Minsmere - 26/6/2019

This time of year on the Scrape, a time that's the height of the breeding season, there is so much happening. On East Scrape, looking out from the hide, everywhere I looked there was something happening. With thousands of GULLS, TERNS and WADERS, all stuck into a tiny space, Minsmere is one of those sea birds spectacles that has just got to be witnessed. Its the jewel in Suffolk's coastal landscape, a birdwatching place where anything can happen.

Its always a perversity of nature that in Summer, the height of the breeding season, Autumn is already beginning. Mid June marks the start of wader migration, with several species using the mud on the scrape as a feeding station, stopping off here on their slow way back to their wintering grounds.
There was a good selection of waders for June, with five SPOTTED REDSHANK, two RUFF, and three KNOT, all present on East Scrape, whilst a CURLEW flew over. Although resident there was a massive increase in GODWITS, feeding in loose flocks on the Scrape. At this time of year the birds are all in summer plumage, with most of the birds looking spectacular.

 The GODWITS look great at the moment in their bronze summer plumage.

 

The most flamboyant are the RUFFS, with the two birds having ornate ginger neck ruffs, and a black head. The SPOTTED REDSHANK, meanwhile, are all black with white spots, which is how they got their name. The KNOT are a brick red although the birds today weren't too colourful, and the CURLEW, well, are always a brown colour, no matter what the season.
Most of the BLACK HEADED GULLS had finished nesting, with most of their chicks fledged, the same with the MED GULLS, their chicks are a grey colour as compared to the brown of the BH GULLS. New to Minsmere are some ground nesting KITTIWAKES, with four nesting pairs on South Scrape. This may not sound like much, but in the recent history there have been only two other records of this behaviour happening. This is an offshoot of the population down the coast at Sizewell, with there not being any proper habitat they are forced to nest on the ground. Usually they are birds of sea cliffs.

Two KITTIWAKES and a BLACK HEADED GULL.

 

Present on the South Scrape, perhaps a month early was a second summer LITTLE GULL, not quite in adult plumage, with its distinctive all black head, its a small bird the size of a tern.
COMMON TERN were present in large numbers, 163 pairs, and being later nesters had only just hatched their chicks, with the birds mainly on South Scrape. The terns would dash from the Scrape, low down over the beach to fish out at sea, constantly coming and going.

One of the COOMON TERNS, they would fly from the scrape dashing over the dunes, to fish out to sea.

 



Unusual for Minsmere, at least in my memory, is a breeding colony of SANDWICH TERN, with around fifty pairs breeding on one island in East Scrape. Being early returners a lot of their chicks were nearly fledged.  LITTLE TERNS were also nesting on South Scrape, the first time in my memory that they've nested on the Scrape. They used to nest on the beach, about ten years ago, but coastal erosion and human disturbance put paid to that. I counted thirteen birds, but they kept coming and going so there was probably a few more birds about.

 One of the islands in South Scrape, inhabited by nesting GULLS and TERNS.

 

There were the usual resident DUCKS, although newly arrived TEAL may be here for the winter, and there was a turn up of GADWALL to the East Scrape, to moult. There were a couple of broods of SHELDUCK, and one of TUFTED DUCK on West Scrape.
The Scrape at the moment is very overgrown, to allow shelter for chicks from marauding gulls. It also allows the Scrape to recover, for the reeds and mares tail to pump oxygen into the water and attract insects that the birds feed on, which makes the Scrape more fertile.

 HIGHLAND COW grazing the Konik Field. This picture could be from a scene as old as time.

 

The reedbeds are fairly busy at this time of year. They make up a large chunk of Minsmere, and are of considerable importance as they have species that are exclusive to this habitat. Most of those birds were seen today with a BEARDED TIT being seen behind South Hide, whilst a family party of several more birds were seen in the reeds in front of Island Mere Hide.
There was a flock of moulting GADWALL on Island Mere, with several pairs of both GREBES, including a GREAT CRESTED GREBE nest created in and from water weeds in the middle of the body of water, and an old brood of SWANS were about.

  

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Female MARSH HARRIER quartering over the reedbeds

 

MARSH HARRIERS were present in small numbers whilst there was a brief HOBBY from Bittern Hide. There were plenty of BUNTINGS in the reeds, with the odd singing WARBLER, and SAND MARTINS and SWALLOWS flying low over the reserve.

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Other small birds on the reserve included at least two pairs of STONECHAT nesting in the gorse bushes in the dunes, with plenty of LINNETS about everywhere.

As you can see it has been an amazing day at Minsmere. I challenge you to find any reserve that can hold this many birds at the height of the breeding season. Minsmere just has the variety, with such a large area of so many rare habitats. This is the Sistine Chapel of nature, something that needs to be seen to be appreciated, and to realise how fragile it all is.




Male STONECHAT