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The area and its birds:
At first sight the English Midlands seems to be dominated by the urban landscapes of Birmingham and the other towns of the area, but this part of England also has much beautiful and varied countryside to explore. Many good birds are either resident in the Midlands, or regular visitors on migration. All of the Midlands counties have bird-lists of between 250 and 300 species and it is not difficult to see up to 100 species in a day in Spring and Autumn (Fall) - if you know where to look!
Some excellent birding can be found on the many reservoirs around the area - sites such as Rutland Water or Blithfield Reservoir can hold a real variety of grebes, duck and migrant shorebirds, while rare gulls often turn up in colder winters. In other areas, rich farmland and different types of woodland help to create a good diversity of native bird life
To the north of the region lies the Peak District National Park, an upland area of outstanding natural beauty, with species such as Red Grouse, Eurasian Curlew, White Throated Dipper, Ring Ousel and Northern Wheatear to be found.
To the south lie the gently-rolling Cotswold Hills, while to the west the hills and mountains of Wales are within an easy day's driving. Here can be found such specialities as Red Kite, Red-billed Chough, Pied Flycatcher, and Common Redstart, amongst some of the best scenery that Britain has to offer. For those who can make an overnight stay, the Welsh Coast can also offer a range of shore and seabirds as well.
For the swan, duck and goose enthusiast, the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust Reserve at Slimbridge, in the south-west of the Midlands, is a 'must', especially in the winter months, when the world-famous captive collections are swelled by the arrival of many thousands of wild duck, geese and shorebirds from northern Russia.
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