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Bird Quest
  • Jan and Andrew

Bird Quest

Adventure around islands of the UK from Poole to Aberdeen on board Ocean Nova. Read more
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  • Trip start
    April 28, 2025
    Jan and AndrewBird QuestTraveler

    Travel to Poole

    April 28 in England ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    We caught the 8.14 bus to Rugby Station. LNWR train to Coventry. Coffee and croissants. X Country train to Winchester via Leamington Spa, Banbury, Oxford, Reading and Basingstoke. Then South Western Railway to Poole with just a slight holdup going through the tunnel at Southampton. While waiting to be collected at Poole Station we met Dina and Mo, also joining the Bird Quest.
    At 15.30 we boarded the coach to take us to the port and registration before boarding Ocean Nova cabin 309.
    As it neared departure time a band set up on the quayside- Bournemouth Youth Marching Band who played us off. Weather was glorious and the ride through Poole Harbour memorable.
    Dinner was excellent served in the restaurant as the sun set.    Read more

  • Jan and AndrewBird QuestTraveler

    Travel to Poole

    April 28 in England ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    We began our trip by taking the no.1 bus to Rugby Station. Here we travelled one stop to Coventry where we stocked up with coffee and croissants before boarding a X country train which took us south via Leamington Spa, Banbury, Oxford, Reading, Basingstoke to Winchester. Here we changed to SWR service for Weymouth.
    Despite a hold up approaching Southampton we arrived early at Poole. Here we met Dena and Mo, fellow travellers. We embarked Ocean Nova late afternoon and settled in to cabin 309.    Read more

  • Jan and AndrewBird QuestTraveler

    Alderney

    April 29 in Guernsey ⋅ 🌬 13 °C

    We sailed all night across the channel arriving at Alderney in time for breakfast. We were not able to go alongside, so we enjoyed our first Zodiac ride into the quayside. Here we met friends Jane and Adrian with whom we spent the morning rather than joining the other groups. We had been to Alderney before - my first trip being in 1966 when we watched the World Cup final on a small b&w tv with very fuzzy picture.
    We had coffee in the cafe in St.Anne and walked up to their house which is undergoing renovation works. They took us to a wartime German hospital bunker.
    After lunch we set sail for Scilly via gannet colonies just off Alderney.    Read more

  • Jan and AndrewBird QuestTraveler

    Isles of Scilly

    April 30 in England ⋅ 🌬 14 °C

    We awoke with the ship, Ocean Nova, off the south coast of St.Mary’s and made our way past the Garrison to anchor in the sound. Zodiacs took us to Carn Near on Tresco from where we walked to the Abbey Gardens. We were too early for the red squirrels, although fortunately not too early for Holly who gave us a fascinating tour of the gardens (her first one). After coffee, when the red furry animals were on duty, we ambled over to Pentle Bay looking out for birds eventually making our way back to the jetty and thence to the ship - by this time it was listing to port by some degree. Lunch was a challenge, we later discovered was due to the pilot having positioned the ship over an unexpected sand bar. We didn’t get off until the tide rose much later and then much paperwork had to be completed before we could sail.
    The afternoon we spent on St.Agnes courtesy of Meridian and enjoyed a Troy Town ice cream. The sun continued to shine!    Read more

  • Jan and AndrewBird QuestTraveler

    Lundy and Skomer

    May 1 in England ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

    From IoS we sailed up to Lundy. Weather again excellent and landing by zodiac we climbed up to the top. Here a group of ringers were processing birds they had captured temporarily and we got a close up look at a chifchaf and white throat. The walk continued over to the lighthouse where the views were amazing from the deckchairs at the top. We purchased postcards and stamps from the shop to send from the special Lundy post box. One of the crew has a passion for postboxes and lighthouses (something we bought into, especially finding the variety of pillar boxes in Aberdeen later).
    Over lunch we set sail across the entrance to the Bristol Channel which was almost flat calm, heading for Grassholm and Skomer, passing many Manx Shearwaters and dolphins along the way. We enjoyed a superior mirage of Grassholm, which has a huge colony of gannets. Off Skomer we had a BBQ on the aft deck - a real feast, if a little drafty    Read more

  • Jan and AndrewBird QuestTraveler

    Holyhead

    May 2 in Wales ⋅ 🌬 10 °C

    We tied up in Holyhead, passing a much larger cruise ship. We then boarded a coach to take us to South Stack where we saw Chough and lots of blue spring squill. We also enjoyed the RSPB visitor centre.
    Back on board we set sail for the Isle of Man, accomplishing a sail by of the Calf of Man at the southern end.    Read more

