- birdwatching
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Pieria mountains are roughly in the middle of the Greek mainland and just beside Mount Olympus - the well known mount of gods from mythology. They are beautiful and green.
A hotel which has a great view of Mount Olympus is the Semeli Resort. It's small but cosy and is beside the forests. Great walking opportunities, birdwatching, mountain biking, skiing - when there's snow.
In 20 minutes' drive you can visit Dion, Vergina in one-hour drive, Thessaloniki with a vast collection of Byzantine churches and ruins, museums and the beach is 20 minutes' drive. I love this area - beautiful mountains, small villages with simple but genuine life. It is worth visiting.
Porlock is situated in the Exmoor countryside and is a village with its own nearby bay and probably the most feared hill in the area. Porlock hill has a 1-in-4 gradient and has been responsible for many an accident over the years. The village is very pretty and certainly worth negotiating the hill for and you can walk to the bay which lies on a salt marsh - an excellent site for bird watching.
From Minehead, travel about 6 miles west along the A39 and watch for the Porlock turn-off.
www.porlock.co.uk/
Only inhabited island off the coast of Northern Ireland. Fantastic views of north Irish coast from Fair Head to Malin and to Kintyre peninsula and Islay.
Great mix of protected wildilfe habitats from shore to heather moorland in just 4 miles (90 minutes) walk to the RSPB viewpoint at west lighthouse - to see puffins and thousands of seabirds on dramatic cliff site.
Kinramer cottage camping barn (hostel) situated en route on organic farm for restorative, restful nights and good craic.
6 miles off shore from Ballycastle, Co Antrim. Ferry: Cal Mac tel 028 207 69299.
Just one of the hundreds of hikes in the Sierra de Montanchez walking on original Moorish pathways. This particular walk is made even more interesting by the marvellously romantic ruins of at least 20 old water mills.
Other interests are the birdwatching which is extraordinary all over the Sierra de Montanchez and the many different plants and herbs among the cork and holm oak woods. The walk takes two hours and ends at the Moorish castle of Montánchez.
I stayed at the delightful farmhouse,
Finca al-manzil which I found on this site, a perfect base for exploration of the surrounding area and historical towns of Caceres, Trujillo and Merida and Montánchez.
www.wildspain.com
www.finca-al-manzil.com
www.iberianatura.com
A series of splendidly named valleys facing westwards between Land's End and St Ives. Renowned for birds in the autumn, especially rare ones. A number of first sightings for Britain have been found in them.
Great views at the seaward ends of the valleys where you can link onto the Cornish coast path. For softies, Cot Valley is the easiest access with a smallish car park at the end of the valley.
Views of the rocks called the Brisons off shore and Scilly on a clear day. Be prepared to back up a way when driving though!
Also worth a look: Nanquidno next to Land's End aerodrome just south of St Just off the B3306, Kenidjack just north of St just and Pendeen lighthouse.
Cot valley grid ref SW355309.
Nanquidno: SW 364292
Kenidjack: SW 365323
Pendeen lighthouse SW 379359
If you are a birdwatcher, you will love Central Park. There is a 37-acre area called The Ramble (just south of the Belvedere, shown on the maps on signposts and free from Central Park information booths), full of wildlife.
Take binoculars and a camera, and try to find a stream as this is where the birds feed and bathe.
Only starlings and sparrows will be familiar to Europeans.
Bird books are available from Borders etc., otherwise you won't know what you're seeing. We enjoyed it for three hours and never made it to the Met that day!
More info from the park Conservancy office in the Belvedere.
Central Park, roughly at 76th St level
Cycling is becoming a way of transport more than a sport in many countries but not yet in Spain.
Anyway, in Europe there are thousands of wonderful places for cycling and here in Spain too. If you want to spend a day on your bike and, at the same time, enjoy the summer days near the coast, do not doubt to try the following route in Pontevedra, Spain. It is a route from the regal noble town of Cambados to the island of Arousa.
The route starts in Cambados, a town full of history and magnificent architecture. In this town, it outstands the Pazo de Fefiñáns. The route is along the coast, with a fantastic view of the beautiful and quiet Atlantic Ocean. The next stop is the Illa de Aoursa, the biggest island of Galicia. It is joined to the land by a bridge. On this island, there are remains of old civilizations that recall when it was an isolated island. It is a paradise island because it is not very exploited and there are almost 80 wild beaches and some of them with a blue flag rating.
You must know this island is rich in fauna and flora, and it is the perfect place to enjoy the different species of birds.
I stayed in Amsterdam for 5 days, and for you birders out there this is a very nice thing to do.
Go with the train from Amsterdam central station to Almere Buiten. It takes 30 minutes to get there. On the internet i booked a local bird guide to show me the Oostvaardersplassen. A nature reserve with lots of birds and mammals. You can go by yourself but you need a rental car and the right places to go.
I have booked the birdwatching tour with Flevo Birdwatching (www.birdsnetherlands.nl)
Lundy is a Norse word meaning puffin, so ‘Puffin Island’ gives the game away somewhat. There are still puffins there, and this is what many people who visit the island are hoping to see, though in truth most tourists would be ill-equipped to do so, as the little birds don’t just stroll around on the footpaths, preferring instead to hide away on the extremely high, sheer cliff-sides that define the island.
