACES AVAILABLE


If you're interested in this holiday, please contact us for more information.

experiencenaturetours@gmail.com

Cost: £2290

Deposit: £350

Request a full itinerary here

Contact me here to book your space.

or book your space online. (Requires a deposit).

       

---

Scotlands Highlands & Outer Islands

Type: Wildlife Watching Tour

Dates: 25 May to 03 June 2026

Overview: Continuing to expand our selection of UK holidays, this break explores the rugged islands of the Outer Hebrides as well as the stunning Cairngorm Mountains and National park.

Staying on North Uist for five nights, sandwiched between four nights in Grantown-on-Spey, we'll visit the islands of Benbecula and South Uist, as well as reliable sites around the Cairngorm national park for top birds like Slavonian grebe, Ring Ouzel, Black-throated Diver, Crested Tit, Osprey and Black Grouse.

Our time spent on the islands gives us the best chances in the UK to enjoy close views of Corncrake, Hen Harrier, Red-necked Phalarope and much more besides.

As with all our holidays, this will be run at the same relaxed pace, no rushing around ticking birds off lists, but watching the wildlife in its environment and soaking up the stunning scenery in good company.

The Price includes - 4 nights at the Grant Arms Hotel, Grantown-on-Spey and 5 nights at the Temple View Hotel, North Uist, to include breakfast, dinner and packed lunches.

Transportation throughout and if required and timings are suitable, free collection and drop off for Inverness airport or Aviemore railway station.
Also included is the price of the short ferry crossing between the Isles of Skye and North Uist.

Single Supplement - We have 3 rooms available for single occupancy, after that a double room can be taken for sole occupancy for an additional £490

Group size - 12 persons max, plus 2 guides

FULLY BOOKED

Cost: £1995

Deposit: £250

Request a full itinerary here

Contact me here to book your space.

or book your space online. (Requires a deposit).

       

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The Isles of Scilly in Style...

Type: Wildlife Watching Tour

Dates: 01 October to 10 October 2026

Overview: Having had a host of enquiries about this holiday for 2023 fall through due to people being put off by the journey to get to Cornwall in the first place, we've built in the solution for future holidays..

We're now providing transportation from the Solihull area to Devon for a one night stay and then onward to catch our flights from Landsend for the week on the Islands. We're also including a stop in Devon on the way home to ensure a relaxed end to the holiday.

The 2024 holiday sold out quickly and with no 2025 holiday this will no doubt be one to book early.

The Isles of Scilly have long been known as a beautiful UK holiday destination, particularly so for birdwatchers. It's varied Islands have a warmer climate than anywhere else in Britain and host some fabulous flora and fauna.

We visit the islands in October for this holiday, when migration is in full flow and birds around the world are moving to their southerly wintering grounds.
The Scilly's annually have falls of migrants from western Europe at this time, including Hoopoe, Lapland Bunting, Black Redstarts and Wryneck, but stronger winds and weather fronts can bring in birds from eastern Europe, which produce yearly records of Yellow-browed Warbler, Rustic & Little Buntings, various Pipits, and Red-breasted Flycatcher for example.

Even more remarkable are the regular occurrences of American birds, or "Yanks" as they are known in the birding world, that can cross the Atlantic on the back of strong winds. Solitary Sandpiper, Buff-breasted Sandpiper, Bobolink, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Black & White Warbler, Red-eyed Vireo, American Robin and Blackburnian Warbler have occurred in recent years, with the later being the highlight for 2023.

So what we will see during our week of birdwatching is a real lottery, but what is guaranteed is some very comfortable accommodation, great food and the warm atmosphere of these tranquil islands.

Ashley will be keeping an ear to the ground and an eye on the website to keep abreast of the latest bird news on the islands, so a fluid itinerary, with Island visits being guided by which will be most fruitful in terms of 'good birds', whether that be based upon reported sightings, or the most likely place we may find our own.

We will for sure visit Tresco at some stage, giving you the opportunity to visit its famous gardens, where we also usually take lunch with the Red Squirrels..

INCLUDES RETURN TRANSPORT FROM THE WEST MIDLANDS TO LANDSEND

Max group size of 11

Price includes;
- Return transport from the Solihull area to Devon & onward to Landsend for your flight.
- Two nights at the Victoria Hotel Torquay
- Seven nights half board accommodation at the wonderful St - Mary's Hall Hotel, St Mary's.
- Collection & drop off at St Mary's airfield
- Guiding throughout, by Ashley Grove & Wendy Palmer-Grove
- Three return boat tickets for off island day trips
- Entry to Tresco Abbey Gardens

SPACES AVAILABLE

Cost: £2270

Deposit: £395

Request a full itinerary here

Contact me here to book your space.

or book your space online. (Requires a deposit).

       

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Jewels of The Gambia

Type: Wildlife Watching Tour

Dates: 3 November to 17 November 2026

Overview: The Gambia has been a popular Birdwatching destination since the 1970's and is still probably the safest African Country to visit. No wonder our tour leader Ashley has visited well over 25 times, leading 24 holidays here since 2011.

