Lord Ridley's Visit to Wetlands

The Wetlands had a very important visitor today.......Lord Ridley. He came along with his Estates Manager, Shaun Hartley, and Steve Lowe from the Wildlife Trust to see the work that has been carried out to date. He was amazed at what had been achieved and at the abundance of wildlife and flora we have at present.

Lord Ridley actually opened the Shasun Site (known then as Hilton Davis) in 1968 and this was his first visit back since the opening. When he originally visited, all that stood on the Shasun grounds was Dudley 1 Manufacturing Plant. This has now grown to include 3 more manufacturing facilities and Development Centre to name but a few, and he could not believe the size.

We presented Lord Ridley with a photograph of him standing on the roof of Dudley 1 with The Duke of Northumberland in 1968 and he kindly gave us some willow to plant at the Wetlands.

We look forward to more visits from Lord Ridley in the future. He is welcome back anytime. What a lovely man.

"It's Official - Boardwalk is finished"

Well done to Dan and Anthony from Eco North, part of Northumberland Wildlife Trust, who after several weeks have finally completed the boardwalk. The boardwalk is 70 metres long and made from recycled plastic. This means the surface is non-slip and also will last a lifetime.

They will be a miss to the site. What a canny pair of lads. We hope that they will both be at the Open Day but Dan is due to be a Dad around that time so may not be able to make it. They have both become honoury members of the SWWAN team and their advice and wise crack jokes have been a blessing.

They have also constructed a bridge across the culvert to enable easy access to our bee hives when we get them sometime in the future.

Here is a piccy - bloody awful one of me (look like my Dad but with hair). Hope boot camp hurries up and helps me lose some weight!!!!

Fordley Primary School visit The Wetlands

We were recently visited by a group of school children (33 in all!!!) from our neighbouring school, Fordley Primary. This visit was to have a look about in preparation for our Official Open Day on Thursday 1st July. The school will actually be opening the new footpath, named "Fordley Footpath".

A competition is underway with the pupils to see who will "cut the ribbon". They have to draw a wildlife picture which will be judged by the SWWAN team.

Here are some photos of them hard at work on their drawings and having a bit pond dipping practice.

Photos

Here are just a few of the photos I have taken today at the Wetlands. Not sure if I have captured the Gadwalls but you never know.






Here is Big Al after helping me plant some trees next to Sandra's Nook. The trees were given to us from Jude, a neighbour to the site who likes to help us out when she can.

Two New Species at the Wetlands and update on the Geese

I came in on Monday to check on our new arrivals to find a strange bird on the lagoons. I thought that it was a parrot and then said to myself, Sandra don't be silly, parrots don't swim (well at least I don't think they do). I managed to take a photo of it and sent it off to my bird experts today to find that it is, in fact, a male Mandarin. Here it is.

Jimmy did our bird count today and discovered we have yet another new bird on the waters this week. Two Gadwalls have appeared. I have been up to get a photo of them so watch this space. Need to check that I have actually took a shot of them and not a blinking female mallard!

The geese and their gosling are doing well, although the new swans are attacking them a little bit. We are hopeful that the gosling is big enough and wise enough to stay clear of them. Here is a cheeky photo of him/her eating some bread on Monday. Bless him!

Looks like an Emu - ha ha!

Our Adopted Swans

Well Sunday was an eventful day for me. Whilst painting my kitchen, I got a phone call from Gary in Security to say that a family of swans had been rescued off the main road by two lads from The Clayton Arms. Carol, the Manager, must have thought they had come from here. I think they have actually walked from Annitsford pond to come and stay with us. I was on an hour and a half trying to get them through the gate at the top end of the car park. At the finish, I had to catch them and after getting whacked a few times from the cob, managed to get them through the gate and onto the lagoons. All are doing well and they are costing me a fortune in bread (you wouldn't think my other half works for Warburtons would you!!!!!)