Spring migration took another step forward this week - just as the weather showed signs of taking a turn for the worse. After a week of warm sunny weather, it's been a return to cooler, cloudier conditions today, accompanied by the odd shower, before turning a bit wetter in the afternoon.
The warm early spring weather did encourage several chiffchaffs and a few blackcaps to make the final leg of their migration, with birds singing from several places around the reserve. More exciting has been a small influx of garganeys. This small duck is unusual in being the only duck to visit the UK for the summer, rather than the winter, earning it the nickname of cricket teal.
Drake garganey by Jon Evans
Garganeys can be difficult to spot, despite the drake's gorgeous plumage, as they like to skulk in marshy areas and emergent vegetation rather than swimming in the open. Therefore, the best time to spot them is when they first arrive, when the vegetation is shorter and the males are beginning to display.
Garganeys are typically one of the first summer migrants to arrive, and sure enough a drake was found on the Konik Field yesterday. Better still, a pair were reported from North Hide this morning, and shortly after I wandered down to see them a second pair was also located from the same hide. Sadly, both pairs had moved on when I returned with my family this afternoon.
North Hide was the place to be this morning as eagle-eyed birdwatchers also managed to locate all three jack snipe and several common snipe among the tussocky vegetation in front of the hide. Again, though, these had disappeared later in the day.
The two smew remain but continue to prove very elusive - they were first reported to us in the visitor centre as late as 4.45 pm today, and even then that was as having flown from West Scrape towards the Levels. It won't be long till they depart back towards Scandinavia. The other sawbill ducks that have spent the winter at Minsmere remain too, with nine goosanders still on Island Mere this morning.
There's been a good variety of gulls around this week too. Mediterranean gulls have increased to 20+, a second-winter Caspian gull is regular on the Scrape, up to five yellow-legged gulls are visiting the Scrape, and up to four little gulls were at Island Mere on Thursday. Add in the more typical black-headed, herring, lesser and great black-backed gulls and a few common gulls and there;'s plenty to keep the gull experts happy - and the rest of us confused!
Wader numbers are increasing too. Alongside the 70+ avocets and up to 20 black-tailed godwits, there have been several turnstones, dunlins and curlews, while the first ruff of the spring was seen yesterday. The first stone-curlews have returned too, though they are not yet visiting the usual field behind the visitor centre.
Birds of prey today included buzzard, sparrowhawk and two peregrines as well as the usual marsh harriers, while red kites have been regular this week. A stoat caused havoc among the snipe on the Scrape this morning, and an otter was at Island Mere very early today.
Other highlights from the last couple of days have included kingfisher at Island Mere, drumming great spotted woodpeckers, singing marsh tits and Cetti's warblers, several buff-tailed bumblebees and the occasional adder. The warmer has meant the latter have not been basking for long int he mornings so have been a bit harder to spot. Hopefully they'll become easier later in the month when the females start to emerge. However, one lucky visitor did manage to photograph an adder swimming on Thursday - something that is much more often associated with a grass snakes.
Adder swimming by Brian Ward