Readers' tips: nature watching spots

WINNING TIP Chanonry Point, the Black Isle, Scotland This spot on the Moray Firth (between Fortrose and Rosemarkie, north of Inverness) is the most reliable place in the UK for seeing bottlenose dolphins. Between June and August the supply of salmon increases and they come to fish and play as the tide comes in. You won't need a camera with a long lens; just stand on the shore and enjoy the show. From the car park near the point it's a short walk to the lighthouse. undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/rosemarkie/chanonrypoint Cooperteacher England Lundy Island, Bristol Channel Lundy Island is three miles long by half a mile wide. There are no cars or TVs, and the only sounds are birds and breeze. We spent hours watching razorbills, gannets and guillemots. Lundy also has grey seals, sheep, goats, horses and deer and millions of rabbits. There is one shop and a pub, the Marisco Tavern (01237 431831), where you can borrow books or games. 01271 863636, lundyisland.co.uk Znappa Martin Mere Wetland Centre, Ormskirk Martin Mere Wetland Centre, managed by the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust, has habitats for otters, beavers and migrating birds, and several observation hides. Expect to see a large variety of birds overwintering in the area. June is a good time to see newly hatched chicks. You can take a canoe safari for a waterfowl's eye view. wwt.org.uk/visit-us/martin-mere Meteoric Brockholes, near Preston Old gravel pits have been adapted to provide a habitat for wildlife. There are new wildflower meadows, reedbeds and woodland. You can stroll by the river Ribble, or follow trails around the lakes. There is a floating visitor centre. 01772 872000, brockholes.org Baskers13 The Osprey Project, Rutland Water Rutland Water in Leicestershire is home to the first ospreys to breed in England for 150 years, and the oldest birds are now 11. They return from Africa in late March. You can walk to 27 hides to watch them nesting. There are regular osprey cruises in summer. Nest activity is shown on a screen in the visitor centre. Join a dawn chorus or midnight nightingale walk, or hire a bike to ride the 25-mile perimeter. ospreys.org.uk , rutlandwater.org.uk Sarajayne3 Scotland Mousa, Shetland Just off the east coast of Shetland lies uninhabited Mousa, home to seals and sea birds. You might see a harbour porpoise on the short ferry crossing and, for a few short weeks in the summer, there are night-time trips to see and hear storm petrels nesting. 01950 431367, mousa.co.uk Winifredagnes Peregrine falcons at the Falls of Clyde, South Lanarkshire You can walk up to the Falls of Clyde from the visitor centre to a manned area with telescopes run by the Scottish Wildlife Trust. We saw a mother falcon feeding her newly hatched chicks. swt.org.uk/visit/falls-of-clyde-visitor-centre Jeff Austen Wales Skomer Island The whole of Skomer is a nature reserve. There is much to see all year round, but the highlights must be the accessible puffin colonies in early summer and the spectacular burrows of the Manx shearwaters. welshwildlife.org/skomerIntro_en.link Muffin Salmon on the Grwyne, Llangenny After the first rains of October, salmon head upstream to spawn in the Grwyne river, high in the Black Mountains. In the village of Llangenny at the foot of the Sugar Loaf mountain, you can stand on the riverbank and watch the water come alive with jumping fish. Detitomount Pembrokeshire Coast Path On the coast path opposite Ramsey Island, you are likely to see seals in the bay; choughs, fulmars and kestrels in the sky; porpoises racing the tide; and gannets arrowing into the Sound. All before you've drained the first cup of tea from your flask. nt.pcnpa.org.uk Spoj Northern Ireland Seals at Mill Bay, Rathlin Island Take the ferry from Ballycastle to Rathlin and walk round the coast to Mill Bay, where seals can often be seen basking on the rocks. A trip to the west end of the island in the summer provides the opportunity to view puffins, kittiwakes and guillemots at the RSPB lighthouse centre. northantrim.com/rathlin_island.htm Bc11tp