Spineless Simon might be stealing the limelight for BBC Springwatch viewers, but although he continues to attract a crowd of admirers at Island Mere, the highlight for many visitors over the last couple of days has been the hobbies at Bittern Hide. These super-sleek highspeed falcons have been dashing low over the reeds just a few metres from the hide as they pursue hapless damselflies and dragonflies. If you watch them carefully you can even watch them dismember their insect prey, plucking off the wings with their bill before swallowing the insect - all with barely a missed wingbeat. There were regular "oohs" and "aahs" from the assembled masses in the hide throughout the day.
Hobby by Oscar Dewhurst
The other star birds are bitterns, bearded tits and avocets. Female bitterns are feeding young so can often be seen flying some distance above the reeds to favoured feeding pools, then returning to their hungry chicks. We've found eight nests so far, but there may still be more eggs waiting to hatch. Bearded tits continue to be seen feeding close to the North Wall, though with the wind over the last few days they haven't perched out in the open very often. Many of the 40 or so avocet chicks that have hatched so far are already approaching fullgrown, and acquiring the hint of adult plumage.
Despite the Springwatch cameras remaining on site until tomorrow, yesterday saw the first autumn migrant of the year: a gorgeous summer plumage spotted redshank, returning south already. One or two Sandwich terns are beginning to pass through too, suggesting that they have failed to nest successfully elsewhere, while we have more than 100 pairs of common terns on the Scrape.
Otters and adders continue to be reported every day, by a lucky few, though the latter are becoming much less predictable. Several Norfolk hawker dragonflies are now on the wing, and are often best seen along woodland rides in this windy weather. There is also a great variety of flowers to look for, including southern marsh orchids, yellow flag and ragged Robin int he wetlands, yellow-horned poppy and sea kale on the dunes and a variety of speedwells on the grasslands.
This superb variety of wildlife will, of course, continue to be visible long after the camera s leave, so if you've enjoyed watching Minsmere on TV again over the last three weeks, now's the time to plan your next (or first) visit to the reserve.