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 will go live at the start of spring, on Saturday 13 February 2016 – the perfect moment 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. See www.wildlifetrusts.org/top-UK-wildlife-experiences.
For a Tees Valley Experience why not Ooh’ and ‘aah’ at the Starling murmuration at Portrack Marsh. Steve Ashton Tees Valley Wildlife Trust People and Wildlife Manger said “Although situated in the heart of urban Teesside if you visit Portrack Marsh (http://www.teeswildlife.org/nature-reserve/portrack-marsh/) at dusk in winter there is a chance you might see the marvellous sight of hundreds of starlings going to roost in the reed beds. Walk along the river and you may see the flocks coming in from all directions swirling and turning before they land in the reeds.” You can see a video of the spectacle below,
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.