FAQs
Where do your boat trips leave from?
All our bird-watching cruises depart from and return to Poole Quay. We board next to the orange-and-white Greenslade Pleasure Boat kiosk (opposite the Lord Nelson pub).
Do we need to print out our event tickets?
We do not require you to show a printed ticket at any of our events - we will simply use a name list to check you in at the start of our event, or when boarding one of our cruises.
Do I need to pre-book your trips?
Yes, booking is essential. View all our upcoming events
Accessibility: Are your boat trips wheelchair accessible?
Due to the size of the boarding ramp and steps to access the lower deck of the boat, there are unfortunately some limitations for wheelchair users on our boat trips. Please read Greenslade Pleasure Boats Greenslade's full access statement before booking if you, or one of your party, are a wheelchair user. To ensure that any customers using wheelchairs have sufficient space during our cruises, we are currently only able to allocate a ticket for one wheelchair user per trip. Please give us a call on 01902 641003 if you have any queries about accessibility during any of our events.
Will our trip be cancelled due to bad weather?
We endeavour to run as many of our trips as possible, and will only cancel a trip due to bad weather if absolutely necessary i.e. it is unsafe for the event to run, or it cannot go ahead due to the the nature of the event. While windy and rainy weather is less appealing to us, they often prove to be very fruitful birding conditions, so can be worthwhile venturing out in. We aim to be in touch via email at least 24 hours before the event is due to run to confirm whether it is going ahead.
Is it possible to become a Birds of Poole Harbour member?
We do not currently offer Birds of Poole Harbour memberships. If you would like to support the charity by becoming a regular donor to the charity, you can do so through our donation page here. If you want to keep up to date with our latest news and events, you can subscribe to our newsletter here. Thank you for wanting to support Birds of Poole Harbour!
Do you provide free tickets for carers?
We are happy to provide a free ticket for a carer to accompany disabled customers who require additional support. Please give our team a call on 01902 641003 or email us at bookings@birdsofpooleharbour.co.uk so that we can arrange this for you. Please also make sure to read our FAQ on wheelchair access for our trips before booking, if this information is relevant to you or your party.
Is it possible to bring young children to your events?
We welcome children of all ages to our events, and children under four are free! Please let us know via bookings@birdsofpooleharbour.co.uk if you are planning to bring a young child to one of our events, just so we can ensure there is sufficient space available. It is also worth noting that some of our events (e.g. Nightjar Walks, Sunnyside Ringing Demos) may be less suitable for young children due to the nature of the events, but please just get in touch to find out more information if you are interested in booking with a young child in your party.
I am no longer able to attend an event that I have booked, what should I do?
If you are no longer able to attend, please let us know as soon as possible via bookings@birdsofpooleharbour.co.uk and we can discuss the options available for your booking. We often have long waiting lists for our events, so giving us as much advance warning as possible is greatly appreciated.
Do you provide refunds if we do not have a "successful" trip?
Wildlife is often unpredictable, which means that every trip with us is different. While we know the best spots to visit to see certain species, we cannot guarantee success every time on our boat trips and tours. We do, however, strive to make our trips as informative and enjoyable as possible whatever the species list. The funds generated from our trips not only cover the cost of running the event, including staff time and boat hire, but also support the running costs of the charity throughout the year, helping to protect this special area for nature. We are therefore unable to provide refunds in the event that we do not encounter certain species or "close-up" views.
What should I expect from your boat trips?
No two cruises will ever be the same, and we run a variety of trips to target different species throughout the year. Different tides can also provide different wildlife encounters, and so we vary the tide state across our events, and even run some species "Low Tide Cruises" during the winter to make the most of this.
Throughout all of our boat tours, we provide a running commentary about the birds that we encounter, local projects, bird populations and the charity. We have multiple spotters on board, and we aim to point out as many species to you as possible.
We charter the boats from our partners at Greenslade Pleasure Boats, who do a fantastic job at getting us to key spots in the harbour, and will often adjust the boat to ensure that everyone gets a good view of the wildlife we encounter. There is an upper and lower deck to the boats, with light refreshments (hot & cold drinks, snacks) available to purchase as well as toilet facilities.
We operate the majority of our trips with a capacity of 60 people, which is significantly lower than the full capacity of the boats that we charter, to provide space for each customer to be able to view the wildlife and have an enjoyable experience. We don't recommend bringing tripods and scopes on board, as this can block the view for other customers and limit space availability, but please do bring binoculars if you have them! We have plenty of spare binoculars on hand if you do not have your own, or want to try an alternative pair.
We aim to keep our trips to three hours, but inevitably occasionally we return to the Quay later due to the wildlife that we encounter, so please bear this in mind when making travel arrangements.