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Holiday reports

We hope these reports of previous Honeyguide wildlife holidays give a good feel of the style of our holidays and the wildlife to be enjoyed on them. They are listed in alphabetical order in each year, rather than in date order.

Included here are reports from some destinations not in the current Honeyguide programme. These may return to the programme in a future year, or could be arranged for RSPB local groups, natural history societies or other groups. Please contact the Honeyguide office for more information.

Most reports are in PDF format which needs Adobe software to enable you read, download or print reports. You can download this from here.

Reports from local walks with Honeyguide from 2020 onwards are on the Honeyguide blog. They are listed in the right hand column.

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2024

Bulgaria's Western Rhodopes June-July

Crete April

Danube Delta & the Carpathians (Romania) May-June

Extremadura February

Falsterbo September

Lesvos April

Picos de Europa June

Valencia March

2023

Algarve & Alentejo November
Corsica May
Crete April
Extremadura March
Menorca October
Morocco March
Mull June/July
North Norfolk break October
Picos de Europa June
South of Salamanca May

2022

Crete April
Extremadura March
Iceland June
Falsterbo September
Lincolnshire Wash June
Menorca October
Mull, July
North Norfolk break February
North Norfolk break October
The Gambia December
Picos de Europa June

2021

Lizard Peninsula, Cornwall, September/October
Norfolk break (mostly the Broads), May
Norfolk break (mostly the Broads), May/June
Norfolk break (mostly the Broads), September
North Norfolk break May
North Norfolk break October
Wild Essex (an extended blog by Chris Gibson) May
Wild Essex (an extended blog by Chris Gibson) October

2020

Norfolk break no 1 September
Norfolk break no 2 September
Norfolk break no 3 September
Norfolk break no 4 September/October
South Africa's Garden Route January-February
Valencia March

2019
Algarve & Alentejo November
Camargue May
Crete April
Danube Delta June
Dordogne September
Estonia June
Extremadura
March
Falsterbo September
La Mancha May
Morocco March
Picos de Europa June
Serranía de Ronda February

2018
Bulgaria The Western Rhodope mountains, June
Crete 10-17 April
Crete 17-24 April
Dordogne May
Fuerteventura March
The Gambia December
Istria May
Latvia May
Madeira October
Menorca April
Namibia November
Poland May
Spanish Pyrenees May
Valencia March

2017
Algarve & Alentejo November
Cévennes May/June
Crete
April
Danube Delta & Carpathians (Romania) June
Estonia June
Extremadura March
French Pyrenees September
Fuerteventura March
Hungary May
La Mancha May
Pantanal Brazil Oct/Nov
Poland May
Slovenia May
South Africa's Drakensberg Mountains & Zululand Jan/Feb
Tarifa & Morocco Feb/March

2016
Bulgaria June
Crete April/May
Dordogne May
Estonia June
Extremadura September/October
Hungary May
Menorca October
Morocco March
Northeast Portugal partly Salisbury & District Natural History Society, May
Peloponnese April
Poland May
Spanish Pyrenees June
Valencia February-March
Wallcreeper break Istria, March

2015
Algarve & Alentejo October/November
Bulgaria The Western Rhodope mountains, June
Camargue May
Crete partly Salisbury & District Natural History Society, April
Extremadura February
French Pyrenees June
Fuerteventura March
Istria May
Italy/Slovenia 'From the Alps to the Adriatic', September
Latvia May
Namibia November
South Africa's Southwest Cape October
Tarifa & Gibraltar March

2014
Bulgaria The Western Rhodope mountains, June
Central Portugal partly Salisbury & District Natural History Society, April-May
Cévennes May-June
Crete April
Danube Delta (Romania) June
Extremadura March
French Pyrenees September
La Mancha October
Latvia May
Spanish Pyrenees April-May
Tarifa & Gibraltar March

