A wildlife lover’s guide to the Isle of Wight

A pair of buzzards kept flying up from the marsh, seemingly agitated but not at each other. Then all became clear as the huge shape of a white-tailed eagle, double their size, flew up out of the vegetation, hotly pursued by the buzzards, which continued mobbing it for a few minutes before the eagle landed in a dead tree.

With a wingspan measuring up to 2.5m, white-tailed eagles, also known as sea eagles, are Britain’s largest bird. But they were driven to extinction nationally, with England’s last known breeding pair sighted on Culver Cliff in the Isle of Wight in 1780. Following a successful reintroduction programme in Scotland, plans were made to do the same on the Isle of Wight, with the first six juveniles released in 2019. More have been released here since, and some have even naturally bred on the island.

While the comeback has been a huge success, the residents of the Isle of Wight that I spoke to told me they had never seen one. Yet I’d only been at RSPB reserve Brading Marshes a few minutes when the dancing buzzards caught my eye. This was beyond my wildest dreams.

Indeed, most of the island’s many visitors don’t even know about the eagles, let alone about the Isle of Wight’s status as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. Yet nature lovers will find plenty to admire here, including a diverse array of habitats, from chalk downland to forest to wetlands. The island is a stronghold for red squirrels too – there are no greys here – and it is home to many butterflies, including the rare glanville fritillary.

I was staying at Four Lakes Retreat, a new property on the island that, despite being just outside Newport, is rich in nature. Upon arrival, a moorhen hopped onto my decking just inches from my feet, while my morning view was of coots, ducks and a skulking heron. Even more of a surprise one morning was the soundtrack of hooting gibbons coming from nearby Monkey Haven, a primate rescue centre.

I was less lucky at finding red squirrels on this occasion. In my quest, I went to The Garlic Farm, renowned for being a good place to spot them – usually on the feeders outside the farm’s restaurant. As I got out of my car, I noticed a dark shape soaring along the horizon. I couldn’t initially tell whether it was a buzzard or an eagle, so I grabbed my binoculars. “Look to the sky,” I felt like shouting to the oblivious families crossing the car park. “There’s an eagle the size of a barn door!”

Head east. Start at Brading Marshes, a mix of reed beds, lagoons and ancient woodland on the River Yar floodplain, for the chance to see marsh harriers, hobbies and eagles. You can approach from the village of Brading, home to a Roman Villa, Railway Visitor Centre, Old Town Hall and church. Or begin at Bembridge, a coastal village with an atmospheric harbour, historic windmill and independent shops. If it’s low tide, try rockpooling at Bembridge Ledge for a chance to spy seahorses. Lunch locally or head to Adgestone Vineyard (adgestonevineyard.co.uk) for a ploughman’s, wine and a great vibe, or the Garlic Farm (thegarlicfarm.co.uk) for a chance to see red squirrels from the restaurant. Walk it off at lovely Arreton Down Nature Reserve, which is carpeted with wildflowers in spring and summer and is good for spying butterflies and birds such as linnets. Or, for a worthy wildlife fix, Monkey Haven primate rescue centre and the Wildheart Animal Sanctuary (with its newly rescued Eurasian bears) are close by. For dinner, the RT Café Grill in Ryde serves bistro food from acclaimed chef Robert Thompson (robertthompson.co.uk). Or pick up some of the island’s superb produce and self-cater.

Go west. Newtown National Nature Reserve can be a good place to spot eagles or ospreys catching grey mullet. Even if you’re not lucky, you will see a wide range of waders. Take in 360-degree views by walking beautiful Tennyson Down, named after the poet. You can visit his old residence, Farringford House, nearby, as well as that of the pioneering female photographer Julia Margaret Cameron, whose former home, Dimbola, is now a museum and gallery. Both are a short drive from beachfront restaurant The Hut (reservations essential; thehutcolwell.co.uk).

Next, head to Ventnor on the south coast, where options include exploring the coastline on a boat trip with Ventnor Bay Charters (one or four hours; ventnorbaycharters.com), a stroll through the Botanic Gardens for sub-tropical flora, wall lizards and a chance of red squirrels, or searching for the feral goats on Ventnor Down. The Terrace Rooms offers a tutored wine tasting each evening (booking essential; theterraceventnor.co.uk). Make sure you have reserved a table at the Smoking Lobster (smoking-lobster.co.uk), some of the finest dining on the island. Finish with a local Mermaid gin at classic pub The Spyglass Inn.

Walk some of the 800km of well-signed footpaths, including a 112km coastal path. There is also an annual Isle of Wight Walking Festival (isleofwightwalkingfestival.co.uk), which is holding an autumn edition (4–12 October) this year.

Quaff the local wine or gin. The island lends itself well to wine production. Adgestone Vineyard produces England’s only blue (!) sparkling wine, as well as country wines and liqueurs (adgestonevineyard.co.uk). You can do a self-guided vineyard tour, wine tasting or just enjoy the bistro and summer live music. Or head to the Isle of Wight Distillery (isleofwightdistillery.com) to sample island favourite Mermaid Gin. It comes in highly collectable bottles and several lovely flavours.

Look to the sky for birds galore, especially during the spring and autumn when migrants swell numbers on the island. Keep a special eye out for raptors, including buzzards, ospreys, peregrines and, of course, white-tailed eagles.

Search for red squirrels in any woodland on the island, including Parkhurst Forest (which is beautiful in autumn), Alverstone Mead Nature Reserve (which has a hide), Ventnor Botanic Garden and The Garlic Farm. Dawn and dusk are best.

“Wherever you are, you are never far from nature. The island has small habitats but incredible diversity; it’s that diversity that accounts for the rich wildlife. There are around 15,000 recorded species here, about 20% of the UK’s total. Visit the coast, visit the chalk. Have a walk up the Eastern Yar. Walk between Newport and Cowes along the old cycleway up the Medina Estuary.”

Four Lakes Retreat (fourlakesretreat.co.uk) has five self-catering lakeside lodges, each with their own deck, barbecue area and hot tub. It’s within walking distance of Monkey Haven and a riding stables, and it is centrally located on the island. Three-, four- or seven-night stays cost from £107 per night for a two-person cabin.

Getting there

Vehicle ferries sail from Portsmouth to Fishbourne (including on the Victoria of Wight, England’s first hybrid-energy ferry; wightlink.co.uk), Lymington to Yarmouth, and Southampton to East Cowes. Or foot passenger services run from Portsmouth to Ryde Pier Head, Southsea to Ryde, and Southampton to Cowes. Trains from London Waterloo connect with Portsmouth and Southampton, and through-tickets connecting with the ferries can be bought. There is a good bus service around the island. Note: Uber is unavailable here.

The author’s trip was supported by Visit Isle of Wight (visitisleofwight.co.uk).