As I was about to start writing this week's update the radio crackled into life and Peter announced that he had refound the White-rumped Sandpiper. This was something of a surprise, as this scarce visitor from across the Atlantic hadn't been seen for more than a week. Where had it been in the meantime? On a local estuary? Out on the South Levels? Or perhaps simply hiding in plain site on the Scrape, overlooked as a Dunlin?
Wherever it had been, it's rediscovery is a welcome bonus and gives hope that this American wader may remain into the New Year, allow local birdwatchers (including me) the chance to start our 2025 lists in style.
White-rumped Sandpiper with Lapwing for scale. Photo by Les Cater
Another unexpected sighting on the Scrape yesterday was a Purple Sandpiper. Whilst nowhere near as rare at Minsmere as White-rumped Sandpipers, it is unusual to see Purple Sandpipers on the Scrape. These are birds of rocky coasts, and in Suffolk are most typically seen around piers and breakwaters, including the Sluice outfall.
Purple Sandpiper in more typical habitat on the Sluice outfall. Photo by David Naylor
There's a nice mix of waders on the Scrape still, including five or six Avocets, several Black-tailed Godwits, a Redshank, a Golden Plover, a few Turnstones and Snipe and at least 25 Dunlins, as well as 200 Lapwings.
Many birdwatchers ignore gulls due to the ID challenges posed by different age groups of essentially similar birds, but for those who do take the time to study these largely white, grey and black birds, there's plenty of variety on the Scrape at the moment. There are typically five species of gulls in most flocks: Black-headed, Common, Herring, Lesser and Great Black-backed Gulls, with the latter often being the most numerous at Minsmere at the moment. If you look carefully through the flocks, though, you might manage to find two species that look essentially like Herring Gulls, and until recently were considered races of that familiar species: Caspian and Yellow-legged Gulls. These two species both need some careful scrutiny to identify, but luckily our volunteer guides and other regular visitors will often be on hand to help, so next time you're in East Hide it's worth asking other visitors if there are any around.
An immature Caspian Gull (with adult Great Black-backed), photographed a couple of years ago. Photo by Steve Everett
While I was scanning across the Scrape yesterday, the sky was suddenly filled by wheeling flocks of Lapwings, gulls and ducks. Even the large flock of Cormorants took flight. There was clearly a raptor hunting and, sure enough, a female Marsh Harrier soared low over the hide. This was just one of many, as the roost count on Sunday recorded an amazing 39 Marsh Harriers coming in roost in the reedbed.
It's well worth spending some time in Bittern Hide or Island Mere Hide, especially in the afternoon as the harriers begin to gather. You'll probably hear a Cetti's Warbler, and possibly a Bearded Tit or Water Rail. Maybe you'll hear a Common Crane or two, as a pair are still vocal around the reedbed and Levels. They can sometimes be seen in flight or from Whin Hill, especially if they are feeding on the fields beyond Island Mere. The pair of Whooper Swans continue to commute between Island Mere and the Scrape, and other birds seen at Island Mere this week have included Bittern, Kingfisher, Tufted Ducks and Great Crested Grebe.
At least two Water Voles remain around the pond, though sightings are becoming more infrequent. Flocks of Siskins are sometimes around the pond or South Belt Crossroads, too. Other smaller birds to look for include Goldcrests among the tit flocks, Nuthatches on the feeders, Stonechat in the dunes and Meadow Pipits on the beach.
Stonechat by Les Cater