Full Day Wildlife Walks
The Best of the White Peak (April to July)

A Dipper on the Dove at Beresford Dale – just one of a few special birds we can expect to find!
The White Peak is the central and southern part of the Peak District National Park and gains its name from the geology of the area. It’s typified by a series of stunning, water carved limestone dales and is famous for its gin clear rivers such as the Dove, Wye, Manifold and Lathkill.
The river valleys are well wooded and play host to a fabulous array of bird species, whilst the higher reaches of the dale sides are craggy, rock strewn and home to some fantastic flora and fauna. Between the iconic dales and rivers farming is the main land use and the well grazed fields are enclosed by traditional drystone walls and dotted with charming villages which are always a joy to visit.
Our walk is designed to follow a route that takes in a good cross section of these habitats and gives us the best chance of encountering the White Peaks fantastic wildlife.
We start in one of the area’s pretty villages, before climbing up into the farmland and pasture above the houses where we hope to see Skylark, Meadow Pipit and possibly Brown Hare. The farm buildings and cottages have good numbers of nesting Swallows and Swifts which are always a joy to watch!

Early Purple Orchid
Dropping down into one of the White Peaks many ‘dry’ dales (formed by glacial meltwater carving a deep narrow valley in the local soluble limestone before finding a route underground leaving a dry valley) the steep bare grass sides bring a welcome splash of colour as Cowslip, Primrose, Bluebell and Early Purple Orchid crowd the slopes and Butterflies such as the Common Blue and Orange Tip delight as they flit between the flowers. We’ll be listening out for the ‘see-tack’ of the migrant Northern Wheatear that return to breed here in early Spring.
Further down the dale sparse scrub and stunted trees start to appear on the upper slopes – these areas are home to the Common Redstart and we should get great views of this jewel of a bird.
As the dale becomes more wooded we’ll encounter more birds as Blackcap, Garden Warbler and Willow Warbler give their delightful songs and Spotted Flycatcher dart from their perches in pursuit of flying insects. Reaching one of the Peak Districts famous rivers, we head upstream where we should encounter one of its most famous residents – the charismatic and entertaining Dipper! Grey Wagtail are very likely and Willow and Marsh Tits can be encountered as well as Mandarin. Peregrine, Kestrel, Buzzard and Raven are all possible above the craggy slopes.

A male Redstart showing well
We’ll finish back in the village in plenty of time for a well deserved ice cream!
Species seen on previous walks: Dipper, Grey Wagtail, Kingfisher, Willow Tit, Marsh Tit, Mandarin, Little Grebe, Peregrine, Buzzard, Kestrel, Raven, Wheatear, Common Redstart, Spotted Flycatcher, Treecreeper, Nuthatch, Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Garden Warbler, Blackcap, Linnet, Swallow, Swift, Grey Heron, Brown Trout, Early Purple Orchid, Dingy Skipper, Common Blue, Orange Tip, Brimstone
And with a slice of luck!: Pied Flycatcher, Red Kite, Stoat, Brown Hare
Duration: 5-6 hours
Cost: Adults £35, Under 16 £20 (must be accompanied by an adult). There is a 10% discount when two or more adults book. No deposit required!
Need to know: The weather can be very changeable in the Peak District in Spring so come prepared – Heavy rain may lead to a postponement/cancellation – Some paths are steep and rocky and may be slippy but don’t worry we’ll take our time.
The Best of the Dark Peak (April to July)
The Dark Peak is the higher and wilder part of the northern Peak District National Park. It takes its name from the geology of the area, with darker millstone grit and shale covering the underlying limestone, and the area is home to the highest hills in the county like the famous Kinder Scout and the brooding Bleaklow.
Heather moorland dominates much of tops along with peat bogs, wet flushes and rough grazing. The moorland plateaus themselves end abruptly in are a series of stunning gritstone cliffs such as the iconic Stannage and Curbar edges.

Female Ring Ouzel with food. North Derbyshire 2021
Below the edges upland woods cling to the sloping ground, whilst streams make their way down through steep cloughs and boggy pasture to meet larger rivers and reservoirs in the valley bottoms.
Each of these special locations hold their own stunning species and our walk is designed to follow a route that takes in a good cross section of these habitats and give us the best chance of encountering the wonderful upland wildlife that call these places home.
We’ll start our walk below the gritstone edge where the sparse tree cover, rough grass and bracken areas play host to Tree Pipit, Cuckoo, Stonechat and Whinchat and we’ll spend time watching the craggy rocks themselves where we hope to catch sight of a real Peak District star – the Ring Ouzel! A route across the open moorland might bring Mountain Hare, Curlew, Golden Plover, Red Grouse, Snipe, Kestrel and, if we are lucky, maybe a Merlin or an Owl.
Our route then takes us back down from the moors and through one of the Peak Districts iconic hanging Oak and Birch woodlands where we’ll be listening and watching out for Pied and Spotted Flycatcher, Common Redstart and the wealth of migrant warblers that have returned from Africa as well as resident species such as Great Spotted Woodpecker, Nuthatch and Treecreeper.

