www.bargainbirdingclub.com 3 ISLANDS (SKOKHOLM, & SKOMER) RAPTORS & THE FOREST OF DEAN

WEDNESDAY 22ND JULY 2015 TO MONDAY 27TH JULY 2015 £449pp for 5 days (or £399pp for 4 days)

4 single + 4 twin + 4 double rooms available Trip Leaders: Richard Hanman and Simon Ginnaw

Itinerary at a glance Wed. 22nd Thur. 23rd Fri. 24th Sat. 25th Sun. 26th Mon. 27th Included in the price: July 2015* July 2015 July 2015 July 2015 July 2015 July 2015 Hotel (Bed, B/fast & EM) a* a Self-catering a a a of Prey Centre a* RSPB Nagshead Reserve a Boat to / from Skokholm a a Skomer sea-safari a Grassholm gannet colony a Guiding services a a a a a * only for guests that book the full 5 nights trip option “Value for money bird watching trips for birders on a budget” Pembrokeshire Islands, Raptors & The Forest of Dean

At ‘Bargain Birding Club’ we are constantly striving to bring you great value for money bird watching trips. This trip is no exception and for the first time we have incorporated the opportunity for you to tailor your trip to suit your own personal birding wish list and your birding budget.

You can choose to join us for …

• 5 days / 5 nights at a cost of £449 pp for our ‘Raptors & Pembrokeshire Islands Experience’ • 4 days / 4 nights at a cost of £399 pp for our shorter ‘Pembrokeshire Islands’ only trip

Both trip options include a 3 night stay on Skokholm, a sea-safari around Grassholm and Skomer, and a visit to the RSPB reserve at Nagshead in the Forest of Dean. Compare our prices below …

Operator Trip date Duration Trip name and sites visited £ per person Raptors & Pembrokeshire Islands Bargain 22-27 5 days / Bird of Prey Centre & Forest of Dean £449 3 days/3 nights on Skokholm (no single room Birding Club July 2015 5 nights supplement to pay) Sea safari around Grassholm and Skomer

Bargain 23-27 4 days / Pembrokeshire Islands £399 Forest of Dean, 3 nights on Skokholm (no single room Birding Club July 2015 4 nights Sea safari around Grassholm and Skomer supplement to pay)

8-11 3 days / Pembrokeshire (Trip GBR18) £675 Naturetrek 1 day on Skomer, 1½ days on mainland (includes single June 2015 3 nights Boat trip around Grassholm or Ramsey room supplement)

Wednesday 22nd July 2015: International Bird of Prey Centre (GL18 1JJ)

For guests that have opted for our full ‘Raptors & Pembrokeshire Islands Experience’ then your trip begins today at the International Centre for of Prey at Newent near Gloucester at 12 noon.

Enjoy close up views of magnificent birds such as Snowy Owl, Great Grey Owl, Secretary Bird, Bateleur Eagle and Griffon Vulture. The centre has over 200 birds of prey in total!

The ‘Hawk Walk’ is an amazing area for photographic opportunities and we will also observe the flying demonstrations.

The centre also has wonderful gardens, ponds, woods and a café for those that crave a cup of tea and a slice of cake!

At 5.30pm we’ll travel the short distance to the Holiday Inn Express (GL2 2AB) in Gloucester, reconvening at 7.30pm for our evening meal (included in the price) at the Bumblebee Pub next door. Great Grey Owl Snowy Owl “Value for money bird watching trips for birders on a budget” Pembrokeshire Islands, Raptors & The Forest of Dean

Thursday 23rd July 2015: RSPB Nagshead Reserve (GL15 4JL)

After complementary breakfast we’ll grab our hotel prepared picnic lunch, checkout and depart at 8.30am to the RSPB Reserve at Nagshead. This is very much the time of year to enjoy the extensive broadleaved woodland and especially the old 'Napoleonic' oaks, dating from the early 19th Century that were originally planted for ship timber. Woodland butterflies such as Silver-washed Fritillary and White Admiral will be at their best as we enjoy a steady 2.5 mile meander around the reserve.

