Rutland Water (Day Trip)

Tour Code: GBR100

A day of guided birdwatching at the internationally important wetland site of Rutland Water.

1 days from
£50 (land only)
book now

Highlights

Summary

Summary

The UK’s largest reservoir is also one of the country’s most important wetland sites and of international importance for its birdlife. Rutland Water Nature Reserve is managed by the Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust, and in the company of either naturalist Matthew Capper, or the founder of the annual Birdfair, Tim Appleton MBE, we will keep the itinerary flexible to react to recent sightings, so be prepared to ‘car-hop’ between sites if necessary. Walking will be over short distances only and easy ground. Please note that the Day Permit required to access the reserve is not included in the tour price and is payable locally (£7.50 adults / £6.50 concessions). Some of the local car parks are pay and display. We operate this Day Trip throughout the year, so please click on our 'detailed information' below to discover the seasonal highlights.

  • Possible scarcities include Black Tern, Great Northern Diver, Black Necked Grebe and Smew
  • Thousands of ducks
  • Waders could include Ruff, Black-tailed Godwit, Green Sandpiper, Wood Sandpiper and Snipe

Spring

Spring sees the return of the Ospreys along with other summer and passage migrants. Early in the season it might be a Wheatear at the dam or Little Ringed Plover on one of the lagoons. Terns and other wetland birds can turn up with some regularity and the sound of the Black-headed Gull colony will form an audible backdrop to any trip. Warblers such as Reed and Sedge will start to fill the reedbeds and the woodland and hedgerows will be alive with the sounds Chiffchaffs, Blackcaps and Garden Warblers. Wader passage is maybe not as prominent as in the autumn but will still include a good range of species and there is often a lingering scarcity like a diver or rare duck that hangs on from the winter months.

Late Summer and Early Autumn

Anything could turn up during our day at Rutland, and this time of year is good for scarcities such as Black Tern, an early Great Northern Diver, Black Necked Grebe or maybe a Garganey in amongst the thousands of duck. The Autumn return passage of waders will be picking up pace and could include Ruff, Curlew Sandpiper, Little Stint or a smart Wood Sandpiper. This is the time of year for scarce herons, and Great White Egret is now regular and may be joined by something rarer like a Glossy Ibis. Of course, we will also hope to enjoy the local Ospreys during our visit.

Winter

Winter is a fantastic time of year to visit when wildfowl numbers hit their peak. Monthly counts have logged nearly 50,000 waterbirds and, in amongst the common species, we will search for scarcities such as Smew, Red-necked, Black-necked and Slavonian Grebes, Scaup and maybe even a diver, with Great Northern being an annual occurrence at this time of year. Small birds include Marsh Tit and we may encounter roving flocks of Siskin or Redpoll. And as the light fades, we could be treated to a Barn or Short Eared Owl, quartering the grasslands of the reserve.

DETAILED INFORMATION
Day Trip Location

Day Trip Location

Reviews
Dates & Prices

Dates & Prices

2024

Departures Availability Cost
Sat 7th Dec – Sat 7th Dec FULL £50
Land only cost:
The "Land Only" cost is the tour price you will pay if you choose to arrange your own flights/transport.
£50
Tour Leader:
Please note that, whilst we assign leaders to particular tours well in advance, we reserve the right to make changes if necessary
Matthew Capper
Matthew Capper 001

Tour Leader: Matthew Capper

Matthew was born in Stamford and grew up with Rutland Water on his doorstep, where he volunteered during his teenage years and developed his lifelong interest in birds and other wildlife. After a Geography degree at Sheffield University, he settled in the Peak District and was soon involved in bird of prey protection, the National Park Ranger Service and the local birding scene. Matthew began working for the RSPB in 2006 and managed projects across the north of England, spent time as an Area Conservation Manager and 10 years as Senior Site Manager at RSPB Old Moor in Yorkshire. Passionate about connecting people with nature, he has led walks, activities and delivered talks for many different organisations. Having previously served on the board of trustees, Matthew became the Head of Public Engagement and Communications for the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust in 2019. 

