Wow! Wow! Wow!
Regular readers will know that Island Mere Hide has always been my favourite place at Minsmere. I could easily spend a couple of hours there just sitting, watching, waiting...and chatting to visitors. Even a dull dreary day it's a special place, and I can expect to see at least one or two of our reedbed specialists. But today it was simply awesome.
I know it's easy to use words such as awesome, incredible and fantastic, but I'm not even sure that these words adequately describe how brilliant it was at Island Mere today.
The action started long before I arrived in the hide for my lunchtime walk, when nine common cranes flew south just after 8 am. This is an impressive count at any time of year, but especially so in the autumn. The same flock flew north over Eastbridge later in the morning.
When I arrived at Island Mere Hide just after 12 noon, I was greeted by some of our regulars who informed me that bitterns were proving very easy to see. They certainly weren't wrong!
On entering the hide, I was greeted to magnificent sight: clear blue skies and the bright sun reflecting over the mill-pond-like water of the mere; golden-brown reeds with drooping seed heads swaying in the gentle breeze; and hundreds of birds swimming lazily or loafing on the island. A quick scan revealed dozens of teals, gadwalls and shovelers, with smaller numbers of mallards and wigeon and a single female pintail. These were even joined by four shelducks - a scarce bird on this part of the reserve.
It wasn't long before visitors pointed out a bittern clambering through a narrow strip of reeds that protruded into the water, and as I watched, a second bird appeared to its left. Clearly the first bird had invaded the other's feeding territory as it was quickly chased off. Seconds later, a third bittern appeared in the same spot, then a grey heron. As we watched the action, and the photographers snapped a few shots, a great egret flew in and landed in exactly the same patch of reeds, flushing the bitterns even closer!
Within a matter of minutes I'd seen at least four different bitterns, including this one that briefly perched in the open where the reeds have been cut in front of the hide, as well as three grey herons and two great egrets.
With so much bittern action, the grey herons and great egrets were clearly wanting more of the action as both species perched on the two sets of crossbars within the mere.
In fact, the great egret gave a beautiful of some of its varied poses.
There are clearly plenty of fish at Island Mere as the cormorants were buy fishing too, and during my 20 minutes in the hide I also had three sightings of a kingfisher, including one that paused for a minute or so on a post at the end of the channel. I've also just received reports from my guides of both a goosander and a glossy ibis t Island Mere this afternoon! Add in marsh harriers, water rails (often heard and sometimes seen in the channel behind the hide), at least one hobby, a green sandpiper and 40 lapwings on the island and several bearded tits and it's easy to see why Island Mere is such a magical place.
Of course, there's plenty more to see around the reserve. Highlights around the Scrape over the last few days have included single avocet and ruff among the ducks, several meadow pipits and 40+ goldfinches, plus stonechats and two Dartford warblers in the dunes and regular kestrels hunting over the reedbed. The feeders are heaving with tits, including several marsh and coal tits, as well as nuthatch, while in the woods you have a good chance of hearing tawny owl by day or spotting a jay or green or great spotted woodpecker. This green woody posed beautifully for me yesterday.
It's also fungi season, with a huge patch of fly agaric near North Hide proving particularly popular.
Finally, a quick update on management work. North Wall will closed tomorrow while metal pilings are installed for the start of the new boardwalk to East Hide. This closure is only expected to last for a day. East Hide remains closed while this path is constructed, too. Both the path and the re-profiling of East Scrape are scheduled to finish by early November.
I was reluctant to leave, but it was only a lunchtime walk and I had to take over in the visitor centre, so I simply left everyone else to enjoy the action
Wow indeed, Ian. How many people did it take to drag you away from the hide after that?
Our herring gulls are red listed birds. Think about that the next time you hear some flaming idiot calling for a cull of them.