Loading search...
News in Brief: Spitsbergen, Switzerland, Spain & the UK
June 2023
‘A region cloaked in high-rising snowy peaks, dramatic fjords and abundant wildlife, there are few places on Earth that can rival Spitsbergen (Svalbard) for a wildlife destination’ says tour leader Matt Eade. ‘Our late-June departure was most memorable for our Polar Bear encounters; the first being a mother and cub, with the cub even suckling at one point as the group watched in disbelief. The final sighting involved both a young and adult male coming within ca. 100 metres of one another, with the former scarpering off, only to have the adult stalking its every footstep! Slow progress through the pack ice in the far north gave a magical encounter with Walruses and group members were also fortunate to set foot amongst a bustling Little Auk colony. Cetaceans were also in great abundance, with three Blue Whales, four Fin Whales, 17 Minke Whales, ca. 175 Beluga Whales and three White-beaked Dolphins. Lastly, zodiac cruises meant the group could get within a safe distance of the incredible glaciers of this breathtaking archipelago, all while watching drake King Eiders – a magical place with countless highlights.’
View tour
June 2023
‘The inaugural “Go Slow” in East Anglia went brilliantly, we saw such a diverse range of wildlife, from mammals and birds through to insects and incredibly rare flowers’ says leader Su Gough.
‘Experiencing a variety of habitats, from forest, woodland and wetland through to the totally unique breckland, we began to get a feel for this poorly known part of the country. Seeing the beautiful Proliferous Pink at one of its only two sites in the whole of Britain, enjoying point-blank views of Purple Hairstreak and watching Hobbies catch dragonflies were highlights but paled after watching eight Stone Curlews at very close range! A basking Common Lizard, Norfolk Hawker dragonflies, Scarce Emerald damselflies, Dark Green Fritillary butterflies and close views of Bittern all proved popular and the list of wildlife encountered just kept on getting longer.
On the last evening, we went back out for another hour with the Nightjars – and had two churring and wing clapping around us, before one sat on the track in front of us. We were then amazed to see a Badger bumbling towards us, before a white Fallow stag bounded across as we headed back to the van, with the nearly full moon peeking through the stately conifers. What an incredible way to finish a superb week!’
View tour
June 2023
‘Mull always seems to deliver. This week-long trip gave us the opportunity to sample all of this magical island’s delights’ says tour leader Andy Bunten.
‘To begin with, we spent time slowly going round the lochs in the south looking, of course, for Otters. It didn’t take us long to find our first one, travelling slowly along the shore and feeding as it went. We carefully followed it, moving mainly when it was underwater, and watched it occasionally nip onto the shore before resuming its fishing. Fantastic! Our next Otters were even better, with a mother and large cub fishing together and rolling around on islands just off-shore before loping across the beach to their holt.
We wanted eagles and found a pair of Golden – fairly distant but good views through the scope – and so many sightings of White-tailed Eagles we almost (but not quite) started getting blasé!
Which was best – the sentinel-like one gazing at us in our boat or the bird flying from its nest, white tail shining and dwarfing the dive-bombing Common Buzzard.
Our boat trips were amazing: at Lunga, Atlantic Puffins and Razorbills only a few feet away; Bonxies, like Messerschmitts, zoomed along the low cliff edges causing the auks to dive into their burrows and huge, squawking, smelling colonies of Guillemots dominated the senses. And the trip to offshore Coll produced a Minke Whale surfacing and blowing just 25 metres away from our boat. Astonishing.’
View tour
June 2023
‘While the premise of the evening was to watch Nightjars, we enjoyed observing other wildlife beforehand’ writes leader Oliver Smart. ‘We began with Nuthatch and Spotted Flycatcher foraging. Song Thrush and Blackbird sang repeatedly and several Goldcrest gleaned bugs from a conifer. Soon, we heard the distinctive ascending notes of a Firecrest. After nice views, we continued our walk. A Wood White butterfly, with its loose flight and delicate rounded wings, Speckled Wood, Red Admiral and Peacock were also noted.
Although birds were scarce this evening, we were amazed by the thousands of tiny froglets hopping along the track as we progressed around the lake. On the heath, the distinctive sounds of Tree Pipit were heard. Before long, everyone enjoyed beautiful views of them perching at the top of birches, with bouts of display flight and parachuting landings.
Stonechat, Whitethroat and Willow Warbler were all added before heading to our destination. Here we waited at dusk for the nocturnal wildlife to start their activities. Before long, the first sounds of Nightjar were heard, churring from the ground before a few kwip calls. Then we saw our first one, taking off and flying to a perch only 20m from us. What an amazing view as the bird continued to churr and pose perfectly.
We stayed for over an hour as we enjoyed bouts of flight with additional landings on the same and another tree. We returned to the vehicles having spotted several Common Toads crossing the path, completing a fantastic evening in the Forest.’
