About Abbotsbury Swannery
Abbotsbury Swannery is home to the only managed colony of nesting Mute Swans in the world. On average we have around 600 birds on site, but this number varies slightly throughout the year.
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Can you see it? What does this photo show? Hint: π§
What a stunning day out there. One of our first jobs each day is to check on everything and make sure all is a-ok! Plus a quick scan for some rarer birds of course π¦ Have a great week everybody ππ»
We are inviting expressions of interest from local contractors specialising in building conservation work for repairs to on a two-storied granary in Abbotsbury. The work involves the construction of a new roof and structural repairs as well as repairs to stonework, floors and joinery. Please see the blog post on our website for more information: https://abbotsbury-tourism.co.uk/granary- restoration-abbotβ¦/
It's a bit rough out there π¨ π We commonly get asked in the beautiful summer months how the swans cope with the harsh winter weather, well here's your answer, what's the expression...'ride out the storm'.
With all of our winter work well underway, it's nice to have a couple of minutes amongst this lovely little lot! Have a good weekend everyone π (The recent very high tides and strong winds mean the swans find shelter in the Swannery embayment βΊοΈ
So for those of you that know the Swannery, you'll notice that the Fleet is particularly high today. The result of a new moon and strong winds, a fairly common sight throughout the winter. Most of the pathways are under water but this doesn't phase the swans at all, they've got a bigger area to swim in ππ»
The cygnets from our other sister site, The Children's Farm, only a few hundred yards up the road, had their usual family on the big pond this year. As they are now big enough to ring and the parents have already joined us at the Swannery, this morning we caught them, wrapped them, drove them, ringed them and released them down at the Swannery π textbook ππ» ps they were all females
So it's the end of another season for us, we are now closed for the winter. We'll keep you posted on what we're up to and we open again in March 2019. Remember to 'follow' us here on Facebook and also on Twitter and Instagram @abbotsburyswannery
It's been a good couple of days for bird sightings at the Swannery! Yesterday and today we've had 6 Greenland White-fronted Geese and roosts of over 45+ Cattle Egrets. All of these images were taken by Charlie this morning.
Well what a beautiful few days it has been and it's set to continue for our last weekend of the season. There's still time to come and visit π
Now that's a lot of swans! If you haven't been to the Swannery before and don't know what to expect...here is a little taste of one of the incredible sites there are to see π
It's a beautiful day and sets to be a beautiful half term week. Come and explore the blissful scenery at the Swannery and tie it in with visit to our sister site, the Subtropical Gardens, for their enchanted illuminations in the evening πππ» sounds perfect!
Last week we successfully placed 'adult' rings on all of this years cygnets, which our visitors really enjoyed seeing. Most of the cygnets have been seen flying around, following instructions from their parents. A handful of the families throughout the summer live in 'Rearing Pens' and even though they have 8 miles of Lagoon to explore, this lot are looking for dinner.
A very confident young Sanderling has been entertaining visitors for the last two days by the waters edge within the Swannery. This small wader is regularly seen on the coast, including the Fleet of course, throughout the autumn. This bird is on its way to its winter quarters, coming all the way from the high arctic. Pictures courtesy of Charlie.
What a spot! And not too far from us either... Wonder if it will make a visit to the Swannery...
At this time of year (October), cygnets are almost the same size as their mother and are at the point of flying, some already doing so. So this coming Monday we will be placing our 'adult' identification rings on all of our cygnets from this year to aid in our research and add to our database. We are open as usual on this day from 10am and it is a great way to observe the ringing first hand. Will you be coming along to see this next sage in the cygnets life?