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Minsmere: Bird Watching, Notes and Photos
Every now and again when we visit Aldeburgh we take a trip or two to Minsmere which is about fifteen minutes by car.
Our normal routine is to amble off in one direction then back to the shop for a coffee and a snack, repeated in different directions throughout the day.
The following is not an exhaustive list of our exploits just some ramblings and photos.
Minsmere 24th June 2011
Unfortunately my camera decided to die while I was shooting one of the Marsh Harriers, so no photos I'm afraid.
Good day out though, spotted Fiona the escaped Greater Flamingo and then a bizarre incident up at the Island Hyde.
There I was scanning the lake when someone said, "O Look a Common Seal".
Now I'm not always on the ball, but this time the grey cells went into overdrive thinking this is a freshwater lake and there is no easy access for a seal, this must be an Otter and it was.
Normally shy and secretive this Otter started off by teasing a rather bemused Heron and then put on a great show for about half an hour, rolling, messing about and just seemingly having fun right in front of us, what a bugger about the camera!
Minsmere 24th - 25th March 2011
I have always said that some of the easiest bird watching you can do is by the shop and café and having had several blank trips over the winter to various places
imagine our surprise, sitting having a quiet cup of coffee when one of the elusive Bramblings saunters down the bank right in front of us!
We had some great views of a Bittern which wandered across in front of the Island Hide, ate a stickleback and then started booming in the open.
All in all a great couple of days with over 60 species spotted.
Minsmere 30th - 31st October 2010
Some of the easiest bird watching you can do is by the shop and café. There were large numbers of Chaffinches and Tits on the feeders and ground along with the odd Greenfinch, Greater Spotted Woodpecker, Pheasant and even a couple of Magpies (the Magpies were actually on the feeders which I have never seen before). In amongst the many Great Tits and Blue Tits there were a couple of Coal Tits and very unusually a Marsh Tit which came down and grabbed a couple of sunflower hearts!
In the Woodland we saw several Bullfinches and Goldcrests and on the way down to the East Hyde we saw Bearded Reedlings and a brief glimpse of a Cetti’s Warbler.
Even luckier down on the dunes behind the sluices we also saw some Snow Buntings, Meadow Pipits and a male Lapland Bunting.
On both days we were lucky enough to see a Ring Tailed Hen Harrier (female Hen Harrier) over the Marshes, Marsh Harriers and on the Sunday a Sparrow Hawk that got knocked off one of the posts by a Crow.
Off shore was a juvenile male King Eider Duck that will be absolutely spectacular once in full adult plumage.
There was also a group of Bewicks Swans on the scrape and someone identified a Caspian Gull, although all the time we were there it sat with its head down which was a bit of a bugger and still no sign of the Great White Egret.
Minsmere 29th – 31st May 2010
Not the best weather, but nevertheless a good trip with many ‘classic’ views of Avocets all over the scrape complete with young chicks. Finally bagged Dartford Warblers and Stonechats (popped up to Dunwich Heath at dawn for these).
I love watching the Marsh Harriers quartering the reed beds and some of the other birds we saw included, Bittern, Oystercatcher with young, Greylag Geese, Bearded Reedlings, Whitethroat, Little Plover, Sand Martin, Swift, Swallow, Cuckoo….
No sign of the Great White Egret.
Minsmere 3rd – 4th September 2009
Loads of the usual suspects including: Greylag Geese, Shoveler, Green Plover, Snipe, Widgeon, Marsh Harrier, Long Tailed Tits and Bearded Reedlings.
Saw my first pair of Green Sandpipers and Julie bagged her first Water Rail which took ages of follow the big green reed stalk, right at the smudge of brown, left at the brown round thingy, up five inches and you can see the red beak!
As per usual once spotted the ruddy thing gave up hiding and came out and put on a display for about ten minutes.
No sign of the Great White Egret, although we did see several Red Deer, a Grass Snake and loads of butterflies feeding on the blackberries.
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