ARMED with telescopic gadgetry and an unquenchable thirst for flyaway facts, Alan Dutton is proud to be a twitcher.
And, on a wind-swept day at Pennington Flash, he was delighted to pass on a scattering of his birdwatching knowledge to a group of wide-eyed and chirpy youngsters from Westleigh St Paul's school.
The children met the Leigh Education Action Zone project director in the popular hides at the Leigh country park where teacher Elizabeth Bisbrown, the 26 youngsters -- aged seven and eight -- enjoyed a full day in the park as part of the Leigh EAZ/Wigan EBP award-winning Classrooms in Companies programme.
Led by countryside ranger Mary Bent and EAZ seconded teacher Sue Roberts, the youngsters revelled in the adventure of orienteering, before making a number of nesting boxes and enjoying a session of watercolour painting.
In the afternoon they met Alan Dutton at the New Hide, overlooking picturesque Pengie's Pond and trained binoculars onto Ramsdale's Flash in the hope of sighting a rare visiting bird.
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