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Best places to spot winter wildlife
Discover the best places in our care for winter wildlife watching. See birds arriving for the winter months, woodland animals foraging beneath the bare trees and shy coastal creatures emerging on quieter beaches.
- Abereiddi to Abermawr, Pembrokeshire
- Watch choughs swirling above the cliffs along the Pembrokeshire coast. Part of the crow family, they're distinguishable by their bright-red beaks and legs. Out to sea, you might spot birds such as gannets and even pods of porpoise.Visit Pembrokeshire
- Belton Estate, Lincolnshire
- Once the rutting season has ended in winter, Belton's deer herd becomes more relaxed and sociable. This is a good time to come and see them from a safe distance. As the weather turns colder, look out for migratory birds such as redwings and fieldfares too.Visit Belton House
- Blakeney National Nature Reserve, Norfolk
- With around 4,000 seal pups born each year (usually between November and January), Blakeney Point has the largest grey seal colony in England. The best way to see grey seals at Blakeney is by boat from Morston Quay.Visit Blakeney Point
- Borthwood Copse, Isle of Wight
- Borthwood Copse, in a secluded corner of the island, is home to a beloved Isle of Wight attraction – the red squirrel. Winter is a great time to see these colourful creatures, as they come down from the trees to forage for food.Visit Borthwood Copse
- Charlecote Park, Warwickshire
- At Charlecote Park, you can spot herons standing as still as statues by the river. This is one of the largest heronries in Warwickshire and the herons build their nests here from February. Wintering wildfowl – including teal, widgeon and the dabchick or little grebe – also stop off at the river.Visit Charlecote Park
- Clumber Park, Nottinghamshire
- Find redstarts and goldcrests searching for bugs around Clumber Park. Look closely within the broadleaf woodlands, and you may see hawfinches foraging for food among the bare trees. On the lake, there are goosander, winter-plumaged great crested grebes, tufted ducks and great white egrets.Visit Clumber Park
- Colby Woodland Garden, Pembrokeshire
- Colby Woodland Garden is teeming with creatures, so look out for overwintering birds, bugs, field mice and voles on your visit. The meadow, with its streams and ponds, is a popular spot for toads and the occasional otter.Visit Colby Woodland Garden
- Crom, County Fermanagh
- Crom's landscape, on the shores of Upper Lough Erne, is full of winter wildlife. You can watch fieldfares and redwings from the bird hide, or head into the woodland and see if you can catch a glimpse of the elusive pine martens that live here.Visit Crom
- Dinefwr, Carmarthenshire
- Dinefwr's 100-acre medieval deer park is roamed by a herd of over 100 fallow deer, but the estate is also home to many of Britain’s more elusive mammals, such as otters, pole cats and voles. Bring your bird-spotting binoculars with you and see what winter visitors you can spy.Visit Dinefwr
- Dunwich Heath, Suffolk
- Dunwich Heath, with its nearby beach and woodland, is famous for sightings of the rare Dartford warbler. Winter sees squirrels stocking up for the colder months, as well as nightjars, stone curlews and shore larks. It's also a good time to spot the resident red deer.Visit Dunwich Heath
- Dyrham Park, South Gloucestershire
- In early 2024, 26 fallow deer were introduced to Dyrham Park after the previous herd had to be culled following an outbreak of bovine tuberculosis. Winter is a good time to see the new residents as they continue to settle into their home on the estate.Visit Dyrham Park
- Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal, North Yorkshire
- There are hundreds of deer of various types living in the park at Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal. During the colder months, see if you can pick out red, fallow and sika deer among the trees as they enjoy their winter feed.Visit Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal
- Gibside, Tyne & Wear
- During winter at Gibside, you can see red kites circling in the skies above. This bird of prey is easy to spot from its reddish-brown body, white markings and deeply forked tail. Brought back from extinction in England, the red kite population is now growing.Visit Gibside
- Lyme, Cheshire
- The moorland and woodland at Lyme are home to all sorts of wildlife, from red deer to a variety of birds. Winter can be a great time to view the deer, as the rut is over. See if you can spot the estate's herd of highland cattle too.Visit Lyme
- Malham Tarn, North Yorkshire
- On the banks of the Swale at Hudswell Woods, you might see a flash of bright blue as a kingfisher flies past. Winter is also the time to spot hares around Upper Wharfedale and Malham Tarn. Look out, too, for the winter moth, one of the few active at this time of year.Visit the Dales
- Marsden Moor, West Yorkshire
- Marsden Moor is a haven for winter wildlife, with a rich diversity of birds, mammals and insects. A highlight is the mountain hare, a native resident whose brown coat turns snow white in winter. Try to spot one while you're here.Visit Marsden Moor
- Mount Stewart, County Down
- Winter is a great time to see Mount Stewart's barn owls hunting during the day to find extra food. With fewer than 30 breeding pairs of barn owls in Northern Ireland, our rangers are working hard to give them a home. Look out for red squirrels too.Visit Mount Stewart
- Newtown National Nature Reserve, Isle of Wight
- In winter, the creeks and mudflats of Newtown National Nature Reserve fill with thousands of visitors. Huge flocks of dunlin swirl above the open water. Look out for pintail ducks and turnstones, and listen for the distinctive calls of curlews and golden plovers.Visit Newtown National Nature Reserve
- Rowallane Garden, County Down
- Head to Rowallane Garden for some winter wildlife spotting. Home to a diverse mix of animals, the trees provide the ideal habitat for beetles, woodlice and other bugs. Look out for peckish birds and hedgehogs hunting for insects.Visit Rowallane Garden
- Stackpole, Pembrokeshire
- Stackpole is great for a spot of wildlife watching. Bosherston Lakes welcome wildfowl during the winter, with the likes of goosander and gadwall making an appearance. You might also see heron, kingfisher, little grebe and moorhen – as well as an otter or two.Visit Stackpole
- Studland Bay, Dorset
- Sand dunes, woodlands, wetlands and grasslands at Studland Bay all play host to the local wildlife. See the sika deer by the marshes and wetlands, and birds such as the black-headed gull, gadwall, curlew, bar-tailed godwits and pintails by the harbour.Visit Studland Bay
- Wallington, Northumberland
- On a winter visit to Wallington, there are roe deer and a large variety of bird life to look out for. Otter spraints (dung) are a sure sign that these shy animals are around too. See if you can spot red squirrels foraging for food on the estate.Visit Wallington
- Watlington Hill, Oxfordshire
- Situated in the Chilterns, Watlington Hill – with its far-reaching views over the countryside – is a popular place for spotting red kites. There are now more than 1,000 breeding pairs of these winged predators in the area.Visit Watlington Hill
- Wembury, Devon
- The shoreline at Wembury Beach attracts many rare birds, including the cirl bunting. Dartmoor ponies live in the surrounding hills, while sharks, seals and porpoise can be seen in the sea. At low tide, discover crabs, starfish and anemones in the rock pools.Visit Wembury
- Wicken Fen Nature Reserve, Cambridgeshire
- There's lots of winter wildlife at Wicken Fen. Watch hen harriers roosting over Sedge Fen at dusk during the colder months, or spot short-eared owls on Burwell Fen. You might catch a starling murmuration, a dramatic flying display of these chattering birds.Visit Wicken Fen Nature Reserve
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