Wildlife of North & SouthUist, Outer Hebrideswith David McAllister An 8-day birdwatching tour of the beautiful islands ofNorth and South Uist.North Uist, South Uist and Benbecula comprise the wild andbeautiful southern islands of the Outer Hebrides and on thisholiday we'll explore their fabulous mountain, 'machair' andlakeland habitats. Seabirds and cetaceans should be the highlightof our ferry crossing there from Oban and, from our arrival, we'll bebased for the week on Benbecula, at the heart of the Uists. Thelochs of South Uist support breeding waterfowl, including wildGreylag Geese, plus such waders as Snipe, Redshank, GoldenPlover and occasional Greenshank. Corncrakes call persistentlyday and night from the hay meadows, and by the sea-lochs andinlets we'll look for Otters, and both Grey and Common Seals. TheUists in mid-May are also great for seabirds, and are one of thebest places to observe the passage of our four Skua species -Pomarine, Long-tailed, Arctic and Great. Breeding raptors areanother highlight, amongst them Short-eared Owl, Hen Harrier,Peregrine, Merlin, and both White-tailed and Golden Eagles, andwe might also see all three of our Divers - Black-throated, Red-throated and Great Northern. Standing stones, cairns, and avibrant Gaelic culture provide a rich cultural ingredient to thisspecial destination, while the sighting of a rare Snowy Owl or Red-necked Phalarope may add final icing to the cake!Sat 12th - Sat 19th May GBR21Cost: £895The New Forestwith Jon StokesA wildlife weekend in Hampshire.On this short break we will base ourselves in the middle of theNew Forest to sample some of its rich natural history. We'll hope tosee the dusk displays of Nightjars and Woodcock, and makedaytime walks in search of Honey Buzzard and Hobby, plus suchheath and woodland specialities as Woodlark, Redstart, WoodWarbler, Dartford Warbler, Tree Pipit, Hawfinch and Crossbill. TheForest is also home to a rich and unique bog and woodland flora.Fri 18th - Sun 20th May GBR07Cost: £295South Devon in Spring with Dave Smallshire A weekend wildlife break in search of the bountifulnatural history in the glorious surroundings of Dartmoorand the south Devon coast. Dartmoor and the varied coastline of South Devon are home to anexceptionally rich variety of wildlife. During this weekend break,we'll explore key sites such as Slapton Ley and the Exe Estuary fora variety of birdlife, including the rare Cirl Bunting, Cetti's Warbler,plus numerous waders and terns. We'll also look out for passingskuas and shearwaters and, if it's sunny, we might be luckyenough to see basking Sand Lizards in the sand dunes or HairyDragonflies on territory. By contrast, Dartmoor brings a taste ofupland Britain with a stunning mix of heather moorland, bogs andancient woodland which hosts such species as Hobby, Snipe,Pied Flycatcher, Grasshopper, Dartford and Wood Warblers,Stonechat and Whinchat. We'll also offer some optional pre-breakfast birdwatching and after-dinner excursions to see Nightjarsand Greater Horseshoe Bats leaving their daytime roost.Fri 18th - Sun 20th MayGBR22Cost: £295The Somerset Levels in Spring with Ed Drewitt A 3-day holiday in search of spring birdlife and othernatural history. Spring is an excellent time for birdlife on the Somerset Levels, andthis short break is timed to coincide with the breeding season and peak migration. May is one of the best times to watch one of the area's special birds, the Hobby, as well aspassage waders such as Whimbrel and summer-plumaged Black-tailed Godwits. Breeding Bitterns should be making feeding flights across the reedbeds while Marsh Harriers patrol wetland areas regularly looking for prey. Up to 10 species of warbler are present at this time of year, filling the air with birdsong.Sat 19th - Mon 21st May & Wed 23rd - Fri 25th May GBR17Cost: £295The Burrenwith Maureen PontingA 4-day botanical tour looking at the unique flora of theBurren in Ireland.The Burren is an area of extensive limestone pavement in County Clare that supports an outstanding range of plants -Spring Gentians, Bloody Cranesbills, Mountain Avens, the whiteBurnet Rose and Potentilla fruticosabeing among the mostcolourful. We'll walk over the 'pavement' enjoying its unique flora, and explore the rugged coastline with its views of the AranIslands and of the Connemara Mountains across Galway Bay. The Cliffs of Moher are excellent for seabirds, including Puffins and Kittiwakes. Tue 22nd - Fri 25th May IRL02Cost: £495Ireland - Corncrake Weekendwith Dave SuddabyA 5-day holiday in search of breeding Corncrakes,seabirds and waders.The north-west coast of Co. Mayo is an area of wild, ruggedlandscapes holding extensive machair grasslands, golden sandy beaches, sheltered bays and inlets, towering cliffs andoffshore