Exotic wildlife has abounded at the Weymouth Wetlands reserves this week. A Great Reed Warbler has generated plenty of interest at Radipole Lake and has been merrily singing close to the new viewing facilities.

Four white storks were spotted flying over the reserve and another wonderfully elegant and most appropriately named Black-winged stilt has been delighting bird watchers at Lodmoor.

Another, rather less welcome visitor though was a Red-ear Terrapin, handed in at the RSPB Wild Weymouth Discovery Centre. This is the first for quite a while but at one time, we had quite a number in the aftermath of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles craze of the early 1990s when terrapins became the pet of choice for fans. Sadly, many of these animals were subsequently released into the wild when the phase passed and people realised that terrapins require a lot of care and attention and certainly a more complicated diet than just pizzas.

As is so often the case with introduced species, terrapins had a negative impact on our native wildlife – ducklings being a favourite snack. Thankfully, this chap’s duck-dining days are over as he’s already been safely re-homed.