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Suffolk - Thorpeness and North Warren (Day Trip)
Tour Code: GBR289Join local expert Brian Small for a day at North Warren, one of the jewels in the crown of Suffolk’s coastal bird reserves and a haven for wildfowl arriving for the winter.
£50
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Summary
The quirky village of Thorpeness, with its strange mix of houses and meare, is the starting point for this lovely walk. It is an ideal place for a relaxed day’s birding as we walk south towards Aldeburgh exploring the open fields and wetlands of the RSPB’s North Warren reserve. Large flocks of wildfowl gather to spend the winter, and include many Pintail and Wigeon plus White-fronted and often Tundra Bean Geese. Marsh Harrier, Peregrine and Merlin hunt here and Water Pipits frequent the wetter areas. At the southern edge of the reserve we reach Aldeburgh where we will have lunch sitting on the seafront looking out to sea.
In the afternoon we walk back to Thorpeness along the old railway line checking the hidden parts of the reserve, including the deciduous woods and heathland for Marsh Tit and Woodlark. Lesser Redpoll and Siskin frequent the Alder Carr near the Hundred River, which we will examine as we turn east to complete our loop.
- A circuitous walk from Thorpeness to Aldeburgh and back
- Large flocks of geese and ducks often at close range
- Good chances of Marsh Harrier, Peregrine and Merlin
Dates & Prices
2025

Tour Leader: David Walsh
David has been a keen birdwatcher since his primary school days and still has his notebooks from the early 1970s to prove it! He ran bird clubs at his schools and is very proud of the fact that several of the boys who he inspired as 11-year-olds are now working in full-time conservation; he continues to encourage young birdwatchers whenever possible. David retired from full-time teaching in 2015 but continues to do part-time maths tutoring. In his spare time he enjoys singing in various local choirs.
In 2008 he used a sabbatical to spend three months in Southeast Asia, which included a successful quest to find the endangered White-eared Night Heron in Vietnam. At home in Suffolk, he puts his love of bird songs and calls to good use, running surveys to monitor breeding birds in the spring and searching out migrant passerines in the autumn. He also co-ordinates the submission of Suffolk’s records to the national Rare Breeding Birds Panel, knowing the birding sites in the county very well indeed having lived in Suffolk since 1992.
David has guided over 90 overseas tours since his first to La Brenne in 1986. In the last 10 years he has focused on Europe, North Africa, Asia and South America and has enjoyed developing his interest in butterflies and dragonflies as well as birds. David’s boundless energy and enthusiasm, coupled with a determination to ensure that everyone in the group sees the birds, has understandably made him popular with clients! He is delighted to be joining the Naturetrek team in 2023.
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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