2013
Algarve & Alentejo November
Camargue May
Crete
April
Danube Delta (Romania) June
Dordogne
May
Extremadura March
French Pyrenees June
Hungary June
Istria May
Languedoc partly Salisbury & District Natural History Society, April-May
Menorca October
Namibia (plus Namibian safari) September
Peloponnese April
South Africa's Garden Route November
Spanish Pyrenees April
Tarifa & Gibraltar February

2012
Bulgaria The Western Rhodope mountains, June
Central Portugal
April
Crete April
Danube Delta and the Carpathians (Romania) June
Dordogne May
Extremadura February
French Pyrenees September
Fuerteventura March
Kruger National Park, South Africa October
Madeira November
Peloponnese, Greece and Peloponnese plant record April-May
Picos de Europa June
Tarifa & Gibraltar September

2011
Bulgaria June
Camargue May
Cévennes mostly Salisbury & District Natural History Society, June
Crete April
Danube Delta and the Carpathians June
Dordogne May
Extremadura March
French Pyrenees June
Istria May
Madeira November
Menorca April
Poland May
South Africa's South Western Cape October
Spanish Pyrenees private group holiday, April/May
Tarifa & Gibraltar September

2010
Bulgaria June
Central Portugal
April
Cévennes June, and additional photos here.
Danube Delta and the Carpathians (Romania) U3A Cambridge Bird Club, June
Dordogne
May
Eastern Greece Salisbury & District Natural History Society, April/May
Extremadura March
Kruger National Park, South Africa October/November
Lesvos September
Madeira February
Menorca May
Poland May

2009
Algarve March/April
Bulgaria September
Cévennes June (two reports in one)
Crete U3A Cambridge Bird Club, April
Danube Delta and the Carpathians (Romania) May/June
Dordogne May
Eastern Greece May
Extremadura March
French Pyrenees partly Salisbury & District Natural History Society, June
Lesvos April
Madeira February
Menorca April
South Africa's Garden Route October/November

2008
Crete April
Danube Delta and the Carpathians (Romania) May/June
Dordogne Salisbury & District Natural History Society, May
Eastern Greece U3A Cambridge Bird Club, April/May
Extremadura March
Istria May
Madeira February
Madeira March
Menorca April
Northern Cyprus April
South Africa's Western Cape October/November
Spanish Pyrenees May

2007
Algarve Salisbury & District Natural History Society
Camargue May
Crete April
Dordogne May
Eastern Greece May
Extremadura March
French Pyrenees June
Italy / Slovenia June (wildlife checklists)
Lesvos September
Menorca U3A Cambridge Bird Club, April
South Africa's Western Cape October/November

2006
Algarve March
Crete April
Danube Delta (Romania) June
Dordogne May
Eastern Greece
Extremadura March
Hungary – June Salisbury & District Natural History Society
Hungary – September
Italy / Slovenia June
Lesvos April
Menorca April
Spanish Pyrenees May

2005
Algarve
March
Crete April
Danube Delta (Romania) June
Dordogne U3A Cambridge Bird Club (mostly), May
Extremadura (1) March
Extremadura (2) Colchester Natural History Society, May
French Pyrenees June
Hungary September
Lesvos April
Menorca April
Italy / Slovenia Salisbury & District Natural History Society, June
South Africa's Western Cape September/October

2004
Crete April
Danube Delta (Romania) June
Dordogne (1) Cambridge RSPB Local Group, May
Dordogne (2) May
Eastern Greece May
Extremadura March
French Pyrenees June
Lesvos (1) April
Lesvos (2) Salisbury & District Natural History Society, April
Menorca April
Spanish Pyrenees May

Earlier holiday reports: click on the link for an additional web page. Holiday reports 1991-2003

Report archive

This web page has holiday reports since 2004. Older reports are here: Holiday reports 1991-2003

Lammergeier by Chris Knights

Lammergeier (Chris Knights)
The best place to see these magnificent birds of prey is the Spanish Pyrenees or the French Pyrenees.

