Male SHOVELLER, just look at that glorious beak
With the dawn of spring this year we have had some glorious weather to delight in. OK, so some of the resident birds had already started to sing from early February, and a few flowers have begun to bloom from January, but its in mid March that Spring finally arrives, and it does so with a bang, to fully leave winter well behind. And where better to see this explosion of new life than at Minsmere, surely the greatest nature reserve in the country. All around the reserve, birds were filled with the joy of a new season, celebrating the end of the long hard slog of winter.
Birds on West Scrape
The centre of the reserve has to be the Scrape. Like its name suggests, it is really an area of shallow water "scraped" out of the earth. Located just behind the Dunes, it fluctuates from brackish to freshwater, saltmarsh to reedbeds, littered with lots of stony islands that attracts birds to nest. This habitat was first created at Minsmere, and now, every coastal wetland reserve in the world has a Scrape. A simple habitat that is so attractive to birds.
Pair of BLACK HEADED GULLS on East Scrape
This habitat is so, so attractive to birds, way beyond any other and bird for bird is one of the richest places on the reserve. It is also a great place to see birds, as there is no cover for them to hide in, and Minsmere's Scrape is overlooked by four hides. Probably the bird which nests in the largest number here are the BLACK HEADED GULLS, with several thousand crammed into the islands of the Scrape. Today there had been a large influx since I last visited in February, found especially on East and South Scrape. These birds are very boisterous, always noisy birds, and the sound they make creates a visceral atmosphere, the sound of thousands of birds. As you approach the hides to look over the Scrape, you can really hear these birds, adding to that sense of expectancy, as you ponder what you will see. Strangley, though, only one MED GULL had turned up, a bird that although rarer than the similar black heads, still nests here in largish numbers.
East Scrape
Another group of birds for which the Scrape offers a nice secure home are the WADERS, in particular the AVOCET. Minsmere is famous for this bird, being the starting point for the once extinct bird to recolonise the country. Although a small group had overwintered this winter, there has recently been a large influx, and now over a hundred were present. Numbers always fluctuate year on year so its too early to tell how successful they will be. Pairs of REDSHANK were also newly present on the Scrape and on the Levels, whilst LAPWING constantly tumbled through the air in defence of their territory in the area of grass in front of North Hide. And of course you can't ignore the OYSTERCATCHERS, those black and white, and very noisy squabbling birds, several pairs were making themselves very noticeable. Away from the breeding birds, WADER migration hadn't really started, just the usual birds that I had seen over the winter, DUNLIN, TURNSTONE, SNIPE and CURLEW. The exception was a GREEN SANDPIPER on West Scrape, which must be a migrant.
WIGEON on South Scrape
With the changing of the season, DUCK numbers were much diminished, and there had been a significant reduction in WIGEON and TEAL. A pair of PINTAIL still hung on in South Scrape and a pair of BARNACLE GEESE had turned up. The exception to this exodus was a large influx of SHELDUCK, I guess migrants as these birds only nest at Minsmere in small numbers. There were still plenty of SHOVELLER and GADWALL present, birds which nest at Minsmere in good numbers.
GLOSSY IBIS on the Konik Fields
An unusual sighting today was that of a GLOSSY IBIS feeding in the Konik Fields. These fields are a mix of pools, grassland and reeds, where the reserve's ponies are left to graze in the summer. The bird itself was feeding in the water, oblivious to all the people walking passed. The bird has a primeval look, reminding me of something like a dinosaur, which scientists believe birds descended from. This is my first record for the reserve proper, I saw another bird at Eastbridge, just outside of the reserve's boundary.
Male STONECHAT on the Dunes
Although at Minsmere the larger water birds tend to dominate the birdwatching scene, there was a decent run out of the smaller birds today. Star bird had to go to the FIRECREST which was seen in the Sluice Bushes. Unusually the bird was quite showy, and was easily seen if a little furtive, constantly on the move, and difficult to photograph. As its name suggests it has a fiery mohican and distinct eye stripe. Always a good bird, its usually hard to see, and as a result is actually commoner than you expect. Also along the Dunes, two pairs of STONECHAT had turned up, always such showy birds, they like to flaunt themselves from the top of any branch sticking out into the sky. These birds are probably going to attempt to breed this year in the flowering gorse bushes that cover the Dunes.
Female REED BUNTING
Although birds dominate the show at Minsmere, other types of wildlife can be found here. By the Sand martin Bank, a group of people had assembled, and intrigued, I went over to have a look. It turned out they were looking at an ADDER, which had slithered itself into a growth of bracken. Only part of its body was seen, it was identified by the distinct diamond shape that snakes its way down the back of its brown body. It still always amazes me that snakes live in the UK, especially venomous ones, as if to give two fingers up to our over industrialised countryside. Also about, three RED DEER were seen grazing the Levels.
East Scrape, looking towards North Hide
Spring is always my favourite time of year. Birds are on the move, while other birds are in song, creating an exciting and unpredictable time for birdwatching. And everything is done at such a frantic pace as all the birds are aware of their time limits. With somewhere like Minsmere, such a fertile place for birds, spring was rampant, so full on, which creates a good day's birding. Minsmere is such a glorious place to visit, and if you've never visited, what are you doing - go now!
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