We received some sad news this week that one of Minsmere’s best-loved and longest serving volunteers, Betty Nelson, has sadly passed away.

Betty was a volunteer at Minsmere for more than 30 years, staffing the old Beach Hut, working in reception and, latterly, folding leaflets and sorting pin badges. Betty stood down as a volunteer when the Covid lockdown started in March 2020, at the grand age of 99 years. We were…

Much like London buses, hot on the heels of last week's report of a Purple Emperor, we've had several more sightings of this huge, impressive butterfly this week. Two were seen near Bittern Hide on Tuesday, then on Wednesday morning we were treated to incredible views as a stunning male flitted between the picnic tables outside the cafe, even landing on one of my colleagues! It went on to spend the morning resting under…

The title of this blog may sound like it comes from a Jackie Collins novel (not that I've ever read one), but it actually pays homage to some of the most beautiful and obvious insects seen around the reserve at the moment.

July is a brilliant time to look for insects. Digger Alley may steal much of the glory, with it's incredible variety of digger wasps and mining bees, but shimmering butterflies and dazzling dragonflies…

As is often the case in late June/early July, it's been hard to know where best to send visitors recently. It certainly helps if we know what you are most keen to see: for Bitterns or Hobbies go to Bittern Hide or Island Mere; for Avocets or terns go to East or South Hides; for butterflies try the North Wall or Woodland Trail; or for insects in general then head to Digger Alley.

But perhaps that is simplifying things…

Mid June is a relatively static time in the bird world, with most birds settled into the routine of rearing their chicks, so there tends to be little change from day to day in terms of what species are present. That's not to say that there is no change. Far from it, in fact. It may not be midsummer's day until next week, but we're already starting to see the first returning southbound waders on the Scrape.…

Have you been watching BBC Springwatch from the wonderful RSPB Arne nature reserve in Dorset? If you have, then you will hopefully been enthralled at the superb feature on Minsmere's Digger Alley, featuring two of our wonderful volunteers, Steve and Davene, and their simply stunning footage of the bees and wasps that call Digger Alley home. If you missed it, then you catch up on BBC i-Player.

Digger Alley itself is…

I only had time for a quick walk at lunchtime today, but it was enough to see Minsmere at its best, in gorgeous sunshine.

My first destination was the Wildlife Lookout, where I hoped to finally catch up with the Glossy Ibis that has been proving elusive for the past week. I was in luck today - as were most other visitors - as it was preening on the bank, looking absolutely stunning in the sun. It certainly lived up to…

We were sent an email this week by a visitor who was inspired to write a poem about his recent trip to Minsmere, which you can read below. We'd love to see any poems, paintings or other projects where Minsmere has been the inspiration.

Minsmere Mayhem

Dragon flies ringing the picnic benches;
Buzzards flying, hug the endless sky;
Bitterns calling to some far off places,
Buzzing crowds around the shop do lie.

Children…

After several scarce waders earlier in the month, May had at least one more surprise in store yesterday when our Bittern survey volunteers spotted a superb male Hen Harrier over the reeds.

Known as Skydancers in the uplands due to their buoyant switchback display flight, Hen Harriers used to be widespread winter visitors in eastern England, with several birds spending the winter months in the Minsmere area. However, following…

It's that time of year when woodlands around the UK are filled with the wonderful scent of hyacinth, as carpets of Bluebells burst into bloom, covering the woodland floor in a haze of blue. 

Minsmere is no exception, and one of the best places to experience this spectacle is just outside the visitor centre as you enter South Belt.

Bluebell is just one of many species of flower blooming across the reserve, with Yellow…

Kent. The Garden of England. Famous for its orchard, oast houses, castles and white cliffs. But did you know that it is also the only English county to have three different birds whose names relate to the county, or places within it (and at least one moth, for that matter).

Despite this claim to fame, there was a time not so long ago when none of those three birds bred in Kent, and one is still a very rare visitor to…

Guest blog by Arabella Marshall, Suffolk Craft Society

Connecting with nature through craft

Minsmere is a magnet for people who love birds and wildlife. It also carries a rich and complex human narrative stretching back over centuries. This compelling combination has inspired a group of eight makers from the Suffolk Craft Society to find new approaches to their own work resulting in sculpture, prints, hangings and a…

This week's blog comes with a warning. There's lots of mention of food, so if you're hungry, please look away now and come back later!

