Havergate Island is famous as one of the places where avocets returned to breed in the UK in 1947, after an absence of 100 years. In autumn they gather in large numbers in the Alde-Ore estuary. These elegant black-and-white wading birds will use the island to feed on the lagoons. Look out too for many other migrant wading birds, ducks and smaller birds such as wheatears, which use Havergate Island as a refueling station on route from the Arctic to Africa. Places on these trips are strictly limited because of the small capacity of the RSPB boat, so please book early. We have no life saving equipment for under 3 year old children on our boat and therefore can not accept bookings for this age group. We recommend stout footwear, sensible clothing, wet weather clothing and sun protection at all times of year. You need to have a reasonable level of fitness for this trip because it requires getting on and off the boat and a lot of walking on uneven and sometimes muddy ground on the island. There are no refreshments available on the island. Visitors need to bring their own food and drink for these trips. We have one public toilet on the island. In adverse weather conditions, the trip may be cancelled at short notice at the warden’s discretion; in this case, you will get a full refund of your booking fee. For general enquiries other than booking please contact