4-Night Birdwatching Holiday with Natural Links
Based at Caley Hall Hotel in Old Hunstanton
Monday 26 to Friday 30 January 2026
Introduction
Renowned as one of the best birdwatching counties in the UK, the northern coastline of Norfolk boasts premier nature reserves and top birdwatching sites. With vast intertidal sand and mudflats, saline and freshwater lagoons and extensive fenlands, the area is a magnet to over-wintering wildfowl and waders, birds of prey and shoreline specialists, including Snow Buntings, Shore Larks and Twites.
Join your weekend leaders, Dave Fairlamb and Graeme Ruthven, of Natural Links for a birdwatching weekend break packed with the best of North Norfolk winter birds to get your birdwatching year off to the best possible start in January, combined with all the comfort you would expect from Caley Hall Hotel.
Caley Hall Hotel
Caley is a family run, independent luxury Hotel in Old Hunstanton, with boutique style bedrooms. The Hotel hosts a large restaurant with AA rosette accreditation, a relaxing bar and lounge and beautiful outdoor patios and is only a ten-minute stroll away from Hunstanton Beach.
Birdwatching
The location of North Norfolk on the east coast of England, protruding out into the North Sea, makes it a perfect place to see a wide range of winter birds.
Large flocks of Pink-footed Geese, from Iceland & Greenland and Dark-bellied Brent Geese, from Siberia, are present in their thousands, flying out to their feeding grounds at dawn and back into roosts at dusk. With the chance of scarcer species such as White-fronted or Bean Geese.
Waders can gather in their tens of thousands in the Wash and the North Norfolk coastline, particularly Knot, Oystercatchers, Bar-tailed Godwits, Golden Plovers and Dunlins. Many other wading bird species will be seen, such as Curlews, Turnstones, Grey Plovers and Sanderlings.
Winter shoreline specialists are drawn to the Norfolk coast, most notably Shore Larks and large flocks of Snow Buntings, but Twites and Lapland Longspurs can also be found, with Linnets, Skylarks and pipits. Hedgerows and fields hold Fieldfares, Redwings and Bramblings.
Close inshore, divers, grebes, sea-duck and seabirds such as auks and gulls can be viewed from the shore and the coastal reedbeds hold Bittern, egrets, Water Rail and Bearded Tit, as well as dusk raptor roosts of Marsh & Hen Harriers and Merlins, with a chance of Barn and Short-eared Owls.
The winter season can always turn up a few surprises, recent winter Norfolk highlights have included Rough-legged Buzzard, Pallid Harrier, Little Auk, Great Grey Shrike, Waxwing, Hume’s Warbler and Water Pipit.
Provisional Programme of Site Visits
Monday 26 January
Early Afternoon: Meet your leaders, Dave Fairlamb and Graeme Ruthven at the entrance to the Hotel followed by a relaxed birdwatching stroll from 2pm along the shoreline, dunes and saltmarsh of Hunstanton, returning to the Hotel as the sun sets for check-in.
Guests check-in at Caley Hall Hotel from 4pm.
Tuesday 27 January
Morning to Dusk: Titchwell RSPB Reserve
Wednesday 28 January
Dawn and early Morning: Snettisham RSPB Reserve
Return to Hotel for a later Breakfast
Afternoon: Holme NWT Reserve
Thursday 29 January
Morning into Late Afternoon: Holkham National Nature Reserve inc Holkham Gap, Freshmarsh and Holkham Pines
Friday 30 January
Morning: return to Snettisham RSPB Reserve and Coastline
Late Morning into Early Afternoon: Roydon Common Nature Reserve Finish approx. 2pm.
The tariff for `Winter Birdwatching in North Norfolk’
£980 per person for single room
£925 per person when sharing a double or twin room
The price includes VAT, and covers:
- 4 night’s accommodation at Caley Hall Hotel, Old Hunstanton
- Full English breakfast available on all mornings
- 3-course Dinners on all evenings
- Packed Lunches x 4
- All guided birdwatching excursions
- Illustrated Talks and Quizzes on all evenings
Not included in the tariff
The price excludes entry fees to Holme (free to Norfolk Wildlife Trust members), Titchwell and Snettisham (entry/car park charge but free to RSPB members) and Welney (free to WWT members). There is a car parking charge at Holkham NNR.
Terms and Conditions
Payment Schedule
Deposit of £200 per person payable on receipt of a booking confirmation from Natural Links.
Outstanding Balance to be paid by 31 October 2025.
Cancellations
Due to special group rates secured with the Hotel and Natural Links, cancellations can only be made up to the day before the outstanding balance is due, 30 October 2025, with £200 deposit per person either returned or used as credit towards future Natural Links events/holidays bookings.
Changes to Itinerary
The itinerary stated above is provisional as factors outside the control of Natural Links may result in changes to the itinerary.
Car-sharing
We courteously ask guests to car-share for travel around birdwatching sites in North Norfolk.
Please contact us soon via email on natural.links@outlook.com or by telephone 07470 438815 to book your place
