Beautiful in blue

There was great excitement at Minsmere yesterday with the discovery of a beautiful male bluethroat feeding along the edge of a reedbed pool close to the North Wall. 

Despite breeding in good numbers just across the North Sea in The Netherlands, bluethroats remain rare visitors in the UK. The last record at Minsmere was a long-staying bird in 2008, but that that was of the central European white-spotted race. This bird was a red-spotted male, of the race that breeds mainly in Scandinavia, and was the first of this race for about 20 years.

Male red-spotted bluethroat by Christine Hall

Bluethroats are members of the nightingale family, but unlike their relatives they prefer damp, marshy areas, especially with luxuriant vegetation such as nettles and meadowsweet. This male had chosen a perfect location - the corner of a pool, close to the path, where nettles grew up among the cut reeds. Although it could disappear from view for long periods, it showed very well at times, paying no attention to the crowds of birdwatchers gathered on the North Wall to admire it.

As is often the case, this rare visitors chose to arrive at Minsmere on my day off, so the first I heard of it was via our Twitter feed, where some superb photos began to appear. My wife suggested that we try to see it after dinner, so we headed down to the reserve and strolled quickly onto the North Wall. Luck was on our side as the bird soon hopped into view in his favoured spot: my first Minsmere bluethroat. Initially keeping his back to us, we were soon rewarded with superb full frontal views. His bright blue breast and throat stood out vividly at the base of the reeds. The chestnut-red throat spot wasn't so easy to see, nor was the chestnut band below the blue, but his broad white eyebrow (supercilium) was clearly visible. With good views, bluethroats also have a distinctive rusty-red base to the tail feathers, which is easily seen if they fly.

Despite showing well into the late evening last night, he had obviously refuelled sufficiently to continue his migration overnight, and sadly, despite several birdwatchers making an early start, he hasn't been seen this morning. There are, however, many other good birds to see, not least by standing on the North Wall. Bearded tits and reed warblers are very active there, and bitterns are frequently seen flying over the North Wall as the females begin their feeding flights. Sand martins and swifts dash through the sky overhead too.

Elsewhere in the reedbed, bitterns are also showing very well at Island Mere, where several hobbies have been seen again. Three otters and a buzzard were seen there early morning, but the great white egret hasn't been reported today.

There is some exciting news from the Scrape today, with the first avocet chicks seen on West Scrape, where three broods of chicks were spotted this morning.

Avocet chick by David Tipling (rspb-images.com)

Also on the Scrape today was the first curlew sandpiper of the spring, along with about 20 dunlins, two common sandpipers and the usual black-tailed godwits, redshanks, oystercatchers and breeding pair of little ringed plovers. A ruff has been reported too. Common terns and black-headed gulls are now nesting, and several little terns have been seen today. More unusual gulls included a second year yellow-legged gull, two little gulls and a few kittiwakes that are continuing to gather nest material on the Scrape.

A spoonbil remains in the area, but was seen to fly north at 8.45 am and hasn't been reported since. Several sparrowhawks have been reported today, but the best raptor was a very late merlin that flew in from the sea. Another late visitor was a wheatear near the sluice.

Another highlight today was a harbour porpoise close to shore, giving good views for the Minsmere Young Wardens Group. Other mammals this week included weasels, stoats and muntjac. Butterflies and dragonflies can also be seen in suitable weather. and a adders have been seen most days, although they are becoming less reliable.

Finally, for those who have been watching the nesting moorhens on the pond over the last few weeks, the chicks hatched today.

And, of course, you may spot the BBC cameramen around the reserve this week as they prepare for the start of Springwatch on Monday 25 May.