Birding Sites

Norfolk has a large number of birdwatching sites, ranging from RSPB & Norfolk Wildlife Trust reserves with lots of facilities, to more low key general birdwatching areas where it is possible to get away from it all, below are more than 50 of the most well known sites. This is by no means an exhaustive list, if you would like to see others listed please contact us.

Barton Broad

A very unspoilt wild broad

Berney Marshes RSPB

An out of the way wetland site

Blackborough End Tip

A site for Gull enthusiasts

Blakeney Freshes & Friary Hills

coastal marsh and grazing fields

Blakeney Point National Trust

Probably most famous for its ability to attract migrants.

Brancaster Staithe

A good bet for Twite in winter

Breydon Water

One of the best sites for waders in the county.

Buckenham Marshes RSPB

A wet meadow reserve close to Norwich.

Burnham Overy Marsh and Dunes

An excellent migrant spot in spring and autumn

Buxton Heath

A heathland reserve close to Norwich

Cantley Marshes RSPB

Most famous for its winter flock of Bean Geese

Choseley Barns

Large grain drying barns inland from Titchwell

Cley Marshes NWT

The most famous nature reserve in Norfolk if not the country.

Denver Sluice

An excellent site for ducks in harsh winters

Dersingham Bog

An important heathland bog site in the west of the county

East Wretham Heath NWT

Breckland site with unique meres

Felbrigg Hall National Trust

A good woodland site in the north east of the county

Flitcham Abbey Farm

A nature firendly corner of the local farm

Gramborough Hill

Excellent migrant trap

Great Ryburgh (Wensum Valley) Raptor watchpoint

The raptor viewpoint is now closed

Great Yarmouth Beach

The largest Little Tern Colony in Britain

Great Yarmouth Cemetery

A fantastic migrant trap

Gypsy Lane - Titchwell

A quiet alternative to the RSPB reserve

Haddiscoe Marshes

An extensive area of marsh and grazing meadow in the south east of the county

Hickling Broad NWT

The largest Norfolk broad and a fantastic birding site

Holkham Park

Extensive park and woodlands a few miles inland from the coast

Holkham Pines and Marshes NNR

A fabulous site where it is easy to spend a whole day at anytime of year.

Holme Bird Observatory NOA

The only accredited bird Observatory in Norfolk

Holme Dunes NWT

A large wildlife reserve in the dune slacks of the North west of the county

Horsey

A great coastal broads site

Kelling Heath

Excellent example of heathland along Holt Cromer ridge

Lakenheath Fen RSPB

Fantastic Wetland habitat and Golden Orioles

Lynford Arboretum

One of the best sites in Thetford forest

Martham Broad NWT

A quiet out of the way broad

Nar Valley Fisheries (pentney gravel pits)

Gravel workings in the west of the county

Pentney Lakes

A series of leisure lakes in the west of the county

Ranworth Broad NWT

A very pleasant broad off the river Bure east of Wroxham

Rockland Broad RSPB

A pleasant broad close to Norwich

Roydon Common NWT

Traditional raptor roost site

Salthouse Heath

Heath most famous for Nightingales and Nightjars

Salthouse Marshes NWT

Excellent coastal marsh next door to Cley

Santon Downham

A beautiful quiet spot along the river Little Ouse.

Sculthorpe Moor

Hawk and Owl trust mixed habitat site near Fakenham

Sheringham

Arguably the best sea watching spot in the county

Snettisham Coastal park

An excellent early migrant spot in the Nort west of the county

Snettisham RSPB

Famous for its wader spectacle as thousands of birds flock over the wash at high tide

Stiffkey camp site wood & marshes

An excellent migrant trap and area of salt marsh

Stiffkey Fen

A very productive wetland site

Strumpshaw Fen RSPB

An excellent wetland site close to Norwich

Surlingham Marshes RSPB

A quiet reserve close to Norwich

Swanton Novers raptor watchpoint

This viewpoint gives a panoramic view over Swanton Great wood.

Thornham Marshes

Sandwiched between Holme & Titchwell, offers excellent salt marsh and creek habitat.

Titchwell RSPB

One of the county's best reserves

Tottenhill Gravel pits

Traditional site for Smew in winter

Walsey Hills NOA

A small coastal reserve good for migrants

Warham Greens

Excellent winter raptor roost site

Weeting Heath

The most famous site for Stone Curlew.

Wells Woods

Excellent coastal woodland famed for attracting rare migrants

Welney

Wildfowl and Wetland Trust site in South West of County

Whittlingham Lane Country Park

A large area of water close to Norwich City Centre

Winterton Dunes

A large coastal dune system famed for attracting migrants

Wolferton Triangle

AKA Golden Pheasant triangle