Guided wildlife walks

Darren is happy to share his passion and knowledge of wildlife in the local area around his patch in Needingworth, Cambridgeshire.  The main destination is Needingworth Lakes and/or the RSPB Ouse Fen, Nature Reserve.

His guided walk is ideal for nature lovers who want to explore and learn about the wildlife and people who are curious about the wildlife around them, but who have no particular expertise in the subject.  As you stroll through the landscape the aim of the guided walks will be to search for varieties of plants and animals which may be present in the local countryside during the four seasons of the year.

The walks can be tailored to the group, they can be for short (2 hours) or longer (e.g. 4 hours).  The group size can be from 2-6 people and the length of the walk could be from 1-6 miles, depending on the wishes of the group.

It is the nature of wildlife, the countryside and the weather, which means we aim to take a practical and flexible approach to the Guided Wildlife Walks, for instance, if the weather takes a turn for the worse then the Guided Wildlife Walk will be shorter (in distance and time), alternatively if there are lots of things to see, then the Guided Wildlife Walk may be longer (in distance and time).  In either situation, no refunds or extra charges will be made, (see terms and conditions below).

If you are interested in attending one of his walks, please contact me.

Spring: You’ll look for spring arrivals such as Common Tern, Swallow and Sand Martin plus resident including bearded tits and Marsh Harrier. Stop and listen for the songs of returning Warblers or the evocative boom of a Bittern. Look out for early Butterflies, Dragonflies and Wildflowers that add colour to footpaths.

Summer: You’ll look for summer breeding birds such as Common Tern, Cormorant nesting in trees, Heron and Egret too. See the hustle and bustle of the Black-headed Gull nesting colony. Stop, look and listen for the telltale signs of Water Voles. Look out for Butterflies, Dragonflies and other Insects, as well as summer Wildflowers that add a splash of colour to the vista.

Autumn: You’ll look for autumn arrivals such as Redwing, Fieldfare that have flown from Scandinavia and further afield as well as see the last few summer visits that fatten up on insects before departing on a long gruelling flight to sub-Saharan Africa for warmer weather. Look out for Insects and Wildflowers as they prepare to acclimatise for the winter ahead.

Winter: You’ll look for wintering waterfowl that dominate the wetlands in winter as they arrive from the colder Arctic to seek shelter at the site. Birds to see will include Teal, Wigeon and Gadwall. Search too, for Geese, Swans and wading birds.

£15/person short walk

£25/person long walk

Note these fees are for our Guided Wildlife Walk only.  It does not cover parking, travel, transport, refreshment or admission fees that may on occasion be necessary.

  • Adults
  • Children may be catered for by prior arrangement. The walks are not generally suitable for very small children or pushchairs.
  • Please note that unfortunately, due to the ground conditions (unpaved tracks and pathways and uneven surfaces), the walks are not suitable for people with mobility disabilities
  • No dogs, except Guide Dogs.
  • Wear appropriate outdoor clothing suitable for the weather conditions expected on the day and for the season.  Ideally these should be in muted colours.  Bring sturdy, comfortable footwear.
  • Note that there are no facilities on these walks so bring refreshment and food with you and be aware that there are no toilets facilities associated with these walks.
  • Binoculars if you have them, but not essential.  By all means bring a camera, although the walks are not geared towards wildlife photographic sessions.

On the day of your Guided Wildlife Walk, please bring your Booking Confirmation email with you and follow any instructions sent with it.

On the day of the Guided Wildlife Walk we reserve the right to prevent persons from taking part where we consider that we have reasonable health and safety grounds for doing so.

Where a Guided Wildlife Walk is publicised as being available to adults only, no child(ren) will be permitted and if you attend any such Guided Wildlife Walk with a child, your access and participation to the Guided Wildlife Walk will not be possible.

You agree to adhere, and to ensure that your guests adhere, to all housekeeping rules, procedures and policies (in particular with regard to health and safety and security) that we notify to you in relation to the Guided Wildlife Walk.

Other than guide dogs, hearing dogs and other assistance dogs, no pets or other animals are allowed on the Guided Wildlife Walk.

You must comply with all relevant laws and regulations and not engage in any illegal activity or purpose, or any activity or purpose which may bring the Ecological Images and Darren Frost into disrepute.

You shall not, and shall ensure that your guests do not, behave in any way which results in annoyance or disturbance to us or any of our staff, visitors, occupiers or wildlife. We reserve the right to require anyone who causes an annoyance or disturbance to immediately vacate the Guided Wildlife Walk. No refund for the cost of the Guided Wildlife Walk shall be provided in these circumstances.

