🪺 Bird & Nest Identification  - Index Page

Welcome to the Birds & Nests of Reddings Retreat. Over 80 species have been spotted here in the Wye Valley AONB — from garden favourites to soaring raptors and rare seasonal visitors.

This page is your Index: a quick way to browse the full list of birds and their nesting habits. 👉 Click on any bird name to open the guide page where its full ID card is included, alongside related species.

Each guide page contains:

  • Latin and Welsh names

  • Short description and size

  • Nest details and typical habitat

  • Folklore or fun facts

  • Spotting and photo tips

🌟 Share Your Spotting

We’d love to feature our guests’ bird sightings too. If you capture a great photo during your stay, let us know — your find might be showcased in a future update of this guide or on our website.

During your visit to Reddings Retreat, keep an eye out for these beautiful birds:

  • Red Kites: Recognisable by their reddish-brown body, angled wings and distinctive forked tail.
  • Pheasants: Often seen in the surrounding fields and woodland. The male is brightly coloured, while the female is more camouflaged.

🌱 Tips for Beginner Birdwatchers

  • Start with the common ones: Robins, blackbirds, and blue tits are everywhere — learning these first builds confidence.

  • Listen as well as look: Birds often reveal themselves by song before you see them. Early morning is the best time.

  • Use binoculars if you have them: Even a basic pair makes spotting details much easier.

  • Stay still and patient: Birds are more likely to come close if you’re quiet and calm.

  • Check the habitat: Waterbirds by the river, raptors overhead, songbirds in hedgerows — knowing where to look helps.

  • Try the Merlin app: It can identify birds by sound or photo and helps you log your sightings at Reddings Retreat. Check out our Merlin app guide.

⚠️ Birdwatching Etiquette

  • Please admire nests from a distance — disturbing nesting birds is illegal and harmful.

  • Use binoculars rather than approaching closely.

  • Keep dogs on leads near nesting areas.

  • Avoid loud noises near rivers and woodland edges during spring and summer.

📖 Index of Birds

🌍 Core Residents (seen year‑round)

Our everyday companions — the birds and nests you’re most likely to see on any visit. Grouped by family/type, and alphabetised within each group.

Thrushes

  • Blackbird

  • Mistle Thrush

  • Song Thrush

Familiar Garden Birds

  • Robin

  • Wren

Tits

  • Blue Tit

  • Coal Tit

  • Great Tit

  • Long‑tailed Tit

Finches

  • Bullfinch

  • Chaffinch

  • Goldfinch

  • Greenfinch

  • Siskin

Hedge & Ground Birds

  • Dunnock

  • House Sparrow

  • Meadow Pipit

Wagtails

  • Grey Wagtail

  • Pied Wagtail

Tree‑climber

  • Treecreeper

Woodpeckers & Jays

  • Great Spotted Woodpecker

  • Green Woodpecker

  • Jay

Corvids

  • Carrion Crow

  • Common Raven

  • Jackdaw

  • Magpie

  • Rook

Pigeons & Doves

  • Rock Dove

  • Stock Dove

  • Wood Pigeon

Game Birds

  • Guinea Fowl

  • Pheasant

  • Red‑legged Partridge

Raptors

  • Buzzard

  • Kestrel

  • Peregrine Falcon

  • Red Kite

  • Sparrowhawk

Water & Wetland Birds

  • Canada Goose

  • Grey Heron

  • Mallard

  • Moorhen

  • Mute Swan

 

🌸 Seasonal Visitors

Species that arrive with the changing seasons — spring migrants, autumn flocks, and wintering waterfowl. Their nests are often temporary or hidden, making sightings extra special.

Spring & Summer Migrants

  • Chiffchaff

  • Garden Warbler

  • House Martin

  • Northern Wheatear

  • Pied Flycatcher

  • Redstart

  • Sand Martin

  • Spotted Flycatcher

  • Swallow

  • Swift

  • Willow Warbler

Autumn & Winter Visitors

  • Common Snipe

  • Fieldfare

  • Redwing

  • Woodcock

Wintering Waterfowl

  • Eurasian Teal

  • Little Egret

  • Mandarin Duck

  • Northern Lapwing

  • Pochard

  • Ruddy Duck

  • Common Shelduck

  • Water Rail

 

🌟 Special Guests (occasional or rare sightings)

The rarities — a treat for any keen birder when they appear. Their nests are seldom seen here, but their presence is always memorable.

 

🦉 Owls & Night Birds

  • Barn Owl

  • Little Owl

  • Nightjar

  • Tawny Owl

 

🦅 Raptors & Aerial Hunters

  • Eurasian Hobby

  • Osprey

 

🐦 Woodland & River Highlights

  • Firecrest

  • Hawfinch

  • Kingfisher

  • Lesser Spotted Woodpecker

  • Nuthatch

  • White‑throated Dipper

 

🐚 Gulls & Water Birds

  • Common Gull

  • Common Sandpiper

  • Glossy Ibis

  • Great Cormorant

  • Kittiwake

  • Lesser Black‑backed Gull

 

🎶 Finches & Songbirds

  • Crossbill

⚠️ Disclaimer

These pages form part of Our Nature ID Guides at Reddings Retreat and are designed for identification and enjoyment, not for disturbance or collection.

All wild birds, their nests, and eggs are protected by law in the UK. Please admire them from a distance and never attempt to handle or interfere with nests.

⚠️ Be aware of your surroundings when bird spotting — riversides, steep paths, and uneven ground can be hazardous if you’re focused on the skies instead of your footing.

Reddings Retreat cannot accept responsibility for any adverse effects from misuse of these guides.

📚 Further Resources

 

🔗 Navigation 

← Bird Index (you are here) | Core Residents | Seasonal Visitors | Special Guests →

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