2020/21: coronavirus

Ten years on from 'missing reports' noted in the year of volcanic ash, we had two more thin years for holidays and reports.

The six days of volcanic ash now seems like a minor disruption compared with the long lockdown on account of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Valencia group in March left Spain as it was locking down, shortly followed by the UK's lockdown. Ten holidays between April and October were cancelled.

The disruption continued throughout 2021, with no holidays overseas for the first year since Honeyguide started in 1991. UK breaks partly filled the gap, plus local (Norfolk) activities (see blogs, below.)

Overseas holidays started again with Extremadura in March 2022.

spoonbills

‘Fight for the right’, spoonbills by Daniel Petrescu in the Danube Delta.

To see more of Daniel’s pictures, visit www.daniel.petrescu.ro

Blogs about Norfolk events

All are links to the Honeyguide blogspot. There is also a list on the news page, which includes blogs that are not events. Gaps in November 2020 and early 2021 are on account of coronavirus lockdowns. There are fewer events recently (in 2022 and 2023) since overseas holidays have resumed.

2024

Hickling Marshes, 19 August

Plumstead and Holt Country Park, 8 August

2023 x 9

Whitlingham Country Park, 15 December

Snettisham, 31 August

Hickling Marshes, 24 August

Thompson Common, 10 August

Cley Marshes, 7 July

Upton Marshes, 7 April

The Brecks, 16 February

Hickling Marshes, 9 February

Strumpshaw Fen, 20 January

2022 x 7

Holkham, 15 July, with Rob Lucking.

Buxton Heath and Holt Country Park, 1 July.

NWT Hickling, 20 May.

Brecks, 17 February.

Potter Heigham Marshes, 22 January.

Holkham, 17 January.

Whitlingham Country Park, 14 January.

silver-washed fritillary

Silver-washed fritillary, Holt Country Park, July 2022.

2021 x 25

Upton Marshes, 21 December.

Broadland Country Park, 17 November.

Buckenham Marshes, 14 November. Outing organised for local Honeyguiders with our South Africa guide, Geoff Crane.

A November afternoon at Hickling, 8 November. Guest blog by Geoff Morries.

Foxley Wood, 5 November.

Broadland Country Park and Buxton Heath, 23 September.

Snettisham and Dersingham, 13 September

Potter Heigham Marshes and NWT Hickling, 1 September

Southrepps Common and Pigneys Wood, 23 August

Two days in north Norfolk, 17 & 18 August.

Thompson Common, 14 August

Warham Camp & Stiffkey Fen, 21 July

Foxley Wood and Sculthorpe Moor, 9 July.

Buxton Heath and Holt Lowes, 2 July.

West Runton and Beeston Common, 23 June.

Hickling, 8 June.

Buxton Heath, 21 May.

Ranworth revisited, 10 May.

Kelling Heath and water meadows, 5 May.

Rain stopped play, Ranworth, 30 April.

Thorpe Marshes, 27 April.

Foxley Wood, 23 April.

Burnham Norton and Holkham 16 Aoril.

Potter Heigham, 8 April.

Wells, 1 April 

2020 x 6

Upton Marshes, 14 December.

Horsey, 7 December

Breydon Water, Great Yarmouth and Buckenham Marshes 3 November

Thorpe St Andrew, 26 October

Holt Country Park, 19 October

Potter Heigham Marshes, 12 October

Other reports, including recce visits to holiday destinations

2023
La Brenne, September 2023
Chris Durdin

2019
Salamanca recce February 2019
Chris Durdin

Dordogne, July 2019
Wildlife notes from a family holiday/recce, Chris Durdin

2018
The Camargue, May 2018
One Honeyguider's lone visit after the group didn't arrive.

2017
Aragón 'fam' trip, Nov 2017
Chris Durdin

2016
Italian Dolomites, June 2016 recce
Chris Durdin

2015
Estonia June 2015 recce
Chris Durdin & Ivan Nethercoat

Kruger, March 2015
A private tour for two Honeyguiders with Geoff Crane.