Firstly, we have very important news for lovers of Minsmere's famous cheese scones, cakes, pasties and other delicious goodies from the cafe. Our cafe opening hours are changing from 1 May. In response to feedback from our visitors, we're opening half an hour earlier, at…

It's that time of year when some birds very kindly tell you what they're called, without you having to look them up in your field guide. Some of these are, admittedly, easy to hear and recognise from their call than others.

The first of these that you'll probably hear as you walk around is the Chiffchaff, whose repeated disyllabic song can be heard throughout the woods and scrubby parts of the reserve. Better…

After two weeks away from the reserve, it's amazing how much things have changed. The hedgerows are greening as hawthorn leaves burst open, or shining with the bright white blackthorn blossom, while bird songs and calls fill the air.

Blackthorn blossom near Whin Hill

The dominant sound of Minsmere in spring is the cacophony on the Scrape, with the raucous calls of black-headed gulls interspersed with higher pitched…

Have you heard of a cricket teal? It's one of the traditional names used for the only duck that is typically a summer visitor to the UK - hence the "cricket" part of its name. It's also small duck - hence teal. You may know it better as a garganey.

Garganeys are scarce visitors, never common, but occurring in many shallow wetlands across the UK. They are best seen in late March and April, when newly…

As March draws towards an end, adders continue to prove the biggest draw for many of our visitors. In particular, two adders nicknamed Rylan and Goatee, are regularly showing very well just behind an electric fence below the sand martin colony. Their location means that it's easy for lots of visitors to spot them without disturbing them or putting themselves in danger, which is why we encourage visitors to watch these…

It may only be mid March, but there have been some early spring migrants to raise anticipation for the coming season. 

As is usually the case, the first spring migrants were chiffchaffs, which have been singing from the North Bushes, Sluice Bushes and South Belt woods already. It's always hard to know how many of these are actually arriving spring migrants or lingering winter visitors - we know we had at least wintering…

Did you see Sir David Attenborough’s newest documentary celebrating the incredible UK Wildlife?

The RSPB along with WWF are co-producers of the documentary series and some of it was filmed on our beautiful nature reserve.

We are now stocking a new range of Wild Isles products in our shop inspired by nature found within the UK.  The beautiful design has been created by the artist Cherith Harrison.

We also have copies…

It's certainly been an interesting week for weather, though we've escaped the deep snow drifts and freezing weather that have caused chaos through much of the country. That's not to say that it's been mild here. Far from it. The north-easterly wind has been bitter, made all the worse if you were caught out in one of the many snow, sleet or rain showers that have passed through. Then today we have wall to wall sunshine…

Today is World Wildlife Day, which seems like the perfect opportunity to celebrate some of Minsmere's most amazing wildlife, so here's a quick summary of what's been seen this week.

Let's start with adders which are continuing to prove popular with many visitors. There are two males regularly basking under the brambles beneath the sand martin bank, including a gorgeous black adder. They can be tricky to see…

It's a couple of weeks since my last update, and there have been some notable changes in that time - but lots also remains very similar.

Let's start with the status quo: ducks, ducks and more ducks on the Scrape; flocks of tits and finches on the feeders, siskins in the woods, marsh harriers displaying over the reedbed, and snipe feeding close to Bittern Hide.

What about the changes? Well I could also start with…

Calm sunny winter days always ensure a wonderful day will be enjoyed on the reserve, whatever wildlife you happen to see. That's certainly been the case so far this week, as you can see from these photos taken over the last two days, showing the contrast between clear blue skies and golden winter reeds.

North Marsh, looking towards Dunwich Heath

The new East Hide boardwalk

East Scrape

South Scrape from the Public…

Minsmere is an incredibly rich and varied nature reserve, with the widest variety of wildlife found on any RSPB nature reserve in the country. As one of the biggest RSPB reserves in England, with a complex mix of habitats, located on the migration highway of the East coast and with 75 years of continuous careful conservation management, it is perhaps not a surprise that almost 350 different species of birds have been recorded…

It's that time of year when our wardens and volunteers and volunteers are busy with habitat management work in preparation for the coming breeding season. You may spot them around the reserve clearing birch or gorse from the heath, building brash fences around sensitive areas, or adjusting sluices to control water levels.

Sometimes, however, we need to bring in machinery to help with some of the bigger tasks. While…