For most of the last year you'll have read many references to Minsmere's 70th anniversary, and hopefully taken part in our 70 species challenge. This was a significant milestone for Minsmere, but today I celebrate two big milestones of my own.
Firstly, I am proud to say that I have now been an RSPB member for 40 years, having first been given membership of the YOC (as our junior membership, RSPB Wildlife Explorers, was known then) as a present for Christmas 1977. I remember avidly reading Birdlife, the junior magazine, every two months, and rapidly acquired a keen interest in all things birds. Unlike most teenagers, I remained a member throughout my youth, progressing to full RSPB membership as a student, and further developing my love of all wildlife.
I volunteered at Minsmere in June 1990, and again in 1996-97, then in April 1999 I finally achieved my ambition to work for the RSPB, running our Exhibition Trailer in North Norfolk, and later recruiting members at events across the Eastern England region. Much as i loved chatting to our lovely supporters, I really wanted to work on a reserve, showing visitors some of the amazing wildlife that the RSPB helps to protect, and one reserve stood head and shoulders above the rest: Minsmere (of course).
When the opportunity arose to join the team at Minsmere I grabbed it with both hands and this week I am celebrating 15 years working at this incredible reserve.
Who couldn't love working somewhere with views like this?
I've seen many changes in those 15 years, and look forward to many more in the years to come. Back then, Minsmere was still closed on Tuesdays, and didn't open until 9 am at all. Now, we are open from dawn to dusk every day, giving you even more time to enjoy the fantastic wildlife here.
The facilities have been upgraded too, with a replacement for the old, dark Island Mere Hide, a larger cafe and a more spacious reception area. In 2012 we opened our exciting Wild Zone and Discovery Centre, providing much improved facilities for families and school groups, and helping to encourage even more people to discover nature for themselves.
As visitor numbers have increased, the staff and volunteer has grown too, and we now have a superb team of wardens, guides, educators, administrators, plus of course the retail, catering and welcome teams helping to make Minsmere possibly the best nature reserve in the UK.
Back in 2003, BBC Springwatch didn't even exist (the first series aired in 2005), yet the popularity of this superb wildlife series helped place Minsmere firmly in the nation's psyche when the show was broadcast from the reserve during 2014 to 2016. For someone who remembers watching the first ever Birdwatch TV programme that was filmed at Minsmere in 1981, this was very exciting.
Another TV programme from that era also played a crucial role in developing my interest in wildlife when Peter Holden appeared on Blue Peter to talk about the first ever YOC garden birdwatch in 1979. Amazingly, that simple event proved so popular that later this month we're inviting you to take part in the the 39th stocktake of Britain's garden birds, the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch (more of this in later blogs, but you can register your interest at https://www.rspb.org.uk/get-involved/activities/birdwatch).
I took part in that first garden birdwatch, and remember seeing a beautiful male reed bunting and a song thrush. I'll be taking part again this month with my nine year old, but it's unlikely that either of those species will feature on our list. We should, however, see goldfinches which would have been exceptionally scarce in gardens in 1979.
Winter plumage male reed bunting by Andy Hay (rspb-images.com)
This, of course, is a reflection of the changing bird populations across the UK during my 40 years as an RSPB member. In the 1980s i regularly watched corn buntings, yellow wagtails, yellowhammers and lapwings on my daily dog walks in Shropshire. Now I'd be lucky to see any of those species there, but would expect to find buzzard and maybe even red kite. Likewise at Minsmere, it would have been a red letter day to see a marsh harrier in the 1970s, or a little egret as recently as the 1990s, yet both are now almost taken for granted. No-one at Minsmere would have even heard of an antlion or beewolf in 1977, yet they are now two of our more popular summer species. In contrast, it was still possible to see willow tit, lesser spotted woodpecker, tree pipit and even red squirrel at Minsmere in the late 70s, yet all three birds are now extremely rare in Suffolk and the squirrels are long gone.
A beewolf with prey
What changes to our wildlife will we see in the next 40 years? Will my son still be interested in willdife? Will he even follow me into a career in nature conservation? Only time will tell, but I know that my love of nature will never diminish. What about yours?
Two fantastic milestones there, Ian. I hope you'll be at Minsmere for many years to come.
Our herring gulls are red listed birds. Think about that the next time you hear some flaming idiot calling for a cull of them.