RSPB Minsmere

 

A male Adder in the sunshine

 

 

What a bonus to see an Adder this afternoon, and only minutes after we had seen a Water Vole. Peacock butterflies were showing well in the sheltered spots. 

 

The Adder photographs were taken on a Zoom lens from the safety of the railed boardwalk. 

Above: Looking up the coast towards Dunwich Heath. 

Below: 'his' and 'her' treats back at the Visitors' Centre, with Sand Martins overhead.  

Below: shades of things to come ... Sizewell C. 

Last photo: Minsmere today, and surely as it should be.  

RSPB Minsmere: Green Hairstreak and Other Delights

Green Hairstreak butterfly. We saw two of these.

The sun finally put in an appearance this last Thursday, and we headed off to Minsmere with a picnic lunch. This small selection of photos will perhaps give an indication of the wide variety of species that co-exist on the site, despite the proximity to the new and controversial Sizewell C site.  

We noticed our first Large Red Damselfly of 2024 in our garden yesterday. We didn't see any red ones at Minsmere, but we spotted this rather fine Blue-tailed Damselfly in the pond below the visitors' centre.

 

There were a couple of terns at the water's edge. Is this a Common Tern? I believe this is its breeding plumage; but, as ever, please correct me by leaving a comment.

 

 

It is always a joy to see the unmistakable Avocet, the bird on the RSPB logo.

 

 

I think this is a Sedge Warbler. The new boardwalk was alive with birdsong. 

 

 

The photograph above (complete with Spider Crab, presumably the result of somebody's beach-combing activity) shows the seaward extremity of the Minsmere site, with the Dunwich Heath coastguard cottages up on the northern rise in the distance. 

 

 

Yes, it's definitely breeding season! 

 

 

We passed signs informing us that the Minsmere adders were waking up. We did not see any snakes on this occasion, but we saw a couple of Common Lizards. Just as we turned to head back to the Visitors' Centre, a Bittern flew over the reedbeds, too quick to catch on camera, but a joy to behold.

 

RSPB Minsmere with new Des Res for Kittiwakes

Birds galore

 

David and I checked the forecast last Saturday, which didn't promise much in the way of sunlight, but we set off anyway. In fact, the early February weather, on the day after World Wetlands Day, was superb. There were plenty of ducks about on the scrape behind East Hide.

 

The structure above was hard to miss, with its distinctive yellow base. I assumed it was to do with the new and controversial Sizewell C. However, it turns out to be a Kittiwake Hotel (see here also) for Black-legged Kittiwakes.  

We had a good view across to Southwold.

Is this a Great Northern Diver in winter plumage?

You can reach East Hide via the new boardwalk below.

You can see some of the birds we saw and heard.

It was almost balmy on the beach. You can see the coastguard cottages on Dunwich Heath.

I wonder how this view will change ...

We saw several Shovelers on the scrape

Not all the ducks were so alert ...

... and neither were the Lapwing.

It was a joy to watch this elegant Pintail ...

... and to see this pair of Shovelers.

The light kept catching our eye ...

... and the clouds at sunset.

By the time the rain began, we were heading for home.

 

Light and Water at RSPB Minsmere

We reached RSPB Minsmere yesterday afternoon just as most folk were packing up their birding gear and heading for the cafe or the car park. There were a lot of ducks about, but all at distance from our hide. However, on this occasion it was the quality of autumnal light that particularly delighted us, though we were concerned to see just how much of the site was underwater.

More winter than autumn perhaps?

Massive areas underwater

A splash of bright colour (and, yes, there had been a Waxwing sighting earlier).

 

Day 24, #30dayswildcreativity: The Ford

2 March 2020, the road from RSPB Minsmere

This was the world we left behind, a patchwork of flooded meadows, illuminated by the last tinge of a rosy sunset. We had been up on Dunwich Heath earlier that afternoon, enjoying the company of Hebridean sheep and views of a Stonechat on its gorse lookout. I was surprised that the coconut aroma of the gorse was so rich and intoxicating at this point in the season. How wonderful it would have been to have bottled a little of it to counteract the smells of hand gel and disinfectant that were to irritate my nostrils as lockdown took hold. 

But here we were, in the evening light, faced with a flooded road. A couple of cars came up behind us, probably full of hungry birders on their way to the popular Eel's Foot Inn at East Bridge. We have found high water levels in this area before, but this was the most extensive flooding we had encountered in this spot. 

This was the scene that lay before us as we drew closer...

The last glimmer of light was ebbing away. It was time to cross the gulf.

I am glad to report that we reached the other side with the car's brakes in working order. 

The flooding remained, of course, but it would subside in time. We had taken our first metaphorical steps, steps we continue to take in these unusual days and nights, towards horizons that are familiar and yet distinctly altered. 

*  *  *

The path to the sea, Dunwich Heath

This post was written in response to Dr Miriam Darlington's #30dayswildcreativity meme on the theme of 'The Ford', acknowledging, in Miriam's words, that 'sometimes we have to make a crossing we were not expecting, a journey we didn't want to take...'

An Afternoon at Dunwich Heath (and Minsmere)

NT coastguard cottages at Dunwich Heath, Suffolk, UK

Like many others, we have been feeling somewhat confined to base on account of the recent storms and high winds, so it was a joy to see the sunshine over the weekend. We headed for the coast at Dunwich Heath.

It felt quite bracing to start with, but the sun soon helped the temperatures to rise (though I gather some snow is forecast in our region tomorrow).

It didn't take David long to spot a Stonechat, and in fact there were two. They were quite a distance from us, so I apologise for what is barely a record shot.

The National Trust have these beautiful Hebrideans to maintain a healthy heathland ecology.

There was gorse in abundance, along with that warm coconut aroma that it seems to give off in the sunshine.

Suddenly we heard a distinctive call and I spotted a Dartford Warbler.

The photo above has been considerably enlarged (and cropped) from the one above, but it gives an impression of the beady eye and those orange legs.

You get good views of Southwold from Dunwich.

There are few insects about at present, so I was quite pleased to find what I think may be a Yellow Dung Fly. I have only seen one once before, so my ID may or may not be correct.

These are the coastguard cottages. Edward Thomas, the poet, stayed in one of these while he was writing a biography of Richard Jefferies.

The photo below shows the expanse of empty beach...

...and this is the view in the other direction, with RSPB Minsmere down below and Sizewell in the far distance.

After a thermos of Earl Grey, we dragged ourselves away from the waves and drove home via Minsmere. We have seen floods in the network of low-lying roads in the area before, but these were probably the most extensive ones we have encountered here. Our hearts go out to all who have been affected by the floods elsewhere.

Road near Minsmere

Flooded fields

And, yes, twe were on this road...

We came home to a starry night and a pair of Tawny Owls making their respective 'twits' and 'twoos'.