RSPB Minsmere ~ Otters and Marsh Harriers

We had barely sat down in the hide at RSPB Minsmere when we saw this Marsh Harrier coursing the marsh ...

... in the fading sunlight.

An eerie juxtaposition: the stately Marsh Harrier flying in front of Sizewell Nucear Power Station.

Swans were flying inland towards Island mere ...

... while the Harrier kept turning and swooping,

hovering and lifting ...

hovering ...

... and soaring.

Suddenly there were two ...

... followed by two Red Deer does.

This little dyke seemed pretty still ...

... when all of a sudden there was the flick of a tail ...

... and the telltale ring of bright water. 

It became apparent that there were two Otters swimming backwards and forwards.

Every so often a dark shape would emerge ...

... and at one point this Otter swam across with a fish in its mouth.

Such a magnificent sight, and one I have never seen at Minsmere before ...

... though we kept looking in the hope that it was only a matter of time.

What fabulous creatures!

Soon there was a scuffle and a ripple ... and the otters disappeared. 

But there was one last surprise in store ...

... our first Common Scoter (a drake).

This is such a magnificent reserve ...

... with its history (chapel remains of the former Leiston Abbey), Harriers ...

... and swathes of East Anglian light.

• Our previous Otter sighting, in Scotland

Nature Reserves: Minsmere

Grey Squirrel, posing for a 'quick pic'

These are a few photos from our most wintry walk yet. We were at Minsmere on the Suffolk coast. The windchill factor made us feel that we were back in Philadelphia, where we spent some time a year ago last January. There was an onshore gale blowing, and it was bitter!

Red Deer, lying low (we also saw one tiny Muntjac deer)

The Squirrel again ...

The cold Suffolk sea!

These Mute Swans had the right idea, sheltering in the reedbed at the edge of the scrape.

It is very chilly, so we have added another coconut fatball to our feeder in the garden. Needless to say, a plump Blue tit appeared and headed straight for the old one, which I suppose was tried and trusted. The bird may have preferred it because he could almost get inside the shell as so much of the fat had already been eaten. Perhaps this added to a feeling of safety from predators or shelter from the elements.

We also saw a few other species of bird earlier while we were at Minsmere, which I will list below, along with the ones I have seen elsewhere in February ...

Minsmere 

Mute Swan
Marsh Harrier
Mallard
Cormorant
Coal tit
Black-backed Gull
Shelduck

--------------

Home patch

Blue tit
Blackbird
Song Thrush
Robin
Goldfinch
Wood Pigeon
Chaffinch
Great tit

---------------

Ipswich

Collared Dove
Carrion Crow

--------------

Essex

Curlew

Nature Reserves: Dunwich Heath at Twilight

By the time we reached Dunwich Heath at the weekend, the light was fading fast ...

Swans were heading ...

... for home overhead.

There were a few Red Deer about ...

... but in the fading light, you had to keep your eyes skimmed!

The crescent moon was magnificent ...

... and the shades of sunset merged as the sun disappeared.

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.