Learning

As the woodland birds get used to the new surroundings, the feeders outside the bird hide have been getting busier and busier. At times the feeders are covered in assorted tits, with the occasional nuthatch, chaffinch and robin to keep them company. Every once in a while a greater spotted woodpecker has been appearing too, forcing the smaller birds to hide for a short time.

The hide is very close to being ready to open to the public, still on schedule to be open before the end of this month. If you are thinking of visiting, remember to wrap up nice and warm, it can get quite cold in there at times. Even better, bring along a nice flask of tea!

The hide is a great place to get some great pictures of wildlife, here are some that we have taken of birds we have caught feeding outside the bird hide.

This is us interviewing the Residents' Development Committee at George Compound in Lusaka. They were the most articulate and motivated group of people I've met. The house is an example of what people are living in.

Also, here's me with the RDC in Kawala Compound, 200 miles north, in Kitwe in the Copperbelt Province.

By some miracle we have half-decent internet connection at the office. Actually it’s not a miracle, as I happen to know that the server providers were working on the problem over the weekend. I guess I just didn’t believe it would make any difference, any more than I believed that the designers I was supposed to be seeing on Friday would turn up, or that my ‘office’ would really only take a day to ‘decorate’ (the day in question being last Monday) or that my mail will ever turn up.

Ooh, all sounds a bit harsh I know. But I’ve just had my third frustrating visit to immigration, thinking I finally had everything I need to renew my permit, only to be told I have to return on Thursday, after ‘the boss’ has had time to check my file (so what have they been doing?!). Was also sheepishly informed by my colleague that he won’t be here most of this week as he’s on and M&E training course; this is my last week of working with the organization, and I should be crossing every t and dotting every single I with him.

But what really set a bad tone for me this week – while also putting my whinging right into perspective – was finding out on Sunday evening that my host had been in a car crash. She, some colleagues – and her baby – were travelling to Livingstone. Seeing as she was being made to make the 8-hour journey, on a Sunday, she’d decided to treat the time there as a couple of much-needed stress-free days out of the office. Instead, they drove through a downpour for about half the journey until the car slipped off the side of the road and flipped over. I don’t know who I felt more sorry for, her in Livingstone with the baby, suffering from shock and fright, or her poor husband at home waiting and worrying until the next morning when he could travel down to join them. They’ve all been discharged from hospital with, apart from the shock, nothing more serious than cuts and bruises. The fatality rate for road accidents in Zambia is notorious, partly due to the driving in the cities and partly due to the terrible condition of the roads outside the cities, especially now that the rains are here. The fact that they escaped with nothing broken – or worse – really is a miracle.

A big thanks to the pupils of Ysgol Rhos Helyg, Rhosesmor, Flintshire and Ysgol y Berllan Deg, Cardiff for celebrating the opening of the new Moel y Gaer with us yesterday. We were all inspired by Dewi Pws Morris, Children's Poet Laureate. He worked with us in creating a performance and a poem. I'm going to carve the words of the poem on a wooden slab over the next weeks and it will be on display next to Moel y Gaer for all to see. You can read the poem which talks about home, memory, invention and a sense of continuity between past and present

Ti yw cartref y Celtiaid

Yn llawn o atgofion henfyd

Pobol cryf a dyfeisgar ein gorffennol

A ni? Dani yma o hyd

I keep forgetting to take some photos of our quilt designs that the children made over half term! They are looking wonderful in the gallery, so i'll try and remember to get some photos next time i'm there and will blog about it as soon as I can!