THE GREAT British safari

It's easy to forget the rewarding diversity of wildlife the British Isles offer - if you are patient, quiet and warmly dressed! Here, Kate Green suggests some splendid creatures to look out for when you're on tour

- Kate Green

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 landsendcamp.co.uk

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 westacottfarm.co.uk