STUDENTS trained their eyes to the sky recently as they assisted in a data collecting project at Pentillie Castle.

Year 5 pupils from Sir Robert Geffery's School recently spent an afternoon Pentillie Castle, hoping to gain a knowledge and understanding of the activities undertaken by the birds in and around the estate. 

The school spent the morning learning about birds in their natural habitat and developing their knowledge about differentiation between species and how they adapt their nests to give their babies the best chance possible of survival. 

The children were supported by a local wildlife expert and managed to witness eggs in the wild as well as baby chicks living in and around the Pentillie estate. Inquisition was rife amongst the children - who had plenty of questions to ask Dave, their nature guide, and he was very happy to answer and provide stimulation for some young nature enthusiasts. In total, the children managed to see eight nesting sites and saw a plethora of species of birds. 

The class will be linking their day of learning to their classroom activities during the up-and-coming science week where they will be designing and building their own nests based on what they had been learning on their trip.