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Hope this is the right place? UK/EU birding breaks/holidays ? (1 Viewer)

shrek48

Well-known member
I am considering tasking a birding break/tour/holiday maybe UK or EU, EU is interesting me for the chanced of photographing different birds to the UK.
Any suggestions, ideas or advice please. Would be on a budget , not first class ;-) and I am disabled so walking long distances is out !
TIA
 
Spain is probably easiest to travel around and find your own photographable birds, but Finland, Poland, Romania, Hungary all have their own attractions. What sort of photography do you like? Public hide? From the car? Seabird closeups?
 
It's such a broad request, it's hard to know where to begin. Time of year, length of trip, mode of transport, any particular targets etc are all important factors. If you can visit in Spring or early Summer and if you plan to rent a car, then Spain probably is the most obvious choice.
 
If you are on a budget then Eastern Europe - Poland, Baltic States - will get you some good birds for less $$$...in Southern Europe, Spain offers a little more in terms of bird species than Portugal, but the latter is cheaper.
However, if you have restricted mobility then countries like Netherlands or UK might be preferable - nature reserves with boardwalk access, hides with wheelchair accessibility. More expensive and fewer birds, but easy access.
 
Sorry, here are few more clues, Walking is tough for me so short walks, preferably hides, I love nothing more than a hide, with a flask and my camera. I like photgraphing most birds, but small birds, and birds you would see from a hide near water or woodlands!
A guided tour or alone would be awesome, I am not rich so would need to be budget friendly, and I think if Europe then a week to 10 days would be ample, as I easily tire !
Just really looking to get away with my camera and get some "different " birds from the Uk birds!
Thanks alsready for the replies ! will read thru more thoroughly and see what fits so far!
 
Spain is probably easiest to travel around and find your own photographable birds, but Finland, Poland, Romania, Hungary all have their own attractions. What sort of photography do you like? Public hide? From the car? Seabird closeups?
HIde is probably my fav but I liek all sorts, not really interested in raptors tho, more the smaller species!
 
It's such a broad request, it's hard to know where to begin. Time of year, length of trip, mode of transport, any particular targets etc are all important factors. If you can visit in Spring or early Summer and if you plan to rent a car, then Spain probably is the most obvious choice.
Thanks, yes I realize hopw broad it is , but this way I hoped for a varoiety fo replies and suggestions, really anything a bit different from my garden birds, done tits, robins etc to death, considering a guided tour or a guide or even maybe on my own, but do not what to wander aimlessly and not get good pics ! hope that makes some sense ;-)
 
is this Lesvos ??
Yes- same thing. When I went I remember birding from the roadside being productive , at one point overlooking salt pans with all sorts on view and getting around was easy. Also lots of great garden and flyover birds whilst you take it easy. Bee-eaters, flycatchers, raptors, Shrikes etc.
 
It doesn't just cover birds but James Lowen's wildlife weekends is good for ideas. The suggestions can easily be extended.

 
Sorry, here are few more clues, Walking is tough for me so short walks, preferably hides, I love nothing more than a hide, with a flask and my camera. I like photgraphing most birds, but small birds, and birds you would see from a hide near water or woodlands!
A guided tour or alone would be awesome, I am not rich so would need to be budget friendly, and I think if Europe then a week to 10 days would be ample, as I easily tire !
Just really looking to get away with my camera and get some "different " birds from the Uk birds!
Thanks alsready for the replies ! will read thru more thoroughly and see what fits so far!
Never been, but I believe there are some great photography hide set-ups in Hungary, for species such as roller and other steppe species - I recall reading a book on bird photography by a couple of Hungarian guys and a Finnish photographer - only problem is some of these photography-specific hides can be expensive to access I believe.
 
Never been, but I believe there are some great photography hide set-ups in Hungary, for species such as roller and other steppe species - I recall reading a book on bird photography by a couple of Hungarian guys and a Finnish photographer - only problem is some of these photography-specific hides can be expensive to access I believe.
There are indeed, and the range of species available is great, including charismatic stuff from Roller and Red-footed Falcon to Bee-eater, shrikes and arrays of warblers. As for cost, you can do it all-in and I should say spend less than on a full/half board hotel holiday in UK. The saving in terms of time and effort finding, let alone getting close to, birds for good photography, will also mean one trip could substitute for several solo efforts.

John
 

Car hire and accommodation cheap.
 
To give you other options, from trip reports I have read (I forget where or whose) I believe there are also similar bird photography hides in Spain & Romania.
 
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