​We took a minibus on a summer visit to the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust at Slimbridge in Gloucestershire. This was quite a different experience to our normal winter visits as the migratory birds and waterfowl had left for the summer. However, the breeding birds including avocets, little ringed plovers and grey-backed shrike were busy raising their young. We were introduced to the newly installed Duck Decoys and even mixed with a dozen or more serious twitchers who had gathered to spot a rare Lesser Bustard which had flown in from Spain (no we didn’t see it!).

I am very sad to say that the guide was a disappointment; he apparently had an abundance of knowledge but was unable to present it. This was a shock to me as I had had several conversations with the guide and did not pick up on any signs.  I can only apologise, but one good thing that the group all agreed on was that Farnham was a very interesting place to visit and would like to return at some stage.
 
A statue of a small boy stands in the gardens where the old swimming pool originally stood.
​​The trail lasted for about 2 hrs and the group then split to do their own thing.