2017

SY5783 : Swans and Cygnets in Rearing Pool at Abbotsbury

taken 7 years ago, near to Abbotsbury, Dorset, England

Swans and Cygnets in Rearing Pool at Abbotsbury
Swans and Cygnets in Rearing Pool at Abbotsbury
Nesting mute swans are usually intensely territorial, so it is unusual to see this many pairs in proximity to each other. However, the closeness of the nests can sometimes lead to problems as newly hatched cygnets can become attached to the wrong parent bird; to overcome this, rearing pens are used for a few selected families who need more privacy.
The Abbotsbury Swannery :: SY5784

The swannery was established by Benedictine Monks who built a monastery at Abbotsbury during the 1040s. The monks farmed the swans to produce food for their lavish banquets. St Peter’s Monastery was destroyed in 1539 as part of Henry VIII’s Dissolution. Since that time, the swannery sanctuary has been under the stewardship of the Ilchester Estates.

Abbotsbury Swannery is the only managed colony of nesting mute swans in the world. Its site around the western extremity of Fleet Lagoon is protected from the weather of Lyme Bay by Chesil Beach. Today, there are around 600 swans. They are free-flying birds and could choose to nest anywhere, but are obviously attracted by the Fleet Lagoon. Visitors can wander on small paths among the various nests. The swannery is open to the public between March and the end of October.


Creative Commons Licence [Some Rights Reserved]   © Copyright David Dixon and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.
Geographical Context: Coastal Lakes, Wetland, Bog Wild Animals, Plants and Mushrooms Camera: Panasonic DMC-G7 other tags: Swans Abbotsbury Swannery Mute Swans Cygnets Click a tag, to view other nearby images.
This photo is linked from: Automatic Clusters: · Mute Swans [7] · Birds [4] · Nesting [4] · Pool [2] · Rearing Pens [2] ·
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SY5783, 59 images   (more nearby 🔍)
Photographer
David Dixon   (more nearby)
Date Taken
Sunday, 18 June, 2017   (more nearby)
Submitted
Friday, 23 June, 2017
Subject Location
OSGB36: geotagged! SY 574 839 [100m precision]
WGS84: 50:39.2309N 2:36.1706W
Camera Location
OSGB36: geotagged! SY 574 839
View Direction
West-northwest (about 292 degrees)
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Image Type (about): close look 
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