We offer 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 416 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.

Many of the sites are very rural, set in stunning landscapes, others are on the edge of, or even in, urban conurbations but 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 while, in botanical terms, the richest 10km grid square in the UK is found in the Wareham area.

                   Durlston Country Park                            The Fleet                                               Lambert's Castle

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, 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/telescope are available/binoculars can be supplied if you are travelling light

Download a copy of our flier: Click Here

Guiding for Groups ......are you a group based in Dorset or is your group visiting Dorset? ......do you want a local guide?

A guide can be hired for a minimum of three hours and up to a full day (extra guides can be supplied for large parties).

Download a copy of our flier: Click Here

We can offer a range of Illustrated Wildlife 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

Download a copy of our flier: Click Here

Starting off from South Beach, we’ll take a circular walk out over the eastern end of Ballard Down where we’ll have a chance of something a little more unusual amongst the passing migrants. Worth the walk for the views alone!  For the remainder of the day we’ll make a number of stops along the Studland road to search for waders and wildfowl and hopefully some early divers and grebes.

Join up for a day’s bird racing with the aim of seeing/ hearing 100 species during the day. We will meet/end in Wareham and will stay within the Purbeck boundary. The day will be quite intensive as we aim for our target with new birds coming thick and fast to begin with before slowing down as we try to pick off those that have proven more elusive. Our route on the day will depend on a number of variables, such as weather, tides and what birds are about, but may take us Arne, Middlebere, Studland, Durlston and Swineham. We should comfortably pick up 80+ species but 100+ is not impossible.  Free transport (8-seat vehicle) and drinks are provided.

We will make our way from Upton Country Park (Hole’s Bay) to Sandbanks stopping off at Baiter and Shore Road on the way. Amongst the expected waders (we could see up to 18 species) these sites will give us a good chance of finding Spotted Redshank, Greenshank, Common Sandpiper, Bar-tailed Godwit, Knot and Purple Sandpiper. A good selection of wildfowl and gulls will add to the days tally.

Despite its urban environment Weymouth provides some excellent birding. We’ll spend the day visiting a number of sites in/around the town taking in a variety of habitats including the sea, reed beds, grazing marsh and woodland. Sites will include Radipole for ducks, gulls and possibly Bittern, Lodmoor for waders, Weymouth Bay/Portland Harbour for grebes and divers and Lorton Meadow/Two-mile Coppice for woodland/scrub birds.

We will take a circular walk around the Swineham area starting out by following the River Frome from Wareham to the gravel pits at Swineham. We’ll continue on around into the Piddle Valley before completing the circuit back to Wareham. This walk usually provides a good mixture of birds and there is a good chance of both Hen and Marsh Harriers.  The pits hold a selection of duck and can turn up

something a little more unusual such Ruddy Duck or Scaup.

In the dramatic landscape of one of the UK’s top hill-forts we will go in search of farmland birds. The surrounding area often holds large numbers of Golden Plover/Lapwing and is one of the best places to find Corn Bunting (and possibly Grey Partridge). We should and pick up a good mixture of thrushes and finches and Buzzards are always plentiful. We will leave time to visit the nearby Thornecombe Wood where we may be rewarded with a sighting of Lesser Spotted Woodpecker amongst the woodland birds.

This is often the best month to look for the two heathland specialities. Both Woodlark and Dartford Warbler breed here and this is a good time of the year to catch them in full song. The forest provides some excellent walking and we should pick up a range of other birds that can include Raven, Crossbill and, occasionally, Great Grey Shrike, and we may hear our first chiffchaff of the year.

April - May

From the middle of March, Dorset’s first migrants start to appear - early species include Sandwich Tern, Sand Martin, Swallow and Wheatear. Portland is often the first stopping off point on their journey north and we’ll spend time around the island looking for them. With increased seabird activity off The Bill there may be a chance of a Puffin or two amongst the auks. Moving off Portland we’ll check out the harbour for late ducks, divers and grebes before moving on to Radipole Lake and Lodmoor. This is also a good time to catch up with the elusive Cetti’s Warbler, usually heard but less often seen, and Bearded Tit.

A few pairs of the colourful Puffin breed on the cliffs at Dancing Ledge. We’ll put in some time here to look for them (and for the other auks) coming in to the cliffs before we continue along the coastal path towards Seacombe and Winspit. As well as for local birds, these valleys are great areas to search for newly arrived migrants which are often tucked in amongst the sheltered scrub. Amongst others, Redstart, Ring Ouzel, Whinchat and a selection of warblers are possible.

We will visit a number of sites on the county boundary in the Sixpenny Handley area of north Dorset. In the woodlands the birds are more readily heard than seen so we will have a chance to get to grips with a variety of bird song. Although both Turtle Dove and Nightingale have declined in Dorset over years they are still found in this area along with a good mixture of warblers. As well as the birds we’ll concentrate on the butterflies of the chalk grassland and woodland rides where possibilities include a variety of blues, fritillaries and White Admiral.

Some of the UK’s best dragonfly watching is to be found on the Dorset heathlands. Old flooded clay workings and ponds on the heaths usually hold a good mixture of “Odos” from the large Emperor and hawkers to a variety of the diminutive damselflies. We will also look out for heathland birds and flora.

A Dorset experience not to miss is a dusk visit to one of the county’s heathlands to listen for (and hopefully see) the enigmatic ‘goatsucker’.  Our walk will start at 7.30pm to give us time to look for other birds, such as Dartford Warbler, Hobby and Stonechat on Morden Bog, before the Nightjars become active as dusk draws in. We should finish at around 10.15-10.30pm.

                      Turnstone, Baiter                              Wigeon, Holes Bay                             Red Squirrel, Brownsea Island

UK & Overseas Wildlife Tours and Guides

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

From time to time we may organise our own tours outside of Dorset and we are able to provide a guide for private trips.

                       Yatsu Higata, Tokyo, Japan               Birding on the Coto Doñana                Bateleur, Kruger NP, South Africa