After many attempts during January and February and in some awful weather to see the pesky Glossy Ibis which I always seemed to miss or could not locate February came to a close and I still had not seen the birds.
Sunday 1st March and I am off to see Glossy Ibis at Wareham, during the week I kept getting reports that the birds were showing well from the North Walls. Would they still be there when I arrived I certainly hoped so, Unusually for me on a birding trip it was quite nice weather for a change. I found somewhere to park on a very narrow road below what they called West Walls and North Walls, these are earth ramparts built by the Saxons to defend and keep Wareham save from invaders, more about this later in the blog. I climb up the side of West Walls ramparts and walked along the top until I came to North Walls and could look over the waterlogged fields of Wareham Common. There in front of me and on the others side of the river were the glorious Glossy Ibis all ten birds out in the open in the flooded field feeding. Yes got them in the bag and on the year list finally.
Three of the Ten Glossy Ibis
record capture
The 10 Glossy Ibis coming in to feed.
Glossy Ibis
It was wonderful standing on top of the wall watching these birds feeding and flying around the common and to see ten of them all in one place. My 1st was a single bird back in May 2016 at Lytchett Fields.
While standing on the wall/ramparts something dawned on me and I did wonder what the place might of looked like with a palisade and armed warriors patrolling the ramparts on the look out for Viking invades. I have been to Wareham manty time and past over the years but never visited them which I found a bit odd as I have an interest in Saxon history.
This interest began after reading Bernard Cromwell's Historical novels the Last Kingdom.
Signage telling a story about the walls at Point 3 walk
a view along the west wall
Then discovering King Alfred brother was buried in the local church Wimborne Minster I had to go and investigate.
Wimborne Minster
So on one Saturday morning I popped into to the Minster to have a look round it is real interesting inside with the arches and stained glass windows. After looking round I got talk to someone in the church that was working. I was told King AEthelred is supposedly buried under the Pulpit.
The Pulpit
Apparently back in Victorian times they made a brass plaque to honour ( if that is the right word) and now it is on the wall up by the alter.
The Plaque to King AEthelred
