Autumn is a great time to look for sprites. Depending on your age (at heart) and imagination, that statement could mean very different things.
To a birdwatcher, sprites are tiny warblers, some of our smallest birds. In particular, the term is often used to describe goldcrests, firecrests and rare visitors like yellow-browed and Pallas's warblers. Of these, by far the commonest, and easiest to spot, are goldcrests.
Goldcrests are the UK's smallest bird (indeed, Europe's smallest bird too), weighing little more than a 20 pence piece. They are common breeding birds throughout the UK, especially in coniferous woodland or around churchyards with large conifers, but thousands more of these tiny birds migrate to our shores every autumn as they escape the winter cold in Scandinavia. That's why October can be the best time to find these beautiful little sprites as they seek coastal bushes in which to rest and refuel after the long journey across the North Sea.
Being so tiny, goldcrests can be tricky to spot, so it's worth spending time learning their high-pitched call (sorry, but you've lost the top end of your hearing, which often happens with age, this isn't going to help much). Another tip is to spend time checking through mobile flocks of tits, as they often accompany them in search of tiny insects, spiders and their eggs.
Goldcrest (above) by Jon Evans and firecrest (below) for comparison by Angie Knight
With so many goldcrests arriving on our shores, they are accompanied by one or two firecrests, which share the honour of being our smallest bird. Firecrests are scarce breeding birds in the UK, favouring large deciduous woodlands, and small numbers spend the winter here too, but they are probably commonest during spring and autumn migration. While superficially similar to their more familiar cousins, they are very distinctive if seen well, with a broad white supercilium (or eyebrow), narrow black line through the eye, and bronze shoulder patches.
There have been two or three firecrests at Minsmere over the last week or so, with birds seen in the sluice bushes and near East Hide. We are, however, yet to be treated to a sighting of two much rarer, though annual autumn visitors: yellow-browed and Pallas's warblers. The former is regular in late September and early October, and while several have been in Suffolk already, we're still awaiting one at Minsmere. They breed in Siberia, and usually spend the winter in south-east Asia, but every year a few head west instead of east and arrive along the east coast of the UK. Pallas's warblers breed farther east still, and tend to arrive slightly later, in late October. They are commonly refered to by birdwatchers as seven-striped sprites - a very apt description.
Another tiny, rarely seen, bird has been spotted at Minsmere today by a couple of lucky of visitors and one of our volunteer guides. A quail, the UK's smallest gamebird, was flushed from the dunes near the sluice this morning, though sadly couldn't be relocated. Quails breed in small numbers in southern England, but are rarely seen and best located by their distinctive call. This will have a late migrant heading back to sub-Saharan Africa for the winter. It's incredible to think that a bird that appears to be such a weak flier can undertake such a marathon journey twice a year.
Of course, not all our visitors are birdwatchers, and for the many children that visit Minsmere there's a completely different type of sprite to look for. These sprites can only be seen by children, as they remain resolutely hidden from adult view, but there are many clues as to their presence in the autumn.
Confused? Well the sprites I'm referring to are the elves, pixies and fairies that make their homes in woods and gardens throughout the UK. And, as every child knows, elves, pixies and fairies are particularly fond of toadstools, especially fly agarics. Fly agarics are the typical red toadstool with white spots found in every fairytale. There are lots of fly agarics around Minsmere at the moment, and amny have the telltale of having been eaten by mice, squirrels, and elves. Don't be tempted to eat them yourself though, as these are poisonous to humans.
It looks like the elves have helped themselves to a chunk of this fly agaric. Photo by Ian Barthorpe
There are many other fungi to look for too, including enormous parasols and delicate amethyst deceivers. Why not join us on Saturday 17 October for UK Fungus Day to learn more about Minsmere's fungi.