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Ian Barthorpe

Wow, what an amazing year.

Minsmere's fame spread in the spring when the Springwatch cameras arrived - and what superb footage they got of bitterns, reed warblers, goldfinches, adders, badger and, of course Grub the tawny owl. 

With increased awareness of what a brilliant place Minsmere is, many new visitors arrived to discover it for themselves - and many have been rewarded with sightings of otters, bitterns or beewolfs for the first time - or even much commoner species like pintail, black-tailed godwit or marsh harrier. 

Many of these visitors have joined the RSPB, perhaps for the first time, which is great news as more members means more support for wildlife, and more money to continue to manage the reserve for the wildlife that we all love watching.

Of course, there have been some unusual visitors during the year too, including a very popular collared pratincole, a long staying great white egret, and the first UK record of yellow-legged tortoiseshell for 60 years.

it was the most successful breeding season ever for bitterns, and a good year for bearded tits, woodlarks and stone-curlews, but it was a bit of a disaster for avocets, common terns and black-headed gulls thanks to the egg-eating badger.

Bittern by Jon Evans

As the year draws to a close - this will be my last blog of 2014 - it' gives us time to draw breath before we start planning for 2015. It's also time celebrate as Minsmere has been nominated as Britain's best nature reserve in both the LandLove Magazine and Countryfile awards. Please help us by clicking on the links to vote. the LandLove awards close on 4 January, but you have until 31 January to vote in the Countryfile awards. We were also nominated, but unsuccessful, in the Bordwatch magazine Birders Choice awards. It's great to be recognised by all three magazines.

Following the BBC Radio Suffolk broadcast earlier this month (which should still on the I-Player for another week), we welcomed BBC Radio Four's Open Country programme to Minsmere last week. You can hear Christine, Ellie and myself chatting to the presenter, Helen, on New Year's Day at 3 pm - on longwave only. The programme will be repeated on Saturday 3 January at 6 am, or on the I-player afterwards.

I'd like to remind you that Minsmere is closed on Christmas Day and Boxing Day ( we need a rest from time to time), but we'll be open daily from Saturday 27 December, as usual. 

There will be plenty of good reasons to visit, with sightings of bitterns, otters, marsh harrier and winter thrushes every day recently. The two whooper swans were still present yesterday too, and a female goldeneye is on East Scrape again today. Probably the most unusual, and distinctive bird at the moment is a lapwing, but not any ordinary lapwing. We have a very pale (leucistic) lapwing that is mostly white with a pale brown head and breastband. It's a lovely looking bird, and was feeding in the field behind the visitor centre this morning, visible from the North Wall.

All that's left for me to say is a very merry Christmas and happy New Year from all at Minsmere. Thanks for your continued support this year.