Living Coasts (Closed) My visit on the 17th August

I will be visiting the collection shortly on the 11th August and was wondering if anyone has been to the collection lately and could possibly update me with what they actually have in the collection bird wise that is.
I have been on the Zooterliste Site and managed to copy this list but was wondering which of these species are actually on show and if they have acquired any other species since this list was updated.

Bank Cormorant, Black Necked Stilt, Black Tailed Godwit, Eider Duck, Guillemot, Redshank, Common Tern, Green Winged Teal, Oystercatcher, Inca Tern, Jackass Penguin, King Eider, Marconi Penguin, Pied Avocet, Pigeon Guillemot, Red Billed Chough, Red Legged Kittiwake, Ruff, Spectacled Eider Duck & Tufted Puffin.

I have a map of the collection but if someone could help me out by advising me where the species are located in the collection I would be extremely grateful.

I will be leaving a review of my visit on the forum a couple of days after my visit, I will also be doing a bit of sea watching while in Torquay so hope to find something interesting in the wild as well.

EDIT -

If anyone will be around this area on the day and would like to meet up then just drop me a p/m

Kind Regards

Adrian

 

Hi Adrian

I haven't been for a while but I do know people who work there and used to know the place very well myself. The list of bird species looks fairly accurate-I think there aren't common terns anymore (but they may have got more since I last heard news about them) but the rest should be there, although some may be hard to spot.

As you will see from the map, the site is small and there is only 1 route through the exhibits so you will not miss any. As you enter you will come to underwater viewing for auk cliff-this will potentially have the puffins and both guillemots diving, especially at feeding times. Then you will go out to penguin beach which has both penguin species, and I think all of the ducks now too except the teal as well as the bank cormorants (they nest just around the corner, but ask the penguin patroller if you can't spot them). From there is the topside of auk cliff-the same auks plus the kittiwakes and choughs. Then onto the waders estuary-this has the remainder of the birds, i.e. the waders and the teal if you can spot them. Some of the birds are free-flying, particularly the terns so they can be spotted anywhere outside. From there you get to the otters, seals and then into the aquarium (there is underwater viewing for the penguins there too).

Hope that helps, if you can't find anything the penguin patroller, keepers and education staff should all be able to help you. I know there are chicks around-certainly avocets, both penguins and common guillemots but maybe others too.

 

Arrived around 3pm due to horrendous traffic on the M5 motorway was surprised to see so few people around Torquay for this time of year, the weather was a little hazy with the sun breaking through on occasions but generally it was dry and warm.

First impressions of the collection as you into the entrance were quite good clean tidy and friendly staff but in general an average entrance, the admission price of £10.90 including the now traditional charity payment was a little steep for the collection size (they did say you can have a return ticket for free if you wanted to return later that week) add on to this the price of the new guide book then it becomes expensive for the size of the collection.

Onto the collection itself very small enclosures for the birds and I was a little put back by the size of seal enclosures (and they were talking about bringing in a male seal in the near future) the bird collection was a little short of star species, but in general they did have some of the more rarer type European birds that we are getting to see more of in the UK these days.

As for the aquatic side of the collection well I didn’t spend much time looking around here as it was a little short again of star species did manage to virtually all the species on show and found myself a little underwhelmed by the experience.

Information around the collection was lacking a little as you had to search for the bird signage and sometimes it was nonexistent I do know species get moved around from time to time but there was no signage anywhere for certain species.

Didn’t get to try the food or drinks as the café at the top was closed so cannot comment on prices or quality of the food and drink.

Overall view –

I was slightly under whelmed by my experience here and did wonder as to why has a small collection that in my view didn’t know what it was either a birds collection, aquatic collection or a sea life information centre.

My Overall Mark would have to be 4 out of 10 sorry.

 

I wouldn't disagree with any of that post. Bang on the button.

 

With the exception of the size of the seal pools (they were designed for otters and are not an ideal size for the fur seals) and with the caveat that I haven't visited for a few years now, I'm afraid I couldn't disagee more!

Which bird enclosures did you find too small?

Short on star species? I can see for a non-birder but for a bird fan it's great - they have the only Bank Cormorants outside of Africa, the only Pigeon Guillemots, Red-legged Kittiwakes and Tufted Puffins in Europe and are one of only three European zoos with Macaroni Penguins and only five with King Eiders.

The panorama of diving auks is one of the best zoo displays in the UK.

For me it's well worth the money.

 

I am a bird fan and yes I did see the species you mentioned which I do not (my opinion)class as start species, all the enclosure looked and felt very small for the amount of birds within them.
I feel if these enclosures had bee at other collections like Twycross, Dudley, Edinburgh, Noah's Ark ect, ect then these pages would be full of complaint's and as for value for money well for £10.90 I expect a little more then 1 hours entertainment (my time included taking nearly 900 photographs) I managed to complete 2 circuits of the collection in a time well under 2 hours.
So if this is value for money why do poeple on here moan about paying upto £20.00 for collections you can spend all day at.

EDIT -
This collection should advertise the return ticket and not just ask when you are going in if you want a return ticket.
I think it will be a long time before I return again as I felt a little let down by my whole experience at the collection (bird lover)

 

What species would you have like to see? I genuinely don't know what are better star species for a coastal zoo (given cetaceans are unlikely to be considered).

