River Exe: Bowling Green Marsh & Bird Watching Cruise

Leader: Simon Ashley

Meet: Cheapside Car Park, Stroud, at 08:00, returning around 6.45pm
Venues: RSPB Bowling Green Marsh, Topsham, in the morning, then Stuart Line Cruises, Exmouth Marina, EX8 1FE, in the afternoon

About the day
Back by popular demand, we’re taking to the water. We’ll start the morning at RSPB Bowling Green Marsh, on the edge of Topsham where the River Clyst meets the Exe. A hide and a viewing platform look out over the flooded grazing marsh, and the Goatwalk path gives views across the Clyst. At about 12:15 we’ll drive the short distance to Exmouth. We’ll have lunch on board as we sail up the estuary with Stuart Line Cruises, whose local ornithologist guides give live commentary throughout. On the boat we’ll get much closer to the mudflats and sandbanks than we can from the shore, and see the winter flocks feeding and roosting at close range.

Itinerary

What we might see
The Exe is one of the most important estuaries in the South West for wintering birds. This list is based on February records for the Exe Estuary on eBird.

Very likely: redshank, shelduck, dark-bellied brent goose, oystercatcher, red-breasted merganser, avocet, dunlin, black-tailed godwit, wigeon, teal, curlew, little egret, grey heron, cormorant, mute swan, black-headed gull, herring gull, great black-backed gull, buzzard

Good chance: common gull, greenshank, shag, great crested grebe, grey plover, golden plover, bar-tailed godwit, lesser black-backed gull, knot, turnstone, lapwing, sanderling, shoveler, gadwall, snipe, little grebe, Mediterranean gull, peregrine, kingfisher, rock pipit, reed bunting, stonechat

Possible: pintail (Bowling Green is the best spot on the Exe for it), cattle egret, ringed plover, spotted redshank, spoonbill, great white egret, Slavonian grebe, great northern diver, eider, marsh harrier, water rail, Cetti’s warbler, chiffchaff, cirl bunting

Mammals: grey and common seals often haul out on the sandbanks.

Cost and booking
The cruise costs £14.00 per person. The group rate is £12.50 per adult for 15 or more. Please let Simon know by end of November if you’d like a place. The sailing is popular, so early booking is recommended.

Lunch
We’ll eat on board. Either bring a packed lunch, or pre-order a Chunk pasty (steak or vegetarian) from Stuart Line when you book. Pasties must be ordered in advance, at least 48 hours and ideally a week before, and aren’t guaranteed without a pre-order. The licensed bar also serves hot drinks, local ales, cider and light snacks.

Parking
Topsham: Bowling Green Marsh has no parking of its own. Use Topsham’s public car parks [check which] and walk to the reserve.
Exmouth: Exmouth Pier Head Car Park, EX8 1FE. This is long-stay pay and display, up to 24 hours. It’s private and takes cash, card or RingGo, and is a 1-minute flat walk from the Booking Office.

Don’t use the seafront short-stay bays, which have a 3-hour limit and won’t cover the cruise. To get there, follow the brown tourist signs for Stuart Line Cruises, turn right onto the seafront and follow the road down to Exmouth Marina.

Boarding
The Booking Office is the blue and white building on the corner at The Point, opposite The Beach pub. You must collect your boarding pass from the Booking Office before boarding. Your booking confirmation email can’t be used to board. We’ll meet there at 12:50, ready to board at least 15 minutes before departure.

Facilities
Bowling Green Marsh has a hide and a viewing platform, but no toilets. Toilets and cafés are in Topsham.
On board the lower saloons are heated and covered, with panoramic windows, and there’s an open top deck. There are toilets on board, and a limited number of binoculars can be borrowed free of charge.

Practical information
Bring a telescope for the morning and leave it in the car for the cruise. Bring binoculars, a camera and plenty of warm, windproof layers, as it gets cold on the top deck in late afternoon.

If the trip has to change
Cancellations or weather changes will be communicated by phone and WhatsApp.

Further reading
RSPB Bowling Green and Goosemoor [check link]
Stuart Line Cruises: Guided Bird Watching Cruise
Stuart Line Cruises: Find us in Exmouth
eBird: Exe Estuary hotspot