Smoking, naked flames, gambling and/or the consumption of alcohol are not permitted before, after or during a Guided Wildlife Walk.

Whilst on our Guided Wildlife Walk you are not permitted to record, televise or otherwise broadcast any material (including but not limited to, through social media and/or podcasts) without our prior consent. If such consent is granted, we reserve the right to take part in any and all negotiations, to be a party to any agreement and to take a share of any income and/or publicity or other benefit derived from such activities.

All attendees do so at their own risk, and we accept no liability for death or injury to persons attending these guided wildlife walks.

We will not be liable for any losses, or for any failure to perform or delay in performance of any of our obligations that is caused by an event outside our reasonable control, or in the event that you and/or any of your guests has failed to follow our instructions.

We shall have no liability to you for any actual or alleged loss, including loss of business, revenue or loss of profit or any other financial loss.

Persons attending the site are required to keep their personal belongings with them at all times and we accept no liability for damage to, or loss of, personal belongings, equipment or vehicles.

Note that you undertake the Guided Wildlife Walk at your own risk with regard to dietary, mobility, health and/or medical issues, including pregnancy. If you have any concerns in any of these respects, you are advised not to take part in a Guided Wildlife Walk.

Any child(ren) accompanying an adult are the adult’s responsibility and must be supervised at all times.

You acknowledge and agree that you have not relied on and shall have no right of action in respect of any statement, representation, warranty or promise (whether negligently or innocently made) except as expressly provided within these terms and conditions and all conditions, warranties or other terms implied by statute or common law are by these terms excluded to the fullest extent permitted by law.

Please let us know any applicable, mobility, health or medical issues when making your Guided Wildlife Walk booking.  We will use our reasonable endeavours to meet your requirements, but please note that, due to the inherent nature of the countryside and climate, some adjustments may not be possible from a practical perspective. We are happy to discuss any issues or concerns in these respects at any time prior to taking your booking.

Payment is required in full in advance of the Guided Wildlife Walk. By making payment for attendance at a Guided Wildlife Walk, you agree to be bound to these terms and conditions to the exclusion of all other terms.

Following receipt of your payment, we will confirm your purchase by sending an email containing a Booking Confirmation to the email address you provide at the time of purchase.

We reserve the right to change our Guided Wildlife Walk prices at any time, provided that we shall not (except in the case of obvious error) change our prices after a Contract has been entered into.

Note that refunds on your purchase will only be available in accordance with these terms. 

If you are unable to attend a Guided Wildlife Walk and wish for another person to attend in your place, you must notify us at least 48 hours prior to the start of the Guided Wildlife Walk.

We shall be entitled to alter the duration, postpone or cancel any Guided Wildlife Walk at any time where we need to do so due to circumstances outside of our control, including, but not limited to, where insufficient bookings mean that the Guided Wildlife Walk is not viable, any act of God, reasons relating to the weather, situations where the site is damaged, closed or deemed unsafe to the public, any local, regional or national lockdown restrictions, Covid-19 or other epidemic/pandemic related restrictions such as isolation, third party provider change in circumstances, Government instruction or order or if we consider that your booking may prejudice our reputation.

If we alter, postpone or cancel any Guided Wildlife Walk our liability to you shall be limited as set out below but we shall notify you of such event as soon as reasonably practicable and shall, where appropriate, offer you a choice of alternative dates for the Guided Wildlife Walk, or offer you a refund in full. You shall have the choice of accepting the alternative date or refund. We shall not be liable for any refund or contribution towards travel or accommodation costs incurred by you.

If you wish to cancel your attendance at any Guided Wildlife Walk, you will need to contact us at least 3 days before the Guided Wildlife Walk. Provided you have given us more than 3 days notice of your cancellation, we will refund you the full cost of the Guided Wildlife Walk (less the cost of any booking fee, which is non-refundable).

If you cancel your attendance to any Guided Wildlife Walk with less than 3 days notice, you shall not be entitled to any refund.

If you develop any symptoms of or test positive for Covid-19 or are subject to isolation or lockdown restrictions or other Covid-19 related issues you must not attend any Guided Wildlife Walk for which you have a Booking Confirmation. You will need to contact the us as soon as possible to inform us that you are unable to attend, and you will be offered a gift voucher for use at any other Guided Wildlife Walk at another time or a refund.

Ecological Images acknowledges that the personal information provided by you in connection with booking attendance on a Guided Wildlife Walk amount to personal data. Such personal information will be processed in accordance with the requirements of applicable data protection law and our privacy policy. For further information on how we will use the information you have provided to us, please read our privacy policy available on request