  • Jan and AndrewBird QuestTraveler

    Ailsa Craig and Rathlin Island

    May 3 in Scotland ⋅ 🌬 10 °C

    We awoke with a fabulous view of Ailsa Craig then enjoyed an amazing zodiac trip along part of the coast with some great views of black guillemots. We later sailed right round the island (home to the granite that makes curling stones) before heading off to Rathlin Island off the northern coast of Ulster. Here we took a bus trip to the far end where there is an RSPB reserve and upside down lighthouse.Read more

  • Jan and AndrewBird QuestTraveler

    Staffa Lunga and Mull

    May 4 in Scotland ⋅ 🌬 7 °C

    Up bright and early off Staffa for a Zodiac trip to Fingal’s Cave. Sunny morning and we had the sea and cave to ourselves. Awesome to be able to enter and have a closeup look at the Basalt columns like a cathedral.
    Back for breakfast and cruising to Lunga. Unfortunately it was too windy for us to land here so we set off towards Mull for another morning adventure.
    So, we headed along the coast of Mull to the end of Ulva on Loch Na Keal. Here we did a zodiac cruise and found an otter on the shoreline as well as sea Eagles over head.
    After lunch on board we sailed to Iona where we were able to visit the Abbey.    Read more

  • Jan and AndrewBird QuestTraveler

    St Kilda

    May 5 in Scotland ⋅ ⛅ 8 °C

    The population of St. Kilda were evacuated in 1930. Famously they lived on sea birds and their eggs largely. Now it is home to ranger, researchers and a radar station. It is very remote and often the weather makes it impossible to land. We were doubly blessed by a calm and fine day. After visiting the village we later had a zodiac trip round Dun, an adjacent island to Hirta (the main island). More spectacular views of seabirds! Back on board ship we sailed close to the other islands which have spectacular numbers of gannets and other birds.
    We were headed round Lewis and down the other side of the outer Hebrides.    Read more

  • Jan and AndrewBird QuestTraveler

    The Shiant Islands

    May 6 in Scotland ⋅ ☁️ 8 °C

    From St Kilda we rounded the butt of Lewis and headed down the Minch to the Shiant Islands just off Tarbert - an extra for the tour, since Handa Is was going to be difficult to land on or get zodiacs out. What a stop it turned out to be with stunning amounts of bird life, including razorbills, guillemots, puffins along with white tail eagles and skuas. They were so thick it was hard to sail through them, plus the colours and rock formations were amazing.
    Later, after lunch, we sailed past Handa, with its guillemot colony and red sandstone cliffs.
    Our only cloudy day!    Read more

  • Jan and AndrewBird QuestTraveler

    Fair Isle

    May 7 in Scotland ⋅ ⛅ 9 °C

    Again the day dawned with perfect conditions for a 6.30am zodiac cruise off the east side of Fair Isle. The seabirds were awesome and the cliff and rock formations stunning with many arches, caves and passages through, allowing sight of some wonderful colours and a transition from guillemot and razorbill one side to a gannetry the other. It was hard to leave to return to the ship for breakfast.
    Later that morning we landed on the southern tip of the island and were met by a ranger, who lead us to a cliff site where puffins were appearing from their burrows for a real close up view. We then sat in view of the lighthouse for a quick sketch before walking up to the community hall where tea and cakes were laid on and knitwear and cards could be purchased.
    An islander then dropped us back to take our last zodiac trip back to the ship. The afternoon was spent packing while we sailed on a flat sea towards Aberdeen.    Read more

  • Jan and AndrewBird QuestTraveler

    Aberdeen

    May 8 in Scotland ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C

    As the sun rose we sailed in to Aberdeen Harbour (est.1136). One last breakfast and we said our goodbyes, everyone cheery although mixed emotions about going home. We, though, headed through the station to our hotel as we don’t travel on until tomorrow. A couple also did the same and recommended Fittie, so we walked out to the end of the harbour where the old fishing village has been preserved from 1809. It is obviously a stopping point for German coach tours. We walked back along the esplanade complete with intrepid swimmer, then visited Mercator Square, two cathedrals and the Art Gallery where we caught a folk concert and enjoyed lunch with most excellent tea. At 16,000 steps Janet decided to put her feet up. I made the short walk to the really excellent Maritime Museum.Read more

    Trip end
    May 9, 2025
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