Wildlife in Norfolk

The wetland reserves of Norfolk are internationally renowned for their unspoilt coastlines and outstanding natural habitats. With its vast skies and shimmering frosts, winter offers one of the very best environments to experience the region’s rich and dynamic wildlife – from rapidly wheeling migratory flocks to the grey seals that visit each winter to birth their pups.

Our tour will focus particularly on the bird-watching opportunities for which Norfolk is famous, both for beginners and more experienced observers, with local wardens sharing their unparalleled knowledge of the reserves.

At Cley, where the salt marshes and sand dunes are of major importance for over-wintering birds, we will follow one of the most celebrated bird-watching routes in Britain. The RSPB reserve at Titchwell, meanwhile, offers remarkably close views of geese, waders and gulls; and at the Ouse Washes at Welney, we will take part in a moonlit swan watch from the comfort of a heated hide.

At Snettisham on the Wash, Britain’s most vital estuary for wintering birds, we look out for knots, godwits and oystercatchers wading across the mud flats – while stately Holkham Park offers us possible sightings of flocks of pink-footed geese, marsh harriers and barn owls. A highlight of our tour will be an excursion by boat off Blakeney Point, during which we hope to spot seals, waders, divers and grebes.

We stay in Old Hunstanton at the characterful four-star Le Strange Arms Hotel, positioned a stone’s throw away from the sea.

Please note some details of the itinerary may be subject to alteration to allow for changes in weather, tides and bird movements. We cannot guarantee the presence of all the wildlife mentioned. 

This tour will be led by conservationist and environmental consultant Kevin Hand, MSc, MCIEEM, a long-standing ACE Tour Director with a special interest in birds, mammals and ecotourism. Kevin recently led a team providing access to the British countryside for hard to reach groups, and is currently leading a project on eagles, vultures and other wildlife in Albania. In 2017 he was appointed President of the Cambridge Natural History Society.

Wildlife in Norfolk is Kevin’s longest running ACE tour, and he and ACE are delighted to have now worked with three generations of the Bean family, who operate the seal watching trips from Blakeney Harbour.

I have been leading this tour for over 25 years, and I always find it exciting and full of interest! The coastal changes are incredible to observe, and the wildlife holds new surprises every year.

— Tour Director Kevin Hand