Guest Blog – Helping Local Wildlife

Stuart Line Cruises is passionate about the beauty of the Exe Estuary and the incredible wildlife that calls it home. We’re excited to share a guest blog from South East Devon Wildlife that highlights the importance of protecting the estuary’s incredible bird population. Read on to learn how you can help safeguard these amazing creatures—and have a chance to win a free bird watching cruise for two!

If you love getting out into nature, here’s something special for you: we’re giving away a Stuart Line Guided Bird Watching Cruise for two along with an FSC Bird Guide– every month this autumn!
The best part? By entering, you’ll also learn a little more about the incredible flocks of birds that call the Exe Estuary home each winter.
Why We’re Running This Competition
Every year, thousands of birds fly hundreds of miles to reach the Exe Estuary. They arrive exhausted and hungry, needing safe spaces to rest and feed. That’s why two Wildlife Refuges, one at Exmouth Duck Pond (active between the 15 September to the 31 December) and Dawlish Warren (active all year round), are set aside just for them.
We’re asking everyone including walkers, dog owners, and water users to help by avoiding these areas during this time to prevent disturbance. You can tell if an animal is being disturbed if their behaviour changes. For example, they may be resting but change to being alert or flying away. Continuous disturbance can have detrimental effects on their survival.
Avoiding the Wildlife Refuges is a small action that makes a big difference for the birds who depend on them.
To help spread the word, South East Devon Wildlife has launched a competition. From 1 September to 30 November 2025, we’ll randomly select one winner at the end of each month to receive a pair of vouchers for a Stuart Line Bird Watching Cruise and an FSC Bird Guide. If you don’t win the first time, don’t worry – you can try again the following month!

Meet the Birds You’re Helping
Wigeon are a type of duck, but with a twist: unlike most ducks, they often feed like geese, grazing on grass or plants on the mudflats. They will also feed in the water in classic duck fashion with ‘bottoms up’.
These birds breed in a wide Arctic and Sub-Arctic belt stretching from Norway right across Asia to the Bering Strait, before heading south to spend the winter here. They often gather in huge flocks of hundreds along estuaries and mudflats, with the drake (male) giving a loud, musical “whee-ooo”. Although classed as Amber under the UK Birds of Conservation Concern list, the Exe remains one of the best places to see them in action during the colder months.

If you spot small waders scurrying across the mud with their slightly down-curved bills and rapid feeding style, you’re probably watching dunlin. These energetic little birds can be found probing the foreshore for food while moving in tight-knit flocks or in the skies putting on a mesmerizing, synchronized flight.
In winter, the dunlin you see on the Exe have usually migrated from Eastern Europe and Russia. But in summer, it’s a different group altogether, stopping here before heading south to Europe and North Africa for the colder months.
Dunlin are one of our most common wintering wader, but their numbers are falling. Climate change is making winters around the Baltic less harsh, so fewer are travelling as far as Devon. That’s why they’re now on the Red List of Birds of Conservation Concern – and why refuges like those at Exmouth and Dawlish Warren are so vital.

A Chance to See Them Up Close
The cruises are a fantastic way to experience the estuary’s winter transformation – from the water, without disturbing wildlife or entering the refuges. It’s a chance to watch thousands of birds resting and feeding in safety, while learning more about their journeys and habits.
How You Can Enter
It’s simple: just answer a few quick questions online and submit your entry. That’s it! Competition | South East Devon Wildlife ( www.southeastdevonwildlife.org.uk/competition)
Whether you’re a seasoned birdwatcher or just enjoy a good day out on the water, this is your chance to experience the magic of the Exe Estuary – and help protect it at the same time.