A few Wednesdays ago there was a fun pact field trip with Stokeinteighnhead primary school. It’s so nice when a field trip is actually a trip to a field. Especially when it’s a field full of amazing and rare wildlife like the cirl bunting. For the children in class 1 it was an excellent chance for them to go wild and meet the bird which is proudly represented in their school logo.
The day kicked off with a superb introduction to cirl buntings and why they live at Labrador Bay. The talk was given by Cath, the Cirl bunting project manager, who captivated us with an intriguing insight into the life of cirls, with some lovely glossy photos of these pretty little birds and a hands on feel of what these birds like to eat. With a short break for class 1 to familiarise themselves with their surroundings then it was straight on to the fun activity part of the day. While most of the class explored the fabulous valley field finding things to decorate their beautiful cirl bunting collages, a small group took to the spotting scopes to see the cirl bunting for themselves.
This is my favourite part. Will you see one? Well with a small scout around we found a small tree which was favoured by the cirls. With the scopes poised and class 1 waiting patiently, there one is at the top of the tree, he stands there and sings for a moment and then followed by his mate, they disappear. Result, we saw them, the anticipation was met with excitement and fascination. What a beautiful bird. I’m pleased to say most of class 1 got to see the cirls and for those that didn’t there was a fantastic whitethroat which came all the way from sub Saharan Africa to call Labrador Bay it’s home for the summer where it can bring up a family in the perfect setting.
The trip ended with a lovely group activity where the whole of class 1 lined up along the side of the ploughed field and scattered wild seeds along the edge. Now everyone can keep coming back to see how their wild flowers are coming along and what wildlife is taking advantage of these amazing plants.
Labrador Bay is not just fun for school groups, but for families too. Breathtaking scenery and plenty of space to roam, why not visit Labrador Bay with your family and try to spot our amazing cirl buntings for yourself.
Stephen Mitchell-Cox