News from the Field July 2023
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With our Summer departures now in full swing we wanted to share some of the news from our Guides in the field. Kevin tells us all about his and Ian's tour to the Arctic, Alex shares highlights from his Outer Hebrides and the Shiants tour and Mike fills us in on how our new Argyll Wildlife holiday went!
"Aberdeen to the Arctic is a unique adventure, starting in the UK without the need for a flight, visiting Fair Isle and spectacular Jan Mayan, floating alongside the amazing Arctic ice pack, and ending in Svalbard, where Polar Bear roam, and darting Arctic Fox scurry along the beaches. This year we enjoyed brilliant sightings of Walrus, as these enormous mammals heaved themselves onto land right next to us. Walrus are not frightened of people, they are just curious, and the 'Walrus Experience' is right up there with the whales of the pack ice and Polar Bear as a key memorable sighting on this diverse tour. Next year we have added an extra night on land in Longyearbyen, a chance to enjoy some gentle birding, with Snow Bunting and Ptarmigan visible from the streets, and Arctic Skuas often perched on lampposts! Combine this with the birds of the open fjords, including King Eider, Little Auk, Brunnich's Guillemot and Ivory Gull, and you can see how special this wonderful Expedition Cruise really is!" - Kevin Shaw
Outer Hebrides and the Shiants
"Golden beaches lapped by turquoise waters to rival the Caribbean, Neolithic standing stones for the archaeologist, and two RIB tours for lovers of adrenaline; there was something for everyone on the recent Outer Hebrides and Shiant Islands tour. Our birding highlight has to be the day visit to the Shiants, watching the spectacle of thousands of seabirds wheel around in the sky and a close encounter with a White-tailed Eagle being mobbed by everything it flew near". – Alex Rhodes
Wildlife of Argyll and Inner Hebridean Islands
"We were really lucky with the weather on our new Argyll Wildlife tour and enjoyed sunshine most of the week. Seeing Chequered Skipper on the first day was a real highlight, as I thought they may have finished for the year. It was the first target of many on our hit list and set the tone perfectly for the rest of the week. Group highlights included Hen Harrier, White-tailed Eagle and Puffin. I particularly enjoyed leading this tour and the relaxed pace of this holiday!" - Mike Coleman