Minsmere - 14/2/2019

KONIK ponies have free reign to graze the Scrape.

Its been a funny old winter. Temperatures have remained high, except for a brief snow flurry, and winter bird numbers have remained low. For around a month I have been chasing birds with little result. Mid February is more associated with deep winter, but today on a visit to Minsmere it really felt like the beginning of Spring. The temperature was high, around fifteen degrees and I really wonder whether that's it for Winter so far.
A February visit to Minsmere is usually associated with wintering DUCKS, and it was the case today with all the usual suspects, though numbers were in the hundreds rather than the thousands I would expect. Six TUFTED DUCKS on South Scrape were fairly unusual for Minsmere at this time of year, and a male PINTAIL was on East Scrape, this species is fairly rare here when compared to other reserves on the coast like North Warren and Trimley. A flock of 25 BARNACLE GEESE were lazing around, and there were big flocks of GREYLAGS. The Levels, the area of grazing marsh between the Scrape and Sizewell were flooded but had few birds on, loafing GULLS and a large LAPWING flock.

 The short grass and mud the ponies create are ideal for nesting LAPWINGS

During winter WADER numbers are low on the Scrape, preferring the rich mud of the estuaries. Those that were present were harbingers of Spring, the first returners of the breeding season. On East Scrape there was an AVOCET, whilst on South Scrape was a pair of OYSTERCATCHER and a RINGED PLOVER. Also present were two DUNLIN on South Scrape, probably misplaced winterers.

 Male SHOVELLER showing off its distinctive bill.

The sea was fairly quiet but had a RED THROATED DIVER, which is usual for this time of year.
On the small bird side signs of Spring was in the air. A pair of STONECHATS were on the beach, this being a prime breeding site for this species, and a singing SKYLARK were present on the Abbey Field, and a singing CETTI'S WARBLER by the West Hide.
The woods were alive with the twinkling of birds, but proper singing won't happen for another month yet. On the feeders by the visitor's centre were a MARSH TIT and several COAL TITS providing highlights amongst the usual birds.

 Male and female SHOVELLERS

The Reedbed Hides were on the whole good. A BITTERN was seen briefly in flight at the Bittern Hide, although they haven't started booming yet, the big sound they produce to establish breeding territories. MARSH HARRIERS were everywhere. One pair did a sky dance above Island Mere, a beautiful aerial ballet between the male and female to establish pairing, one of nature's great marvels. Another female was chased off by a pair of CROWS as she strayed to close to their territory.
After leaving the main part of the reserve, on the exit road, heading out of the reserve, we came upon a herd of RED DEER feeding on a heathy field. I counted 55 deer a large number for a species that inhabits the woods and heaths of Minsmere, a British Serengeti if you will.

 Some of the herd of RED DEER

As a whole there were a lot of birds present with a good variety. This is a strange in-between season - not quite winter, not quite spring, that has muddied all the bird's seasonal rhythm. The fact is that winter is getting shorter and shorter until maybe it will disappear altogether thereby confusing many species. With warmer temperatures on the continent the birds aren't forced to come to our temperate island, and therefore wintering numbers of birds are lower here. Its a shame and with something as complex as the weather I don't know who or what to blame, but no doubt it will be down to us humans.