Common Sandpiper. North Derbyshire 2021
We will finish our walk overlooking one of the Dark Peaks famous reservoirs where we’ll spend some time scanning for water birds, looking for the fantastic Common Sandpiper that calls the shoreline home and keeping and eye open for raptors above the conifer plantations.
Species seen on previous walks: Cuckoo, Ring Ouzel, Mountain Hare, Tree Pipit, Meadow Pipit, Stonechat, Whinchat, Curlew, Golden Plover, Lapwing, Snipe, Common Sandpiper, Oystercatcher, Red Grouse, Barn Owl, Kestrel, Buzzard, Peregrine, Goshawk, Sparrowhawk, Merlin, Raven, Pied Flycatcher, Common Redstart, Spotted Flycatcher, Willow Warbler, Crossbill, Common Lizard, Green Tiger Beetle.
And with a slice of luck!: Hen Harrier, Short Eared Owl, Marsh Harrier, Dunlin, Adder…
Duration: 5-6 hours
Cost: Adults £35, Under 16 £20 (must be accompanied by an adult). There is a 10% discount when two or more adults book. No deposit required!
Need to know: The weather can be very changeable in the Dark Peak in Spring so come prepared – Snowfall or heavy rain may lead to a postponement/cancellation – Some paths are steep and may be slippy but don’t worry we’ll take our time.
Locko Park (All Year Round)
There is so much more to Derbyshire that the Peak District! Join me for an easy wildlife filled walk on my own local patch just outside Derby. This is an area I know intimately and combines some fantastic, wildlife rich, lowland habitat.

Grey Wagtail can be encountered all year round (picture: Joanne Thomas, May 2022)

Mandarin Duck is a recent addition to the parks breeding birds (Picture: Joanne Thomas, May 2022)
The smaller, ungrazed meadows are a particular delight at this time of year with Knapweed, Birds Foot Trefoil and Meadow Vetchling buzzing with bees and butterflies such as Skippers, Gatekeepers and Common Blues.
Autumn: With the harvest done, covey’s of Partridge become visible once more as Swallows mass on the telephone wires and fences ready to set off on migration back to Africa.
October is a month of change as the Hirundines and warblers depart and the first of the winter Thrushes return – Redwings arrive first, followed by Fieldfares in November.
Autumn is also the time for the big bird flocks to form – Linnets and Chaffinches forage in the arable fields attracting the attention of watchful Sparrowhawk’s and mixed groups of Tits flit through the woodland collecting other species as they go such as Goldcrest, Nuthatch, juvenile Chiffchaffs and maybe something rarer like a Yellow browed warbler? In the wooded area’s Jays compete with the local Squirrel’s for the plentiful Acorns and a mind boggling array of fungi start to appear.
Winter: Roving flocks of Fieldfare and Redwing scour the fields and hedgerows, battling the local Mistle Thrushes for the precious berries. Wildfowl numbers and variety increase on the lake with the return of Goosander, Teal and Pochard.
With the local brooks and river often in spate, Kingfisher regularly use the lake in the winter months. Overhead look for flocks of Pink Footed Geese on their cross country flights (with the occasional bird joining the Greylags on the ground) whilst a sudden clattering of Wood Pigeons betrays the presence of a hungry Peregrine which regularly use the park in winter.
With no leaves on the trees this is a great time to watch some of the resident parkland birds with great views of Green and Great Spotted Woodpeckers, Nuthatches and a variety of finches – including wintering Siskin, Lesser Redpoll and Brambling. With less daylight available an afternoon walk can often produce both Barn Owl and Little Owl to finish the day.
Duration: Available all year round as a longer walk (4-5 hours) and in May to September as a shorter (c2.5 hours) evening walk.
Cost: Full day walk (4-5 hours) – Adults £35, Under 16 £20 (must be accompanied by at least one full paying adult). There is a 10% discount when two or more adults book.
Evening walk (c2.5 hours) – Adult (over 16’s) £20, Under 16’s £10 (must be accompanied by at least one full paying adult). A 10% discount will be given for a family/group of 3 or more booking together.
Need to know: On good, often paved paths with only a little bit of up and down (though a flat route is available) so it will suit most abilities. Some of the farm tracks can be muddy in Winter/early Spring so walking boots are recommended.
Carsington Water – An excellent year round birding site that’s arguably at its best from late Summer to Spring.
Half and full day options available
Carsington Water is a large reservoir operated by Severn Trent Water and situated between the towns of Ashbourne and Wirksworth in the beautiful Derbyshire Dales. With a size of 3km² it is the largest water body in the County and its size and position mean it attracts a lot of different bird species throughout the year. The reservoir is surrounded by some wonderful woodland, grassland and farmland habitat as well as a network of well maintained paths – a walk around this around this fabulous year site is sure to be rewarded with a fantastic list of species!

