Warwick, United Kingdom - Animal Seekers

Warwick Castle in Warwick, England.
Warwick Castle is situated along the River Avon.
Visitors line up to enter Warwick Castle.
Part of the castle.
The back of the castle shows how big it is.
A view from atop one of the towers shows just how high up they go.
A view of the surrounding countryside, as seen from the castle.
The Collegiate Church of St. Mary is located in the center of town. The original church there dates back to 1123, although it's been renovated extensively since then.
This bald eagle is one of the birds of prey at Warwick Castle, which is known for its displays of falconry.

Warwick is located in the middle of England. It is the home of Warwick Castle, one of the largest and most intact castles I’ve ever seen – it’s also one of the more commercialized ones. When we visited, we saw medieval reenactments, including flying birds of prey shows, and toured a big chunk of the castle. I remember standing at the top of one of the towers and overlooking Warwick. The castle dates to 915 as a fort, was further built out by William the Conqueror by 1086 and was expanded several more times – much of its current construction was done in the 14th and 15th centuries, according to Brittanica. This year, the operators of the castle opened a hotel there as well.

Animal Sightings

Sighting #1

What: Mute Swan

When: Summer 2006

Where: I saw this mute swan swimming on the Avon River just outside Warwick Castle in Warwick, United Kingdom.

How: We were visiting the castle and just walked down by the river when this swan happened to be swimming under a bridge and then further into the river.

Interesting fact: Every July, with the exception of a pandemic-related pause, an annual census is taken of the mute swans along the River Thames. They are rounded up, tagged and sent back into the wild. Why? Because the King of England can technically claim ownership of all unmarked mute swans in the United Kingdom, although really he only does so along a short portion of the Thames River. It’s a tradition that dates all the way back to the 12^th century and is called swan upping.