Puffins, Farne Islands, Northumberland
From April onwards, tens of thousands of puffins take up residence on the National Trust-owned Farne Islands. Until they leave in July, a boat trip from the coastal village of Seahouses is the best way to see these characterful birds emerge from their cliff-face burrows with their downy pufflings.
• nationaltrust.org.uk
Where to stay On the quayside, the Olde Ship Inn has doubles from £100, seahouses.co.uk
Wild ponies, Dartmoor
Archaeologists estimate that the shaggy, indomitable Dartmoor pony has roamed on the moor for more than 3,000 years. Small, solid in colour (the piebald ones are hybrids and not counted as wild), they have long manes and tails and are easily spotted on walks. By June and July, you can see their foals, too.
• visitdartmoor.co.uk
Where to stay With parts dating from the 13th century, the Three Crowns in Chagford has doubles from £115 B&B, threecrowns-chagford.co.uk
Ospreys, Rutland Water
Diving into the water to catch fish with their claws, ospreys, with their magnificently long wings, are a wonderful sight. Fifteen years ago, a small breeding group of 11 were brought to this Midlands reservoir to nest; since then, more than 150 fledglings have been born here. On the south side, the Lyndon Nature Reserve has the best viewpoints and live webcam footage of the nests as the birds arrive, usually from April onwards. You can walk through the meadows, stopping off at a hide or two, as you head towards Manton Bay.
• lrwt.org.uk
Where to stay Hambleton Hall, doubles from £225 B&B, hambletonhall.com
Beavers, Cornwall
Native beavers disappeared from Britain in the 17th century, but in Cornwall a collection of projects have seen their reintroduction. On the edge of Bodmin Moor, the Bedulda river runs through Cabilla Manor. Guests staying at the solar- and wind-powered Keep cabin are able to explore the woodland, with round-the-clock chances to spot Sigourney and Jean Claude, Cabilla’s resident beavers, as they dam and build their own intricate, sustainable lodges.
• cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk
Where to stay The Keep sleeps four, from £177 a night, canopyandstars.co.uk
Wild boars, Forest of Dean
Hunted to extinction in the 13th century, there are now estimated to be around 1,200 wild boar in the Forest of Dean after a few were released by farmers in the 1990s. During spring their gingery striped young, referred to as humbugs, start exploring and it’s one of the best times to see them, especially at dusk. Ed Drewitt runs guided walks in the Forest of Dean. Even if you don’t see any wild boar, there are plenty of owls and deer to enjoy.
• eddrewitt.co.uk
Where to stay The Speech House in Coleford was once a 17th-century hunting lodge. Now it has double rooms from £109 B&B, thespeechhouse.co.uk
Red squirrels, Lake District
Smaller and shyer than their dominant grey cousins, red squirrels can be spotted in Bampton on the eastern side of the Lake District. The RSPB nature reserve at Haweswater gives the popular rodents a serene location (no boats are allowed). They share the woodland with badgers and woodpeckers, while a variety of bookable hides with feeding stations allow you to hunker down and wait for their appearance.
• wildhaweswater.co.uk
Where to stay Haweswater Hotel has regular visits from red squirrels and rooms from £119, haweswaterhotel.com
Otters, Norfolk
Otters have augmented their status as cheering pandemic memes by recolonising the 125 miles of the Norfolk Broads, including Strumpshaw Fen. Otters prefer backwaters to the main arteries of the broads, meaning that one of the best ways to spot them is by kayak. Paddle out in the early evening as that’s when they start to come awake. Based at Wroxham, the Canoe Man runs regular trips.
• norfolkwildlifetrust.org.uk
Where to stay Fritton Lake, based near the Lakes, is a country estate with a mixture of holiday houses and a boutique hotel, from £140 a night, frittonlake.co.uk
Grey seals, Bardsey Island, Llŷn peninsula
One of the best places to see grey seals in Wales is Bardsey on the Llyn peninsula. In summer, there can be up to 200 sunning themselves on the rocks and feasting on the lobsters and crabs that are common here. The island, which is run by a trust, also has a large migratory bird population, while dolphins and porpoises can often be spotted offshore.
• bardsey.org
Where to stay There are nine cottages on the island, each sleeping 2 to 8 people from £287 a week, bardsey.org
Whale watching, North Yorkshire
Whitby was once famous for its whaling fleet. These days, enterprising locals run whale-watching trips when minke whales come in search of mackerel shoals here, in the summer. Bottle-nosed and white-beaked dolphins are also now being seen every year off the North Yorkshire coast.
• blueskywildlife.com
Where to stay Just inland, Dunsley Hall was built by a shipbuilder, double rooms from £119 B&B, dunsleyhall.com
Pine martens, Highlands
Wildland is an ambitious project, devised by Scotland’s largest private landowners, Anne and Anders Holch Povlsen, to preserve and restore the Scottish highland landscape. Their estates cover 230,000 acres, including Glenfeshie, where more than 5,000 different species have been catalogued, including the Scottish wildcat and, most beautiful of all, the pine marten – a weasel-like mammal. There are guided walks and trails available.
• wildland.scot
Where to stay The Wildland project has hotels and cottages, including the Killiehuntly farmhouse where doubles start at £240 a night, killiehuntly.scot
