If one sound signifies a British summer more than any other, it has to be the screaming calls of Swifts as they whizz around the roof tops on a warm evening. It is, therefore, perhaps fitting that the first Swift of the year was seen at Minsmere on William Shakespeare's birthday, which also happens to be St George's Day, 23 April. While the bulk of the Swifts won't arrive for at least another week, this is another welcome reminder that summer isn't too far away. In fact, looking at the weather forecast for next week, it may be here sooner than we expect.
Swift by David Naylor
While Swifts tend to arrive in the last couple of days of April, I usually expect to hear my first Cuckoo on or close to St George's Day, and that was exactly when I did hear one this year - though they had been on the reserve for about ten days by then. Sadly, like Swifts, numbers of Cuckoos returning to the UK each year are well down due to a combination of habitat loss, both here and in the African wintering areas, food (insect) availability and climate change, so it's always a joy to know that some, at least, have returned.
Another migrant that has been suffering in recent years is the Nightingale, but they seem to benefitting from recent work to create more scrub habitat for them here at Minsmere. We have at least two Nightingales singing near the car park entrance, plus others at the pond and North Hide, so with a bit of patience you have a good chance of hearing their wonderful liquid song. Good luck trying to see one though as they are very shy.
Nightingale by Peter Carr
All of our regular warblers are back now, too, though numbers will continue to increase over coming weeks. Sedge and Reed Warblers are throughout the reedbed, and the first Grasshopper Warbler was heard this morning. Whitethroats are common along the dunes and in any other scrubby areas, with Lesser Whitethroats reported from North Bushes and Whin Hill. Garden Warbler and Blackcap song are typically confusingly similar to test your skills in the woods, while Chiffchaffs are much easier to identify on song. Sadly, Willow Warbler is now a scarce breeding bird on the Suffolk coast, so you're unlikely to hear one around the trails at the moment.
Grasshopper Warbler by Les Cater
Of course, our resident birds are very vocal too. Some species to look (and listen) for include: Stonechat and Linnet in the dunes, Reed Bunting and Cetti's Warbler in the reedbed, Chaffinch, Wren, Robin, Blue and Great Tit in the woods and Blackbird and Song Thrush near Scotts Hall.
Another typical sound of spring at Minsmere is the distinctive deep booming call of a male Bittern. After last year's record year, it looks like we're set to at least match that this year as we've already recorded at least 17 booming Bitterns. With so many Bitterns around, it's no surprise that we're seeing them regularly at both Bittern Hide and Island Mere too - but will BBC Springwatch researcher Jack Baddams finally get to see when he visits Minsmere on 11 May? Two spaces have suddenly become available for his guided walk that morning.
If you need any help to learn birdsong, why not book onto one of our Sounds of Spring walks on a Tuesday morning, or get up super early for the Dawn Chorus walk on 17 May to join our guides as the sun breaks the horizon whilst Bitterns booming, Nightingales sing and Black-headed Gulls awake on the Scrape!
Talking of the Scrape, it's hard to know which way to look and which hide to visit at the moment, with birds coming and going and settling down to breed. You certainly won't fail to spot the Black-headed Gulls, but do check through them carefully. Not only do we have good numbers of Mediterranean Gulls, a few Kittiwakes and several Common Gulls among them, but there is also an unusual Black-headed x Mediterranean Gull hybrid sitting on a nest on South Scrape!
A Black-headed Gull trying to see off a much larger Herring Gull. Photo by David Naylor
There have been up to 550 noise Sandwich Terns on the Scrape this week too (though slightly fewer today), as well as about 20 Common Terns and the occasional Little Tern visiting South Scrape, too.
Wader migration is definitely picking up, with the first Wood Sandpiper and Greenshank of the spring seen this week, as well as regular Whimbrels, one or two Spotted Redshanks, a Grey Plover, a pair of Little Ringed Plovers and some stunning breeding plumage Bar-tailed Godwits. The latter can be tricky to pick out among the many Black-tailed Godwits, until they fly and reveal their very different wing patterns.
Wood Sandpiper by James Davidson
Throw in the breeding Lapwings, Redshanks, Ringed Plovers, Oystercatchers and Avocets, and the various ducks and geese that are still around, and there's plenty of variety on the Scrape.
There's more to spot in the reedbed, too, including several Hobbies, lots of very active Marsh Harriers, two or three Great Egrets, a pair of Common Cranes, noisy Little Grebes and Cetti's Warblers, Great Crested Grebes at Island Mere and, of course, Bearded Tits.
With so many birds around, it's perhaps easy to forget about the other amazing wildlife seen at Minsmere, so here's just a quick summary of what else has been seen this week: Weasels, Stoats, Chinese Water Deer on the Levels, Water Voles at the pond, Adders below the Sand Martin bank, Common Lizards, Orange Tip and Brimstone butterflies, plus flowering Bluebells and Cowslips. And that's just the tip of the iceberg, as they say.
Bluebell by Ian Barthorpe