Top 6 Birdwatching Spots near Aldeburgh
Check out these awesome Aldeburgh coast, Alde river and countryside nature reserves for excellent birdwatching. These top 6 birding sites and wildlife reserves are all within a small radius of Aldeburgh and include that must-visit, world-renowned bird reserve on the Suffolk Coast – RSPB Minsmere.
Don’t forget the binoculars!
1. By the fishermen’s boats & huts on Aldeburgh Beach
Seagulls on Aldeburgh beach may have penchant for fish and chips* but it’s fascinating to watch their behaviour and pecking orders when the fishermen are sorting their salty catch!
Species: Great & Lesser black-backed gulls; Herring gull and Black headed.
About Aldeburgh Beach I Find out more
*Seriously though, please refrain from tossing gulls a morsel when you’re munching on the beach. It encourages them to dive bomb and devour direct from the human hands and mouths of others!
2. The Haven – RSPB North Warren Reserve in Aldeburgh
Just a short walk from Moot Hall Green and a literally a stone’s throw from Scallop on the beach, RSPB North Warren reserve is a real oasis of calm right on the town’s doorstep. Habitats include marshes, reedbeds, grassland and hedegrows. The reserve also edges Thorpeness Meare (shallow lake).
Accessible viewing platforms near Thorpe Road car park, give good views of the water and south and north marshes, site of Aldeburgh’s medieval port.
Species: White-fronted geese; Bean geese; marsh harriers; warblers; bullfinches, yellowhammers, linnets, bearded tits.
About North Warren Reserve Aldeburgh I Find out more
3. The lost village of Slaughden – River Alde Walk
Aldeburgh’s Martello Tower is all that survives of the fishing village and harbourlands of Slaughden at what would have once been the mouth of the River Alde. Today, the river here is edged with colourful saltmarsh habitats, popular with wading birds and migrating species.
Species: Waders; curlews, avocets, divers, even rarities such as the Alpine Accentor and Long-tailed Skua.
4. Hazlewood Marshes by the River Alde
Transformed by a tidal surge in 2013 which breached the earth wall between the saline inter-tidal world and the fresh water marsh habitats, Hazlewood Marshes (Suffolk Wildlife Trust) are a haunting birding spot. Walk to the isolated and exposed hide for uninterrupted views. Accessed from the Sailors’ Path.
Species: Spoonbill; Black-tailed godwits; dunlin; reshank; lapwing; avocet.
About Hazlewood Marshes Aldeburgh I Map & More more
5. Thorpeness Meare
Hire a row boat, punt or kayak on this shallow lake and drift off towards the more hidden waterways to discover more than just the ducks and swans which hang out by the popular green and boat house.
Species: Mute swan; Mallard, Teal, Shoveler ducks; Gadwall; Grebe; Gooseanders; even Osprey.
About Thorpeness Meare near Aldeburgh I Find out more
6. RSPB Minsmere
On the coast north of Aldeburgh and Thorpeness, the Minsmere Levels lie between the village of Eastbridge and the sea, just below Dunwich Heath. Accessible routes lead around the stunning site to scrapes and hides delivering birding interest all year round.
Species: Too many to mention! But look out for the avocet, listen out for bittern … there was even once a flamingo named Fiona!
RSPB Minsmere near Aldeburgh I Plan your visit
Please Visit Responsibly
Please keep to footpaths and follow the country code. Remember dogs may not be permitted on nature reserves to prevent disturbance to wildlife.
Dog-friendly Aldeburgh I Find out More