islands. It also holds an impressive variety of birds allwithin a relatively small area. This tour focuses on the birds of the Mullet Peninsula and surrounding coastal areas. Here we willsearch in particular for Corncrakes, hoping to hear their distinctivecalls from within meadows and to see this elusive species, as wellas up to 20 different species of seabirds and a small variety ofmammals. Fri 25th - Tue 29th May IRL01Cost: £695Shetland's Wildlife with David McAllister An 8-day holiday in search of Otters, seals, and thebreeding waders and seabirds of the Shetland Islands. The Shetland archipelago is among Britain's most exciting wildlifedestinations. We begin this holiday by taking the overnight ferry fromAberdeen to the capital of the Shetlands, Lerwick. Among thebreeding species we hope to see from our first base at Sumburghwill be Eider, Fulmar, Gannet, Storm-petrel, Golden Plover, Great andArctic Skuas, Kittiwake, Arctic Tern, Razorbill, Puffin, Black Guillemot,Rock Dove and Twite. Grey and Common Seals and Otters areamong the mammals we'll be hoping to see and we will also exploresuch fascinating historical sites as the Great Broch of Mousa. Nextwe transfer to the Island of Unst, home to Red-throated Diver andCommon Scoter, then on the island of Fetlar we'll look for suchbreeding specialities as Whimbrel and Red-necked Phalarope.Wed 30th May - Wed 6th Jun GBR24Cost: £995Lyme Bay - Dolphin &Seabird Cruiseswith James PhillipsDolphin and seabird cruises in Lyme Bay, Dorset.During our full-day cruises from West Bay we look for White-beaked Dolphins, other cetaceans and seabirds. On our eveningcruises from Weymouth we search for rare Balearic Shearwatersand other seabirds off Portland Bill. These are data-collectingresearch cruises run in conjunction with the charity Marinelife.June - AugustContact the Naturetrek office for further information on 01962 733051 or email info@naturetrek.co.ukGBR09Cost: from £50Northumberland & the Farne Islands with Paul MarshallA 6-day exploration of Northumberland's spectacular coast, offshore islands and Cheviot Hills. On this holiday we explore Northumberland's superb coastline anda range of upland habitats. We will visit Lindisfarne, sail aroundCoquet Island (where over 70 pairs of Roseate Terns andthousands of Puffins nest), then finally visit the Farne Islands. Thetwin islands of Staple and Inner Farne provide one of the greatestseabird spectacles in Britain, with colonies of Arctic and SandwichTerns, Guillemots, Shags, Kittiwakes and Puffins. Elsewhere alongthe Northumberland coast we visit a colony of Little Terns andcheck for late migrant passerines and waders at various locationsbefore making an exploration of the dramatic fells and valleys ofthe Cheviot Hills, home to a variety of upland birds including RedGrouse, Dipper, Grey Wagtail and Raven.Thu 7th - Tue 12th JunGBR13Cost: £69517Short-eared OwlStarling roost, Somerset Levels

Pembrokeshire in Early Summer with Matt HobbsA 4-day holiday to enjoy Pembrokeshire's spectacularseabird colonies, marine-life and other wildlife.By June, the remote south-western tip of Wales is teeming with arich diversity of wildlife, from the mainland out to its famousAtlantic islands. Pink-tinged with swathes of Red Campion, Skomeris transformed during early summer by the arrival of vast numbersof nesting seabirds - over half a million of them! Pembrokeshireis also well known for its populations of cetaceans, while GreySeals and Choughs can be seen in many coastal areas. As well asenjoying Pembrokeshire's impressive marine fauna, we'lladditionally take time to explore some of the peninsula's terrestrialhabitats from our base in St. David's.Sun 10th - Wed 13th Jun GBR18Cost: £595Islay & Jura in Summer:Birds & Botany of the Inner Hebrides With Peter Clement & local botanistA 7-day midsummer visit to the glorious islands ofIslay and Jura in search of birds and flowers.The Inner Hebridean islands of Islay and Jura comprise oneof the most wildlife-rich areas in Britain. Over 100 birdspecies breed on the islands and there is also a stunningvariety of flowers which includes carpets of orchids andsuch lovers of marshy ground as Bog Myrtle, Grass ofParnassus and sundews. During the summer, flower-filledmeadows abound with butterflies, among which can beseen the rare Marsh Fritillary, and the islands are noted fortheir populations of Otters, seals and Red Deer. Inmidsummer, breeding birds such as Lapwing, Redshank,Curlew and drumming Snipe dominate the opengrasslands, while Corncrakes utter their rasping calls frommeadows. Resident Choughs will be busy feedingyoungsters hidden in sea-cave nest sites, and both islandssupport important numbers of birds of prey with nestingspecies including Hen Harrier, Golden and White-tailedEagles, Merlin