Posts by Stuart Line Cruises
Guided Bird Watching Cruise – 19th January 2026
The weather was dry and murky. Visibility was good to poor with reports of an improving picture for the duration of our cruise, but it turned out to be a beautiful, sunny and calm ending. With the Pride of Exmouth and Captain Rich at the helm, we set sail along the seafront with great company…
Read MoreGuided Bird Watching Cruise- 17th January 2026
We had a beautiful cruise this afternoon with some great numbers of great birds. A Great Northern Diver and a Kingfisher had flown past the Pride of Exmouth before everyone had boarded. We failed to see the diver off Exmouth sea front, but the Kingfisher was refound sitting on rocks by the quay. Probably another…
Read MoreThe Exmouth Christmas Day Swim
The Best Seat in the House: A Front-Row View of the Exmouth Christmas Day Swim Every year on the 25th of December, something truly remarkable happens on Exmouth beach. Thousands upon thousands of people gather for an event that has no official organisers, no entry fees, and no formal schedule. It is a true “people’s…
Read MoreGuided Bird Watching Cruise – 19th December 2025
In lovely sunny conditions, we had a splendid cruise up the estuary. Heavy rain the day before had flooded extensively the grazing marshes at Exminster and up the Clyst Valley. One of the most important birds on the Exe, Black-tailed Godwit, was conspicuous by its absence today – I suspect the high water table in…
Read MoreGuided Bird Watcing Cruise – 18th December 2025
I think it’s fair to say that weather conditions were not ideal for today’s cruise. The outward journey was wet but calm, the return journey became a little livelier and all credit to Rich, our skipper, for a smooth docking at Exmouth in choppy conditions. But what of the birds? They were slow to show.…
Read MoreGuided Bird Watching Cruise – 17th December 2025
Today’s cruise resulted in good views of many waders and wildfowl in the upper reaches of the estuary, where the influx of flood water had pushed many species away from their normal feeding locations. Leaving a wind-blown Exmouth, there was some shelter behind the sand-spit of Dawlish Warren, and we could see many Brent Geese…
Read MoreGuided Bird Watching Cruise – 3rd December 2025
Well, what a cruise we had today weather was dry sunny light winds and visibility was good all set fair for the duration of our cruise. The Pride of Exmouth with Captain Jake at the helm we set sail along the seafront then up the estuary with great company on board. Plenty of Herring Gulls,…
Read MoreRare Bird Sighting on the River Exe Stuns Bird Watchers across the Country
The Exe Estuary is already known as an international wildlife superstar, but passengers on our Guided Bird Watching Cruise today, got an unexpected sighting that has sent ripples of excitement through the national birding community! The Exe Estuary – A Winter Wonderland for Wildlife As a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) with Ramsar designation,…
Read MoreGuided Bird Watching Cruise – 20th November 2025
What a perfect day for my first cruise as a commentator (note by Stuart Line here, we think Steve did a fantastic job). The weather was dry, sunny and with a chill brought on by a brisk northerly breeze. Visibility was very good, ideal for the photographers on board. Jake skippered the Pride of Exmouth…
Read MoreGuided Bird Watching Cruise – 19th November 2025
The Avocets were the highlights of today’s Guided Birdwatching Cruise. As the boat approached the huge mudbank opposite the Turf Hotel, the first group of ten Avocets were found, feeding in the shallow water, sifting for food with their distinctive ‘sideways-flick’ bill action. Their snowy white and contrasting dense black plumage glowed in the bright…
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