Witness the greatest avian spectacles in the UK this year with our pick of the RSPB’s most remarkable reserves, by James Lowen
For prices, opening hours and visitor information on all these reserves, visit The RSPB's website.
The top 10 bird havens
Seabird city Bempton Cliffs, Yorkshire
Out of the RSPB's 180 reserves, Bempton Cliffs stands out. Its chalk cliffs plunge dramatically into the North Sea, providing a spectacular stage for Britain's mightiest seabird colony.
What to see at Bempton Cliffs:
From January to October, these cliffs teem with life - over 166,000 breeding pairs in 2022! Members of the auk family - Gannets, guillemots, razorbills and puffins, as well as kittiwakes create a feathered frenzy. Infact, Bempton is the only place in England to see nesting gannets, easily observed from dedicated platforms.
Even outside breeding season, it's a haven for migrating birds, making it a birder's paradise year-round.
- For visitor information, visit RSPB Bempton Cliffs
Read more about Bempton Cliffs.
Avalon’s magic marsh Ham Wall, Somerset
From barren peat mine to wildlife paradise, Ham Wall is an RSPB success story. Once devoid of life, you now can witness a symphony of nature year-round in this Somerset wetland.
What to see at Ham Wall:
In spring, the reserve boasts booming bittern populations and acrobatic falcon displays. In summer, Ham Wall treats you to Britain’s largest population of great egrets, while in autumn and winter, mesmerising starling murmurations will amaze.
- For more visitor information, visit RSPB Ham Wall
Read more about Ham Wall.
Wild waterland Montiaghs Moss and Portmore Lough, Co Antrim
Just five minutes apart, Montiaghs Moss and Portmore Lough in Co Antrim are managed by the same RSPB team.
What to see at Montiagh Moss:
Montiaghs Moss, a restored lowland bog, offers new boardwalks and grassy paths, showcasing rare butterflies and orchids. Portmore Lough features boardwalks leading to a water hide, where you can see common terns, breeding waders, and winter wildfowl including teal, tufted ducks, whooper swans, and greylag geese.
- For more visitor information, visit RSPB Montiaghs Moss and RSPB Portmore Lough
Read more about Montiaghs Moss and Portmore Lough
Mosaic of wonders Minsmere, Suffolk
RSPB Minsmere boasts diverse habitats like woodland, reedbed, heath, and beach, supporting 6,000 plant and animal species. This rich biodiversity, not surprisingly, made it a host for BBC Springwatch.
What to see at Minsmere:
Visitors can enjoy year-round wildlife, from adders and Dartford warblers to the autumn red deer rut. The Scrape lagoon and vast reedbeds attract birds like avocets, marsh harriers, and bitterns, while summer brings rare insects like antlions. Minsmere offers a unique experience for all nature lovers.
- For more visitor information, visit RSPB Minsmere
Read more about Minsmere
Secretive reedland Leighton Moss, Lancashire
Leighton Moss is the most reliable RSPB site for otter sightings, safeguards diverse habitats along Morecambe Bay.
What to see at Leighton Moss:
Ospreys and hobbies arrive in summer, and the saltmarsh teems with breeding avocets, spoonbills, and over 2,000 black-tailed godwits.
Winter walks reveal nuthatches, redpolls, marsh tits and, if you're lucky, marsh harriers, while the reedbeds host 50,000 starlings, bearded tits, and booming bitterns.
- For more visitor information, visit RSPB Leighton Moss
Read more about Leighton Moss
Hebridean skies Loch Gruinart, Islay
The Loch Gruinart reserve on Islay is a remarkable blend of working farm and conservation area, offering diverse habitats from wild grazing marshes to heathery moors.
What to see at Loch Gruinart:
In winter, it hosts tens of thousands of Greenland's barnacle and white-fronted geese, attracting the attention of white-tailed eagles. The reserve's trails provide opportunities to see hen harriers, roe deer, otters, and hear the elusive corncrakes.
- For more visitor information, visit RSPB Loch Gruinart
Read more about Loch Gruinart
Purbeck’s wild heathland Arne, Dorset
Offering a unique blend of heathland, woodland, and wetland habitats all within the stunning landscape of Poole Harbour.
What to see at Arne:
As dusk falls over Purbeck heathland, the distinctive churring of a male nightjar fills the air. Arne, highlighted on BBC Springwatch, is one of the best places to see this nocturnal bird.
The peninsula attracts spoonbills, avocets, black-tailed godwits, and breeding ospreys. It also hosts all six native reptiles, with good chances of spotting grass snakes, adders, sand lizards, and common lizards in spring.
- For more visitor information, visit RSPB Arne
Read more about Arne
Shimmering shores Snettisham, Norfolk
Snettisham’s vastness is staggering as the shoreline extends left and right, and the expanse of The Wash estuary stretches to a distant horizon
What to see at Snettisham:
From late summer to winter, witness the "Snettisham spectacular" during high spring tides, which occur twice each month during the full moon and new moon phases.
At dawn, the air thrums with the calls of pink-footed geese departing for feeding grounds. As the tide rises, the scene explodes with activity - cormorants and grebes dive for fish, while the mudflats erupt with a symphony of birdsong from waders like oystercatchers, curlews, dunlins, and redshanks.
But the true star is the mesmerizing "whirling wader spectacle." Thousands of knots take flight in a swirling mass, a flash of silver and white against the sky, before settling down to wait out the high tide.
- For more visitor information, visit RSPB Snettisham
Read more about Snettisham
Osprey idyll Loch Garten, Abernethy Forest
One of Scotland's most beautiful RSPB nature reserves hidden within Abernethy Forest in the lowlands of the Cairngorms National Park.
What to see at Loch Garten:
Ospreys have bred here for nearly 70 summers, drawing up to 45,000 visitors annually. Formerly known as the 'Osprey Centre', the now 'Nature Centre' offers much more, including live feeds from white-tailed eagle and goshawk nest-cameras. Visitors can also spot red squirrels at eye level and hear the distinctive calls of crested tits.
Abernethy Forest protects Britain’s largest remaining Caledonian pine forest and its 5,000 species, including capercaillies, wood ants, and mountain-dwelling dotterel and ptarmigan.
- For more visitor information, visit RSPB Loch Garten
Read more about Loch Garten
Life on the edge South Stack Cliffs, Anglesey
South Stack Cliffs beckons with windswept clifftops perfect for clearing your head.
What to see at South Stack Cliffs:
Hike the maritime heathland and climb Ellin's Tower for breathtaking views of nesting guillemots, razorbills, puffins, and soaring shearwaters. In summer, witness wildflowers bloom and spot unique butterflies, lizards, and moths.
No matter the season, South Stack offers dramatic walks, wildlife encounters (porpoises, seals), and year-round birdwatching - from ravens and peregrines to the playful antics of red-billed choughs.
- For more visitor information, visit South Stack Cliffs
Read more about South Stack Cliffs
Find out more
Check out our guides to migrating birds, British birds of prey, tit species in the UK and British ducks.
