(not) LANDGUARD - 22nd September

 A nice morning at Minsmere in calm, sunny conditions; there were a few waders on the scrapes including a Pectoral Sandpiper from South Hide (been there a couple of days), just 4 Avocets, a Grey Plover, 135+ Black-tailed Godwits, a Knot, 2 Ruff, a Sanderling, 4 Dunlin, 18+ Snipe, a Common Sandpiper, 3 Green Sandpiper, 6 Spotted Redshank and a Greenshank along with increased wildfowl since my last visit including 315+ Barnacle Geese, Shoveler, Gadwall, Teal, Wigeon and Pintail.   

There were few other migrants around with a trickle of Meadow Pipits, House Martins and Swallows heading south, a couple of Lesser Whitethroats and Blackcaps and a few Chiffchaffs whilst other birds included a Great White Egret, 2 Bittern sightings, a single remaining Common Tern, 2 Kingfishers and 6+ Stonechats.   

In the fine conditions the Bearded Tits were very active, flying up high with lots of small flocks whizzing around everywhere, Dartford Warblers were very obvious as well with a male in full song and a couple more were flitting about and like everywhere else, Cetti’s Warblers are starting to sing again.

Dartford Warblers

Bearded Tits

(not) LANDGUARD - 27th July

 A good morning spent at Minsmere produced a nice array of birds around the scrapes and along the beach; the scrapes were again full of waders including my overdue first 2 Curlew Sandpipers of the year, 250+ Avocets, a Little Ringed Plover, 350+ Black-tailed Godwits, a Turnstone, a Knot, 9 Ruff, 4 Sanderling, 180+ Dunlin, 2 Snipe, 6 Common Sandpiper, 4 Green Sandpiper and 6 Spotted Redshank along with 15 Little Gulls, 60 Little Terns and a couple of good fly-past Bitterns.   

The other highlight was excellent views of 3 Dartford Warblers singing and chasing each other in the gorse just south of the Sluice Bushes.

Bittern, Dartford Warbler and Stonechat from Minsmere; the camera settings were all wrong so they are not as good as they should be!

Black-tailed Godwit and Redshank from Melton

Dartford Warbler

 This very confiding Dartford Warbler had no problem singing his heart out right next to me in the Gorse and Brambles along the beach at Minsmere, while I was trying to watch waders on the scrape.

Best views ever!

20th January

Had a great day’s birding round Minsmere, walking in from Sizewell; the highlights were two Dartford Warblers with a male just north of the power station and another, less-showy bird near the sluice and a brilliant, classic reedbed scene for ten minutes around the Island Mere hide when a Bittern popped out to show well, Bearded Tits were pinging all around the hide (only managed to glimpse one though!), a very noisy pair of Marsh Harriers were getting excited in the sunshine, Water Rails were squealing and Cetti’s Warblers were singing along with a flock of Long-tailed Tits moving through the reeds and yodelling Green Woodpeckers – awesome stuff!   Other bits included a 3cy Yellow-legged Gull feeding at the power station outflow, a group of 7 Whooper Swans on the reserve, c10 Avocets, c6 Black-tailed Godwits, a few Stonechat pairs and stacks of ducks, Marsh Harriers etc. 

Dartford Warbler

Bittern