There was great excitement this week following the discovery of these nests close to the visitor centre! Nests with eggs in February. Surely not?
When I posted the pictures on the RSPB Suffolk Facebook page on Saturday, more than one person thought they were chocolate cups filled with white chocolate eggs - and I can certainly see why they might think that. Look a bit more carefully though and you can see leaves and a blade of grass. Then you realise that these nests are only about 5 mm (less than 1/4 inch) across. That's smaller than even the smallest nest in the world - that of the bee hummingbird from Cuba.
So if it's not a bird's nest, perhaps it belongs to an insect? Not that either. In fact, these are a type of fungi that, perhaps not surprisingly, is called common bird's nest fungi (Crucibulum vulgare). It's a widespread fungi, one of several similar species worldwide, but is probably often overlooked as it is so tiny. it has been seen at Minsmere before, but was a new species for many of the staff, volunteers and visitors, so attracted quite a bit of attention over the weekend, after being found by one of our wardens late last week.
The tiny white "eggs" are held in the cup by fine hairs, and when a rain drop hits them the hairs break and the "eggs" bounce out, dispersing the spores and helping the fungi to spread. Therefore, you can often find empty nests alongside the full ones, as you can see in this photo.
Being so tiny, it's easy to miss this beautiful fungus, but as it's growing on the end of the boardwalk across the pond, the clump at Minsmere should be easy enough to find - and it's only 100 metres from the warmth of the cafe's delicious cakes and scones!
This is another great example of the incredible variety of wildlife at Minsmere, and a reminder of how amazing nature is. Please help us to keep t that way by putting nature at the forefront of the political agenda. The RSPB is working with our friends at the Wildlife Trusts to campaign for a Nature and Wellbeing Act. Please help by emailing your MP. There's more details on our website here. Please also support the Vote for Bob campaign, as a vote for Bob is a vote for nature. Bob's even been visiting Minsmere today as the latest stop on his tour of Eastern England - and saw an otter while he was here.
Of course, the fungi is not the only interesting species seen over the weekend, with sightings of otters, bitterns and kingfisher at Island Mere, bitterns, kingfisher and a red fox at Bittern Hide, avocet, black-tailed godwit and smew on Scrape, a male hen harrier over the reedbed, goldcrests, treecreeper and bullfinches in the woods, and more more besides.