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'.

A Quick Flit Around RSPB Minsmere

No prizes for guessing the setting of our expedition last weekend. I thought there was a Stonechat in the frame when I clicked the camera, but I don't seem to see it here.

There were, however, quite a few about, flitting between the grass and the rope - like the one above.




You can make out the coastguard cottages at Dunwich Heath on the rise, another favourite spot.



After a peep at the sea (where we missed a Mediterranean gull), we headed back past the pond for Earl Grey and tiffin, looking out over the reedbeds in the reserve.



We were the only ones sitting out, but wrapped up in outdoor clothing, the temperature seemed fine to me.




We walked past what were for me the first daffodil blooms of the season (a bit ahead of St David's Day), and headed for the Bittern Hide. An early Bittern had apparently been booming, but we failed to hear the call.

I soon heard a scuffle and watched this Grey Squirrel clambering up the trunk with a mouthful of dry leaves... yes, it's (almost) that time of year again! It was very furtive and I only managed this record shot before it disappeared from view.

It is very sad to think that in a week when some have spotted their first butterfly of the season (alas, I'm still waiting...), there have been further reports of the drastic demise of our insect populations. The pond above is a good place for odonata: I'm hoping there will still be a good show of dragons and damsels later on. And then, of course, the plans, for and the campaign against, the proposed Sizewell C power station continue: if you click the link, you will be able add your voice to the debate. I know life is rarely straight forward, but I find it very hard to understand why a structure of this kind should be built on neighbouring land to one of the UK's best nature reserves, which is home to numerous unusual, and in some cases, threatened, species. 

An old photo showing the proximity of the power station to the reserve

NT Dunwich Heath - signs of autumn

We took a trip to the sea at Dunwich Heath on Saturday, and while we were there, we noticed two Red-banded Sand Wasps. One flew across our windscreen and you may just be able to make out the other in the photo above. I took a quick record shot (the photo you see), but the insect flitted off before I could take a better photograph.

I have noticed these unusual Sand Wasps on the heath before. This is what I wrote a year ago:

 '... my eyes fell upon this strange insect, which I guessed was a kind of ant. There were three of them in the area, if I remember correctly, but they were pretty speedy creatures and hard to catch on camera as the kept vanishing beyond the wire netting. I was browsing the web earlier today when I spotted a photo of the insect here on the RSPB Lakenheath Fen page. The creature turns out (it seems to me) to be Red-banded Sand Wasp (Ammophila sabulosa). It has even appeared on a Romanian postage stamp. You can read about the wasp's kleptoparasitic behaviour in the Comments here on the iSpot nature website. 
These wasps are quite striking. They are long, thin and ant-like.' 

My photo from 2014

 The heath was looking colourful, with the last flush of summer shades. 

There were a few insects about, though we saw few birds.

I'm guessing this is Hoverfly Syrphus vitripennis or Syrphus ribesii

The sign serves as a reminder that this coastal landscape is a very fragile one. The sandy cliffs are prone to erosion and at the mercy of east coast storms.

The heath divides the sea (right) from the a wooded area to the left of this photograph. It will soon be the deer rutting season.

I have a hunch that this is either Birch Brittlegill Russula betularum or a similar species. I believe it is poisonous. There were certainly plenty of birch trees at the back of the reserve. I see 'Red Russula' were recorded on nearby Westleton Heath.

Fungi identification is not my forte, so please feel free to leave a comment if you can help with an ID.

Is this a 'Blusher', Amanita rubescens, perhaps? (see last photo on this link)

The old coastcard cottages on the heath are now National Trust holiday properties, a cafe and shop.

We have seen more Kestrels than ever this summer. This one was a fair distance away, but we had a good view through binoculars.

My thanks to Facebook friends, Matt and Paul, for confirming that this looks like a juvenile Stonechat.

Saturday turned into such a lovely evening that we drove on the short distance to Southwold, where we had fish and chips overlooking the River Blyth. You can make out Walberswick on the far side. We were keeping an eye (and an ear) out for skeins of geese when we were suddenly alerted to the presence of a very strange gull silhouette. It was flying slowly over the water, and as it approached, we could see very clearly that it was a Barn Owl.