1 Dolphins off the west Cornish coast
The heartwarming sight of ‘smiling’ dolphins bounding through the waves is not confined to Cornwall, but locals in the know are usually to be found spotting them through telescopes from the cliffs at Porthgwarra, just south of Land’s End.
Here, the waters can teem with bottlenose or common dolphins (which may live in pods of up to 100).
The rather more solitary harbour porpoise, dubbed the ‘puffing pig’ for its snuffling breathing sound, might be glimpsed rolling around closer to shore off much of the South-West’s coastline.
Stay at Lands End Camping & Glamping
2 Turnstones in the Taw/Torridge estuary
The expansive tidal estuary on the north Devon coast, into which the Taw and Torridge rivers flow, is a birdwatcher’s nirvana and a real smorgasbord for waders that potter charmingly about their business.
The pleasingly shaped turnstone, whose call is that of a contestant in a longest ‘r’-rolling competition, is mesmerising as it methodically nudges aside pebbles and stones to find food. Its white belly and orange legs are a constant, but in summer, its black winter plumage gives way to patches of vibrant chestnut.
Stay at Westacott Farm Camping
3 Red deer on Exmoor
The healthy red deer herd (of some 3000 animals, counted by the locals over a weekend in February each year) is Exmoor’s pride and joy – the stag’s head is the emblem of the region’s flag, the national park and countless small businesses – and the more observant among us are guaranteed to spot deer when
