30-minute birder Amanda Tuke sees the benefits of being distracted by birds at home, and on the coast

Beaches, staycations, cool coastal happenings

PLACES TO GO, THINGS TO DO, IDEAS TO TRY

10 great sites for brilliant birdwatching

Karen Youngs encounters squabbling herons and glimpses an elusive predator on a waterside walk

When you’re watching waders, you need to make sure the conditions are just right, writes Ruth Miller