Menorca 'fam'/recce trip, October 2015
Chris Gibson

Northeast Portugal May-June 2015 recce
Chris Durdin & Domingos Leitão

2014
Latvia, David Collins, April 2014
A private visit.

2013
La Mancha November 2013 recce
Chris Durdin and Pau Lucio

Latvia May 2013 recce
Chris Durdin & Rob Macklin

Languedoc January 2013 recce
Chris Durdin, Rob Macklin & Derek Moore

2012
Menorca October 2012 recce, by Chris Gibson

Camino de Santiago, Spanish Pyrenees September/October 2012

Kiskunság National Park, Hungary recce, June 2012

2011
Picos de Europa recce October

2010
Peloponnese (Greece) recce, November

2009
Poland recce September

Central Portugal recce February

2008
Portugal nature tourism workshop

Bulgaria recce September

Cévennes recce October

Istria recce March

South Africa's Western Cape October/November, a private tour for two Honeyguiders with Geoff Crane.

2007
Madeira recce Nov

Orchis boryi Orchis boryi

Two colour variants of Orchis boryi on Crete. Photos by Ivan Nethercoat and Chris Durdin.

Crete Bird Reports

There is an archive of Stephanie Coghlan's Crete Bird Reports since 1986 here.

black-winged stlit

Black-winged stilt on Crete.

2010: volcanic ash, strikes and 'missing' holiday reports

Volcanic ash: in 2010 there is no Crete holiday report, for the first time for many years, as this holiday was called off when flights were cancelled due to volcanic ash.

For the same reason, the Menorca holiday was postponed from April to to May. The Central Portugal holiday report for April 2010 includes an account of the group's return overland, via the Dordogne.

There was no French Pyrenees holiday or report, for a holiday scheduled to run in September 2010, as it was cancelled due to air traffic control strikes in France.

There is no Danube Delta report for 2007 as the holiday was block-booked for a group, which then didn't happen.

Italy/Slovenia in 2007 isn't a full report, the only gap in the archive, with wildlife lists and highlights circulated only.

blue rock thrush

Blue rock thrush (Steve Fletcher). A bird that can be seen on many Honeyguide holidays in Europe, including Extremadura and Istria.


What is a PDF? It stands for Portable Document Format, a document that can be sent, viewed or stored independent of varying computer software and operating systems. So PDFs don't get mangled over the internet like the formats of Word documents and emails sometimes do.

Often you see the logo on the right to indicate a PDF you can click on, but it's not necessary and they would certainly clutter the list of reports to the left.

 

wallcreeper

Wallcreeper (Svetoslav Spasov) in Bulgaria . Or read more on our wallcreeper page.

How many reports?

This page has 241 holiday reports covering 233 group holidays (one report, Cévennes 2009, is for two holidays that ran back-to-back). Add in the reports on the page for 1991-2003 and there are 333 reports for about 342 holidays. These include 18 UK breaks in and since 2020.

There are also 21 reports of recce or familiarisation ('fam') trips; three reports with Honeyguiders overseas with Honeyguide leaders; one workshop report; two reports from Honeyguide leaders not with our groups but in one of our destinations; three very old (pre-Honeyguide) RSPB holiday reports (on the page for 1991-2003 reports); plus one Honeyguider's report when there was no group or guide on account of an air traffic control strike (The Camargue, May 2018)

The first year when all reports are all colour is 2009, plus a few before then.

(This count goes to December 2023. It excludes blogs about guided walks.)

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Atol protected

The air holidays shown are ATOL Protected by the Civil Aviation Authority. Our ATOL number is ATOL 3253. ATOL Protection extends primarily to customers who book and pay in the United Kingdom. Click on the ATOL logo if you want to know more.

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