Birds

A walk along Stokes Bay promenade will allow you to see a few regular bird visitors to our Bay, such as the large, black crows that often cavort across the field next to the sailing club. There are also the sea birds that frequent the beach areas. But to see some of the more rare bird visitors you need to venture away from the beach and on to the wilder ground at the extreme east or west ends of the Bay. Gilkicker Point and the area surrounding the golf course is a good place to start. Be patient, the birds are often shy of humans. At the west end of the Bay you can also spot less common birds on a walk through the shingle grounds of Browndown Ranges, but pay attention to the restrictions in times of opening.

Gilkicker has special interest for bird watchers, being a feeding station for many migrating birds in spring and autumn.
The following species of birds have been recorded by birdwatchers at Gilkicker Point:

  • Common Gull
  • Black Tailed Godwit
  • Siskin
  • Reed Bunting
  • Swallow
  • Tree Pipit
  • Stonechat
  • Redstart

Kestrels are frequent visitors, hovering over the grassland while hunting. The gorse and bramble provide valuable cover for nesting sites for birds among them stonechats, skylarks and pipits.

The following have been seen at Browndown:

  • Wheatear
  • Razorbill

Bird Anatomy :

The next time you are going to visit Stokes Bay Beach download, print and take this handy guide with you.
See if you can find an example of each.
Great fun for the children, and adults! Download as PDF file
I-Spy Birds at Stokes Bay
If you manage to take a photo of any of these birds (not easy) we would like to see it!