02/09/2026
Need a ? Enjoy 60 seconds of swallows swooping over the abbey's Wildlife Area!
As September continues, many of these birds will disappear from our skies for the winter; a natural phenomenon that mystified early scientists.
Ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle suggested that swallows hid in tree hollows, while 16th-century Swedish Archbishop Olaus Magnus claimed that they hibernated at the bottom of ponds and rivers. Perhaps most astonishing of all was the conclusion drawn by teacher Charles Morton in the 17th century: that swallows spent winter on the moon!
We now know that swallows depart our shores each autumn and head to warmer climes - those of sub-Saharan Africa. While not quite as far away as the moon, the journey still covers some 6,000 miles; an impressive distance for a small bird!
