So Spring turns to Summer - Minsmere - 9/5/2017

GREEN WOODPECKERS are very common at Minsmere, often feeding out in the fields

So Summer starts to appear and things quiet down as the migrants leave and the breeding birds settle down to raise families. At a site as good for birds as Minsmere there are lots of breeding birds, many very rare and not seen at many other places, with the main habitats in particular the reedbeds and scrape.
Today I tried out my new camera and its new lens a Canon 80d and a Sigma 150-600 lens. As this was my first use of the camera, the shots aren't that great, but hopefully in the future I'll get better and the pictures will increase in quality.

This male MARSH HARRIER was trying to grab some COOT chicks

 



The Scrape at this time of year is always a remarkable experience with thousands of birds crammed into a small area. Probably the best of the many birds were the two pairs of LITTLE TERNS, the earliest I have seen any. Their presence here probably means they may nest on the scrape with their former habitat in the shingle beach getting smaller and smaller as it is eroded away by the sea. There were around 40+ COMMON TERNS present as pairs build up for the breeding season. Also around were 50+ MED GULLS, a great number which seems to fluctuate from year to year. There were very few last year. There were also roosting KITTIWAKES and some COMMON GULLS about.

There were a few migrant waders passing through, all mainly on South Scrape, with two KNOT, two GREY PLOVER and three DUNLIN, all in breeding plumage and all looking striking. I'm used to  seeing them in winter when they are a boring grey, Springtime can produce some very colourful birds.
On the beach it looks like a couple of pairs of STONECHAT are nesting in the last remaining gorse bushes.

Male STONECHAT

 



There was also a migrant WHEATEAR at the sluice, where SWALLOWS are nesting.

 

SWALLOWS at the sluice, a place where the water from Minsmere goes out to sea

 



The reedbeds were fairly quiet, with a small herd of four RED DEER present in front of the Bittern Hide.

 

Some HIGHLAND CATTLE were grazing the areas by the deserted abbey, looking very primordial with their huge horns, in a wild landscape. This could have been the dawn of time.

 





 

So a fairly low key day today, with nothing particularly note worthy away from the sheer quantity of birds present at Minsmere. To get the right idea it would be to compare Minsmere to a sea bird cliff, it's that much of a spectacle. Visit there and enjoy.