RSPB Where to Go Wild in Britain
DK Publishing
Language: English
Pages: 338
ISBN: 2:00341705
Format: PDF / Kindle (mobi) / ePub
This work offers information on Britain's most spectacular locations and when to visit them. Discover the best of Britain's rich and diverse natural heritage, and enjoy the nation's wildlife at its finest in this month-by-month, region-by-region tour of what to see when. From the magnificent coastal flower displays of The Lizard in March, to the spectacle of seeing peregrine falcons in the unlikely urban setting of Canary Wharf in June, you'll experience first hand the huge array of flora, fauna and habitat to be found within our shores. Find details on hundreds of locations, maps, contacts, access and facilities, opening times and charges, plus great ideas for a whole host of options, giving you the choice in what you want to do and when. Comprehensive and practical, inspiring and evocative, this is your guide to the best that wild Britain has to offer.
eye. A broad, rounded tail helps distinguish it from other possibilities, but in early spring before the reed and sedge warblers arrive, there is little to confuse it with. Listen for its sharp, sudden “quilp” calls. Much more distinctive, once it gets going in spring, is its song: a sudden, loud outburst of rich, fast, musical notes. March is a good time to enjoy this bird and its sweet song, as there is little aural competition, and the vegetation is still relatively sparse; later in the year
THERE To reach Symonds Yat Rock, follow the brown tourist signs on the B4432 to Symonds Yat from Coleford, Forest of Dean. The viewpoint is approximately 250m (270 yards) from the car park; just follow the “peregrine viewing” signs. There are also buses that run from Coleford Bus Station. ACCESS AND FACILITIES There is an information point at Symonds Yat Rock run by the RSPB and Forest Enterprise who fund telescopes to help visitors see the peregrines. There are toilets and a café on site, and
it is the great crested grebes that catch the eye with their intriguing performances in spring. Take the nature trail to the Aird Meadow Loch on a sparkling April day, keep quiet and still, and you should get good views. In spring, the grebe’s head is adorned with a short, black, two-horned crest, and a broad fan of very fine chestnut and black feathers, normally lying flat, on each cheek. In their courtship displays, the grebes raise these fans and horns to create a broad, saucer-like facial disc.
offshore. See pp.104–105 The frost-free environment of The Lizard means that many rare plants can survive here that would die anywhere else in the UK. Stars include the pygmy rush. See pp.116–117 THE FARNE ISLANDS WESTHAY MOOR BASS ROCK NORTHUMBERLAND [N] SOMERSET LEVELS [SW] FIRTH OF FORTH [SC] These uninhabited islands provide a dramatic backdrop for watching thousands of seabirds. See pp.126–127 Otters live along the riverbanks of the moorland, which are rich in sundew plants – a red,
there is also sea kale, and you can find marsh mallow along the trails. Little terns nest on the beach. APR The woods have a fine population of red deer, best seen, and especially heard, during the autumn rut in October, when the great stags are “roaring” and fighting over the hinds. MAY Winter wildfowl include wigeons and Bewick’s swans and usually a few wild geese; shelducks, gadwalls, and shovelers are seen all year. Look for red-throated divers on the sea. JUN JUL Minsmere has saved many