Poole Harbour, United Kingdom

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Coordinates : 50.702833, -1.984492 (Open in Google Maps)

Subjects : Poole Harbour is the fifth largest natural harbour in the world and was formed when a valley was drowned at the end of the ice age.It includes many islands, the best known being Brownsea Island, where in 1907 Robert Baden-Powell first formed the group that went on to become the Scouts Movement - being there even today, you can see why and how a boy would be able - and need to - develop skills for self sufficiency and personal skills, being a mixture of wildness, woodland and being cut off from outside civilisation. Now owned by the National Trust, the island is only accessible by ferry to one landing point and only during normal daylight hours (10.00 - 17.00) and you have to pay both for the ferry AND to enter the island. But this isolation and exclusitivity has ensured that it is the only place in the southern half of England where the natural red squirrel lives (Isle of Wight is another), only because the grey squirrel has never been allowed. The northern side of the island is not accessible by boat and here is a haven for many birds and this makes Brownsea a real attraction for bird watchers. There are also sika deer, and for the less ambitious, the usual (but very pleasant) cafe and shop - and a castle! There are also salt marches, lagoons, a church with peacocks walking around and views out towards other smaller islands on a beautiful day can look more like Sardinia or Scotland, rather than the crowded south of England.The ferries that run either from Poole or Sandbanks can take you on excursions around the natural harbour - though whilst the area is large, almost all of the water is only about half a metre deep! None of the other islands are accessible by the public - all are privately owned, but most don't have any buildings at all, so the guided cruise is the best way to see them. There always seems to be a large assortment of small boats just sitting there in the harbour and these make for very picturesque photos, especially at sunset. The harbour is also a safe environment for kite surfing and boarding and again, these can make for great shots. When the tide is out, in places people often walk right out onto the mudflats and dig for cockles and mussels.

Recommended equipment : For views out onto the Harbour from Sandbanks generally a standard to longer lenses are best. I like to use a 400mm or even 500mm on DX to get the distant figures on paddleboards against the light. For Brownsea Island, use gear most suitable for your own interests - very long lenses for the wild birds, more normal lenses for general photography. As for the red squirrels, which are surprisingly small - you will either see one, two, or more, or you won't see any - it's up to them! You can look for hours in the trees and undergrowth in the more isolated parts of the island and not see anything, only to see and be able to photograph with a 300mm lens (DX) them as you return to the cafe! If you go solely for the red squirrels, you may well be disappointed, so see and enjoy all that Brownsea offers and if you get your red squirrel, that's a bonus.

Best months : It can get very busy and crowded during the summer, which may not be suitable, especially if you want peace and quiet and want to capture something interesting on Brownsea Island. I prefer a bright day in April, or October. However, according to their website, the Island is closed to the public from the end of October until the middle of March.

How to get there : Poole itself on the London to Weymouth railway line. Drive or take a bus to Sandbanks or a ferry. It's rather to far too walk (I've tried!!). There are regular buses to Bournemouth but only during normal daylight hours, though run later during the peak summer period.

Visits : Entrance to Brownsea Island is around £7 (9/10 Eu) plus the ferry (including the tour of the harbour is £10.75) and there's a surcharge for excess baggage, so it is not a cheap day out but worth it, if you get there early and can spend all day there.Other activities on Poole Harbour such as the surfing and boarding are offered by private operators and no doubt, are not cheap either. But the wonderful views and proximity to Sandbanks and its beaches are absolutely free and wonderful and you can imagine that you are in the Mediterranean (when the English weather allows for such, of course!)

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