MEMBERS of Girlguiding Gwent recently spent a night protecting a very exotic bird from extinction.

Teams of Guides from all over the county descended upon Devauden to take part in Midnight Manoeuvres, a night hike with a difference. They were told that the very rare Tootle Warbler had been spotted in the woods and that some eggs had been found that needed looking after until they hatched. Once hatched the fledglings would require food, water and a safe nest. The aim was for each team to undertake activities to provide for their egg.

First task was to construct a box to carry the egg in until it hatched then the teams set off to find bases within the woods to undertake further tasks. Birds need water, so some very muddy water required filtering, a bird feeder was required, a nest needed to be remade after a hurricane blew through the woods, and a method of raising the nest box high into the trees to protect it from predators had to be devised. Of course, the girls did not know what the Tootle Warbler looked like so had to find someone who had recently seen them in the woods to guide them to observe the bird in its natural habitat! Scientific drawings were then made to help others identify this rare visitor.

The inclement weather struck again and the teams encountered great floods and had to devise a way of crossing the water carrying their egg, food etc to safety. Each team had to navigate between the bases using a basic map and instructions. Although some teams had scary moments all returned to the Hood Memorial Hall for a hot drink and food before crossing the frost encrusted grass to climb into tents or bivouac bags for a few hours’ sleep.