Highlights of a Last Dorset Field Course?

Two days from retirement and I have just returned from the annual Swansea field course that takes in locations reached from the Island of Portland (with Chesil Beach). Saw Turnstone (Arenaria interpres) on Chesil Bank. At Abbotsbury Swannery got to hold a Mute swan (Cygnus olor) for the last time. Radipole RSPB reserve had massed cormorant on the little island. At Broadcroft Butterfly Quarry got a nice shot of a basking Speckled wood (Pararge aegeria) and found a Slow worm (Anguis fragilis). In addition to the primates, there were masses of fungi at Monkey World including Fly agaric (Amantia muscaria) and Boletus edulis (guess which one should eat!). Brownsea Island was special with Greenshank (Tringa nebularia) and Redshank (Tringa totanus) in the lagoon with a massed flight of Spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia), Avocet (Recurvirostra avosetta) and other species above it. There were also Leccinium scabrum fungi there and a good show by the Red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris).