UK TOURS
2026
Ribble Bird Tours also offers a dedicated programme of UK birdwatching tours, showcasing some of the best wildlife destinations closer to home. These trips explore outstanding locations such as the Shetland Islands, Isle of Scilly, Islay, Isle of Mull, the Slamannan Plateau, the Firth of Forth, and the renowned birding counties of Norfolk and Suffolk. Each tour is carefully planned to make the most of seasonal highlights, from seabird colonies and migrant hotspots to rare breeding species and winter gatherings, providing relaxed but rewarding birding experiences for local enthusiasts across the UK.
October 2nd – 11th 2026
The Shetland Islands
1 places available
A return to the Shetland Islands at an ideal time of year to expect a number of scarce and rare migrants from the east and west. We’ll have one base on this tour and from here we’ll visit numerous sites on the mainland as well as visiting some of the other islands which may include any of Fair Isle, Yell, Unst, Fetlar or Bressay depending on where the best of the birds turn up.
Rarities are by their nature never guaranteed but there’s always the chance of something special. On recent tours we’ve seen gems such as Blackburnian Warbler, Veery, Snowy Owl, Brown Shrike, Pallas’s Grasshopper Warbler, White’s Thrush, Pechora Pipit, Pallid Harrier, Red eyed Vireo, Arctic Warbler, Greenish Warbler, Radde’s Warbler, Paddyfield Warbler,
River Warbler, Pallas’s Grasshopper Warbler, Lanceolated Warbler and Desert Wheatear.
Birds such as Yellow browed and Pallas’s Warblers, Red breasted Flycatcher, Barred Warbler, Little Bunting and Bluethroat are pretty much standard and expected in autumn on Shetland.
October 17th – 24th 2026
4 places available
Isles of Scilly
Another return to the Isles of Scilly some 28 miles off the tip of Cornwall.
It’s geographical position makes it ideally situated to attract off course migrants from both Europe and the USA that are displaced on to the islands by unfavourable weather systems.
Among the more regular of these species are Jack Snipe, Yellow browed Warbler, Dotterel, Firecrest, Red breasted Flycatcher, Lapland Bunting, Wryneck and Black Redstart. However, over the years we’ve also seen a very long list of rare vagrants from east and west that have included Cream coloured Courser, Blue Rock Thrush, Black and White Warbler, Yellow billed Cuckoo Black Duck, Black billed Cuckoo, Eye browed Thrush, Tawny Pipit, Red throated Pipit, Red eyed Vireo, Short toed Eagle and Black Kite.
Rarities by their nature can never be guaranteed but we’ve never visited the islands without seeing at least a few great birds.
We’ll be based on the main island of St Mary’s and will visit at least 2 of the other islands during our stay.
Please note that we won’t have a vehicle with us on this tour and will spend most of our time travelling by foot.
November 14th – 23rd 2026
5 places available
Islay, Mull, the Slamannan Plateau and the Firth of Forth
A 10 day tour into south Scotland where geese, birds of prey, seaduck, divers and more will be among the birds we’ll hope to see.
Among our target species will be Taiga Bean Goose, Surf Scoter, White winged Scoter, Velvet Scoter, Long tailed Duck, Scaup, Purple Sandpiper, Smew, Slavonian Grebe, Golden Eagle, White tailed Eagle, Peregrine, Merlin, Great northern Diver, Red throated Diver, Chough, Short eared Owl, Twite and huge numbers of commoner geese such as the Barnacle Goose flocks that often carry rarities such as a vagrant Canada Goose, Snow Goose or a Red breasted Goose.
November 30th – 6th December 2026
4 places available
Norfolk and Suffolk
A full week in East Anglia where we’ll have 2 hotel bases as we explore numerous sites in Norfolk and Suffolk looking for the best of the wintering species along the coast and inland as well as numerous resident species.
We can expect up to 10 species of geese, a few species of owls that should include Long eared, wintering duck such as Smew, Common Cranes, Hawfinch, Shorelark, Snow Bunting, Twite, divers, grebes and perhaps some white winged gulls too. Resident species we should see include Woodlark, Goshawk, Dartford Warbler and Bittern.
There’s always the likelihood of scarce and rare species here in winter with a regular wintering Pallid Harrier over the last few years, Waxwings, Red necked Grebe and maybe Rough legged Buzzard which was a regular in winter until recently. Maybe one is due ?