What a week it has been if you like herons! Whenever you visit Minsmere it is always possible to see at least three different types of herons - Bittern, Little Egret and Grey Heron - but this week there have been several other herons and closely related birds spotted, providing you were in the right place at the right time.
One of our volunteers, David Naylor, has certainly been in the right place. It helps that he spends many hours in Island Mere Hide helping to survey our nesting Bitterns. It also helps that he is a fantastic photographer. Not only that, but David is also one our very enthusiastic guides and is always happy to share is knowledge with others.
As we come to the end of National Volunteers' Week, it seems like the perfect opportunity to celebrate our fantastic team of volunteers by sharing some of David's recent photos with you to show you all some of the amazing wildlife that has been seen this week.
Let's start with those herons. David and his fellow volunteers have spent many hours scanning the reedbed to record the movements of Bitterns and identify any nesting females. Between them they've have confirmed four Bittern nests in the Island Mere area along, with at least one brood of chicks sometimes putting in an appearance at the top of the reed stems.
Here's one of the youngsters.
Probably the easiest heron to see at Minsmere is the Little Egret. Seen well, they are easy to identify thanks to their bright yellow feet, which can clearly be seen in this photo. They waggle these feet to disturb fish that they can then stab with their dagger-like bills.
Little Egrets first colonised the UK in the 1990s and are now increasingly widespread throughout the UK. Their larger cousins remain scarcer, although they have also started breeding in several counties in England. There was great excitement when I first saw a Great Egret at Minsmere in 2003, yet it's not unusual to see several together at Minsmere. This week David saw no fewer than seven Great Egrets roosting around Island Mere, including one wearing a red ring.
Amazingly, David also managed to photograph a third species of egret this week as a flock of Cattle Egrets flew west over Island Mere yesterday, although they didn't actually land at Minsmere this time. This is still quite a scarce bird on the reserve.
Even that wasn't it for sightings of heron-type birds this week. A Spoonbill has been spotted on several dates on the Scrape, a Glossy Ibis can sometimes be glimpsed in flight above the reedbed, and two Common Cranes remain hidden among the reeds until they decide to flew to alternative feeding areas. David was even able to capture these elegant birds in flight this week, too.
With so much talk of herons around the reedbed, it's easy to overlook the other birds at Island Mere, which include Tufted Duck, Pochard, Coot, Little Grebe and Great Crested Grebe, as well as Reed Buntings, Bearded Tits, Reed and Sedge Warblers. And, of course, Marsh Harriers and Hobbies continue to hunt above the reeds, as expertly captured by David.
With so much to see around the reedbed, it's easy to overlook the hive of activity on the Scrape, where Avocets, Common Terns and Black-headed Gulls all have hungry chicks to feed. Check the gulls and carefully, though, as you may also spot Kittiwake, Little Gull, Mediterranean Gull or Sandwich Tern. Although most waders have now headed north to breed, there are still nesting Oystercatchers, Lapwings, Redshanks and Ringed Plovers and a non-breeding flock of Black-tailed Godwits, and it won't be long before welcome back the first southbound Spotted Redshanks. A few Teal have obviously already left their breeding areas, with a small flock returning the Scrape, while even more surprisingly, there is a huge flock of Common Scoters out to sea today.
Birdsong is rapidly dying down, but you might still be able to hear Lesser Whitethroat, Garden Warbler or even Nightingale in scrubby areas, and at least one Cuckoo has been very vocal this week. David's photo of this enigmatic bird is perhaps my favourite one of the week.
Finally, as we move into the peak season for insect watching, it's great to see an increasing variety of butterflies, dragonflies, day-flying moths, bees and wasps around the reserve. A few species have started to appear on Digger Alley (no beewolves just yet). My personal highlights this week have included a stunning Cream-spot Tiger moth, good numbers of Norfolk Hawker dragonflies and several Small Heath butterflies.
If you'd like to join some of our volunteer guides on one of our upcoming guided walks then please check out our website and reserve your place - see https://events.rspb.org.uk/minsmere and if you are interested in becoming a volunteer at Minsmere then please see https://volunteer.rspb.org.uk/opportunities#display=grid&s=date_advertised&o=desc
If you have any photos of Minsmere, why not share them via our social media - search RSPBMinsmere on Facebook, Instagram or X/Twitter. We love seeing visitors' pictures.
All photos by David Naylor