Early Morning Birding £30pp – (min 2 people)
The early morning birding trip consists of a 2 ½ hour, approx 4km, walk starting at 7am near Speech House, in the centre of the Forest. Taking our time to appreciate the surroundings, we’ll take a slow amble through different habitat types from mature forest stands, to lake-side margins, to open heathland. This is just a snapshot of some of the amazing places in the Forest of Dean.
The route has been specifically designed to take in as many habitat types and structures as possible to increase the variety of species seen.
The walk is fairly easy going on well maintained forestry tracks, but features a potentially very muddy section around the lake and some parts of the heath habitat. Walking boots or wellies are essential. During wet weather waterproof jackets and trousers will also be needed.
Groups will be no more than 4 people at a time to ensure that disturbance to wildlife is kept to a minimum, which is our primary aim, but with the added benefit of allowing the guide to give you his full attention.
Half Day Birding – £70pp (min 2 people)
A great chance to experience more of the fantastic places to see the huge variety of birds here in the forest.
Expect the species total to be 40+. Our current record for a half day is 63 species, which proved to be an exceptional day!
We also have a better chance of spotting target species with a longer time frame.
This is a great next step if you’ve already been on the Early Morning tour or if you want to bulk up your species list!
Evening Nightjar Experience – £15pp (min 2 people)
(Seasonally and weather dependent May-Aug)
Nightjars are a seasonal migrant to the Forest of Dean, migrating over 6000km from central Africa, and are always high up on the list of bird species to see whilst in the area! The Forest of Dean is one of the best locations to see them too!
There are a handful of sites that are ideal for Nightjars in the Forest. We’ll choose one of the sites, based on weather conditions, and take a short walk (usually less than 2km), then sit and wait.
Patience is the key with Nightjars, as they are crepuscular (most active at dawn and dusk). The other-wordly churring sound they make is sure to raise the hairs on the back of your neck!
We stand a good chance of seeing Wild Boar while we’re out and if the weather is fair then there are a couple of places along the route that are brilliant for glowworms.
The experience lasts approx 1 1/2 hours. Maximum of 4 people.
Custom Guided tour £POA
If you wish to concentrate on finding a handful of target species, we can do our best to spend time searching for them. The time of day can vary dependent on the species, so the custom guided tour is subject to availability. Pricing is based on time and can vary, so please do email with an enquiry and we will advise.
Forest of Dean Wildlife Tours 