A Sunny Afternoon

The weather forecast indicated that the Felixstowe area might be in for a sunny afternoon, so we headed off to Landguard to see what was about on the beach and in the adjoining nature reserve. We were delighted to see Wheatears on the clipped turf; David counted eight at one point. 

There were a few rabbits, grazing away in the spring warmth. We encountered the remains of an Easter Bunny trail (see 'Daffodil' below) in the nature reserve, with rabbit information boards for those taking part in the hunt. 

We came home and put up the garden table for the first time this year, and sat among the tulips, sipping our mugs of tea and listening to the sound of birdsong. 

 

Looking for Frogspawn at Felixstowe

We took a short trip to the Landguard end of Felixstowe on Saturday afternoon to see if we could find any frogspawn. This area is monitored closely for wildlife by the Landguard Bird Observatory.

The weather was very grey, but mild. There were one or two rabbits in the scrub that fronts the container park for the port.



The photo above shows the backdrop. If you turn round, you can almost see the sea.

It only takes a few minutes to reach the pond. It seemed smaller than we remembered.

There was a lot of weed so it was difficult to distinguish one form of life from another.

I darkened my photo once I was home to see if a bit more contrast revealed anything further. What can you see?

The photo above shows the pond... and the one below shows two insects. I thought they might be a kind of water beetle but on enlarging the photo a bit, it is clear that they are a species of fly.

We may return in a few weeks. The photo below shows a scene from the same pond, taken on 10 March 2014...

If you come across clumps of frog spawn, do consider recording them here on the 2019 PondNet Survey.

My First Water Vole sighting of the year

A prominent ripple was the first clue to animal activity at RSPB Minsmere ...

 ... We were delighted when the ripple was followed by a Water Vole, swimming in front of us.

The creature tucked itself into a niche under the footbridge ...

... and began chewing a reed.

Just look at the difference in size between the front claws and the back ones! The front paws leave a star-shaped print in the mud.

I rotated the two photos above by 90 degrees to allow for an easier view. Water Voles always remind me of Ratty in The Wind in the Willows, who had his own rowing boat.

These beautiful animals are a protected species in the UK under the Wildlife and Countryside Act of 1981. They are also listed as a Priority Species in the UK Biodiversity Action Plan. Water Voles declined drastically in the 20th century, initially on account of invasive farming practices and then as a result of the spread of American Mink.

I have logged the sighting on the Wildlife Trusts' sightings form.

It was a good afternoon for mammals. There were large quantities of rabbits and their young out in the sunshine.

They were hopping about and sitting peacefully when there was sudden pandemonium in the ranks. David (who has posted his own Water Vole photo) watched a stoat chasing one of their number into the thicket of bramble and gorse. I missed the stoat, but saw white tails bobbing in all directions.   

There were plenty of red deer about. I have only just noticed the rabbit to the left. 

The BBC Springwatch team will be back here before long.

RSPB Minsmere ... Best of the Rest

Those of you who read my last post will have seen my Adder photographs from RSPB Minsmere, here in Suffolk, UK.

The snakes were undoubtedly a highlight, but there were other wonderful wildlife moments, too. This Robin was singing its heart out near the Visitors' Centre. 

There were more than a few signs that the BBC Springwatch crew

were in the area, such as this red tag. 

I wonder what is special about this particular bramble patch!

 

The weather improved a bit, but the conditions were not ideal for butterflies. 

This Red Admiral was resting in a sheltered spot.

 We watched the Avocets on the scrapes.

Some were doing what waders do best ...

and others were sitting on their nests. 

There were some chicks, but we failed to see these. 

There were also some stately Little Egret ...

... and a Bittern. 

We saw a second Bittern (above) later on,

flying past Island Mere Hide. 

We came face to face with a couple of well-fed Red-legged Partridges

who were 'hanging out' near the tea room. 

The air was filled with Sand Martins,

and while they took to the skies,

the rabbits scampered about in the sand bank. 

These fluffy goslings commanded a lot of attention, particularly since they were easy to see ...

... unlike the fabulous but elusive Bearded tits,

who kept disappearing in the reedbeds. 

The one above is a male 

(note the 'beard' or moustache).

This is a female, though she is hard to see!

 

I believe this tiny insect is a grasshopper,

my first one in 2015.

It is hard to tell how long those antennae are!  

Update: 27 May - I now think it is a Groundhopper. 

The Common Tern

kept us entertained while we waited

for the Bearded tits to emerge. 

While I was watching the Adders, I fell into conversation with an artist-illustrator,

Narisa Togo, who was sketching the snakes.

Narisa gave me details of her wonderful blog here.

Do take a look ...

Seasonal Splash: Minsmere, with dabbling ducks!

We had some fine spring sunshine at the weekend. The male Teal in the photo above was almost doing a handstand, as it dabbled! I guess the blue (rather than green) on the head was due to a combination of the glass in the hide and the iridescent fall of light. Teal are on our Amber conservation list.

I mentioned recently that the nesting boxes were looking colourful at Minsmere. Here are a few more des res for birds and bats.

What a plump Greenfinch! His bright flash of yellow-green caught our eye as he flew off before I could take a better photo.

We watched a number of Lapwing at some distance from the North Hide. Again, their iridescent plumage sparkled in the sunlight.

The rabbits are usually very docile, and this one above was no exception. You can see the new Stinging Nettle shoots sprouting up - like the weeds in our garden!

This is a close-up of one of the bat boxes. Unlike the bird boxes, these ones do not have a circular hole in the front.

There were plenty of ducks about on the mere. This is a male Garganey. It is somewhat larger than a Teal, and easily identified by its head stripe.

I always feel it is such a shame that the dome of Sizewell Power Station dominates the landscape of the reserve.

Here is the Garganey again.

The tint of turquoise caught my eye!

This large Mallard was making the most of the Spring sunshine.

I think this is a Chiffchaff or a Willow Warbler, though I always find these birds very hard to identify with accuracy! Please let me know what you think ...

And finally ... back at home a new take on 'coconut cake'! This piece of coconut, emdedded with seeds and mealworms, fell to the ground after some wild trapeze antics from the local Great tits, Blue tits, Long-tailed tits and Robins. Look at the bill marks!

You can read about local migrant 'arrivals' here ... and the Minsmere Bitterns here. 

From the Hide (1): Mr (& Mrs) Toad and friends

We had greatly enjoyed Adam Tilt's account of his heroic Toad Rescue in Burry Port, so were aware that Mr - & Mrs - Toad might be out in the spring sunshine. Nevertheless, we were somewhat taken by surprise as we scanned the scene from the hide in Pembrey Country Park, for a warty creature was making its way down towards the water's edge before our eyes.

The view from the hide: last time we were here it was like a scene from Monet's Giverny, with waterlilies!

Turning tail: our first sighting of a rabbit in 2011.

We left the first hide - and lo and behold, there were Mr and Mrs Common Toad!

They were moving purposefully in our direction (though we used a zoom lens and tried to give them space)

It was soon time for a short rest ...

... before the obstacle course!

Talk about camouflage - but the spotty legs gave the toad away!

There were a few Mallard drakes on the water.

The toads knew that spring was in the air, but this (Yellow Brain?) fungus and the cold wind added a touch of the autumnal.

Spring won out, however, for I saw my first Daisy of 2011 ...

... complete with 'pollinator'!

• The Toads on Roads project
• Beware ... 'Toad on Road' signs
• BBC coverage
• 2010: Toads in Gloucestershire

Postscript: 2 March ~ I have been keeping an eye out for frogspawn - without success thus far. My first sighting of the year is 'virtual' spawn here on Lletty's (Carmarthenshire) blog ...