White Admiral

Silver-washed Fritillary

Although the birds may not be as vocal as they are in spring, they will still be present and a little patience should produce Nuthatch, Treecreeper, Great-spotted Woodpecker, Pied Flycatcher, Redstart and Wood Warbler. The reserve also has breeding populations of Raven, Buzzard, Goshawk, Hawfinch and Crossbill. We may also be lucky enough to see Wild Boar and Fallow Deer.

After our picnic at the visitors centre we will take the short 0.5mile drive to make a quick stop at Fountain Lodge (GL15 4JD) to see if Dipper are present in Oakwood Brook at the back of the pub. We’ll then set off on the 3 hour (136 miles) drive to our hotel for the evening. We’ll be staying at Silverdale Lodge (SA62 3NZ) near which has a reputation for superb home-made cuisine utilising brilliant local produce. Guests booked on the shorter 4 night trip will join us here at 7.30pm for a 2-course evening meal (included in the price) before we all retire to our rooms after a night cap as we have an early breakfast in the morning in order to catch our boat to Skokholm.

Fallow Deer Wild Boar piglets

“Value for money bird watching trips for birders on a budget” Pembrokeshire Islands, Raptors & The Forest of Dean

Friday 24th July 2015: Skokholm

After fuelling up at breakfast at 7.00am we depart at 7.30am sharp for the 45 minute drive to West Hook Farm (SA62 3BJ) to park our cars and walk down the hill to board the boat at Martin’s Haven.

Our privately chartered ‘Dale Princess’ boat leaves at 9.00am and the 30 minute crossing to Skokholm should produce our first sightings of , , Guillemot, Gannet, Fulmar and Kittiwake.

Skokholm is wild and beautiful, quieter and smaller than its sister island of Skomer, and there is a natural romance and charm to the place. As day visitors are not permitted we’ll have the whole island to ourselves! We’ll be greeted by the warden who will escort us to our ‘home’ for the next 3 nights. Our accommodation is split over the recently converted cow sheds (1 double and 4 twin rooms), the renovated cottage (1 twin and 4 single rooms) and the old wardens quarters (2 twin rooms). All rooms have hot and cold running water and there is a communal lounge and self-catering kitchen (no microwave). A small shop on-site sells basic provisions and there is also an extensive library.

Accommodation on Skokholm

Once we’re all unpacked and settled in, Simon European Storm-petrel will lead our first island sortie in search of European Storm-petrel which nests in the walls around the 18th century farmhouse. In fact, Skokholm has one of the most accessible Storm- petrel colonies in the world!

“Value for money bird watching trips for birders on a budget” Pembrokeshire Islands, Raptors & The Forest of Dean

After lunch we’ll explore the south side of the island making our way to Britain’s oldest Bird Observatory (est. in 1933) via a walk along the cliff tops overlooking Crab Rocks and Frank’s Point.

Bird Observatory

En-route we’ll sea-watch for Balearic and Sooty Shearwater and keep an eye out for migrants such as Common Whitethroat, Wheatear, Blackcap, Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler. Waders (godwits, Curlew and Whimbrel), gulls (Great Black-backed, Herring and Black-headed) and raptors (Peregrine and Common Buzzard) should all add to our trip list. We’ll return to base to prepare our evening meals in shifts before relaxing in the lounge with a glass of wine whilst observing a glorious sunset.

For those that have the energy, there will be the Pembrokeshire sunset opportunity to grab your torches, wrap up warm and embark on an after dark (10pm) night-time sortie to witness the spectacle that is over 80,000 returning from feeding on the open sea.

Birds will whizz overhead and crash-land at your feet before clumsily seeking sanctuary in their burrows. Also keep an eye out for Glow Worms, frogs & toads.

Manx Shearwater Manx Shearwater

“Value for money bird watching trips for birders on a budget” Pembrokeshire Islands, Raptors & The Forest of Dean

Saturday 25th July 2015: Sea safari around Grassholm & Skomer

Guests will have the morning to explore Skokholm at their leisure. At 12.30pm we’ll need to head down to the landing quay ready to board our two privately chartered RIB’s (Rigid Inflatable Boats) which will afford us one of the best seabird and wildlife experiences in Britain. An exhilarating 2 hour sea safari around the islands of Grassholm and Skomer will allow us to get up close and personal to thousands of , , Guillemots and Gannets.

