A boat ride over to the Isle of Wight is not dissimilar to a jaunt from Dover to Calais, but without passports and usually no long queues.
Beside going in the hope I may spot one of the White Tailed Eagles, it was a trip to remember childhood memories of a holiday there. We stayed in Shanklin.
I had of course heard the Island was home to some 3,000 Red Squirrels, but like the Eagles, wasn't really expecting to come across any....until I went to the Alverstone Nature Reserve just a few miles north of Sandown.
Rightfully or wrongfully, upon reaching the woody part of the Reserve we came across two people sitting on a log feeding them ! Well I couldn't miss an opportunity; it was my first ever sighting of one plus I looked long enough in Scotland when I took a few days up there in 2018!
So all in all a most satisfactory break, that's one more off my bucket list !
It should be said the Reds are doing well on the Island, a strict control is in place to prevent any Greys from entering the Island be it by smuggling themselves on to boat or car. Any found are returned to the mainland in a secure cage !!