Wildlife reserves · East Midlands
British Birdwatching Fair
In or near Burley.
The British Birdwatching Fair or Birdfair is an annual event for birdwatchers, held every August at Rutland Water in England, run by staff and volunteers from the Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife T
Hugh Venables — CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons licence
Plan your visit
- Typical visit
- 2 h–4 h
- Best time of year
- Autumn & winter (migration & wildfowl)
- Nearest railway station
- Oakham · 2.8 km
- Dog-friendly
Getting there & planning your visit
The British Birdwatching Fair is located in Rutland, East Midlands, with the postcode LE15 8BT. The nearest railway station is Oakham, which is 2.8 km away. Entry details are not specified, so please check in advance for accessibility information.
About
The British Birdwatching Fair or Birdfair is an annual event for birdwatchers, held every August at Rutland Water in England, run by staff and volunteers from the Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust. The birdfairs in 2020 and 2021 were cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic and in November 2021 the fair was permanently discontinued over financial concerns. By January 2022, however, one of the original conceivers of the Birdfair, Tim Appleton MBE, announced a new event under the guise of 'Global BirdFair'. In March 2022 an official announcement was made that Global Birdfair would take place at a new location, Rutland Showground, from 15–17 July. It has been described as "the birder's Glastonbury". A large number of suppliers of binoculars, cameras, books, clothing and other birdwatching equipment, plus artists and tour companies, display and sell their wares. There are also lectures and other attractions. The first fair was held in 1989. All the organisers' profits are donated to a charity, Birdlife International. Prior to the 2008 fair, visitors had contributed £1,488,000 to international bird conservation. The 2018 fair raised £322,000, making a total of £4,679,152 since the inception. Other countries are replicating the fair, including the South American Bird Fair, which was first held in 2010 and the Amazon Birding Fest since 2019.
Photo gallery
Protected designations
- Site of Special Scientific Interest: Rutland Water SSSI
- Ramsar wetland: Rutland Water
Designations sourced from Natural England open data under OGL v3.
From the Wikipedia article
The British Birdwatching Fair or Birdfair is an annual event for birdwatchers, held every August at Rutland Water in England, run by staff and volunteers from the Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust. The birdfairs in 2020 and 2021 were cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic and in November 2021 the fair was permanently discontinued over financial concerns. By January 2022, however, one of the original conceivers of the Birdfair, Tim Appleton MBE, announced a new event under the guise of 'Global BirdFair'. In March 2022 an official announcement was made that Global Birdfair would take place at a new location, Rutland Showground, from 15–17 July. It has been described as "the birder's Glastonbury". A large number of suppliers of binoculars, cameras, books, clothing and other birdwatching equipment, plus artists and tour companies, display and sell their wares. There are also lectures and other attractions. The first fair was held in 1989. All the organisers' profits are donated to a charity, Birdlife International. Prior to the 2008 fair, visitors had contributed £1,488,000 to international bird conservation. The 2018 fair raised £322,000, making a total of £4,679,152 since the inception. Other countries are replicating the fair, including the South American Bird Fair, which was first held in 2010 and the Amazon Birding Fest since 2019.
Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.
Background
Description
Each year the Birdfair has a different fundraising theme; a list of these is as follows, with the approximate amount raised:
Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Coordinates
- 52.6560, -0.7020
- District
- Rutland
- Parish
- Hambleton
- Postcode
- LE15 8BT
- Parliamentary constituency
- Rutland and Stamford
- Established
- 1989
- Nearest railway station
- Oakham — 2.8 km
- Official site
- www.birdfair.org.uk
Sources
- wikipedia: British Birdwatching Fair (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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Frequently asked questions
- Where is British Birdwatching Fair?
- British Birdwatching Fair is in the East Midlands, United Kingdom (postcode LE15 8BT), in the parish of Hambleton.
- What is British Birdwatching Fair?
- The British Birdwatching Fair or Birdfair is an annual event for birdwatchers, held every August at Rutland Water in England, run by staff and volunteers from the Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife T
- How do I get to British Birdwatching Fair?
- The nearest railway station is Oakham, about 2.8 km away. Drivers can use postcode LE15 8BT.
- When was British Birdwatching Fair built?
- Built or established in 1989.
- Is British Birdwatching Fair a protected site?
- Yes — British Birdwatching Fair is part of the Rutland Water SSSI Site of Special Scientific Interest and the Rutland Water Ramsar wetland.
- How do I get to British Birdwatching Fair?
- The nearest railway station is Oakham, about 2.8 km away. Drivers can navigate to postcode LE15 8BT.
- Are dogs allowed at British Birdwatching Fair?
- Most wildlife reserves allow dogs on lead only, with restrictions during ground-nesting bird season (March-July). Check signage at the reserve.