On arrival, most likely via the MS Oldenburg that sails regularly from Ilfracombe and Bideford (the alternative being a rather more ostentatious helicopter), you‘ll find a 3.5 mile long and 0.5 mile wide granite outcrop residing in the Bristol Channel about 11 miles from the mainland. It rises some 400 feet, and when the heather’s in bloom, it makes a particularly pretty sight as you approach the small harbour at the bottom of the eastern cliff. There’s only one path up the cliff-side, which most people walk (it’s about a mile) though you can get transport if you need it. As a general rule though, there are no cars (or anything that you could call a proper road) on the island.
On the way up you’ll see a Regency style house, the residence of a former owner of the island, but this is hardly typical of the buildings that make up the small village that you’ll discover once you’ve reached the cliff-top. Inevitably, they’re mostly small, granite affairs that house the island’s 19 permanent inhabitants. There’s also one shop, a Victorian era church and, of course, a pub, the Marisco tavern, named after a former 12th Century ruler of the island, William de Marisco. Outside the village, on the south eastern corner, is a medieval castle that was built by Henry III.
The tranquillity of the island is legendary, as are the sea views and the opportunities for various forms of wildlife study – from bird watching to underwater exploration. I was very surprised to spot some wild deer in the middle of the island, but they’re very shy despite their limited territory. Lundy is also a gift for artists and photographers so don’t forget to take your gear.
Apart from day tripping, there is accommodation of various types on the island if you fancy a real retreat from modern life. No cars, no high street franchises, no office buildings, and no street lights – you can actually see the stars at night while listening to the roar of the Atlantic on the rocks below.
The MS Oldenburg runs regularly from Ilfracombe and Bideford during Spring - Autumn months.
A beautiful and historic island reached by a short ferry crossing from Ballycastle, County Antrim.
A haven for wildlife, get the bus to the RSPB centre on the west of the island where you can enjoy watching nesting seabirds (including kittiwakes, puffins and razorbills) on the spectacular cliffs. Give the bus a miss and return to the port on foot. The four mile walk is great and you can enjoy a rewarding Guinness overlooking the bay when you arrive. If you wander east from the port you may see seals basking in the sun on the beaches in summer.
Rathlin Island has a fascinating and rich history and is a real gem in the wonderful north of Ireland.
www.antrim.net/rathlin/
www.calmac.co.uk/summer-rathlin-island-timetable.html
This one's extreme. You get here via a tiny six-seater plane or a white-knuckle three-hour boat trip from Shetland. The best (usually the only) place to stay is the Bird Observatory, where you get fed within an inch of your life on home baking. You can join the twitchers with their birding work, thrill to cliff-top walks bombarded by broody skuas, check out the knitting in the island museum, and just soak up the sound of sea and silence.
Fair Isle
Shetland
Tidal islands cut off from the land for 5 of every 12 hours. Check your tides and make your way across the sands (preferably barefoot) with beautiful views in all directions. Great wildlife, birdwatching etc too.
Parkgate is close, and lovely too.
Hilbre, West Kirby, Wirral
www.wirral.gov.uk/er/hilbre.htm
The museum has interesting displays about the history of the region. The exhibits include the pioneer days, Aboriginal culture, mining and agriculture. There is a shop which has great gifts. Help with tours, where to stay or camp, walking trails, drive routes, birdwatching and local information about what to see in the outback.
Mareeba 1 hour west of Cairns at the start of the outback.
The last stronghold of the Moors in Iberia, the Alpujarras is an unspoiled region of hilltop villages spilling down from the Sierra Nevada mountains south of Granada. Up here the mule is still an essential form of transport and tapas are still free when you buy a glass of wine in a village bar. Fabulous area for walking and birdwatching.
We stayed in a lovely, newly reformed holiday let with stunning views in Juvíles, one of the highest and prettiest of the villages, about an hour and a half from Granada city.
This small Cambodian NGO is where one can go if you want to learn about wildlife, conservation and especially seeing birds in Cambodia. They have partnered with Wildlife Conservation Society and are the conduit to the endangered species found in north-east Cambodia.
The center was created in memory of Sam Veasna, to carry on his work of promoting wildlife conservation and research. It is located in an inviting building, open to the lovely garden, with a library full of resource material, publications for sale and a donation box in the lobby.
The SVC can arrange visits to several remote birding locations where visitors can see such rarities as Giant Ibis, White-shouldered Ibis, Bengal Florican and Sarus Crane, and many other bird species.
0552, Group 12, Wat Bo Village, Sula Komreak Communue.
- Off Wat Bo Road just past the Angkor Village Inn, 5 minutes away from the Old Market.
www.samveasna.org
info@samveasna.org
The footbridge over the Genessee River at High Falls. Combines spectacular view with bird watching (attention falconists!) and adjacent High Falls historic district (Platt and Mill Streets).
Also recommended: the panoramic view from Cobb's Hill Reservoir, on the corner of Monroe Avenue and Highland Avenue; check out the large turtle in the reservoir too. Favourite spot for joggers.
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