Whirling Wader Spectacular Photo Tour
5 days & 4 nights experiencing the highlight of the UK’s birding calendar.
Included
Dates & Times
1) TBA
Fitness Level
Easy – Moderate
Price
£ 895
Availability
Places Available
Join Us
Join us on this amazing 5 day & 4 night photo tour experiencing one of the most stunning wildlife phenomenons in the UK, as between 80,000-140,000 birds take flight in the Whirling Wader Spectacular at RSPB Snettisham!
When dealing with nature we’ll always be at the mercy of the elements but we’ll monitor the weather closely to take advantage of possible landscape opportunities on our non-birding day.
We’ll be in place at The Wash in Snettisham and have four opportunities to view one of the most incredible wildlife events in the UK! We’ll watch in anticipation as the waders, mainly Oystercatchers and Knots, retreat from the rapidly advancing spring tide. When the tide advances far enough and the wading birds no longer have enough space to stand, they take off in their thousands and fly overhead to the safety of the lagoons behind in the RSPB sanctuary.
As we hear the roar of thousands of wings beating as one, we’ll photograph the unique shapes of their murmurations as they decide where to land.
We’ll experiment with shutter speed, as the flocks fly by and sway to and fro on the mudflats, giving you an array of unique images for your portfolio.
Recommended Equipment
- Telephoto lens – preferably 300mm+, eg 70-300mm, 100-400mm, 200-500mm (we have some options available to share)
- Wide angle lens – 16-35mm, 10-24mm, 14-24mm (for landscapes)
- Walk around/kit lens – 18-55mm, 24-70mm, 24-105mm (less used)
- Don’t have a telephoto lens? We’ll have 3 telephoto setups available (please let us know at time of booking)
- We also have 3 branded teleconverters/extenders available Canon (1.4x) & Nikon (1.4x + 2.0x)
- Monopod or tripod & gimbal if using a lens that’s heavy for you.
- Tripod (for landscape opportunities)
- Extra Batteries
- Battery Charger (we have charging facilities on our vehicle)
- Extra memory cards (please bring a blank spare SD card to use our setups)
- ND Filters – optional/recommended for sunrises/sunsets or any long exposures during the day – we have multiple sets of Kase ND filters available to borrow
- Shutter trigger for landscapes (wired trigger recommended)
- Full head to toe wet weather gear – it is England, after all!
A full packing list will be provided prior to the tour.
Included / Not included
- Professional photo guide & tuition.
- Return transportation from central London in our comfortable 8 seat vehicle.
- Accommodation – Cottage style with own private rooms. Shared facilities. There may be supplements for Premium rooms (if available).
- Kase filter kits to borrow if required
- Battery charging facilities in the vehicle
Not included:
- Personal & travel insurance
- Food & drink
- Travel to starting point or from endpoint of the tour.
- Anything not specified as “Included”
Fitness Level
This tour involves walking of 30-60 minutes along paths/trails and requires occasional short steep steps or inclines. A person of average fitness level should have little difficulty.
Where we'll meet
Collection point for tour is 10:30am at Starbucks Coffee, Unit 1A Euston Tower Podium, Regents Place, London, NW1 3DP.
Meeting point map.
Return journey will have two drop off points.
1) Back to our initial collection point in central London, close to Warren Street, Euston Square, Euston, & Great Portland Street tube stations.
2) West Acton Station (Central Line, Ealing Broadway Branch).
We expect to return to London around 2-3pm.
Gallery
Testimonials
I have learnt so much on this trip – taking the most amazing photos! Yourself and Phil gave me so much help which I am very grateful for.
If you do another trip to the Lake District I would love to join you again!
Many thanks for a wonderful trip last week, I really enjoyed it and have taken away so much 😊.
I’m about 80% through post processing, it’s really difficult to choose as there are so many great shots!
I’ve been considering buying Kase filters too!
Guide
Dion Hitchcock
UK Photo Tours is owned and operated by professional photographer, Dion Hitchcock.
Dion brings over a decade of expertise in teaching and guiding photography. He is an expat Australian and when not running photography tours, resides in London, UK, running photography workshops or as a locum pharmacist. His extensive travel experiences, spanning over 40 countries, ignited his passion for photography as a means to chronicle his journeys. This passion quickly evolved into a profound interest, leading him to actively participate in various camera clubs, assisting them in conducting workshops. Today, Dion independently operates his own workshops mainly across the UK, and occasionally internationally.
His London-based photography Meetup groups have 7,000+ members and over 500 5-star ratings.
Dion still maintains his registration as a pharmacist professional, dedicating his time to aiding patients and educating pharmacy students. However, he has transitioned his time into the realm of photography, where he assists clients in understanding the craft’s technical and artistic aspects. This shift, though unconventional, aligns with his upbringing; both of his parents were artists who nurtured his appreciation for the world’s inherent beauty. His extensive photography experience, professional background, passion for teaching, and numerous five-star reviews ensures you’ll be in the best of care whilst on tour.