As with all our trips, this is run at a relaxed pace, giving ample opportunity to enjoy the wildlife and in particular the many colourful bird species that can be found here. With 9 Kingfishers and 8 Bee-eater species for example, this guarantees to be a real feast for the eyes.

With little effort we can hope to see upwards of 250 bird species, with the photographers among us expecting to get quality images of a good percentage of these.

Throughout the trip we will have 3 local guides and our own driver, making sure individual group members needs are catered for, so photographers for example can spend longer with a single species if they wish. The max group size will be 12 people.

We spend time near the coast, but also travel inland to experience the real Gambia and it's various habitats and associated wildlife, including Hippo's, Bee-eater colonies, bird rich rice paddies and ancient forests.

The tour dates coincide with return flights from Gatwick, but flights may also available from Birmingham and Manchester. These were axed post covid, but may be re-introduced.

Please contact Ashley for a full itinerary and do check out the Gambia gallery through the link below for further temptation.

The price below does not include flights.

SPACES AVAILABLE

Cost: £2595

Deposit: £300

See images from this Wildlife Watching Tour here

Request a full itinerary here

Contact me here to book your space.

or book your space online. (Requires a deposit).

       

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Burns, Birds & Highland Beasties. Plus Solway Firth extension

Type: Wildlife Watching Tour

Dates: 22 January to 29 January 2027

Overview: Our previous 4 Burns holidays sold out very quickly, so early booking is recommended. See below to read about the optional extension to this holiday. We're even offering transport there and back from our base near Solihull West Midlands.

The Burns Night Gala Dinner at the Grant Arms Hotel is always fun, entertaining, with fabulous food and great service. The piper welcomes in the Haggis (other food available of course), which will be toasted by us all with a wee dram of local whisky.

This great night will just be a part of this winter break in the Highlands as we visit various wildlife hotspots within the Cairngorm national park.

Snow isn't guaranteed even in this part of the world, but does add to the atmosphere of the break should we get some and we are more likely to encounter some on a trip to Cairngorm Mountain. Snow Buntings should be around the car park here at this time of year and we may even be able to catch a glimpse of Ptarmigan.

This area is stunning at all times of the year, but be sure to bring a camera for this one as if we do get snow, the landscape is truly breathtaking and makes the evening meal and a dram of whisky by the fire at the end of the day go down even better.

A trip to the coast for some birdwatching can be very productive, with Waders like Purple Sandpiper, offshore Divers, Scoters and Long-tailed Duck being targets.

The Price of £1155 includes -
* Five nights full board accommodation at the wonderful Grant Arms Hotel, within the Cairngorms national park.
* Transport and guiding throughout
* Burns Gala Dinner
* Cairngorm mountain visit looking for Snow Buntings & Ptarmigan
* Visit to Udale Bay RSPB and other coastal sites for wintering birds
* Visit to Findhorn Valley in search of Golden Eagle & Mountain Hare
* Hunt for Crested Tits and Red Squirrels in Anagach woods and Abernethy forest.
* Evening talk by Ashley

Transportation throughout is provided, including collection and drop of from Aviemore railway station, or Inverness airport if required. See below if you'd like a lift there and back from the midlands..

Transportation by minibus is provided throughout this holiday, but you may also be interested in our offer to take you there and back for just an additional £95. Contact us for more information.

Those opting for the return transportation might be interested in an optional two night extension near Dumfries, where we'll not only enjoy some very nice accommodation and good food, but have a full day to explore the local wildlife.

SOLWAY FIRTH TWO NIGHT EXTENSION
This extension will include a visit to Caerlaverock WWT centre or Mersehead RSPB reserve and a chance to witness what is surely one of the best wildfowl spectacles in the British Isles, with thousands of over wintering Barnacle Geese and much more besides, including Hen Harriers which are a regular sight in this area in winter.

The cost of this extension to the main holiday is just £349 and includes two nights on a dinner bed and breakfast basis in a very nice local hotel, transportation throughout and cost of entry to the wetland centre and of course guiding throughout.

The price for this full week long 2 centre holiday including transportation there and back is £1599

Just get in touch for full information.

FILLING FAST, JUST 2 PLACES REMAINING

NO SINGLE SUPPLEMENT ON THIS BREAK

Cost: £1599

Deposit: £300

Request a full itinerary here

Contact me here to book your space.

or book your space online. (Requires a deposit).

       

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Colourful Goa

Type: Wildlife Watching Tour

Dates: 8 March to 19 March 2027

Overview: DETAILS AVAILABLE SOON

Goa's location on the west coast of India on the Arabian Sea has made it a popular holiday destination for many years, therefore the infrastructure for tourism is well established.

We'll be visiting after the peak tourist season is over, but when the weather is good and birdlife is plentiful.

A ten day itinerary will give us ample time to explore the areas reserves and birding hotspots with as always a little downtime built in.

Our recce is in the diary for March 2025 where we will explore accommodation options and test the knowledge of local guides.

If you're interested in this holiday, please contact us to add your name to the waiting list and we'll contact you as soon as we get this one ready for sale.

experiencenaturetours@gmail.com

Cost: £TBC

Deposit: £

Request a full itinerary here

Contact me here to book your space.

or book your space online. (Requires a deposit).

       

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