We were holidaying once again on the Isle of Wight at Warner's Bembridge Coast Hotel. We decided to visit one of our favourite places on the island. SEAVIEW Wildlife Encounter. We took a picnic lunch and headed off to the bus stop for the journey across the island. The park is situated in a wonderful position on the North East coast of the island with some stunning views over the Solent.
The first thing you come across at the entrance is an amazing number of a great variety of ducks begging for food. They are so accustomed to getting fed straight away by the children on entry, as the ticket kiosk sells duck food. A small waterway and a pond that contains ducks greets you on entry with an enclosure opposite housing some beautiful Pink Flamingos.
Our next stop was a visit to the Penguin enclosure where we sat and watched our old friends swimming and playing in the water. These are Humboldt Penguins from South America, they can live for thirty years in captivity. The park has a breeding programme in conjunction with some other Zoological parks and they send them fertilised penguin eggs. It is brilliant to see these adventurous little birds, playing games and diving in the water. We noticed our famous friend "Dippy" still has a penguin house in the enclosure and there were two penguins visible outside. We still can't be sure if one was Dippy!
The Flamingoes are a wonderful sight at any time. There are three different species of Flamingo at Seaview Wild Life Park, one is a deeper pink colour and looks spectacular in our photographs. They breed in July and as we were visiting in September the young Flamingos were quite large and very fluffy.
There were a couple of wild Sparrows stealing the flamingo's food and a very bold venturous egret was in the enclosure.
There were a couple of wild Sparrows stealing the flamingo's food and a very bold venturous egret was in the enclosure.
We then visited the Parrots and photographed their beautiful shades of exotic plumage. Their enclosure was large enough to allow them to fly around and was surrounded by colourful shrubs with fruit trees.
We wandered past a wonderful variety of animals and birds including sheep in the children's farm enclosure. More special ducks in an enclosed pond with another species of Egret.
We wandered past a wonderful variety of animals and birds including sheep in the children's farm enclosure. More special ducks in an enclosed pond with another species of Egret.
Peacocks, and more beautiful Peacocks, some in an enclosure that contained a mixture of the traditional blue coloured birds and some pure white regal looking birds. I took many photographs of these wonderful creatures.
Margaret was enjoying herself surrounded and mobbed by many different varieties of ducks chasing her for food.
Lunch was our next thought and we found a lovely little bench situated in a nice secluded nook to sit and eat. We were visited by a Peacock who was roaming free and then the ever hungry Guinea-fowls, there are very many of these creatures roaming freely all over the park. There was a very pretty waterfall next to where we were sitting and we had the company of a Rabbit, a Tortoise, and several exotic looking Chickens.
From here we had a brief visit to the Alpaca's and we watched the Wallabies getting fed by a member of the staff. I will be writing much more fully on these wonderful creatures when I write my next post about this beautiful place.
Another group of very well loved stars of our afternoon visit were the Meerkats. We were able to watch these wonderful unique little creatures scrabbling for their food which was mainly fruit and some dried insects. The Meerkats were very lively as they chased each other around and hunted everywhere for their food that had been secreted by the keeper in a variety of hidey-holes. I will be writing more about these wonderful animals in my next Seaview post.
We spent a long time in the wonderful heated tropical house, inside a giant aviary, where a huge variety of tropical birds were flying around. I took so many photographs here that I will not be able to display them all. There were many varieties of Finches and Pigeons, beautiful exotic blue jewelled Starlings and so very many more small birds flying freely in the tropical vegetation. Many feeding trays and feeding stations were set up in strategic spots, allowing the birds to fly and safely feed.
There was a large pool with many tropical fish swimming among the water lilies and also some large fish tanks containing some interesting types of fish. Then I spotted a giant turtle enjoying the cool water.
There was a large pool with many tropical fish swimming among the water lilies and also some large fish tanks containing some interesting types of fish. Then I spotted a giant turtle enjoying the cool water.
We then made our way back towards the entrance past some more caged exotic Parrots, with beautiful plumage. These are a super sight that always reminds me of my schooldays, reading of pirates with talking Parrots on their shoulders.
Continuing on our way we passed these amazing very deep pink-coloured Flamingoes. Our fearless friends the Egrets were sharing their food and company and I just stood and marvelled at the wonderful contrast in the colours of these different species of bird-life. The setting of this Flamingo pool is absolutely beautiful and I continued to photograph the whole magical setting to get my memories as clear as a reproduction will allow.
We left this wonderful wild life park in a haze of happy feelings for the wonders of Nature and the animals and bird life we have seen and got so very close to. A Seaview Wildlife Encounter that will stay with both of us for a very long time to come.