starling spectacular

 2 NIGHT PACKAGE

UPCOMING DATES:4-6dec 2024, 8-10jan2025, 15-17 Jan 2025

Price £455.00 Single room supplement £60.00

Overview

To see  half a million of anything is breathtaking – however, to see up to half a million starlings fly in their liquid murmuration is truly a sight to behold. If the conditions are right, the skies can darken as first one group arrives to roost in the reed beds of the Avalon Marshes – then another larger one arrives, then another and another. They just keep coming. It is simply breathtaking. 

What we then want is a belligerent passing peregrine or a hungry marsh harrier with attitude to pass by – then bingo! The sky is full of the largest flock/swarm/plague of birds you have ever seen – turning one way, then the other. Somerset’s murmurations of starlings on a crisp winter dusk is the stuff of legend, and has to be seen to be believed.

Of course the murmurations are spectacular, however winter on the Levels is has much more to offer than just starlings. Huge numbers of wildfowl come in to the flooded fields and wetlands - ducks of every flavour, long-legged waders, plover, snipe and our elegant egrets make for excellent birdwatching opportunities - we have seen hen harrier, short-eared owl, spotted redshank, and our wonderful cranes, all in addition to huge flocks of lapwing and golden plover - there is so much to see and enjoy in Somerset over winter.

In the evenings we all gather in the cosy kitchen of Walls Farm to discuss and share our birdwatching stories over drinks, home-made nibbles and then one of Kay’s delicious suppers in our convivial dining room. It is the perfect end to round off your birdwatching experience.

Your itinerary

Day 1

Arrive Walls Farm by 2.00pm settle in to your comfortable cottage accommodation.

After a cup of tea and settling in, we will head off for an afternoon visit to Somerset’s Avalon Marshes complex hopefully to view the spectacular display of starlings in a murmuration prior to their roost in the reed beds. This is truly one of nature’s most spectacular aerobatic displays, and if a passing raptor shows up it gets even more tasty.

In the evening a Welcome Dinner including canapés and wine will be served in Walls Farm with your hosts, Graeme and Kay Mitchell. There will be good birding chat and you will be briefed further on our planned birdwatching excursions.

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Day 2

Breakfast is in your cottage – fresh eggs, cereal, yoghurts, bread, muesli, homemade preserves all provided in your accommodation for you to prepare.

Morning visit to WWT Steart Marshes near Bridgwater. This is a wonderful site with good hides, good birds and good loos. Many hundreds of lapwing and golden plover overwinter here along with other waterfowl. A good place too for spotting peregrine and merlin. We will then return inland to the Levels to look stop at RSPB Greylake with thousands of ducks close up to the hide with many snipe.

for our Somerset cranes. While they are jolly big birds they can prove somewhat elusive in this vast landscape - but we’ll give it a go.

Light pub lunch will be included most probably at King Alfred the Great’s favourite pub!

In the afternoon we shall look for Somerset’s Cranes - while they are Europe’s tallest birds, they still can be jolly hard to track down, but we will give it a go.

Again we will return to the Avalon Marshes to watch the Starling murmurations returning to Walls Farm by crossing Tadham and Tealham Moor

looking out for Barn Owls

The evening will be a relaxed affair with another excellent dinner and good conversation about birding adventures past, present and future .

Day 3

Breakfast is in your cottage – fresh eggs, bread muesli, home-made preserves provided

Morning visit to either our local patch or Cheddar Reservoir for ducks such as, goosander, pochard and a huge number of over-wintering coots. We then may visit Cheddar Gorge itself for possible dipper, kingfisher and grey wagtail and an opportunity to purchase some genuine cheddar cheese as an appropriate souvenir of your visit to Somerset.

Return to Walls Farm by around 12.30 when it will be time to depart and head for home. (lunch not included)

Dates

Upcoming dates for the 'Starling Spectacular' Package

4-6 Dec 2024

8-10 Jan 2025

15-17 Jan 2025

Price

£455.00 per person (sharing a twin room)

Single room supplement £60.00

Things to remember

While most of our bird walks will be on good paths, sometimes we will go ‘off-piste’ or go through wet grass, so please bring suitable footwear (hiking boots or wellies). Wet weather gear is essential – a waterproof jacket and over-trousers. It is unlikely that any one single walk would be more than a couple of miles.

Please bring your own binoculars (8x32 are ideal) we have some spare pairs however please advise if you require use of these. It is not essential to have a telescope. We have top of the range Swarovski telescopes and where appropriate we will set one or both up if we want to zoom into a particular bird or flock. In many ways it can be more of a hindrance if our whole party is fiddling with telescopes and not enjoying the moment.

Cameras and telephoto lenses again can be cumbersome however this is very much up to the individual to carry and look after themselves, but please note this is not a photographic holiday.

Walls Farm has a lovely heated indoor swimming pool, if you would like to use it please ask if it is convenient and understand that the pool is never supervised and is used at the individuals own risk.

WHAT'S INCLUDED

• Expert ornithological guiding throughout

• Accommodation

• Two delicious dinners with wine and canapes

• Breakfast baskets

• Teas/coffees and additional refreshments as stated on your confirmed itineraries

• Entrance to all birdwatching sites

ornithological guides

On all tours it is expected that Stephen Moss or Brett Westwood will be the expert Ornithological guide ably assisted by Graeme Mitchell also an experienced birdwatcher and tour guide.

booking POLICY

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