Just before kids were due to start the school year, we decided to spend the last days of summer in Dorset. The journey was calmingly pleasant, with sunny warm weather. Looking through the window, I was enjoying the ever so beautiful landscape. It had a distinctive yellow colour. In places, you could spot large round bay hay on the ground. But also a yellowish brick.
We have not had any plans other than rest at the campsite, have a barbie and play games. And we have done all that plus extra.
It was the day of our departure back to Birmingham, and while searching for a local pub to eat at on google maps, I have noticed a swan. An unusual sight to find! I starred at a ginormous green swan. I mean... you instantly want to visit it just for that.
Abbotsbury Swannery, as turns out, was a one of a kind place indeed. It is so unique you cannot find anything alike anywhere in the world! And yes, you can discover sanctuaries, bla bla bla... But we are talking about a place where you walk freely among swans, feed them, and watch birds nesting.
Ok, so what did we get for a mere £10 ticket for an adult (£5 for children)? A lot, in my opinion.
Firstly,
you explore a maze (that's the green swan on google maps) with a quest, collecting letters. I have been in mazes before, but this one was perfect. Often I would get lost and go round in circles, so it was fun and also scary! Kids loved running too! You gotta love a good maze!
Secondly,
you don't expect to see go-karts when visiting a sanctuary, especially at no extra cost. Kids were tempted to stay here forever. And vehicles were easy to adjust for any age. Even adults were going wild. The track was a decent size, and you could do a circle and overtake other "snails".
Thirdly,
you get to meet swans! Walking down the path, surrounded by bamboo, leads onto an open area with masses of swans. Never ever have I seen so many friendly swans in my life. It is almost impossible to express feelings of gratitude for this place! I think we looked at at least 500 birds that day.
Seeing swans so up close, feeding them, seeing the trust in their eyes and the domina is a never to forget experience. We were pretty lucky to come in time for a short presentation, telling all about the place and the swans. It turns out swans are free to stay or go, and they do so. They nest as well here and have cygnets, who get a record of their place of birth.
We also learned there are three types of swans: mute, black and whooper.
Most of the swans we see in the UK are mute. They have orange beaks.
In the swannery, we also saw three black swans. They flew from Australia. How lucky! Again, any of these birds are free to come and go. And there was one whooper swan. It had a yellow beak and was a bit aggressive, shooing the herd of food.
There were also some sad stories around the nesting area. For example, one of the pens had three cygnets, whose mother had died and father was driven away by rivals for the territory. The sanctuary was looking after them, and as soon as they get big enough to fend for themselves, they will be released to stay together with the herd.
Fourthly,
the history. The Abbotsbury Swannery dates back to the 11th century and originally was owned by monks from the nearby monastery. The place was not a sanctuary but a farming ground, where swans were hunted and killed for feasts.
Decoy pipe (a netted tunnel trap) is still on the ground for educational purposes. In the past, men used bait to lure the birds well into the tunnel until they could not move or escape. There are currently only five working decoys in the UK.
Fifthly,
you get birdwatching stations overlooking the fleet. You are surrounded by reed, which ultimately needs to be managed to preserve shelter for a nesting area. Walking around in tranquillity, hearing the wind brush upon the beds is a good stress reliever.
There was a lot to take in that day from swans being OK around humans to learning about the bonds among the birds themselves. So much we don't know still and yet it is all in front of us to grasp!
A family of swans