You can reach Dion at info@uk-photo-tours.com
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Terms of Service
Please note that our tours and workshops are always in high demand and usually sell out. We historically have over 90% occupancy so we strongly advise to book early.
As photographers ourselves, we always do our utmost to ensure each participant has the opportunity to get the best shots possible on every tour. However, we are dependent upon the weather, which is highly unpredictable. Your photo guide will monitor local weather conditions and adjust any proposed itinerary according to conditions and any local weather warnings.
We highly recommend that you have your own travel and medical insurance. For our overseas clients, please be aware that your own domestic medical insurance and private health scheme may not cover you whilst you are overseas.
Cancellation and Refund Policy
We strongly recommend you to get a Trip Cancellation & Travel Insurance after booking your trip. If you cancel your booking and the tour is otherwise filled, we will refund you the full amount you have paid towards the tuition, minus a £150 service fee. If you cancel and the tour does not fill, then you will be refunded according to the following schedule, based on the full fee of tour:
Greater than 90 days from the start date of the Workshop: full refund minus the £150 service fee.
75 days or more: 75% refund
60 days or more: 50% refund
Less than 60 days: no refund
Refunds will be paid by the same method that the original payment was made.
If UK Photo Tours have to cancel a tour then you’ll be offered another place on an existing tour or a full refund. We cannot be held liable for any loss of any kind resulting from the cancellation of a tour beyond the tour ticket price.
Pricing
Prices listed on the UK-Photo-Tours.com website are per person, unless otherwise specified.
Prices are based on the local tariff at the time of quoting, converted at the prevailing foreign-exchange rate as determined by UK Photo Tours.
Price quotations are subject to change without notice, until a booking has been confirmed.
Unless otherwise specified, prices do not include any local taxes or use-fees, including foreign departure, security, port charges, park fees, customs, immigration, agricultural, passenger-facility charges or international transportation tax.
Prices do not include tips/gratuities to tour directors, drivers or local guides; passport and visa fees; baggage and personal insurance; any items of a personal nature; and any beverages or food not specifically listed under “Included” on the product pages of the UK-Photo-Tours.com website
Tour start/end
Our tours have a designated start and end point and it is each participant’s responsibility to ensure they are at the designated starting point on time and the tour price does not include any flights, accommodation, transport, taxes or charges, etc prior to our start or after our end points/time. We are happy to give advice on such should it be needed.
Passports, Visas, & Insurance
It is the responsibility of all passengers, regardless of nationality and destination, to check with the consulate of the country they are visiting for current entry requirements.
As visa and health requirements are subject to change without notice, we recommend that you verify health and visa requirements with the appropriate consulate prior to departure.
Disclaimers & Limitations of Liability
UK Photo Tours cannot be held liable for any loss, damage, accidents, injuries or sickness during your tour. The same applies for any changes in tour schedule due to weather, strikes, industrial action, viral pandemic, civil disturbance, wars, floods or sickness, or any other force majeure. UK Photo Tours reserves the right to change routes, schedules and itineraries if needed because of weather, road, boat route conditions or should the necessity arise because of unforeseen reasons. We advise all travellers to purchase comprehensive travel insurance to minimize possible losses due to unforeseeable situations during your travel.
Covid-19
We are taking great care to follow the current guidance from the government regarding Covid-19 ( https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus ), along with up-to-date advice from tourism organisations such as VisitEngland.com and VisitScotland.com in order to keep safety a priority.
All of our guides are fully vaccinated and have had booster doses. We encourage participants to be fully vaccinated if clinically able to.
To further reduce risk, we’re continuing with requiring masks to be worn in the vehicle (unless medically expempt). Vents will be open and windows lowered in the vehicle to increase fresh airflow. We provide antiviral hand gel in the vehicle and at any accommodation, along with spare surgical 3-ply face masks for participants if required.
We’ve adopted the tour industry standard of requesting a negative Covid-19 lateral flow test within 72 hours of the start of the tour, and ideally for the result to be logged on the government website. This test can be done at home.
By asking for a negative test we hope you’ll agree it is for everyone’s protection and helps to provide a smooth and safe tour. In the UK, you can obtain free lateral flow tests from either your local pharmacy scanning a QR code, or sent direct to your home through the website https://www.gov.uk/order-coronavirus-rapid-lateral-flow-tests , or by calling 119.We ask or participants to please be vigilant in reducing their exposure risk to Covid-19 in the 10 days leading up to the tour, and remember to test if you have any symptoms and ensure that you have adequate travel insurance in place.