Talons
London Birder
Hi! Just come back from Minsmere. It was really good. No bitterns, unfortunately..... ah well. You can't win 'em all.
First birds of note were seen while I was going out to the car, 3 Swifts screaming overhead. During a 2-hour journey, the first 'lifer' of the day occurred in the form of a Sand Martin flying over nearby Westleton.
The first place I went to was the Sand Martin bank near the visitor's centre, on the easternmost trail. There were at least 100 Sand Martins popping in and out of the bank. Also saw Blackbird perching on a bush.
At the East Hide there was a Garganey preening at the water's edge. While scanning, I picked up a Lapwing on an island. I spotted several Avocets. A Little Ringed Plover was nearby. The Sand Martins were flying over the wader scrape. Also spotted were Common Sandpiper, a pair of Spotted Redshank (they had been spotted now!), many Black-headed Gulls and a solitary Greater Black-backed Gull.
Notable along the path to the Sluice was a young Green Woodpecker.
Not much at The Sluice, though a group of the everpresent Sand Martins comically flew out of the hole where you could look into the sluice. Counted eight Common Terns flying towards the coast.
The South Hide was much better. There were 100 (at most) Common Terns on one island. A lone Avocet was combing the water's edge. A Common Redshank duo flew in and began to feed. Scanning, I found a juvenile Little Ringed Plover and a Cormorant. There were a group of Black-headed Gulls on a group of islands. Before I left, two Sandwich Terns, the only pair at Minsmere, touched down and bathed.
The best hide of the day was the West Hide, which immediately offered up c50 Avocets, and many Black-headed Gulls. Also, the Sand Martins were even down here. There were four Northern Shoveler on the scrape, along with 24 Bar-tailed Godwit, 3 Lapwing, and another 3 Black-tailed Godwit looking particularly good in their summer plumage. Joining them was a single Crow, seven Dunlin and a Moorhen.
No Bitterns at the Bittern Hide, though 2 Marsh Harriers put in an appearance, along with one of the nesting Cetti's Warblers and 3 Bearded Tits.
Between the Bittern Hide and Island Mere, I counted 14 Wild Rabbits.
At the Island Mere hide, the first birds to appear were 3 Cormorants, closely followed by a Grey Heron and 2 Marsh Harriers. 5 more Cormorants and 4 Common Terns were the other birds on my Island Mere list, except 4 Greater Black-backed Gulls.
In the Canopy Hide, there were Marsh Tit, Great Tit and a Treecreeper. There were also some Chaffinches, a Grey Squirrel (didn't steal any nuts) and a Wild Rabbit.
The last bird I recorded was a Black-headed Gull in the car park when I was going.
I hope you enjoyed reading my account!
First birds of note were seen while I was going out to the car, 3 Swifts screaming overhead. During a 2-hour journey, the first 'lifer' of the day occurred in the form of a Sand Martin flying over nearby Westleton.
The first place I went to was the Sand Martin bank near the visitor's centre, on the easternmost trail. There were at least 100 Sand Martins popping in and out of the bank. Also saw Blackbird perching on a bush.
At the East Hide there was a Garganey preening at the water's edge. While scanning, I picked up a Lapwing on an island. I spotted several Avocets. A Little Ringed Plover was nearby. The Sand Martins were flying over the wader scrape. Also spotted were Common Sandpiper, a pair of Spotted Redshank (they had been spotted now!), many Black-headed Gulls and a solitary Greater Black-backed Gull.
Notable along the path to the Sluice was a young Green Woodpecker.
Not much at The Sluice, though a group of the everpresent Sand Martins comically flew out of the hole where you could look into the sluice. Counted eight Common Terns flying towards the coast.
The South Hide was much better. There were 100 (at most) Common Terns on one island. A lone Avocet was combing the water's edge. A Common Redshank duo flew in and began to feed. Scanning, I found a juvenile Little Ringed Plover and a Cormorant. There were a group of Black-headed Gulls on a group of islands. Before I left, two Sandwich Terns, the only pair at Minsmere, touched down and bathed.
The best hide of the day was the West Hide, which immediately offered up c50 Avocets, and many Black-headed Gulls. Also, the Sand Martins were even down here. There were four Northern Shoveler on the scrape, along with 24 Bar-tailed Godwit, 3 Lapwing, and another 3 Black-tailed Godwit looking particularly good in their summer plumage. Joining them was a single Crow, seven Dunlin and a Moorhen.
No Bitterns at the Bittern Hide, though 2 Marsh Harriers put in an appearance, along with one of the nesting Cetti's Warblers and 3 Bearded Tits.
Between the Bittern Hide and Island Mere, I counted 14 Wild Rabbits.
At the Island Mere hide, the first birds to appear were 3 Cormorants, closely followed by a Grey Heron and 2 Marsh Harriers. 5 more Cormorants and 4 Common Terns were the other birds on my Island Mere list, except 4 Greater Black-backed Gulls.
In the Canopy Hide, there were Marsh Tit, Great Tit and a Treecreeper. There were also some Chaffinches, a Grey Squirrel (didn't steal any nuts) and a Wild Rabbit.
The last bird I recorded was a Black-headed Gull in the car park when I was going.
I hope you enjoyed reading my account!
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