Farne Islands, Northumberland
The lay of the landThis group of rocky little islands lies off the Northumberland coast, between Bamburgh and Seahouses.
What to spot
Take a boat trip from Seahouses and during the breeding season, May to July, it's crazy out here, with up to 150,000 birds competing to be heard. The puffins are always popular, and other species include eider ducks, guillemots, razorbills and terns, including the Arctic tern. Don't get too close to the Arctic tern chicks, though â their parents will dive-bomb you, as RSPB wardens have found to their cost!
More info
Great value family accommodation nearby, with landscaped country park and boating lake
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/farneislands
Ashdown Forest, East Sussex
The lay of the landSouth of East Grinstead, and part of the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural beauty, this 6,500-acre forest was once a place for Norman noblemen to hunt deer. It's also world-famous as the 'home' of Winnie the Pooh.
What to spot
You'll find different species in the forest's diverse habitats. Dartford warblers haunt the lowland heath year-round, and in winter you may spot the hen harrier. There are nightjars on the open grasslands in summer, and after sunset in winter, you'll hear tawny owls hoot in the woods.
More info
Great value family accommodation nearby, with sports and leisure facilities
www.ashdownforest.org
Titchwell Marsh, Norfolk
The lay of the landNorfolk is simply the best place in the UK for all-round bird-goggling, and this RSPB reserve on the north coast has something from everyone. There's a great viewing platform on the edge of the dunes to spot beach waders.
What to spot
Between the visitor centre and the sandy beach are lagoons and reed beds which are often crammed with birds. Wildfowl, including Brent geese and the common scoter, flock here in winter, while spring comes alive with swallows, bitterns and sedge warblers. The avocet is a summer star, and redshanks hang out here year-round.
More info
Great value family accommodation nearby, with nearby dunes and sandy beaches
www.rspb.org.uk/titchwell
Belfast Lough, Northern Ireland
The lay of the landDespite being just a 10-minute drive from Belfast, this intertidal sea lough, at the mouth of the Lagan river on Northern Ireland's east coast, is a haven of calm. There are mud flats and lagoon in the inland part, and the outer lough has a rocky shoreline with the odd sandy bay.
What to spot
Teal and widgeons spend their winter holidays here, then in spring the swallows and swifts come to town, together with the black-tailed godwit with its rapier-like bill. Breeding terns make for a pleasing summer cacophony, and autumn's visitors include the stately curlew and the busy oystercatcher.
More info
Find a local Haven Holiday Park
www.rspb.org.uk/belfastlough
Rutland Water, Rutland
The lay of the landThis huge reservoir, just east of Oakham, Rutland's county town, opened in 1976 and is one of Europe's biggest artificial lakes. The trail circumnavigating it is 25 miles long, and much of the western part of the water, and surrounding woods, are a nature reserve. In August, the annual British Birdwatching Fair is held here (Find a local Haven Holiday Park
www.rutlandwater.org.uk
Ramsey Island, Pembrokeshire, Wales
The lay of the landBeyond the beautiful St David's peninsula, this rocky little island, with its dramatic cliffs up to 120 metres high, is further west that St Agnes in Cornwall. Just two miles long, it teems with birdlife.
What to spot
The island one of the best places in Wales to see choughs, and peregrines nest on the cliffs, as do ravens. There are hundreds of guillemots from late winter to July. You can take a tourist boat to stroll among the feathered magic, from Easter to the end of October.
More info
Great value family accommodation nearby, in beautiful natural setting
www.rspb.org.uk/ramseyisland
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