The Dorset Birding and Wildlife Experience - Little egret - A relatively new colonist to the county, the Little Egret first bred on Brownsea Island in 1996 and is now a familiar resident along the coast and is becoming more common inland. Photography by Neil Gartshore.

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What We Offer

Tailor-made Birding and Wildlife Tours - Themed Birding and Wildlife Walks
Local Guides for Groups - Illustrated Wildlife Talks - Overseas & UK Wildlife Tours and Guides

The Dorset Birding and Wildlife Experience - Durlston. Photography by Neil Gartshore. Durlston Country Park Lambert's Castle

The Dorset Birding and Wildlife Experience offers a local knowledge and an expertise of Dorset’s birds and wildlife that caters for all levels of experience, providing a range of services to meet your requirements.

Dorset's bird life is amongst the best in the UK. With a list of just over 410 species, the county is well placed in the top ten of the UK's 'league table' of county totals and second only to Norfolk for the highest number of species recorded in a day. In ornithological terms, Dorset's birding hot spots are located around the coast but interesting birds are found throughout the county.

Dorset's habitats are varied including lowland heath, woodlands, reed beds, chalk grassland, harbours, rivers and sea cliffs. Some of the sites are very rural, set in stunning landscapes, others are on the edge of, or even in, urban conurbations all attracting an interesting variety of species.

Some of the UK's finest dragonfly and butterfly watching is to be had in Purbeck and on the north Dorset chalk grasslands respectively, all six species of the UK's reptiles are found on Dorset's internationally important heathlands, and, in botanical terms, the richest 10km grid square in the UK is found in the Wareham area.

An outline of the services that we offer follows.

Please contact us for further information or to discuss your requirements.

The Dorset Birding and Wildlife Experience - The Fleet. Photography by Neil Gartshore. The Fleet Ringstead Bay

Our Tailor-made Birding and Wildlife Tours are designed by us, for you, so that your time out in the field is as productive as possible. When you book a tailor-made birding and wildlife tour we will work around your interests to produce a suitable itinerary providing you with a Dorset birding and wildlife experience not to forget.

Bookings can be taken for a minimum of half a day.

◊ Exclusive use of our guide, catering for up to four people (transport is offered within Dorset, no extra charge)
◊ A picnic lunch (full day bookings only)
◊ Hot/cold drinks
◊ Entrance fees as appropriate
◊ A selection of field guides and a telescope are available/binoculars can be supplied if you are travelling light.

Download a copy of our flier here: Tailor-made Birding and Wildlife Tours

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If you don't want to hire a guide, why not join one of our guided walks.

We run a programme of Themed Birding and Wildlife Walks through the year.

Examples include:

Full day walks:

◊ Portland Autumn Migrants

◊ Urban Birding in Weymouth

◊ Birds & Butterflies of the Northern Chalk

Half day walks:

◊ The Marsh & Mudflats of Christchurch Harbour

◊ Puffins & Passage on the Purbeck Coast

◊ Wareham Forest: Bird Song & Winged Insects

Special walks:

◊ Winter Birding in Purbeck: a race to see 100 species

◊ The Dragons & Damsels of Dorset's Heathland

◊ In Search of Nightjars

For a list of our guided walks click on the link below

or go to the 'walks and events' page

Download a copy of our flier here: Themed Birding and Wildlife Walks 2010-2011

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Guiding for Groups

Are you a group based in Dorset or is your group visiting Dorset ..........do you want a local guide?

Guides can be hired for a minimum of three hours, up to a full day (additional guides can be supplied for large parties).

Download a copy of our flier here: Guiding for Groups

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Illustrated Wildlife Talks

We can offer a range of talks to local groups or if your group is visiting Dorset why not book an evenings entertainment.

We are also willing to travel to venues outside of Dorset.

Our talks include:

◊ Poole Harbour and its Birds	◊ Heathlands - their wildlife and management
◊ Japan - Birding in the Land of the Rising Sun	◊ The Farne Islands - Northumberland's Seabird City
◊ A Sub-Antarctic Experience - the Prince Edward Islands	◊ Birding the Soutpansberg-Limpopo region of South Africa
◊ Wildlife Wanderings in South Africa

Download a copy of our flier here: Illustrated Wildlife Talks

UK & Overseas Wildlife Tours and Guides

We have experience of guiding in other parts of the UK and abroad, particularly Spain, Mallorca, Japan & South Africa.

From time to time we may organise our own tours outside of Dorset.

We are able to provide a guide for private trips.

We occasionally provide guides for other companies.

The Dorset Birding and Wildlife Experience - Turnstone. Small numbers can be found along the coast in winter with the area at Baiter (close to Poole Quay) providing some close encounters. Photography by Neil Gartshore.

Turnstone Eurasian Wigeon Red Squirrel

The Dorset Birding and Wildlife Experience - Yatsu Higata, Japan. Photography by Neil Gartshore.

Yatsu Higata, Tokyo, Japan Birding on the Coto Doñana Bateleur, Kruger Nat. Park, South Africa

all photographs © N.Gartshore	site by livelyfred.com

What We Offer

Tailor-made Birding and Wildlife Tours - Themed Birding and Wildlife Walks Local Guides for Groups - Illustrated Wildlife Talks - Overseas & UK Wildlife Tours and Guides

Tailor-made Birding and Wildlife Tours - Themed Birding and Wildlife Walks
Local Guides for Groups - Illustrated Wildlife Talks - Overseas & UK Wildlife Tours and Guides