It's Spring Celebration tomorrow, and the birds certainly seem to know that we're here to celebrate spring. The first cuckoo of the year was reported calling near Island Mere - a great way to celebrate St George's Day. let's hope we get a few more than for the last few years, but I'm not optimistic. Cuckoos are in trouble across Europe, with long term population declines probably driven by a combination of factors both here and in Africa.
Another new arrival is the swift. After the first record yesterday, several were seen at Island mere today. This, to me, is the best sign that spring truly has arived - despite the hard frost last night! it really did feel springlike today, without a cloud in the sky.
On the Scrape, at least 11 Sandwich and two common terns were spotted among the throng of black-headed gulls. We'll have guides in West Hide over the weekend (10 am to 4 pm) to help you to spot some of our Mediterranean gulls, as well as watching the always entertaining, popular and elegant avocets. The first avocets are sitting on eggs near East Hide. Also on the Scrape are lots of black-tailed godwits, two spotted redshanks, several ruffs, nesting lapwings and redshanks, and a few ringed plovers. Other waders seen today were a few whimbrels flying north along the beach and the first greenshank of the year over the reedbed. There are still quite a few teal, wigeon, shoveler and gadwall too.
We'll also have guides in Island Mere and Bittern Hides this weekend, where we should see bitterns (which are still showing regularly), marsh harriers (displaying) and a few hobbies, plus the aforementioned swifts among hordes fo swallows and martins.
If you want to spot a bearded tit, you can join our guides on the North Wall, where we should hear sedge, reed and Cetti's warblers (and with luck a grasshopper warbler). Or perhaps you'd like to listen to the nightingale's superbly varied song and pick out a variety of warblers with our guides in the North Bushes. Of course, our sand martins will be popular, while the Waveney Bird Club will be ringing birds near the pond, giving you the chance to see birds in the hand. Finally, you can try a wide selection of binoculars, telescopes and digital cameras at our optics demonstration.
Why not visit Minsmere this weekend and help us to celebrate spring - and let us know what you spot.