A New Year bonus

News broke via our Twitter page of a potentially very rare visitor to Minsmere on New Year's Eve - though no-one had yet seen it!

Scientists in Sweden, monitoring the movements of a lesser white-fronted goose fitted with a GPS tracker, had noted it's departure from the Norwegian coast the previous day, and the GPS signal revealed that it roosted on the Scrape at Minsmere. Lesser white-fronted geese are globally threatened, and with the rapidly declining Scandinavian breeding population, have become exceptionally rare visitors to the UK in recent years - they usually spend the winter around the Black Sea. In an attempt to arrest this decline, some of these dainty geese have been bred in captivity and released alongside the few remaining native birds in Sweden, where they quickly assimilate with the wild birds. This autumn, a group of four young lesser white-fronts became separated from the main flock, and spent some time on the Norwegian coast with other geese species. One wore a GPS transmitter. It seems they have now headed southwest, to the Suffolk coast.

Despite roosting on the Scrape, these birds were not actually seen at Minsmere, but were finally relocated on Wednesday afternoon at nearby North Warren, feeding alongside almost 200 European white-fronts, 20 tundra bean geese, and the usual large flocks of barnacle, Canada and greylag geese. GPS reading suggest the four lesser white-fronts are roosting on the Alde Estuary, and were feeding at Sudbourne Marshes (south of Aldeburgh) this morning, but there is a good chance they will return to North Warren to feed too. Will they return to Minsmere though?

Here's a brief video by RSPB South Suffolk Warden, David Fairhurst, showing the lesser white-fronts feeding with their European cousins at North Warren.

It wasn't a bad start to the year here at Minsmere either. A lovely redhead smew has arrived and is commuting between the Scrape and Island Mere. The otters, bitterns and water rails have been showing well at both Bittern Hide and Island Mere, while bearded tits are best near South Hide. A kingfisher has been at Bittern Hide too.

A redhead smew by Jon Evans

Out on the Scrape, a few dunlins and pintails have joined the large flocks of lapwings and ducks. The unusual leucistic (largely white) lapwing is still present, favouring the Levels. 

In the woods there are flocks of redwings, fieldfares and siskins, with the odd redpoll among them, but the brambling at the visitor centre hasn't been reported for a few days. A wintering chiffchaff was seen near the WIldlife Lookout today too.

Don't forget, too, that Minsmere has been nominated in the nature reserve of the year category in the Countryfile Awards. Please vote for us at http://www.countryfile.com/awards2014-15. Voting closes on 31 January.

Here's to a wildlife filled 2015 for you all.