Where the wild things are
Nature walks, wildlife watching, ID courses, camping, wild food, foraging and bushcraft
About Ben West
My interest in natural history started around the age of ten when I discovered an abandoned fledgling in my garden. In an attempt to identify it, I borrowed a copy of ‘The Complete Guide to the birdlife of Britain and Europe’ by Peter Hayman and Rob Hume from my local library and quickly became an avid birdwatcher with a particularly keen interest in bird song.
Fortnightly walks
Whether you want to spend time outdoors in good company, discover new ways of getting your kids outside, or simply improve your nature ID skills I would love to have you come along.
Molesey Heath
Molesey Heath is a designated local nature reserve situated along the banks of the Rivers Fleet and Mole in West Molesey, Surrey which covers around forty five acres. The site is a richly biodiverse mosaic of habitats comprising grassland, scrub, riparian and wetland environments with small pockets of woodland.
Bird ID & Song Course
My bird ID and bird song course offers an introduction to bird identification through visual observation and voice recognition and is suitable for complete beginners as well as experienced birdwatchers wishing to improve their song identification skills.
"A connection to nature is the gift that keeps on giving. It provides deep nourishment to body and soul and helps us appreciate the interconnectedness of all things; how each strand in the web of life depends upon all others to hold it in place."
Nightingales
A visitor to our shores in ever decreasing numbers from its African wintering grounds and confined to a few fragments of suitable habitat in the South, these days the Nightingale’s song is heard only by a fortunate few.
Nightjars
My Nightjar walks witness the breeding behaviours of these birds through June and July in their strongholds of the Surrey Heaths and Hills before the birds head back to their wintering grounds in the grasslands of the Congo.
Fungi Forays
Join me in the woods this Autumn to learn about the fascinating natural history and folklore of our native fungi.
Bespoke Itineraries
Do you want to know what wildlife you have in your garden, your local park or on your regular walk? Let me know and I’ll arrange to visit your favourite place to help you identify the wildlife living there.
Special Spring Forage
Join me for a very special Spring foraging expedition as we follow the course of a winding river through an old woodland in deepest Surrey.
Butterflies and Botany Walk
Chalk downland in mid-Summer is one of nature’s great spectacles.
Hobby Walk
Witnessing a hunting Hobby on the wing as it effortlessly twists and turns and stoops and rises in pursuit of an insect or small bird is one of the great wildlife spectacles of the British Summer time.
Goshawk walk
Join me for an early Spring walk to experience the interesting and varied bird life of the Surrey North Downs.