Private Guided Tours

I offer private guided wildlife tours for small groups in my local area and further afield. If you are visiting Norfolk, or just want to know what is on your doorstep, drop me an email at jimbradley.bradley@gmail.com and I will sort out a well priced package.

Depending on the time of year, it is a short drive (or even walk) to observe Bittern, Marsh Harrier, Bearded Tit, Swallowtail Butterfly, Barn Owl and much more. We really are spoilt for choice in Norfolk.

A recent client kindly commented after a summer Swallowtail tour:
Hi Jim, just wanted to thank for such a fantastic afternoon on your guided tour. We really did benefit from your expert guidance and extensive knowledge of flora and fauna. Our aim on the tour was to see the swallowtail butterflies which, with your assistance and impressive knowledge of where to look, allowed us to achieve our goal. Thanks to the diverse nature of the Reserve and your well-prepared tour, we saw a lot more than we could have hoped for. Amazing views of a Marsh Harrier, the distinctive sound and sight of a tree creeper, stunning dragonflies, teams of comma butterflies and close-up views of white admirals were amongst a few of our favourites. We were all amazed at your incredible ability to identify birds from their call or song alone. So, even though we might not have seen a reed warbler, at least we can say we heard it!
We will definitely like to book you for another tour, maybe at a different time of year to allow us to see different species the local reserves have to offer. It was a real pleasure to meet you again and thank you for making the day so successful. Kind regards , Elaine Parsley"

Comments

Grey Phalarope- a new patch bird

The 7th of April was another bitterly cold Spring day, hats and gloves in prime position on pegs and in bags ready to be deployed. A few brave Garganey have been reported north of the river, but it was a bird from the north itself that had me rushing for the thermals and the telescope late in the day. I was thankful for the local Whatsapp group who were quick to report that a Grey Phalarope had been seen on Rockland Broad. This tiny Wader would have come in on the northerlies over the last few days, although to grace one of the broads is a real surprise, since most stick pretty close to the coast before moving on. Indeed, my experience of the birds has usually been on a sea watch in the Autumn, waves crashing and foam flying, my eyes straining to pick them out as they fly low just above the surf. They are fantastic birds, and now one was here on the patch. I had a brief panic when I realised my scope was in my car at the garage (thankfully I do have a much older spare) but once the ho

A change is as good as a rest

Casting my mind back to February 14th, survival rather than love was in the air for the birds of the Yare Valley. Tramping across the Surlingham corner of the patch, I recorded 8 Woodcock within 2 hours. These Cryptic Waders had been forced out of hiding, and even amongst the woodland floor they were easier than usual to spot against a backdrop of snow. The small pine wood opposite the church and adjacent to the parking area held at least 2 birds, creeping around and huddled up low to the ground. A further investigation of likely habitat around Church Marsh and I was presented with 6 more, a record count for me in a single day. I hope they made it through the trial sent from the north in the form of ice and snow. A Great Egret exploring a dyke at Postwick must've been thinking twice about the whole range expansion thing. However, a small Squadron of Bewick's Swan and a single Goosander over Claxton fitted the mise en scene nicely during this period. That image and that day fee

Foulden Common- Skippers and a Hairstreak

Been meaning to get to Foulden Common for what feels like years, and it probably is that in terms of timescale! I recall being poorly last Spring, and my days put aside for a Butterfly hunt there were postponed. Before long, the mid-summer doldrums had set in and all thought of Norfolk's scarce Skipper species were put on hold until 2019. And so despite the overcast conditions and lack of some Bird Therapy, I headed out this morning. Arriving from the direction of Mundford, travelling through Foulden village and approaching an S bend, I noticed a small bowl-shaped pull in. Doubling back I parked up, walked through two gates and began searching the common land. The first 45 minutes had me cursing the lack of sun and planning my next free morning before returning to work. A pair of Common Blue and Small Copper gave some hope, and a hoarse Cuckoo and 2+ Garden Warbler were clearly harbingers of warmer fronts moving in. As the sun threatened to bust through the clouds, I pic

Notes from the valley

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