It lays claim to being one of the UK’s premier birdwatching counties but is arguably one of the least well-known birding hotspots in the country.
Now, Lincolnshire aims to raise its profile on the UK birding map with a series of new insider guides to the best places to spot birdlife throughout the year.
With its wide-open landscapes, sweeping coastline and rolling hills of the Wolds, Lincolnshire is home to a diverse range of habitats; and while it may seem off the beaten track, a weekend’s birding can yield an impressive total of species.
The new guides – launched on the official Visit Lincolnshire tourism website – now provide expert tips on the best places to go; what can be seen; and, most importantly, the best times of year to visit.
Launching the series is a guide to Lincolnshire’s coastal bird trail. Running from the River Humber all the way down to The Wash, there is a huge range of species and habitats, from coastal retreats for brent and pink footed geese to reed-beds that are home to bitterns, bearded tits and marsh harriers.
Among key locations is Frampton Marsh, on the edge of The Wash, the UK’s largest and most important estuary for birds. As one of the country’s premier birding destinations, it is a wader ‘honey pot’ with peak spring and autumn migrations offering the chance to see 25 wader species in hours, and 100 bird species in a day.
Frampton has one of the UK’s densest populations of little ringed plovers, which sit alongside an ever-increasing number of common terns, black-headed gulls, avocet, lapwing, oystercatcher and redshank. It is also one of a handful of places in England to host ruff, medium sized wading birds, that are lekking – male birds gathering and parading for courtship rituals – and hosted the first ever nest building by glossy ibis, large heron-like birds.
Elsewhere, The Lincolnshire Coastal Country Park, a five mile stretch of coastline from Sandilands to Chapel St Leonards, features sandy beaches bordered by dense sea buckthorn-covered dunes which provide ideal nesting habitat for hundreds of birds. Among birdwatching spots is The Round-and-Round Hide at Anderby Creek, situated on top of the dunes, which offers panoramic views of the sea and wetlands.
More details about each location, as well as the best times to see different varieties of birdlife, can be found on the website guide, which features a video about Frampton Marsh, as well as a downloadable map of the best birdwatching spots, and suggestions for places to stay and eat.
In addition, two more videos provide expert tips on how to get the most out of birding experiences, from checking the tide times and the weather forecast to researching the species ahead of your visit; and a handy guide to successful bird photography, including how to get a great shot without disturbing the wildlife.
The Lincolnshire Bird Trail is a partnership between Visit Lincolnshire, Lincolnshire Bird Club, Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust, The RSPB, Natural England, The National Trust and the Greater Lincolnshire Nature Partnership.
More details about the new Bird Trail can be found at
For more about visiting, and staying in, Lincolnshire, see www.visitlincolnshire.com
