County birdwatching · England

Birdwatching in Cumbria

By Does Your Duck Quack · Planning updated 27 October 2026

Choose the Solway for Campfield Marsh, the southern coast for South Walney and Hodbarrow, or inland Cumbria for Geltsdale and Haweswater. Campfield’s saltmarsh, wet grassland and raised peat bog support autumn and winter waterbirds, including Teal, Wigeon and Pintail. South Walney combines shingle, saltmarsh and gravel pools, with Eider, Oystercatcher and Shelduck among its coastal birds. Hodbarrow’s lagoon provides another southern visit, especially for terns in the breeding season and wildfowl in winter. Geltsdale offers a much larger upland landscape of blanket bog, heath, grassland and tarn, with Curlew, Lapwing and Redshank among its breeding waders. Haweswater adds reservoir, woodland and moorland, with walking and booked experiences described separately in its guide. St Bees Head gives a coastal cliff alternative for seabirds, but the landslip closure between the shore car park and Fleswick Bay changes the walking approach. These places spread across Cumbria and provide different seasons, terrain and arrival routes rather than one compact coast-and-uplands circuit.

To combine coastal watching with a managed reserve visit, compare South Walney’s coastal pools and permitted viewpoints before deciding how long to stay.

Birding near a town or postcode →

Social preview photograph: Visitor entrance and countryside at RSPB Geltsdale. Oliver Dixon; converted to WebP · CC BY-SA 2.0. Resized and converted for the preview.