How Tufted Puffins don't count as stars is beyond me - they're attractive, fun to watch, rare, showy - perfect display animals.

In my opinion, if these bird enclosures were at three of those four they would be the best exhibits there by some distance (and they'd be well in the mix at the fourth).

If you find a place I've argues that £20 isn't good value then this may be a valid response - don't think I ever have - please don't say my argument isn't valid because other people have said other things about other zoos!

In a world where it costs near on a tenner for a mediocre film surrouded by screeching teenagers I think a tenner for that bird species line-up is very good value.

 

I didn't intend to have ago at you it was just a comment made in general and as for tufted puffins, Bank Cormorants, Pigeon Guillemots and Red Legged Kittiwakes theser are pretty common at private collections within the UK and Europe seen through visits of my local bird club.

These are species I think a collection like living coast could do well to try and bring in Water Dikkop (India), Black Oystercatcher (North America), Ibisbill (Asia, Hymalayan), Wrybill (New Zealand) & Surfbird (Alaska) any collection could do well to accept these species as many Private collecxtions in Europe breed these species regulary and Maguari I am not having a go at you personnelly if it came across like that then I am truely sorry as it was not intended.

 

The only bit I got a bit miffed at was the £20 ticket thing as I've no recollection of ever making comments on that subject!

I have to say though I'm a little skeptical on your 'pretty common' list - given the difficulty LC had in getting any additional Bank Cormorants I'd seriously question the legality of any others that were around. I can't find any reference on the web to any of those species being 'for sale' anywhere, and information about their care, which you'd expect if they were 'pretty common' and being bred 'regularly'. These are also species that don't even have an entry on Zootierliste in some cases - which includes any number of privately-owned German bird collections, for one.

Regardless of this, it's a bit harsh reviewing a zoo based on what you've seen in private collections - you may have seen these species 'commonly' but none of the other visitors will have done.

And, if what you say is true - I'd love to join that bird club!

 

I'm going to sleep on these comments, as they are valid and well thought out, but reply when I'm in a less defensive mood as I'm stupidly over-protective of my favourite place. It's healthy to debate this.....

 

Are these collections any where near the private places you said were capable of holding great apes (and then went very quiet on)?

Personally I'm not sure Living Coasts is the greatest value (to Joe Public) on a £ per hour spent there basis but,as a zoo aficionado, I like the place based on the species held and I think, Seals and possibly Otters aside, the animals are well exhibited. Like Maguari inferred, I'd also point out that the space for most, if not all, the bird species held stands comparison with most public collections (and I'd imagine any alleged private collections).

In summary, I'd rather throw my money at Living Coasts than the Sea Life centres.

 

Wow, that's that's a photo at least every eight seconds. Do you have a jittery finger. More seriously, how do you walk around without bumping into things as that shot rate implies the camera's permanently in front of your eyes (maybe it prevented you stopping and just looking at and assessing the place "properly")?

 

Living coasts

Adrian 1963 -- I've been trying not to put my two pennorth in here, but:
1/ I doubt you have seen any of those four species in private collections, in fact I bet you a crate of Scotch to a tin of bilge paint they are not in private hand
2/ Where else can you see flocks of Avocets flying round your head in an aviary setting?
3/ If they still have Caspian Terns, those are pretty exciting
4/ The whole concept of Living Coasts is unique and it complements Painton Zoo pefectly, although I believe they have replace sea ducks with Otters since I last went, which may be too much pandering to the ignorant public

 

I can only second this,because if there is a bird club that has regular visits to private collections,that keep and breed Bank Cormorants,Tufted Puffins etc,I for one would be very seriously interested in joining,just like I suspect alot of others on here would be as well!!

 

Sorry for the misunderstanding you are correct @Childonias I did word it incorrectly and to @Shorts when in small collections I have my Camera on continued shooting (D300S) so it doesn't take long to fill a 8gb memory card I currently are working at a collection doing data input which gives me a great insight in the past and are able to see what is happening around the collection were I work I will not name it as I could/will get in to trouble as I have been told by the collection holder any reference to the collection on here will be looked upon as Gross misconduct as it's a private collection and they wish it to stay like that for the near future.
I would not make any statement on here without knowing it to be correct with information gained from well trusted people or other websites.
I feel people are trying to say that I am lying well if thats the way they feel then let it be I am not going to get involved in an y sillyness which occurs on here every now and then just because I chose to write a truthfull review.
Will be logging out now so may return tomorrow or the next day

Stay safe and well and be happy

Adrian

 

@ Adrain1963 I think the problem is many of us still remember your twin brother that you eventually admitted was yourself,hence the reason many of us are being sceptical about your comments,if you are indeed telling the truth I will be the first to say sorry for not believing you,but knowing first hand from people that worked at Living Coasts and the hoops they had to jump through to get the Banks Cormorants,I find it very hard to believe that there are any others outside of South Africa apart from the 2 males at Living Coasts!

 

[pedant mode]

They are also found wild in Namibia.

[/pedant mode]

 

Thanks for that Maguari I stand corrected then,in that case I should say outside Southern Africa then.

 

Yup, three extra letters and you'd have been fine!