and Peregrine. Fri 15th - Thu 21st Jun GBR27Cost: £895Orkneywith David McAllister A 6-day tour to enjoy the history and natural history ofthe Orkney Islands.As well as taking time to enjoy some of Orkney's famous Neolithicantiquities such as Skara Brae and Maeshowe, we will be focusingon its wildlife from our base in Kirkwall on 'Mainland' (the largestisland). The islands' special seabirds include Fulmar, Shag, Greatand Arctic Skuas, Arctic Tern, Razorbill, Black Guillemot, Gannet,Kittiwake and Puffin. We will also be hoping to see raptors such asHen Harrier, Peregrine, Merlin and Short-eared Owl. We'll enjoy thedrumming of Snipe, and northern specialities such as Rock Dove,Twite and Raven. Other highlights may include Grey and CommonSeals, the endemic Orkney Vole and its endemic primrose.Sun 17th - Fri 22nd Jun GBR25Cost: £695Flora of the Hampshire Downswith Jon Stokes A botanical weekend exploring chalk habitats.Chalk downland represents some of the finest plant habitat in Britain,and the Hampshire chalk downs are one of the best examples in thecountry. This short break will take in a variety of chalk habitatsfocusing on the plants, butterflies and other wildlife that they support.We hope to find a wide variety of orchids including Bee, Frog, Musk,and Fly Orchids, butterflies such as Marbled White and DingySkipper, and birds such as Lesser Whitethroat.Fri 22nd - Sun 24th Jun GBR01Cost: £295The Magic of Mull with Dave PierceA 7-day exploration in search of Mull's birds, mammals and marine-life.Mull's varied landscape includes extensive forests, craggy hillsand a glorious coastline - all habitats that will be explored indetail during this midsummer tour. The island is home to White-tailed Sea Eagles and Golden Eagles, as well as breeding HenHarriers and Short-eared Owls. Red-throated Divers can be seenon both freshwater and sea lochs, while the latter are the home ofOtters. Both Grey and Common Seals can be seen from the shoreand we'll make a boat trip to search for Minke Whales and othercetaceans. A highlight of the tour will be landing on the island ofLunga, where we will observe masses of Kittiwakes, Guillemots,Razorbills and posing Puffins just metres away! Mon 25th Jun - Sun 1st Jul GBR16Cost: £895Marine & Other Wildlife of the Isle of Man with Chris MurphyA 4-day holiday in search of seabirds, cetaceans, sharksand other wildlife. This short break offers a combination of land-based exploration ofthe island's wild coastline, extensive moorlands and scrubby wildflower meadows, together with offshore trips, weather permitting.Risso's Dolphin, Harbour Porpoise and Minke Whale are amongthe cetaceans possible at this time of year, and Basking Sharksoccur from May to August. Orchids, Grey Seals, feral Red-neckedWallabies, Mountain Hares, rare moths, Choughs, Hen Harriers,Storm-petrels, migrating waders, and coastal and cliff-nestingseabirds are among the island's many other wildlife attractions. Sun 1st - Wed 4th Jul GBR12Cost: £495The Alpine Plants of BenLawers, Scotlandwith Paul Harmes A 4-day botanical break in search of the very specialalpine flora of Ben Lawers.Long regarded by botanists as one of the foremost sites for alpineplants in Britain, Ben Lawers, at 1,214 metres, is the highest peakin the British Isles outside the Ben Nevis and Cairngorm ranges.This 4-day break will give us the opportunity to visit the threeprincipal locations of botanical interest in the area, with some quitestrenuous mountain walking. We'll look for such species as CottonGrass, Bog Asphodel, Snow Gentian and Net-leaved Willow. Anumber of Britain's rarer sedges and ferns grow on the easternside of the mountain, as well as Scottish Asphodel and AlpineSaw-wort. We'll also explore Creag an Lochan, where it may bepossible to find Purple Saxifrage in flower, Yellow MountainSaxifrage and, if we are lucky, the diminutive Moonwort.Fri 3rd - Mon 6th Aug GBR26Cost: £435Norfolk in Winterwith Tom McJannet A winter birdwatching weekend exploring Norfolk'swetlands, including a visit to its premier raptor spot. In November, Norfolk's extensive wetlands are teeming with largeflocks of migrant geese, huge numbers of duck and most of thecountry's wild swans. We will spend time watching these, not tomention some of Britain's largest wader concentrations and manyof the country's more unusual winter visitors, like Slavonian Grebe,Velvet Scoter and Smew. We'll also spend an evening at thecounty's premier raptor spot. Fri 11th - Sun 13th Nov '11 & Fri 9th - Sun 11th Nov GBR04Cost: £295Food and accommodation:Please refer to thespecific trip itinerary for details.Transport:Transport is provided during each tour.Single room supplement:Provided - as cheaply as possible! - on request.OtterWhite-beaked Dolphins, Lyme BayBearded Tit18