23rd February 2010
The Ugly Duckling Danny Kaye
I was off to Westfield Art College, Weymouth in the morning. What a wonderful school with Mild Learning Difficulty children and brilliant staff. I had a wonderful morning, extended because the next school that I was going to visit was closed due to a broken boiler. An assembly with the children then a tour with 'Gladys and Betty,' names I jokingly gave to my two guides, then a chat with a class.
Then it was time to be off
to Radipole Primary School and two exciting sessions with two year five classes.
These school visits continued to be a major highlight of the Biking Birder
adventure. Once again it was wonderful to see the Eco work and commitment of
both schools, their staff and children.
Late afternoon, I cycled
past Lodmoor RSPB Reserve and went down to Radipole RSPB Reserve
to see the Hooded Merganser, now a beautiful adult and there it was, swimming quite
close to the bridge by the superb RSPB visitor’s centre, with a group of Tufted
Duck. Now despite much debate about its origin, I felt I could not count it. Rare
ducks from North America or from the Arctic north that arrive as first year
birds being suspected as being escaped captive birds. Anyway, it was good to
see such a lovely bird. This one had arrived as a first-year bird, the age
when, I have been told on good authority, a duck or drake is most likely to
jump a fence. It may have escaped from a wildfowl collection before the owner
had pinioned the bird. On the car park were fourteen Mediterranean Gulls of
various ages, mostly first year birds or adults; with some display posturing by
the latter birds. I met Dave Chown, the local gull expert who said that there
are around four hundred Mediterranean Gulls around Weymouth. The number of them
continues to grow each year.
8.47 miles 322 feet elevation up & down
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