Great Northern Diver regularly over winter at Carsington
Carsington is arguably at its best from late Summer to Spring when the sheer number of wildfowl present mean there is always plenty to see, with wintering flocks regularly joined by scarcer species such as Great Northern Diver, Red Necked Grebe and Whooper Swan.
We’ll start our walk at Millfield’s Car Park, whose well stocked bird feeders often attract such nationally scarce species as Willow Tit and Tree Sparrow as well as lots of commoner species, before heading out along the dam wall. The deep water here is great for diving species such as Grebes, Tufted Duck and, in Winter, birds like Goldeneye and Pochard. The dam itself can act like a magnet for passerines with Meadow Pipit and Grey and Pied Wagtails regular and joined by passage species such as Yellow Wagtail, Wheatear and even a Snow Bunting! The rocky shores near the sailing club can hold good numbers of Lapwing and occasionally other waders. Reaching the area of the visitor centre (the busiest area for human activity) the shallow waters, mud-edged islands and wooded creeks are one of the best areas for passage, wintering and breeding waders which can include Oystercatcher, Redshank, Snipe, Lapwing, Common Sandpiper, Green Sandpiper, Black Tailed Godwit with scarcer birds such as Whimbrel, Turnstone and Knot turning up on passage and the tiny, cryptic Jack Snipe often Winter here. The area is also great for wildfowl including Carsington’s very own flock of feral Barnacle Geese. All this activity can attract predators with raptors including Sparrowhawk, Buzzard, Kestrel and Peregrine, whilst migrating Osprey can occasionally be found in Spring and Autumn. We’ll spend plenty of time here before heading back to Millfield’s (if you are on our wheelchair friendly, accessible half day walk) looking to pick up any notable species we may have missed.

