Whooper Swans at Abbotsbury Swannery. © Charlie Wheeler
A lovely sight this morning on the Fleet, specifically within the Swannery embayment. Two ‘fresh in’ Whooper swans that have migrated South all the way from their breeding grounds in Iceland (as most British wintering birds originate, although a few may come from Scandinavia). These two adult birds have presumably ‘overshot’ their common wintering grounds of Ireland and Northern England.
A scarce winter visitor to Dorset and the Fleet, there can be a number of years in between sightings. The last Whooper swans seen on the reserve was back in December of 2010.
These two individuals remained in the embayment for the duration of the day.