Lihou gets its ducks in a row
ABOUT 150 plastic birds competed in the third annual Easter Duck Race on Lihou Island yesterday.
They raced over a twisting course which was made from scaffolding and polythene and which measured about 30m in length.
Ducks cost £5 each and the winner of each heat went through to the final. The winning owner won a cash prize of 20% of the race entry money.
‘The ducks stay within the grounds of Lihou House so there’s no prospect of any ending up in the sea,’ said Lihou House warden Steve Sarre.
‘Things like this are massively important to us as it brings people to the island, gets them involved in nature, and puts the Lihou Charitable Trust on the map.’
The turn out for yesterday’s event was smaller than in the past two years, he said.
‘I think we had about 400 people in total. Last year we did it right at the end of lockdown and maybe people were desperate to get out and about again. We have to wait until enough ducks have been sold before we can start a race, so today was slower which was a shame.’
The causeway opened at about 1.15pm and racing began soon after that.
Some 200 ducks had been sold in each of the previous events.
Other activities included a treasure hunt around the island, which was mapped out to avoid the roped off parts where birds were currently nesting.
This required orienteering and the decoding of a duck hunt where the clues involved using grid references on a map provided.
Those who successfully negotiated the course were rewarded with a sweet.
Youngsters were also able to hook a duck from water, for which entry was by donation.
