There are many reasons to Show the Love this week, and just as many ways to do it.
Show the Love is part of the Climate Coalition's campaign to reduce the impacts of climate change and encourage governments and individuals around the world to act now to ensure a future for our planet and its wildlife. The RSPB is a member of the Climate Coalition and this week we're wearing our green hearts with pride to support this campaign. We're also asking you to share your photos using #showthelove. I've just popped out to take a picture of my favourite view using one of our #showthelove templates. Why don't you share yours this too.
You can also show the love to your garden birds by taking part in our National Nestbox Week event. Lots of families have already had fun making their own nestboxes, giving robins or great tits a home in their own gardens. This event runs daily until Friday, from 10 am to 4 pm, and each nestbox will cost £5 to make.
The wildlife too, has been showing the love this week. Valentine's Day is traditionally the date when ducks pair up, and there has certainly been a lot of courtship happening on the Scrape already. It's not just the ducks either as three male lapwings were displaying outside North Hide this morning. You can read all about the way in which the moon cycle affects these beautiful wading birds in the Suffolk Wader Strategy's blog at http://www.suffolkwaders.org/2017/02/13/lapwings-in-winter/
Other birds are displaying already too. the marsh harriers are already twisting and tumbling through the sky in their sky-dancing display, while birdsong is increasing by the day.
Minsmere's herons were certainly showing visitors the love over the last two days. So much so that, like many other visitors, my family were able to spot four species of herons in just 20 minutes today. Not just spot either. We enjoyed superb views of all four species. First we watched the great white egret feeding alongside little egret and grey heron on the pool behind Wildlife Lookout, then we wandered to Island Mere where this bittern spent virtually the entire day fishing close to the hide.
There's so much more to see too. The six goosanders remain on Island Mere, where yesterday's sightings included bearded tits, water rails, peregrine, buzzard, snipe, otter and stoat. A male hen harrier flew over the mere late afternoon yesterday, and heading inland over the visitor centre this morning - right over my head without me knowing it was there! The aforementioned mammals have been seen several times today too. Stoats were spotted in the car park and around the Discovery Centre, while a dog otter fished alongside the egrets at Wildlife Lookout this morning. A kingfisher also joined in the fishing frenzy there!
Even the plants are showing the love, with snowdrops in flower around the car park entrance and gorgeous yellow catkins dripping in golden bunches from the hazel trees. Look closely and you can just about make out the tiny red female flowers too.
Why not visit us this week and help us to show the love even more.