Bird watching

The best time to come to Forelands to bird watch is at low tide, the rocky ledges and shallow pools attract a large number of species. Regular daily visitors to the beach include herons, little egrets, curlews, oyster catchers, different varieties of sea gulls and geese.

Its not just the water birds that are attracted to the beach, living along the scrub and old willow withies at the foot of the cliffs there are many different varieties. Several different varieties of warblers have been seen, and there are of course all the normal garden birds such as blackbirds, chaff finches, green finches, blue tits and great tits, wrens, wood pigeons and collared doves. The occasional woodpecker has also been seen. During the Summer months the swallows can be seen skimming over the beach. Kestrels and sparrow hawks can be often be found hunting along the cliff edge and a few years back, a Hobby was spotted.

Most of these birds have been observed whilst sitting outside the cafe especially during the quieter times of the season. We also have our very own special visitor to the cafe, Bob the Robin who has been visiting the cafe for at least five years ( although it is probably son of Bob by now) he is quite happy to sit on your hand and take food. I have developed a special relationship with Bob, he will quite often meet me in the car park in the morning and follow me down to the cafe for his breakfast of raisins, and throughout the day he will sit outside and sing for me to feed him and will come when called. Be careful though Bob has been known to do hit and runs on crab sandwiches if left unattended!

For the more serious bird watcher the only RSBP nature reserve on the Island is on Brading Marshes set behind Bembridge and accessed is via a series of footpaths from Bembridge harbour and Brading Town. The most commonly sighted birds there include buzzards, widgeon, teal, lapwings, curlew, shovelers, snipe, Brent and Canada geese, kingfishers, herons, little egrets and shelduck. Rarer sightings include pintails, greenshank, osprey, marsh harriers and blacktailed godwits. If you listen carefully in spring to early Summer you can also here cuckoo calling.