South Devon - A Wildlife Cruise on the River Dart (Day Trip)

Spring and Summer:

The day will start by visiting the excellent National Trust Reserve of Man Sands. This small wetland reserve holds passing and breeding wildfowl, Water Rail, Cetti's and Reed Warbler, Chiffchaff and sometimes Firecrest. There is a small population of Wall Lizards which can be found basking out on sunny days. Cirl Bunting, Yellowhammer and Skylark breed in the surrounding pastoral fields.

After a picnic lunch, we’ll take a short drive to Kingswear for a specially chartered 3.5-hour cruise on the River Dart. If sea conditions allow, we’ll head out of the estuary to the Mew Stone Rock offshore with its breeding seabirds, then back upriver past the scenic towns of Dartmouth and Kingswear, passing the Britannia Royal Naval College, Agatha Christie's Greenway summer home and the village of Dittisham. Of course, we’ll be continually scanning for exciting wildlife along the way. Species en route should include breeding seabirds including Shag, Cormorant, gulls, Fulmar and Kittiwake with Peregrine breeding too. Guillemots and Razorbills will usually be feeding around us with passing Manx Shearwater and Gannet, while Puffin is also a distinct possibility. We also have a good chance of finding Common Dolphin and Harbour Porpoise with Bottlenose Dolphin occasionally encountered too and even Bluefin Tuna! In the estuary waders such as Curlew, Whimbrel, Redshank, Oystercatcher and in early summer perhaps a Mediterranean Gull amongst the more local gull species. There will be plenty of splendid Shelduck, Grey Heron, Little Egret and with luck Kingfisher or perhaps a passage Osprey stopping off on the estuary to feed. Both Grey Seal and the much rarer (in the south-west) Harbour Seal are usually hauled out on pontoons or rocks.

Autumn and Winter

This area holds a superb array of wintering wildlife that seeks shelter in the estuary and calm bays. Depending on the tide times we will take a chartered 2.5-hour cruise in the morning or afternoon which will take us past the scenic towns of Dartmouth and Kingswear, and on past Agatha Christie's Greenway summer home and the village of Dittisham, with us scanning for exciting wildlife along the way. Species should include such estuary waders as Curlew, Redshank, Oystercatcher and perhaps even a Mediterranean Gull. There will be plenty of splendid Shelduck and, with luck, small numbers of Red-breasted Mergansers, Kingfisher and Little Egrets. Both Grey Seal and the much rarer (in the south-west) Harbour Seal regularly haul out on pontoons or rocks. Peregrine Falcon, Buzzard, Raven, Common Scoter and Gannet are all possible. Wintering Great Northern Divers and Black Redstarts were a feature of last year’s tours and we have a good chance of finding Harbour Porpoise and Common Dolphin as we head out of the estuary into open water. Following the cruise, after a short drive, the rest of the day will be spent visiting the excellent National Trust Reserve of Man Sands. This small wetland reserve holds wintering wildfowl, Water Rail, Snipe, Cetti's Warbler and regular wintering Chiffchaff and Firecrest. Both Cirl Bunting and Yellowhammer feed in the surrounding pastoral fields.