Sea safari With engines turned off you’ll have the perfect opportunity to get your cameras out and capture the amazing spectacle that is 70,000 Northern Gannets plunging into the sea in search of a fishy meal.

It’s not just the birds that make this adventure so memorable. The seas around the islands are a fish- rich coastal marine park, which attracts Grey Seal, Harbour Porpoise, and Common, Bottlenose and Risso’s Dolphin. If we’re really lucky we may see the peculiar Sunfish or an enormous Basking Shark.

If weather conditions prevent our sea safari today, we’ll reschedule for the same time tomorrow.

Grassholm Gannetry

Puffin

Risso’s Dolphin

Harbour Porpoise Sunfish “Value for money bird watching trips for birders on a budget” Pembrokeshire Islands, Raptors & The Forest of Dean

Our RIBs will return us safely back to Skokholm about 3pm when we’ll slow down the pace with a hot drink back at base before an optional pre-dinner circular meander around East Bay.

The evening will be spent preparing and eating dinner and relaxing in the lounge or library swapping stories and sharing photos from the trip so far.

Sunday 26th July 2015: Skokholm

Our last day on Skokholm will either be spent exploring the north coast of the island between Little Bay Point and Quarry Point, or embarking on the sea-safari adventure if bad weather prevented us from completing it yesterday.

Skokholm

Monday 27th July 2015: Boat back to Martin’s Haven

Our boat back to Martin’s Haven arrives to pick us up from Skokholm at 9.30am so a reasonably early start is needed to ensure that we’re all packed and ready to go.

Our trip ends with both feet back on the mainland and so after retuning to our cars we’ll bid our fond farewells and wish everyone a safe journey home.

For those that wish to extend their stay in the beautiful Pembrokeshire countryside then we would strongly recommend visiting the two reserves below in your own time.

Bosherton Lily Ponds, Stackpole, near Pembroke (SA71 5DQ):

• Created from three converging glacial valleys these beautiful ponds are now part of an extensive nature reserve. Summer is the best time to see the white lilies in flower and the walk around the dragon-fly rich ponds leads to the secluded beach at Broad Haven – one of the loveliest in Britain.

Welsh Wildlife Centre, , near Cardigan (SA43 2TB):

• Brimming with wildlife including Otter and Kingfisher. Café and shop overlooking the .

“Value for money bird watching trips for birders on a budget” Useful websites to help you get the most from your trip

International Bird of Prey Centre, Newent, Gloucester Grey Seal • www.icbp.org

RSPB Nagshead Reserve, Forest of Dean • www.rspb.org.uk/reserves/guide/n/nagshead

Dale Sailing (boat trips) • www.pembrokeshire-islands.co.uk

Welsh Wildlife Trust • www.welshwildlife.org/skomer-skokholm • http://www.welshwildlife.org/wtsww-publications-reports-2014/

Skokholm Blog • http://skokholm.blogspot.co.uk

Pembrokeshire birds Blog • https://pembsbirds.blogspot.co.uk

Razorbill What IS included in the ‘Bargain Birding Club’ price?

 4 or 5 nights accommodation and meals as described in the itinerary  Services of a professional guide throughout the trip  Return boat crossing to Skokholm and a RIB sea-safari around Grassholm and Skomer  Pre-trip information pack and a full colour post-trip report  Public Liability Insurance

What is NOT included in the ‘Bargain Birding Club’ price?

 Transport (suggest guests self-drive or car share as on all previous BBC trips)  Car parking at West Hook Farm, Martin’s Haven (£15 per car for 3 days)  Food and drink whilst self-catering on Skokholm (guests to bring their own)  Personal effects (birding equipment, toiletries, medications, travel insurance, etc.) To reserve your place on this trip please contact Richard Hanman at:

Email: [email protected] Mobile: 07785 707 797

“Value for money bird watching trips for birders on a budget”