It's certainly been all go at the pond again this week. Admittedly it's better when the sun shines,. but even on a cloudy day there's plenty of wildlife to spot just a short walk from the visitor centre.
Pick of the bunch for many are the Water Voles. Up to four have been seen again this week, with two noticeably smaller ones that we assume are youngsters from earlier in the year. Last autumn we had three different sizes of Water Voles, so it may be that the female is once again ensconced in her burrow rearing a second family.
Even when the Water Voles aren't in view, there are plenty of tell-tale signs of their presence, including leaves chewed at a distinctive 45 degree angle and floating rafts of chewed vegetation that serve as feeding platforms. If they are not immediately obvious, it's worth carefully leaning over the railing and checking beneath your feet as the Water Voles often sit on the support pillars of the boardwalk, as this one did when I saw it on Wednesday.
Sometimes, the hordes of eyes searching for the Water Voles all turn to focus on another of the pond's star inhabitants as a Grass Snake swims casually by. Despite being relatively common and widespread, Grass Snakes can be difficult to find, but their tendency to swim in pursuit of aquatic prey can make them easier to spot. After watching this one hunting slowly on the surface on Wednesday, I was delighted to watch it diving into the submerged vegetation as it tried to flush out unsuspecting newts or dragonfly larvae, allowing me to see its lemony underside as it twisted just below the surface.
Note the characteristic yellow and black collar on this Grass Snake
The pond also continues to be a good place to watch dragonflies. These vary in size from slender Blue-tailed Damselflies to huge Norfolk Hawker and Emperor dragonflies. Many sport bright colours that make them easier for us to see, but some, like this female Emerald Damselfly, can be a little harder to spot.
Just beyond the pond, the action is hotting up in Digger Alley, with burrow disputes, courtship and predation keeping visitors entertained as they watch the above-ground elements of the various bees' and wasps' lifestyles play out.
A little further along, the flowers along the North Wall provide a stunning show of colour, attracting various bees, hoverflies, butterflies and day-flying moths, such as the lovely black-and-red Six-spot Burnet moths. This one was busy taking nectar from a Ragwort flower, while the yellow-and-black Cinnabar moth caterpillars chomped the leaves lower down.
The North Bushes area provided some excitement for birdwatchers this week too when a male Red-backed Shrike was spotted on Monday morning. It has been reported a couple of times since, but has so far eluded all our staff and volunteers. Another bird seen by just one or two lucky visitors was a Honey-buzzard that flew south over Eastbridge yesterday morning.
The Scrape continues to be the main attraction for birdwatchers, with at least 400 Avocets and500 Black-tailed Godwits dominating the sightings, and four Spoonbills adding a touch of the exotic. Migrant waders include Spotted Redshank, Green and Common Sandpipers, Ruff, Dunlin and Little Ringed Plover, while numbers of Lapwings and Redshanks are increasing, too. At least one second-year Arctic Tern is usually present among the Common and Sandwich Terns, and there have been one or two sightings of Little Tern, Roseate Tern and Little Gull this week. The brood of Egyptian Geese remains on East Scrape, as do a couple of broods of similarly-patterned Shelducks.
In the reedbed, Bitterns are becoming a bit more elusive as most of the nests have now fledged, with Marsh Harriers, Hobbies, Reed and Sedge Warblers, Bearded Tits and Reed Buntings all likely to be seen with a bit of patience. Both Kingfisher and Great Egret remain, but need a bit more luck, while a count of 21 Pochard among the moulting ducks at Island Mere was the highest for many years.
Both male (above) and female Reed Bunting posed for me along the East Hide boardwalk yesterday
With so much wildlife to be seen, don't forget that our wonderful volunteers are often in the hides or along Digger Alley to help you to spot some of this wildlife, or why not book onto one of excellent guided walks - see www.events.rspb.org.uk/minsmere for details of how to book.