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UK Day Trips Led by Expert Naturalists


We are delighted to offer a series of Naturetrek Day Trips which visit a wonderful selection of reserves and habitats across the UK, each guided by one of our expert naturalist tour leaders, many of whom are leading our Day Trips on their own ‘local patch’! Meeting at around 9am, and exploring largely on foot until around 5pm (though note that specific Day Trip timings do vary slightly by location and season), these trips are designed to spend a full day out in the fresh air, in search of a wide range of special British wildlife.


Whether you would like to explore a new area in the company of a local, expert naturalist tour leader, try a guided wildlife day out for the very first time, or perhaps you simply wish to spend the day learning more about your own local wildlife, you will find yourself most welcome on one of our Naturetrek Day Trips. We also offer days out specifically aimed at beginner birders and amateur wildlife photographers, and some trips even extend after sunset to allow us to take you on a guided tour of the night skies above. Whatever the trip focus – be it birds, botany, fungi, photography, butterflies, dragonflies, geology or a mix of just about everything – your leader will take you to the very best places to search for wildlife, and will share their knowledge generously along the way.


Our Day Trips have been fully risk assessed, and all activities are carried out in line with UK government and industry Covid-19 guidance. Most Day Trips from 17th May 2021 onwards will have a maximum number of 7 people, with a handful, such as cruises with a slightly higher number. We have also been certified as 'Good to Go'; the domestic tourism industry standard mark for Covid-19 protocols. Your safety is paramount, and we will be complying fully with UK government guidance throughout all of our Day Trips.


 


How to Book


The price for all our standard Naturetrek Day Trips is £50 per person and payment is by debit card only. You can book online, or you are very welcome to book over the phone by calling us on 01962 733051. Some Day Trips operate seasonally, and we are continuing to add additional departure dates for our fully booked Day Trips, so if you would like to be added to our wait list for any of these trips please just email info@naturetrek.co.uk or register your interest via the tour page.


 


Joining Instructions for Day Trips




If you, or someone that you have been in close contact with, has displayed symptoms of Covid-19 in the 14 days prior to the Day Trip, or if you receive an alert from NHS Track and Trace, you MUST NOT JOIN the Day Trip. Please let us know in the Naturetrek office as soon as possible and we will be happy to refund you in full.


    

  • Upon booking we will email you with a designated meeting point and confirmed timings, along with contact details for your tour leader.
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  • During some Day Trips we will each use our own vehicle to move the short distances in between sites (group transport is not provided).
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  • Please do not bring your dog, or other pets, as they may disturb the wildlife!
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  • Please bring your own lunch.
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  • Please bring plenty of water, snacks, hand sanitiser, tissues, your own face covering (this will not be compulsory whilst we are out in the fresh air and wide open spaces throughout during the day but may be required to enter toilets, visitor centres, etc.) along with anything else that you might need for the day. You will need to be able to carry everything yourself. Suitable footwear (walking shoes or walking boots) will be essential, along with sensible layers and waterproofs plus sun hat and sun cream or woolly hat and gloves etc., depending on the weather forecast.
    • 

  • Wherever possible, we will try to arrange comfort breaks during the day. On some of our more remote Day Trips this isn’t always possible, and on those occasions you will need to be prepared for the odd ‘bush stop’! If this is likely, we will alert you in the joining instructions beforehand. Please be stringent with hygiene when using public facilities.
    • 

  • We ask you to respect minimum social distancing AT ALL TIMES (currently 2m where possible between households at the time of writing, but could be updated at any time). To help ensure this, we ask group members and tour leaders not to share optics, field guides or any other equipment.
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  • Finally, please do share your photos and favourite wildlife sightings with us … we love seeing them! Tweet @naturetrektours, Instagram @naturetrek_wildlife_holidays or find us on facebook.com/naturetrekwildlifeholidays
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Tailormade Day Trips

Should the dates we offer not suit you, or should you wish to have a private, tailored Day Trip, we will be delighted to arrange this for you. Please just call Georgie Head on 01962 733051, or fill out our quick enquiry form and we will get back to you. For inspiration for a Tailormade UK break, please see our Tailormade UK holidays.




