Nature Reserves: Minsmere at Twilight

The sun was still out - and so was this late Red Admiral Butterfly - so we headed off to Minsmere ...

... where we saw Red Deer and one little Muntjac (who was too fast for my camera).

The berries must be providing a feast for the small birds ...

The larger ones (geese - ?Greylag) prefer to fly overhead ...

in their characteristic V.

There was a small murmuration of Starlings between the mere and Dunwich Heath.

I always enjoy this view of the tall poplars.

This is the panorama (not quite taking in the domed edifice of Sizewell Power Station!) ...

... and this is the close-up (taken a minute or so after the photo two above).

This is probably my favourite shot: the reedbeds are so evocative.

High tides have claimed a lot of sand since our last visit. You can see these raised gatherings of pebbles all along this stretch.

We made our way back to the car as the last of the light gave way to darkness.

• My thanks to Crafty Green Poet for spotting my absent-minded moment! I called the butterfly a Peacock, but it is f course a Red Admiral ... 
• Off-topic postscript, but a worthwhile feature here on Ash die-back in Cumbria - and the RSPB on Ash die-back here.