Year-round nature walks in England

Hi, I’m Carol — and I help you spot more wildlife and take clearer photos on the walks you’re already doing.

If your camera feels like it has too many buttons and you mostly shoot on Auto, you’re in the right place.

If your wildlife photos are often blurred, dark, or too far away, that’s normal — and fixable.

I’ll keep it simple, so you can enjoy the walk and come home with photos you’re proud of.

I’m based in Cambridgeshire on the Northants border, and most routes here are local favourites I return to again and again (with occasional trips further afield).


Carol sitting in moorland


Start here:

Choose one walk, learn one spotting cue, and try one simple camera tweak. That’s how confidence builds.

Each route includes where to look, what you might spot, and the best times to see it — so you’re not relying on luck.


📸 Wildlife Watching for Everyone

Forget expensive kit. I’ll show you how to use what you already have — your phone, a compact camera or an entry-level camera — to get photos that aren’t blurred, dark, or tiny-in-the-frame.

You’ll also pick up a few fieldcraft basics: how to walk, where to look, and how to move so wildlife carries on being itself. 

Especially for birds: you’ll learn where to look, what to listen for, and what bird behaviour tends to do next — so you’re not always a second too late.


🦅 What you might spot (seasonally changing)

Nature shifts with the season - and the countryside can be a stage for some of the UK’s best wildlife moments:

  • Hedgerows: fieldfares and redwings on hawthorn and holly berries
  • The fields: Barn owls hunting, hares running, deer browsing
  • The lakes: Ducks dabbling, swans fighting, grebes nesting
  • The woods: Bluebells blooming, rare butterflies fluttering, autumn colour

Been here before? Head to What’s New for the latest walks, wildlife guides, and seasonal stories.

A nuthatch coming down a tree head first


Quick guides for your next outing

roe deer at nene washes

Stories from the Field

The quiet magic isn’t just in the details — it’s in the journey.

Great Crested Grebes: Courtship Dances, Nests, and Fuzzy Chicks

grebe on nest

A front-row seat to one of the best wildlife soap operas on local water — and a reminder that “everyday” walks can be full of drama if you pause and watch.

The Great Crested Grebe

RSPB Bempton Cliffs: A Day Out With Puffins (and a Lot of Noise)

2 puffins at Bempton cliffs

Big skies, busy cliffs, and seabirds everywhere you look — the kind of day out that stays with you (and fills your camera card very quickly).

RSPB Bempton Cliffs

Spurn Point: The Long Walk to the End of the Land

wheatear on cliff at spurn

A proper coastal wander with shifting light and big views — the kind of place where the landscape does half the storytelling and the wildlife supplies the surprises.

Spurn Point


Find a Walk by County

Official maps don’t tell you the useful bits. Mine do: what you’re likely to see, when it’s best, and the small details that make a walk feel easy.

Pick a county below to start exploring.

Cambridgeshire

Heron in the mist at Paxton Pits

Fen edges, woods, and easy local loops — birds, big skies, and “I didn’t expect to see that” moments close to home.

Best nature walks in Cambridgeshire

Northamptonshire

purple-emperor-on-path-1.jpg

Quiet river paths and gentle woodland — made for slower walks, rare butterflies, and wildlife you spot by paying attention.

Best walks in Northamptonshire

Rutland

osprey-on-platform.jpg

Big views over the reservoir at Rutland Water — a brilliant place for osprey, seasonal highlights, and a good wander.

Rutland Water

Norfolk

full-swallowtail-butterfly.jpg

A Norfolk special: swallowtail butterflies in the Broads — where to go, when to visit, and what to look for.

The Swallowtails of Norfolk

East Yorkshire

Pair of gannets on the cliffs at Bempton

Chalk cliffs, seabird colonies, and big-skied walks along a coastline that’s always changing — a brilliant choice when you fancy a proper coastal reset.

The East Yorkshire Coast

Photo of Carol

About the Author

I’m a wildlife photographer who learns on everyday walks. This site is my field notebook: practical photo tips, gentle ID help, and walk ideas to help you see more—wherever you are.

Read more about me

Step Behind the Wild Lens

Seasonal field notes from my wildlife walks: recent encounters, the story behind favourite photos, and simple, practical tips you can use on your next outing.