Common cranes at Hickling Broad, photo by Amy Lewis

Top UK wildlife-watching experiences


Friday 19 February, 2016


As winter wanes and spring starts to unfold, an exciting new seasonal guide offers a perfect opportunity to plan a ‘wild’ year ahead.  

For those who have ever wondered when and where to glory in the beauty of the rare swallowtail butterfly or to cheer at a salmon’s leap; for those who pine to see a puffin but don’t know where to head and when; or for those who want to spot an otter, osprey or orchid but don’t know how, The Wildlife Trusts’ seasonal guide to Top UK Wildlife Experiences offers answers to these and so much more.

Outdoor enthusiasts and wildlife-watchers will be able to vote for their favourite wildlife experience online – the results will be published in 2017.

Simon Barnes, wildlife author and journalist, introduces our top wildlife-watching experiences.  He warns: “Here are many, many ways in which you can get closer to the Wild World than you ever dreamed.”

Our Top UK Wildlife Experiences online guide is the perfect way to make plans and venture outdoors to see what’s sky-dancing, swooping or singing during half-term and beyond.  It homes in on the charismatic, the mysterious and the shimmering gorgeous – from gannets to glow worms, newts to nightingales, and bluebells to butterflies – and shows you how to get closer to the wild.

The Wildlife Trusts are uniquely placed to advise on the where and the when to watch wildlife – we care for more than 2,300 wild havens across the UK and host over 11,000 events every year bringing people closer to nature.
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