Without wanting to sound like a stuck record, it's been another dull wet today, following on from several more dull wet days since my last blog. In fact, it's been so wet recently that we have had to close the path from South Hide to the Sluice as it is impassable, even in wellington boots! All other paths remain open, but there are deep puddles in places, especially near the bottom of Whin Hill, on the approach to Island Mere Hide, and near Wildlife Lookout, so we recommend that you wear at least a good quality pair of waterproof walking boots if you are planning to visit the hides.
It is certainly worth making the effort, though, as there is still plenty of wildlife to see, and even on the dullest day there's more than enough colour to brighten up your day. When I wandered down to North Hide at lunchtime, for example, the mix of green grass, golden-brown reeds and grey sky made for some great contrasts.
Somewhere in the middle of this photo you might spot a tiny white dot among the grass. That's a little egret - one of the birds that stands out most easily in such dull weather. A quick scan across the rest of the Scrape easily revealed the presence of shovelers and shelducks, with their partially white plumage, as well as wigeons, gadwalls and teals, three avocets and a few lapwings. From North Hide I couldn't see enough of the Scrape to find the four pintails that were seen this morning, or the rest of the wintering avocets. However, I know that when our volunteers were doing their monthly WeBS (Wetland Bird Survey) count on Sunday they counted more than 1400 birds on East Scrape alone! It's also worth waiting in East Hide as dusk approaches to await the arrival of a small flock of goosanders that usually roost there.
With the rain getting harder again, I decided to forego a walk to the beach, choosing instead to potter around the North Bushes trail, where I enjoyed excellent views of, among others, goldcrests, long-tailed and marsh tits and jays, all of which added more than touch of colour.
One thing that you'll often notice after winter rain is that many of the tits and finches will be feeding on the ground, where they are searching for seeds washed from the trees above - especially under birch or alder trees. This gave me the chance to photograph two of our commoner and more colourful finches: chaffinch and goldfinch.
A flash of colour near the base of the reeds along the North Wall revealed the presence of a seasonal superstar as this handsome robin searched for a tasty grub or two.
Of course, you don't need to go any further than the visitor centre to watch some of our most colourful species, as the feeders are busy with flocks of blue, great, coal and marsh tits, chaffinches, goldfinches and robins, as well as a few dunnocks, magpies, greenfinches and the odd great spotted woodpecker. You should also find grey squirrel, muntjac and rabbit here.
At Island Mere, you should see marsh harriers and a flock of seven whooper swans without too much difficulty. The snipe and water rails may take more searching for in the cut reeds in front of the hide, while patience may also be rewarded with a sighting of a bittern, otter or kingfisher. The former are being particularly elusive this year, though. If you scan the fields tot he south of the mere from the Whin Hill watchpoint then you might also spot some of the small flock of Bewick's swans that are feeding there during the day. Again, wait at Island Mere till duck and you should be treated to the spectacle of up to 28 marsh harriers coming to roost in the reedbed.
With the Christmas week rapidly approaching, a reminder that you can visit Minsmere every day, except Christmas Day and Boxing Day when all facilities will remain closed. You can also keep to date with news from Minsmere on our Twitter page, and our newly renamed RSPB Minsmere Facebook page.
Finally, those who have read these posts for a few years will know that I love silhouettes and reflections, and as a geographer and mathematician I couldn't resist the natural geometry in the pool in front of North Hide.
I'm an old photographer, camera club nights and things that seem old hat these days and I was immediately drawn to this as a well seen scape. An architectural delight. The sky was kind too. The detail would be pored over for hours if it was in the Tate. Thank you.
Many thanks for your lovely comments. It's so easy to miss these types of image. If the sky hadn't been so flat and grey, the image may not have worked the same.