Following last week's look back at the incredible events of early September 1965, it's nice to be able to report on another excellent week for migration at Minsmere, with several unusual birds paying us a visit at the same time.
The week began with a few redstarts, whinchats and lesser whitethroats, as well as various commoner warblers, being noted in the North Bushes and along the dunes. A lovely female black redstart was found in North Bushes on Monday and proved very popular with visitors - though not with the local robins (or were they migrants too?), as it was regularly chased from bush to bush.
I had been visiting our excellent RSPB Flatford Wildlife Garden all day, but managed to spot this subtle chat on my return, as well as one of two gorgeous baby water voles that can often be seen in the pond.
It's not just small songbirds on the move, of course, with a good selection of wading birds on the Scrape, and yesterday morning news broke of a juvenile red-necked phalarope that had been found on Lucky Pool, just south of the sluice bushes. This tiny wader, on route from the Arctic to spend the winter in the middle of the Arabian Sea, proved to be very mobile, as it was also seen on West Scrape and South Scrape during the day. This is actually the third red-necked phalarope at Minsmere this year, and remained on the Scrape today - though it is still quite mobile and could be hard to locate. Other waders include good numbers of spotted redshanks, in their pale winter plumage, a few ruffs and a green sandpiper, as well as a handful of lingering avocets.
Other birds are moving offshore too, with dedicated seawatchers over the last two days having located a few sooty shearwaters and arctic skuas, as well as a long-tailed skua and lots of gannets and a variety of commoner ducks and wading birds. The first few red-throated divers of the winter have been seen too, and a rather sickly guillemot was bobbing just beyond the surf zone yesterday.
Arctic skua by Jon Evans - this one landed on the beach a few years ago
The climatic conditions continue to prove ideal for migration, and early yesterday afternoon a barred warbler was reported close to the sluice. This is a large warbler that breeds widely in eastern Europe and occurs in small numbers on the UK's east coast every autumn. While adults are indeed delicately barred beneath, juveniles are much plainer, and can look like an overgrown garden warbler with pale wingbars. It has taken up residence in a small patch of bramble and elder around the ruins of an old wooden windpump in the reedbed about 50m north of the sluice. Typical of barred warblers, it can prove elusive at times, but has been seen very well on an off all day. Close to the barred warbler, there have also been sightings of whinchats and redstarts in the sluice area too.
This was the first time I've seen a barred warbler in Suffolk, so I for one was pleased that it hung around. The excitement didn't end there though, as while I was watching this lovely bird, news came over the radios of a wryneck that had been found on Whin Hill in company with two redstarts. Another visitor from farther east, blown off course by the easterly airflow, this quickly drew a small crowd of birdwatchers and obligingly fed in the open at times along the western edge of Whin Hill.
Wryneck by Jon Evans
I have only once before seen both wryneck and barred warbler on the same day, and that was whilst leading a wildlife watching holiday in Poland in 2011. Bizarrely, earlier this morning I met two of the ladies from that holiday in our visitor centre - the first time I've seen them since the trip. I bumped into them again later, on my way to see the warbler - which they had already seen. Then, on arriving at the sluice to look for the warbler I got chatting to a leading Suffolk birdwatcher who had led the same holiday the previous year! What are the chances of that?
Of course, it's not all about rarities either, as there have been several sightings this week of more familiar Minsmere wildlife, including bitterns, hobbies, kingfishers, otters, willow emerald damselflies, migrant hawker dragonflies, comma butterflies and much more besides. And don't forget that our red deer rut 4x4 tours start this weekend. We still have several places available, especially midweek. Please call 01728 648281 to enquire about availability.
Oh, and there are about 1000 starlings gathering at dusk already. As more arrive from Scandinavia, numbers in the roost will hopefully increase soon. we'll keep you posted.