Julian reflects on our first North East Scotland holiday based in one location, led by local guide Andy Carroll. From White-billed Divers and seabird cliffs at Troup Head to Spoonbills at Loch of Strathbeg and close-up Goshawk views from the garden, it was a week packed with standout wildlife moments in a rich and varied area.

Eliane shares her experience of our year-long Wildlife Identification Course, from first hearing the dawn chorus to confidently picking out individual species. Covering birds, habitats and seasons, the course builds practical skills in the field, helping you understand not just what you’re seeing, but how to identify it with confidence.

Our Norfolk holiday in February 2027 is now open, offering a brilliant start to the birding year. Expect vast flocks of geese, waders and wildfowl across famous reserves like Titchwell and Cley, with chances of scarce species too. With expert guiding, great food and a friendly base, it’s a week packed with variety and spectacle.

March has been an amazing month to see wildlife and there are so many highlights to choose from. One day in March I led a day guide that started in Carrbridge and I took my guests to look for Black Grouse. We had initially said we would start at 8am, but after an initial visit to one of the lek sites and not finding anything, I began to have my doubts and suggested a 7am start just to be sure. I hoped that it wouldn’t be too early in the season.

Our spring trip to Öland in May 2027 offers relaxed birding in a beautiful limestone landscape. Expect flycatchers, harriers and migrating waders, alongside stunning wildflowers and orchids across the Alvar. With a welcoming base and everything close by, it’s a varied and rewarding week at a lovely time of year.

Our spring return to Lake Kerkini offers a relaxed, single-base holiday in a wildlife-rich part of northern Greece. Expect pelicans in breeding plumage, early migrants, birdsong and wildflowers coming into life, with time also spent exploring nearby mountains. Add in excellent local food and it’s a varied and enjoyable week.

March is the month when the temperatures are getting warmer and the daylight gets longer. Although there have been flurries of snow and colder temperatures, these have been fleeting and the Badgers have visited every night, with a regularity of Pine Marten sightings too. There are also increasing sightings of Wood Mice and Tawny Owls being heard.

February is another quiet month for wildlife in Speyside. Winter is still present, but it’s otherwise beginning to change. The summer visitors are not yet here, yet the temperature is beginning to warm up and the daylight starts to get longer. I went into Inshriach Forest one morning hoping to see Goshawks, as this is a good time of year to see them.

The Badgers are beginning to become more regular again. The winter months can be a slow time for the Badgers as the cold often keeps them inside their setts, but there have been nights recently where up to two have been showing.

January is one of the coldest months in the Cairngorms but there is still plenty to see. At Dalnahaittnach there are Crested Tits and Crossbills, with Roe Deer, Brown Hares, Eurasian Woodcock, Eurasian Curlews possible. I heard Crested Tits, Crossbills and saw a Eurasian Woodcock this month, the latter became an unexpected sighting. In the woods around Boat of Garten there are Crested Tits, Red Squirrels, Coal Tits, Great Tits, Blue Tits, Long Tailed Tits, Eurasian Jays and