Self-catering cottage accommodation for bird watchers in the south of England

Rent a lovely country cottage in the heart of the countryside to be on the spot for bird watching.

Arne - Dorset
The Arne peninsula juts into Poole Harbour and offers a remnant of heathland that  once covered much of Dorset and Hampshire.  Now an RSPB nature reserve, here, in the mud flats, reed beds and saltings, you will find breeding sparrowhawks, buzzards, nightjars, redpolls, stonechats, shelduck and Dartford warblers. Large numbers of black-tailed godwits are present in spring, hen harriers and bearded reedlings during the winter.

Fore Wood - East Sussex
For woodland birds in this small RSPB reserve of mixed woodland four miles north west of Hastings.  Here you may spot treecreepers, nuthatches, green woodpeckers, lesser and greater spotted woodpeckers, blackcaps and nightingales.

Langstane Harbour and Farlington Marshes - Hampshire
The RSPB reserve of Langstane Harbour occupies part of the tidal basin.  Framlington Marshes is on the north side of the harbour. There is a circular walk around the sea wall defences with excellent views of the harbour. Large numbers of Brent geese and other wildfowl overwinter here, feeding on the beds of eel grass in the mud and sand flats. You should spot shelduck, wigeon,  teal, pintail, golden eye and red breasted mergansers, curlews and dunlin.

The New Forest 
Ancient mixed woodland of about half conifer and half deciduous trees, mainly beech and oak. There are 15 well-known walks, over 100 miles of off-road tracks suitable for cycling.  You may spot hawfinch-firecrest, sistin, buzzard, hobbies, and Dartford warbler.

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Country Cottages in the south of England for bird watchers and nature lovers

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