Birdlife, wildlife and the outdoor life: glamping at Horton View Farm Camping & Bell Tents

Here at Horton View Farm we think the essence of camping and outdoor life is experiencing nature in close proximity, and we're doing what we can to increase biodiversity on the site, including growing the grass on the meadow and allowing the resident 'weeds' to do their thing.

One of our furnished bell tents with views over the Kent North Downs

Our small, adults-only site is nestled at the foot of the North Downs, between the pretty Kent villages of Stowting and Brabourne, and it's teeming with wildlife. Whether you choose to bring your own tent, stay in an unfurnished bell tent or embrace the original glamping experience and stay in a fully-furnished bell tent, camping is a great way to connect with the natural world, and to learn more about it in the process, as it allows the time and space to slow down and observe.

While you're here you can channel your inner twitcher and practice your bird identification skills, as there's a huge variety of birdlife, particularly in the summer months. I try to get outside every morning while drinking my tea to watch and listen to the birds, as it's always so uplifting.

I know the basics but I'm certainly no expert when it comes to identifying birds, so I rely quite a lot on Mr Google and my Merlin bird app. If you don't know about Merlin, it's an app that listens to bird songs and calls, and uses AI to identify them. I've found it so helpful as there are quite a few birds that are unfamiliar to me, so it helps me to know what I'm looking out for.

For example, I was very excited yesterday to hear an unfamiliar call, which the Merlin app identified as a yellowhammer. I grabbed the binoculars and searched in the vicinity of the call, and there it was in all its yellowy glory, sitting right at the top of the small oak in the meadow, only about 100 metres from the house.

Yellowhammers are a UK Birds of Conservation Concern Red List species. They are a small bird, only 16cm long and have a bright yellow head and underparts, brown back streaked with black, and a chestnut rump. They live on all types of farmland, but sadly their numbers have declined sharply in recent years. They feed on insects, seeds and grain, so I'm hoping that our long grass and the addition of our new 'beetle banks' and trees on the paddocks, as well as our native hedges, will encourage them to stay and nest.

Image by Mark Kilner https://www.flickr.com/photos/markkilner/

As well as the Yellowhammer there's a huge range of birds that visit the garden and the meadow. Last year one of the highlights was a great spotted woodpecker which frequently visited the nut feeder in the woody part of the garden, and was teaching its chick to feed. I'm hoping to see them again this year.

Throughout the year flocks of goldfinches visit the feeders, along with blue tits, great tits, blackbirds, wood pigeons, robins, chaffinches, dunnocks, wrens, sparrows, thrushes, and over the meadows skylarks can be heard all summer long.

The Merlin app has also picked up bullfinches, willow warblers and linnets, but I've not actually seen them so I can't be sure if they're actually here. I think I've seen a willow warbler but I have a long way to go to train my eyes to be able to ID some of these birds. The app is really helpful to get an idea of what you're looking for through the binoculars, but I wouldn't rely on it to get everything one hundred percent right.

And there's more exciting bird news! Swallows have returned to nest in the old stables in our yard (see photo below), swooping at us every time we go in and out of the building. It's been fascinating to watch the progress of the nest-building. They work quickly, building from layers of mud, and I'm marvelling at how they've managed this in such a dry spring as there's very little water nearby!

The swallow's nest in the old stables June 2025

I've never really got close enough to see swallows properly, and I've been surprised at how brightly coloured they are - they have glossy blue backs with orangey-red throats, and that long forked tail that is so iconic. They're about 18cm long with a wingspan of up to 35cm. It's fascinating to watch them in the evenings as they swoop around the yard feeding on flies.

Swallow by Mark Kilner https://www.flickr.com/photos/markkilner/52458153151/

Swallows arrive in the UK in April, possibly having multiple broods before they head back to Africa in October. It looks like the nest-building could be finished, so were listening out for chicks now. I'll try to keep this blog updated with bird news as we've already had guests reporting some exciting sightings in and around the area.

** Update 17th June - the woodpeckers are back in the garden! I've spotted a parent taking from the nut feeder to feed it's young, that is clinging to a nearby tree. Here's a photo, taken with my phone and zoomed in so it's not great quality, but you get the gist.

Adult and juvenile great spotted woodpecker

Now back to the original post...

There's more wildlife on the site too. Last year during the Big Butterfly Count we spotted red admirals, peacocks, meadow browns, commas, gatekeepers, large whites, painted lady, common blue and a variety of moths. I think the long grass and wildflowers are really helping to attract them.

There's also lots of evidence of badger activity all around, and we've even picked one up on our doorbell-cam!

If you love birds, wildlife and nature but you've not tried camping, or haven't been for a while, our fully furnished bell tents are the perfect introduction. Bell tents are the original glamping experience, with proper beds, comfy chairs and all that you need for the full immersed-in-nature experience. We've even got new flushing toilets and hot showers so there's no roughing-it here!

We've got pubs and a vineyard nearby where you can drink and dine, or you can cook at your tent for the ultimate outdoor-life feeling.

Nothing beats waking up in a field and hearing birds, lambs and the sounds of the countryside. It's good for your body and your mind. Come and stay, switch off from the hubub and go home feeling energised and calm - and with a little more wildlife knowledge and a few more birds in your twitcher repertoire!

Browse our website, contact us or make a booking enquiry here.

The view from Foxtail furnished bell tent