10 great sites for brilliant birdwatching

We love to hear what you’ve been up to, so do get in touch!

Red kites, great spotted woodpeckers and pink-footed geese are only a few of the birds doing brilliantly in the British Isles right now. Mark Cocker celebrates their success stories and looks at what might be learnt from them

Karen Youngs is on the lookout for nature’s collectibles during a sunny spring walk

DECEMBER 2025

Birdwatching locations are ever-changing. Habitats develop and evolve, even on carefully managed reserves. Some sites gain sudden prominence (due to a rare visitor or breeding record); some drop off the radar. Others remain popular with birdwatchers and birds, often because of their geographic location. So, after trawling through a LOT of back issues of BW , here are 100 locations we think have changed the face of UK birdwatching in the past 40 years. If you’ve a site you’d like to add to the list, please email: birdwatching@bauermedia.co.uk and tell us why