A week of mixed weather has made a pleasant change to the recent heatwave, and has helped to keep the scrape wet for our passing wader species. Over 200 avocets have been joined by up to 50 black tailed godwits, ruff, greenshank, snipe, golden plover, grey plover, green and curlew sandpipers, knot, dunlins and whimbrel. Wildlife Lookout and South Hide have been the best places to be in the afternoons as the birds come in to feed before roosting.
We've also had up to 90 little gulls present on the South Scrape through the day, with an equal number of common terns, a handful of Sandwich tern and the occasional visit of a little tern. The konik ponies, our amazing grazers, have been demonstrating their skills and have attracted pied and yellow wagtails which snatch insects from the churned mud and horse dung. One of our 4x4 safaris also spotted a kingfisher closeby and saw it skimming along the water in the New Cut.
Bitterns and marsh harriers have been showing well at Bittern Hide and Island Mere, the young harriers are starting to become more agile as they glide over the reedbeds. Bearded tits have been the superstars at Island Mere, with adult birds clinging to the swaying reeds in front of the hide while bunches of youngsters have been spending time around the access ramp. Reed warblers, reed buntings and even a few welcome juvenile Cetti's warblers, though it may take some time to recover from the Beast from the East.
Our pond dippers (Mondays and Wednesdays 10am-4pm) found a brilliant water measurer among the damselfly and dragonfly nymphs, phantom midge larvae and pond snails. Even more exciting was the appearance of baby water voles who have been seen learning to build rafts from their parents and feeding below the boardwalk. You can read more about water voles in Ian's previous blog:
http://ww2.rspb.org.uk/community/placestovisit/minsmere/b/minsmere-blog/archive/2018/07/23/species-of-the-week-water-vole.aspx
A great white egret has been flitting between West Scrape and the North Levels, seen from Bittern Hide and the Wildlife Lookout, and a few hobbies remain although we expect that they, and the swallows, swifts and sand martins will all be making their way south soon.
Lots of gatekeeper butterflies are still showing, with painted ladies, red admirals, grayling and even a few bedraggled silver-washed fritillaries around the visitor centre buddleias. A hummingbird hawkmoth also continues to be seen but it is a case of being 'right time, right place' and it moves quickly through the flowers. We also have a few monsters being seen around the scrape - great green bush crickets and great silver diving beetle larvae - and several gorgeous wasp spiders in the dunes.
Finally a surprising addition this week was a nightingale 'growling' in the North Bushes. We're used to hearing the beautiful song of male nightingales around the reserve in spring, but through summer we hear the contact or warning 'growl' that sounds like a small dog.