UKC

Since coming back from a trip to jungle I've got quite into bird watching. It fits quite well with climbing given that some good locations for climbing are also good locations for birding. I also find it makes a good rest/dodgy weather activity. With that in mind do people have any suggestions for good climbing and birding spots in the UK and particularly Europe as I really have no clue on the continent. A few that spring to my mind are:

South stack
Leighton moss and Trowbarrow
Bowden Doors and the Northumberland coast
Shegra and the isle of Handa
Cairngorms
Orkney, although I've never been
The Avon gorge!

In reply to sheelba:

Mallorca, climbed on the sea cliffs in the morning and spotted a purple gallinule in the afternoon (Albafuera reed beds),


Chris

In reply to sheelba:

Been out climbing on Penmaen Head today - massive rafts of scoter (usually 10-20,000 common with a few velvet/surf) visible in the distance out to sea.

Many North Wales climbing sites are good for birding, in particular as well as South Stack:

- The Ormes are fantastic for migrants, as well as fulmar nests, choughs, peregrine etc, and regular dolphin pods and the Seal colony at Angel Bay.

- A flock of whoopers, and often some white fronted, pink footed and barnacle geese over winter near Tremadog, and in summer there's the adjacent Glaslyn Osprey nest site. There are also Green Woodpeckers near Upper Tier (sadly declining in N Wales).

There are also many RSPB/Wildlife trust sites not actually at crags but close by - RSPB Conwy, Spinneys Aberogwen, Foryd Caernarfon etc.

In reply to Ron Rees Davies:

I used to live in North Wales and definitely didn't take advantage of the wildlife watching opportunities.

I forgot to put on my original list two grey wagtails were courting (maybe?) at bottom of Craig a Barns while I was belaying, it wasn't the most attentive belay I've ever given.

I abseiled in to the wrong place at Shegra but we saw a Black Guillemot so it was (almost) worth it

In reply to sheelba:

I'm not much into birding but I've been reliably informed that our valley in Ari`ege is a veritable superhighway of migrating birds. We do see lots of cool-looking huge vultures and eagles around here though, so I'm not completely blind.

In reply to Chris Craggs:

Second this. There's some great birds in Magaluf. Climbing is pretty good also.

In reply to sheelba:

Lundy? Climbing got me into bird watching, specifically the peregrines at Avon/Wintours and a razorbill/guillemot at Haladrine Cove by Bosigran. Great hobbies to combine!

In reply to sheelba:

You could come to Guernsey, it's a migrant stop-off and there's all the usual UK seabirds. Alderney is apparently even better, and the newly setup Alderney bird observatory is the best in Britain apparently. Climbing there will be new routing though.

In reply to sheelba:

In Scotland, Pabbay and Mingulay (uninhabited islands off the coast of Barra - needs Donald the boatman to give you a lift unless you have your own boat) are some of the best.

In reply to sheelba:

Pembrokeshire, especially if some island trips are included.

In reply to sheelba:

West Penwith for when you get really serious about spotting rarer species...

In reply to sheelba:

If you've ever dreamed of seeing vultures, head to the gorges du Tarn and especially gorges de la Jonte, you cannot not see at least some. There's spyglasses at the vulture museum with which you can see the birds nesting well above it. Watching them glide past as you climb is awesome (the Bitard is great for that). Quite a few dippers in the rivers too.

Pretty much any limestone cliff in the lower half of France there's a chance you'll see wallcreepers, even in Burgundy.

Ardèche, with the Col (pass) de l'Escrinet being one of the major migration highways in France.

Arctic Norway, especially the Lofoten and Vesteralen: godwits, sea eagles, kittiwakes, puffins, phalaropes and so on.

Iceland isn't really a climbing destination, but the number of birds (especially ducks, waders and seabirds) is truly dazzling!

(Not really a major birding location but I did find a hoopoe in my garden in Fontainebleau last summer! )

In reply to sheelba:

You could add Humphrey Head to that list (though you'll only see the peregrine and not be able to climb at the moment). Lots of sea birds along this stretch of coast, the missus has seen a hen harrier, little and great white egret, 1000s of knots roosting in recent days, and you'll get the ospreys in the summer.

In reply to sheelba:

Portland or Swanage during spring autumn migration

Saw a black redstart at near the top of mars at Swanage one year

In reply to sheelba:

Costa Blanca is a great place for climbing and has some good birds too. Currently coming to the end of a ten day trip. Not a huge number of birds but haven't looked to closely as have been climbing. Birds we have seen include Serin (lots), Chough, Buzzard, Green Woodpecker, Sardinian Warbler, Black Wheatear, Blue Rock Thrush, Alpine Accentor, Swallow and Crag Martin.

I'm sure we could see more if we looked hard enough.

In reply to sheelba:

Skye for the white tailed eagles.

In reply to sheelba:

Symonds Yat, go up to the viewpoint and you can see the Peregrines nesting on the eastern cliffs

In reply to sheelba:

There is an osprey viewing point just around the corner from Tremadog. Would also recommend Pembroke as a great place for bird watching.

In reply to Neil Henson: Just as an aside, remember that osprey viewing points are not always the best places to see ospreys. They're the places where it's easiest to control the people who want to see the ospreys.

I'm not dissing the "authorities" or advocating getting to places where the nesting birds are disturbed, just pointing out that as an individual, your aims (to get the best possible view whilst not disturbing the birds) are not the same as the viewing point providers' aims (to get reasonable views for lots of people whilst not disturbing the birds and maybe providing other facilities - toilets, café - and decent amount of parking, etc. etc.).

There are several Osprey's nests around the Lake District which can be visited on the way there or back from climbing.

In reply to sheelba:
sitting on a ledge in the middle of a sea-cliff (edit: in the sunshine) and watching fulmars gliding effortlessly past is a lovely experience - think I'd recommend Chair Ladder for that one.

In reply to sheelba:

I disagree! Not good hobbies to combine, in fact potentially very dangerous. Imagine a scene where two climbers are half way up a multi pitch route. Both are keen climbers and keen birders. One of them is a professional ornithologist and as such needs (note word) to identify every single bird he sees. The other guy is nearly as bad. Whilst climbing a bird flies past calling and in their frantic efforts to id the thing the both fall off and hang there in mid air. Everyone is concerned, asking if they are ok whilst our two heroes are just really pissed off that they didnt get to id the bird.

I still get irked that I didn't manage to identify the damn thing!!

In reply to Michael Hood:


I must admit I was a bit surprised at just how far away the viewing point was from the ospreys and was a little underwhelmed by the sightings. Still my first osprey sighting though.

In reply to sheelba:

Not quite sure why this thread got resurrected but thanks for all the suggestions