View tour
June 2023
‘The Bernese Oberland in summer is like stepping into the picture on a box of chocolates. Everything is perfect, from the snow-capped Eiger to the cuckoo-clock chalets and clanking cow bells’ says tour leader Pip O'Brien. ‘This year’s “Go-Slow” tried out cable cars, rack railways, funiculars and a variety of other highly efficient Swiss transport methods to reach swathes of gentians, clouds of butterflies and meadows brimming with wild flowers. Our highest point at just under 3,000m was the top of the Schilthorn, where the snow was still too thick to allow us to leave the building. But at every stage down the mountain the flora changed, from tiny cushions of Swiss Rock-jasmine (Androsace helvetica) to banks of crocus and Alpine Snowbell (Soldanella alpina) at the edge of snow patches, via primulas and gentians then on to orchids of various kinds and luxuriant hay meadows. While we were there the first hay was being cut in the bottom of the famous Lauterbrunnen Valley, but by the time we left the meadows around the village were going under the scythe. A family of Chamois were frequent visitors to a meadow in the village where the kids delighted us with their antics.’
View tour
June 2023
'While exploring the ancient Atlantic oak forests of Glenborrodale, the first of many Chequered Skippers revealed itself, nectaring on a bluebell, to the background of singing Tree Pipits, which we saw displaying at close quarters moments later' says tour leader Josh Phangurha. 'Towards the end of the RSPB trail, the unmistakable call of the Wood Warbler echoed through the oaks, two birds eventually showing themselves as they dropped down and up from a nest on the forest floor. What a sight!
We made various excursions around the peninsula and were rewarded by a White-tailed Eagle pair soaring around their nest adjacent to an ancient castle, where Small Pearl-bordered Fritillaries reside in abundance. A pair of Otters foraged in Kilchoan Bay while sporadically clambering up on the rocks, providing good views. Our trip to the north of the peninsula treated us to what was the best Golden Eagle view any of us have had, as one of two soared remarkably low over the bay. A sight of this massive bird that we will never forget!
On our way to the Treshnish Isles, we were overjoyed to see a Minke Whale breaking the surface close to the boat, as well as two Harbour Porpoises! After gazing at the marvellous geology of Fingal’s Cave on Staffa, we landed on Lunga where tens of thousands of Auks and other seabirds were congregating to breed. Being surrounded by the sights and sounds of Puffins, Razorbills, Guillemots, Fulmars, Kittiwakes and Shags is a magnificent experience, as well as predators such as Great Skua out at sea.
And of course, we didn’t have to stray far to see one of the main targets daily, as Pine Martens were showy around the grounds of the Ardnamurchan Bunkhouse!'
View tour
June 2023
‘This 8-day break based in southern Spain´s most vibrant city showcased the best of Andalucía´s fascinating wildlife, culture, history and food’ writes tour leader Niki Williamson.
‘From our luxury hotel at the heart of Málaga's Old Town, we made daily excursions to rich and varied natural habitats, all within an hour's drive. Spanish Ibex, Black-eared Wheatear, Blue Rock Thrush, Rock Bunting, Western Orphean Warbler and Griffon Vultures graced the mountain crags. White-headed Duck, Marbled Duck, Red-crested Pochard, Black-necked Grebe, Greater Flamingo, Black-winged Stilt, Kentish Plover, Curlew Sandpiper, Slender-billed, Audouin's and Mediterranean Gulls, Sandwich, Whiskered and Gull-billed Terns filled the wetlands. European Turtle Doves and Calandra, Crested and Short-toed Larks sang from the low-intensity farmlands. A European Roller dropped by, and a Little Bustard even strutted its stuff for us!
Relaxing afternoons were spent exploring the Moorish citadel, unique cathedral and the museum of Picasso or simply enjoying the architecture and atmosphere of the bustling streets – always accompanied by charming Monk Parakeets and Pallid Swifts screaming overhead!
A varied gastronomic itinerary provided chances to sample interesting local dishes such as ajo blanco almond soup, the freshest seafood in town and delicious Iberian pork, and took us to some of Málaga's best loved institutions, as well as some hidden gems beloved by the locals!'
View tour
June 2023
‘”The spring has been wet, cold and late, and this week we will have some rain and some strong winds” is how I remember introducing the tour to our eight clients, some of whom were on their first ever trip with Naturetrek’ writes tour leader Peter Rich. ‘And so it was – the wind meant that we only managed to run the moth-trap on three nights. The itinerary was adjusted, avoiding clouds and the threat of rain as we headed into the mountains before ducking back down into the foothills in search of diverse pockets of butterfly habitat.
Nonetheless some local knowledge, good luck and the singular experience that you have on a Naturetrek holiday of heading into the field with nine pairs of eyes trained on everything around you, meant that gradually everything dropped into place. In the Fago Gorge we came across a 150m length of verge absolutely teeming with butterflies – easily more than 500 individuals in a feeding frenzy on the scabious and knapweed. Avoiding the rain, we drove south beyond Agüero, where we found the Two-tailed Pasha posing on a branch for the better part of five minutes, and when the clouds meant we couldn’t get to the Larra-Belagua Pass, an enquiry at the bar had us searching for, and finding, the mythical Ghost Orchid! By week’s end our tally of butterfly species was at 112 and everyone headed home delighted, after pottering about in one of Europe’s best, insect-rich and biodiverse habitats – the Spanish Pyrenees.’
View tour
