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Sunset at Abbotsbury Swannery © Charlie Wheeler

Sunset at Abbotsbury Swannery © Charlie Wheeler

As the sun sets on another ‘Open’ season at the Swannery, it marks the beginning of the Winter season on the reserve. Lots of winter wildfowl have already made their way to the Fleet, including the anticipated arrival of Brent Geese. Increasing numbers of Tufted duck, Pochard, Teal, Pintail, Shoveler, Gadwall and others all head to the Fleet, providing a sheltered and protected wintering ground for large numbers of very important wildfowl.

There is lots of work to do on the reserve at this time of year in preparation for another busy year ahead. We will keep you updated with any interesting sightings on the reserve, as well as any projects the team tackle throughout the course of the winter.

Convulvulous Hawkmoth © Charlie Wheeler

Convolvulus Hawkmoth © Charlie Wheeler

Convulvulous Hawkmoth © Charlie Wheeler

Convolvulus Hawkmoth © Charlie Wheeler

We will leave you with one final grip to autumn with these images of the remarkable Convolvulus Hawkmoth seen in mid October. This large moth, with a wingspan of over 10cm, is a migrant to Britain all the way from Africa, flying low (only a few metres) over the sea. This moth is commonly seen in Britain from June to December.