Reviews: 


'The Naturetrek £50 days out have been a lifesaver this year. What better way than to spend a day in the open with four other like minded people in the company of a brilliant guide who can tell you all about the geology, flors and fauna of the area. I’ve been on three of these days with more booked for the future. The days are full, meeting at 9.00am and not finishing until 5.00pm, maybe slightly earlier in the darker winter months, with about 45 minutes for our picnic lunch but never have I ever looked at my watch and wished the time would pass more quickly. Quite the opposite in fact, the time passed so quickly I was amazed when we found ourselves back at the car park. Value for money? Yes, definitely. Thank you Naturetrek.'
VB – The Naze and Walton Backwaters (Essex)

‘The Upper Teesdale Day Trip was brilliant and Andy Bunten was an exceptional guide. So very knowledgeable and an expert spotter, but equally important he had great communication skills so that no-one felt remotely patronised or afraid to ask the most basic of questions. The organisation of the day was impeccably planned too. This was my first Naturetrek outing but I have friends who regularly use you and have spoken of your trips in glowing terms. So I will certainly look at your website and I will hope to travel with you at some point in the future.’ 
 KS – Teesdale


‘We had a lovely day on Monday; Matt was terrific - particularly with us being beginners at bird watching! The other attendees were very interesting and one in particular was extremely knowledgeable. So we learned a lot - just got to remember it now! We are looking at the other day trips available to see if we can do another one.’ 
 Ashdown Forest


‘I wanted to write to thank you for organising your new Day Trips. It’s an excellent idea and something to give hope to many people, who are keen to get out and about, and to experience the beauty of nature closer to home. Our trip to the Ashdown Forest on Friday was excellent. The weather was kind to us, a lovely sunny, English summer day, but it was our guide, Matt Eade, who made it special. Quite how Matt managed to arrange Goshawk, two Honey-buzzards, Hobby, Treecreeper, and a whole host of other species was remarkable.
 Spotted Flycatcher is the personal favourite of my husband Simon – and Matt knew where to find two of them. Simon was over the moon!  


It was a top day. Matt was informative, very knowledgeable, engaging, encouraging, always happy to help, provide insights and share his knowledge and experiences. He paced the walk just right, thoughtful about short breaks where needed. I worked for 8 years as a Tour Director around Europe and I know how exceptionally hard it can be to keep everyone happy!’ 
 Ashdown Forest


‘The trip exceeded our already high expectations. Andy Bunten was kind, humorous, thoughtful and his knowledge of the wildlife truly exceptional. It was a real pleasure and privilege to be in his company.’ 
 KE – Teesdale


‘So nice to be on a Naturetrek trip again and had a thoroughly enjoyable day with Russ and our other companions. Everyone just got on even though we had not met before. Looking forward to our next day trip!’ 
 LD – Smardale


‘We had a great day, thank you. Matthew Capper was an excellent guide, giving us a wealth of information about the ecology, conservation and social history of the area as well as the wildlife, and having an amazing ability to detect birdlife out of nowhere.  The Lammergeier before we'd even left the meeting point was of course spectacular, but it was Matthew's commitment to searching for the birds and Mountain Hares which impressed me even more.  We also appreciated his patience and good humour, and his determination to make sure that all 5 of us got to see everything. These day trips are a brilliant idea. We are really looking forward to our next Naturetrek Day in a couple of weeks.’ 
 AB – Peak District



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Register Interest for Future Dates

Prefer to Travel in a Private Group?

For any interested natural history club or society, we can arrange for a private departure of this tour.

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Why Naturetrek?

Why Naturetrek?

At Naturetrek we craft expertly-guided group and tailor-made wildlife holidays and cruises to all seven continents. On one of our holidays, you can be assured that our passionate team will enable you to experience and enjoy the best of the world's wildlife and natural spectacles in as comfortable and rewarding a manner as possible, caring as best we can for the environment in the process. We are proud to provide:

  • The widest choice of wildlife holidays worldwide
  • Tours managed and led by naturalists, for naturalists
  • Outstanding value and exceptional customer service

Furthermore, as a Naturetrek client, our office team are always to on hand to help you – so if you have any queries about your holiday, whether before or after you have booked, we will be delighted to answer them on the phone. Please just give our team a call!