It's Monday, so it must be time for my latest focus on one of our 70 species to spot at Minsmere as part of our 70th anniversary celebrations this year. Every week I have a minor dilemma over which species to focus on as there are often several that could fit the bill. I'm also conscious that some are better left for the mid winter, when there's less variety, or even for next spring.
Today, my biggest dilemma is that neither of the species that I'd like to choose are even on the list! I could easily have chosen the badger, as Matt has been enjoying one feeding outside the visitor centre after dark on several evenings recently. However, their nocturnal nature does mean that few visitors get the chance to spot badgers, so perhaps it would be unfair to feature these stripy-faced mammals, even though they are always popular with visitors.
I was also keen to feature Bewick's swans as the first three birds of the winter arrived yesterday - a pair with one youngster. These small swans are supreme travelers. The nearest breeding colonies are about 3000 miles northeast, in the frozen waste of Arctic Russia. Their autumn migration takes them west to the White Sea, then along the Baltic coast with stopovers for rest and refueling in countries such as Estonia, Poland and Germany, before spending the winter in the relatively climates of The Netherlands and England. While most of those reaching the UK will head to the Fens, smaller numbers also stay on the Suffolk coast, or head farther west to the Severn Estuary, where I first encountered them at WWT Slimbridge.
A similar group of three Bewick's swans from a few years ago by Jon Evans
Bewick's and whooper swans are often referred to as "wild" swans - a reference to their long-distance travels - or as winter swans. It's as a result of this latter term that I always feel that winter doesn't truly start until I've seen one of the winter swans. So, for me, winter officially starts today, as all three Bewick's were on East Scrape when I popped into North Hide at lunchtime. They were showing very well so it was easy to see the relatively small yellow mark on their their bill compared to the more extensive, pointed yellow on a whooper's bill - think Bewick's = blob of butter and whooper = wedge of cheese.
So, I can't choose badger or Bewick's swan, but I can choose another species beginning with a "B" - bullfinch. Bullfinches are often easiest to find in early spring, when their indistinct song helps birdwatchers to locate them as they feed on the buds of leaves and blossom - a habit that made them unpopular with many fruit growers in the 20th century. They are showing very well at times at the moment, too, with up to six regularly seen in North Bushes and three or four around the Work Centre and Discovery Centre area.
Bullfinch by Sue Tranter (rspb-images.com)
Despite their vivid pink breasts, even male bullfinches can be tricky to spot, even when there are no leaves on the trees. In fact, often all you see of them is their white rumps as they disappear around the corner. However, with patience you should be rewarded, especially if you wander around the North Bushes in the morning, as they seem to be much easier to find before about 10 am. And wherever you see a male bullfinch, there is a good chance that you'll see a female too, as they tend to remain in close company throughout the year. (You may remember the bullfinch nest that was featured on BBC Springwatch a couple of years ago, where both birds were usually together.)
It seems that "B" is a popular letter at Minsmere this month as there are also regular sightings of bitterns, buzzards and bearded tits at Island Mere, several black-tailed godwits on the Scrape, at least one snow bunting on the beach, a few bonxies offshore (aka great skuas), and even an influx of blackbirds this morning. In fact, one of the bitterns was even photographed catching a water vole at island Mere this morning! And, of course, there are delicious bacon butties and chocolate brownies on offer in the cafe, and binoculars to buy or hire in the shop.
Of course, there are also other letters of the alphabet represented on the sightings lists. Highlights today include 13 avocets and a pintail among the ducks on the Scrape, the Dartford warbler with stonechats near the sluice, long-tailed ducks and goldeneyes offshore, marsh harriers over the reedbed, otters and cormorants on Island Mere, and red deer and treecreepers in the woods.