Courier Summer 2021

Page 14 Fantastic science Rewilding Redworth Normally at this time we would be showcasing our extracurricular competitions, visits to universities etc but not this year. Like all things 2020/1 we are staying much closer to home. Even though the college site is a busy place with lots of hustle and bustle nature still finds its place. Last year (May) with nobody on site, poppies were growing in Redworth courtyard and this year I have been following the wildlife again. We are all familiar with the herring gulls that visit the site for their free lunch at the end of every break time (they are currently nesting on the technology roof) but there are other birds here too. Usually around the site you see small, busy, black and white birds that wag their tails when they stand. These are Pied Wagtails. A pair set up home in a plant pot in the small greenhouse in the inner courtyard space in Science and built a nest. In the two weeks before half term, five eggs were laid and they hatched during half term. The chicks grew at different rates and most fledged (flew for the first time) in the second week after half term. The adults sit up on the roof and call the chicks and bribe them with a beak full of food. Setting up in the greenhouse was a smart move to keep their nest away from the gulls and crows but not so smart for the chicks who kept flying into the glass until they worked out the escape route. All five survived and will be the black and white ones you see next year! In other wildlife news… we have newts too. I have not seen the adults in the pond but there must be at least a pair as I got a surprise when I was weeding to see this ‘eft’ - a baby European Newt! Stuart Ruffle Page 17 Above : PiedWagtails at home in our Redworth greenhouse The corridor outside of Room 31 has been terrible if you have been hungry because the Y11 Catering and Hospitality students have been cooking up a storm! As part of their assessment, they have produced a meal in a set time following intricate and detailed preparation. As you can see the standards have been amazing but unfortunately, I was not invited to lunch! From here they complete their portfolios to put the icing on the cake! Stuart Ruffle Talented Catering Above : Baby European Newts in the Redworth pond.