Cryptic Jack Snipe are present in Winter but can be tricky to find
The full day option continues north on a circuit of the reservoir (approximately 8 miles in total) and most of the walk is generally easy going on good paths. The bays and inlets at Sheepwash and Hopton give a good variety of habitats with breeding Warblers and Redstarts in Spring and Summer and plenty more wildfowl on the water in Autumn/Winter including good numbers of Wigeon, Teal and the occasional Pintail. As we head South back towards the car park the East side of the reservoir has a good mixture of woodland (Hall Wood holds breeding Pied Flycatcher in Spring/Summer), scrub and Meadows with plenty of breeding passerines, Red Kite overhead and good numbers of Redwing, Fieldfare, Brambling and Siskin in Winter.
Notable species we may see in Spring/Summer: Willow Tit, Tree Sparrow, Bulfinch, Nuthatch, Redstart, Pied Flycatcher, Spotted Flycatcher, Garden Warbler, Wheatear, Grey Wagtail, Osprey, Peregrine, Red Kite, Redshank, Curlew, Oystercatcher, Lapwing, Snipe, Great Crested Grebe, Little Grebe, Gadwall, Shoveler, Barnacle Goose (feral), Kingfisher, Summer Butterflies and Wildflowers.
Notable species we may see in Autumn/Winter: Willow Tit, Tree Sparrow, Brambling, Siskin, Lesser Redpoll, Redwing, Fieldfare, Wheatear, Yellow Wagtail (passage), Meadow Pipit, Redshank, Snipe, Jack Snipe, Woodcock, Black Tailed Godwit, Whimbrel, Common Sandpiper, Lapwing, Oystercatcher, Great Crested Grebe, Little Grebe, Rarer Grebe’s (e,g. Red Necked and Slavonian), Great Northern Diver, Whooper Swan, Pink Footed Goose, Barnacle Goose (feral), Kingfisher, Goldeneye, Pochard, Shoveler, Gadwall, Wigeon, Teal, Pintail, Red Kite, Peregine, Osprey (passage).
Duration: Full Day – 5-6 hours (c8 miles), Half Day – c4 hours (c4.5 miles)
Cost: Full Day – Adults £35, Under 16 £20 (must be accompanied by an adult). There is a 10% discount when two or more adults book.
Half Day – Adults £25, Under 16 £15 (must be accompanied by an adult). There is a 10% discount when two or more adults book.
No deposit required!
Need to know: Both routes are on well maintained paths and are generally easy walking. The half day walk is fully accessible and suitable for Wheelchair users with no stiles and on level pathways. Millfield’s is a Pay & Display car park so please have a means of payment to hand. Toilet facilities are available at Millfield’s and the visitor centre with refreshments available at the latter.
The Best of North Notts (late February to June) *NEW FOR 2025*
Offering very different landscapes and atmosphere from its near neighbour to the west, North Nottinghamshire is a haven for wildlife offering some of the best areas of woodland, wetland and lowland heath in the midlands. On this two stop tour we’ll visit a great cross-section of these key habitats and see some fantastic wildlife.
We’ll start our walk amongst the famous woodland of Sherwood Forest, where craggy ancient Oaks, towering Beeches and a host of other deciduous and coniferous trees mean this woodland is incredibly species rich. At Sherwood you still stand a good chance of seeing all three native breeding woodpecker species in one day and the amount of standing dead and dying wood mean this is one of the last remaining strongholds of the endangered Lesser Spotted Woodpecker. Our early Spring walks will be timed to try to find this tiny, sparrow sized woodpecker which can be spotted drumming high in the canopy before the new flush of leaves block our view. As well as woodpeckers early spring can be a good time to connect with Marsh Tit, Jay, Nuthatch as well as early returning warblers like Chiffchaff and Blackcap. Visits later in the spring will mean a good chance of connecting with two more of Sherwoods star species – Common Redstart and Spotted Flycatcher.
Leaving the woodland behind we will walk the short distance north to RSPB Budby Forest South. Despite the woodland sounding name Budby is in fact one of the best tracts of lowland heath in the country, a very special landscape which some fantastic species call home. Linnet, Yellowhammer, Stonechat and Green Woodpecker are all resident with Common Crossbill present in the Spruce plantations edging the heath. There is a chance of Little Owl too, whilst Kestrel, Raven, Buzzard and Red Kite are all regular. In early spring Budby is filled with the wonderful sound of Woodlarks and this species will be one of our key targets as it gives it beautiful, lilting song from the tops of scattered trees or in a spiralling song flight, just joyous to hear! Later in the spring Woodlark can be harder to hear but another songster has arrived to fill the void as Tree Pipits return from migration to add their voice to a heathland chorus that will now include Cuckoo as well. Its not just birds though as a warm morning at Budby might see us encounter basking Common Lizard while Roe Deer are regular and Stoat possible. Heathland butterflies start to appear in April.
We’ll then travel a short distance into an area of North Nottinghamshire known as ‘The Dukeries’ where we’ll visit a spot overlooking a tract of woodland which offers a good chance of spotting a variety of raptor species on the wing. Buzzard and Red Kite are almost guaranteed along with regular views of Sparrowhawk, Kestrel and occasional Peregrine but our target in early spring visits will be Goshawk with late February and March a great time to watch these huge accipters in display above their conifer wood haunt. Later visits will still offer the chance of Gos but we might also encounter Hobby, Osprey and possibly even Honey Buzzard which maintain a toehold in the area. Raptors aside the area also offers the chance of Skylark, Yellow Wagtail, Grey & Red-Legged Partridge as well as Brown Hare, I’ve also encountered Hawfinch here in March!
Species seen on previous walks: Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Green Woodpecker, Nuthatch, Tawny Owl, Marsh Tit, Redstart, Spotted Flycatcher, Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler Woodlark, Skylark, Tree Pipit, Crossbill, Stonechat, Linnet, Yellowhammer, Raven, Kestrel, Sparrowhawk, Goshawk, Peregrine, Hobby, Grey Partridge, Red Legged Partridge, Yellow Wagtail, Common Lizard, Roe Deer, Brown Hare.
And with a slice of luck!: Osprey (from April), Honey Buzzard (from May), Stoat, Little Owl
Duration: 5-6 hours
Cost: Adults £35, Under 16 £20 (must be accompanied by an adult). There is a 10% discount when two or more adults book. No deposit required!
Need to know: Some driving is required between our parking spot at Sherwood (Edwinstowe) and the area of the Dukeries we will visit. Heavy rain may lead to a postponement/cancellation. Some of the woodland paths may be slippy and/or muddy so decent footwear is a must.
Wildlife Walks in Derbyshire & The Peak District
Natural Derbyshire Tours are passionate about providing amazing wildlife based guided walks in Derbyshire, the Peak District and surrounding areas in a safe and interesting way.