What, I hear you ask, does the 'WWT' bit mean? As much as I want to say that it stands for 'Weird and Wonderful Things', sadly it doesn't. WWT is the Waterfowl and Wetlands Trust. WWT Slimbridge was the first of the organisation's nine centres in the UK, which not only provides sanctuary for wild birds discovering the preserved wetlands for themselves, but also important breeding programmes for a huge variety of water birds and other wildlife, vital conservation work locally and worldwide, and education to the pubic through observation, fun, experience, and talks.
Apparently, my first visit to one of the country's WWT centres was in fact at Slimbridge when I was a tiny baby. We didn't live too far from Slimbridge at the time, but my first memory of a WWT centre was a primary school trip to WWT Washington where I held a duckling for the first time.
That experience stuck in my mind, and although at the time I didn't know where the place was or what it was called I was desperate to go again. It wasn't until years later that I found out it was WWT Washington, and now I have been a WWT member for almost a decade.
I am making the most of my membership by coming to WWT Slimbridge on my amazing virtual bike ride, and my mum was very excited when I told her yesterday that I'd just arrived here. I've been overdoing things lately and have got rather over tired, which made the 81km cycle up from Wookey Hole tough going, especially with 40km of it uphill (at increased resistance on the MotoMed). I was flagging hugely at the 50km mark, but a great supporter - Kevin - cycled alongside for a while and urged me on.
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| Kevin in the background giving encouragement |
The Wetlands Trust don't allow camping on the sites so I could only stay there if I promised to keep it low-key and inconspicuous. I decided camouflage was the way ahead, although it's possible that I might have overdone it slightly...
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| Photo from Google Images |
...and after quite some time very kindly offered a night on one of their nests, but to be honest they looked a bit muddy, exposed, and small for an adult human.
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| Photo from Google Images/WWT Slimbridge |
...but most weren't phased and got back to the important business of eating and drinking...
I don't know who this old woman is, but she wasn't having any of it and wouldn't even engage in conversation...
...and I'm pretty sure this is the swan equivalent to a rude hand gesture...
Quite a few folk pretended not to understand, not to hear, or were too unsure about the weirdo with no wings to answer...
I was a little uncertain myself about the sanity of these two to ask...
And the Whistler Swan took flight before I had a chance...
At least the otters had a discussion about it, albeit where I couldn't interrupt them...
...but ultimately the answer was no. The female half of the pair - the sow - went back to her holt to make sure I wasn't going to try to break in...
...then her husband came along to make sure I'd gone...
...but seeing that I hadn't, he gave a fine demonstration of what he might do to me if I hung around much longer...
I scarpered, and ended up settling down under a tree with my camouflage outfit and sleeping bag wrapped around me. I was just getting comfortable when this nervous little chap came and had a nibble on my ear...
...and bless him, he offered me a place in his drey...
...but I thought it looked a bit precarious perched all the way up there, and although cosy, perhaps a little on the snug side for a person. He left me a pile of nuts for sustenance, though, and I felt the love as I leaned against the tree, watching the sunset, and eventually drifting off to sleep.
I think the unexpected craziness of my last two stops finally caught up with me in my sleep last night because I had a horrible dream. I dreamt about WWT Slimbridge and my experiences of yesterday, except the only wildlife to offer me a place to sleep was this chap...
The 'place' was inside his cavernous jaws, and in my dream I was so tired that I found myself climbing in! It was only as his enormous teeth were closing around me with a clatter as they came together that I woke. Nutkins was accidentally pelting me with nuts from the feeder just above my head.
I think he was making sure I had something for breakfast. I sat munching them while I watched lots of smaller visitors to the centre come for a breakfast nibble too, which I've found is a lovely way to start the day.
I went for a stroll a little later to find the otters again. I wanted to apologise for upsetting them so much yesterday. I think the sow was still tucked up in bed, but I saw the boar and he also apologised for being so threatening. He hadn't realised that I was just wondering where to go next rather than loitering with the intention of jumping into the holt when they weren't looking. He offered me brunch, but I politely declined and explained that Nutkins had made sure I'd been fed this morning.
He said to come back for dinner, so long as I don't mind having fish, and he got straight on with the preparations when I agreed.
When I went back this evening he confessed that he wasn't very au fait with using a cooker so we had fine sashimi.
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| Photo from Google Images |
They run the risk of being shunned by the rest of the wildfowl community for helping out a non-feathered friend, but they'd heard of my return visit to the otters. They were impressed that I'd gone to apologise when, in their opinion, the otters had been terribly rude and out of order with their extreme reaction to my request. Anyway, they knew I still didn't have a bed for tonight, and by what they'd seen and heard they thought I was a decent person, so they offered me a bed. The only proviso is that I sit on their eggs for bit to make sure they're kept warm too, which is fine by me. I do like to do something reciprocal for my hosts, though I hope that the eggs don't hatch and upon first sight of me claim me as their parents. With that hope in mind, here's my resting place for my second night at WWT Slimbridge...
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| Photo from Google Images |
It's almost time to sleep now, and just as well because I need to be as fresh as I can be for tomorrow's cycle to Worcestershire. I'll see you when I get there, but in the meantime remember that you can sponsor me at my Just Giving page to raise vital funds for the charity Pop-Up Gym that provides rehabilitation and exercise for people with spinal cord injuries and other neurological conditions. Every donation helps, however small, and is received with great thanks.
