Firstly, apologies for the lack of any blogs from me for the last three weeks, but if I'd written a species of the blog in that time it may well have featured three-toed sloth, scarlet macaw, eyelash pit-viper or yellow-throated toucan, rather than the usual Minsmere species.
Of course, while I was away in sunnier climes, there was still plenty to see at Minsmere, as well as many families enjoying their Easter holidays with a spot of pond dipping, minibeast hunting, and discovering their inner wild thing. I noticed quite a change on my lunchtime walk on Friday, then enjoyed a full day exploring the reserve with my own family on Saturday, and I must say that spring is very definitely in the air.
The first sign that spring had arrived when I returned was the singing chiffchaff at Gatwick Airport, and these tiny warblers are now singing in several areas around Minsmere. They have been joined this week by blackcaps, sedge warblers and the first willow warblers. Even more exciting has been the return of our Savi's warbler to his favoured area in the southeast corner of Island Mere - although as usual it can be tricky to hear due to both the pitch of his buzzing song, the distance, and the infrequency with which he sings.
The second sign of spring was the blackthorn blossom in the hedgerows along the M25 and A12, and now that i'm back at Minsmere it's good to see our hedgerows turning white with blossom, rather than frost and snow. Other early spring flowers already in bloom around Minsmere include the first ground ivy, so no doubt we'll start seeing one of my favourite insects, the dark-bordered beefly, in the next few days too.
Look for ground ivy around Whin Hill or the North Bushes. You may find a beefly searching for nectar too.
For anyone heading out onto the reserve this week, it won't take you to spot another sign of spring, and the species that I've chosen to focus on this week from our 70 species to spot challenge: the sand martin. This is the smallest of our three hirundines (the collective term for swallows and martins) and is invariably one of the first spring migrants to return in any significant numbers, having spent the winter in Africa.
Sand martin by Russ Sherriff
Sand martins are small, sandy-brown birds with white underparts, apart from the sandy-brown breast band. However, it is not their plumage that gives them their name, but their chosen nest sites. Sand martins, you see, excavate their tunnels in soft sandy cliffs. These may be coastal cliffs, banks in gravel quarries, low river banks, or artificial sand cliffs, such as the one just outside the cafe at Minsmere.
The pond and sand martin cliff by John Chapman
It's always a joy to watch the sand martins coming and going at their colony, so it was particularly disappointing that none nested here last year - they chose the nearby coastal cliffs instead. Following on from a record 320 nests in 2016, this was even more surprising. However, at least 50 sand martins are already excavating fresh burrows this year, so that signs are good for a successful season ahead.
As well as the sand martins, we've already seen a few swallows passing through, as well as the first house martins. The first cuckoo was seen on Friday, and one has been heard near Island Mere for the last couple of days. The first hobby was seen over Bittern Hide today, too, so the sand martins had better be wary as it's still too early for any dragonflies to emerge.
The other obvious change since my last blog has been on the Scrape. The gulls have returned to breed, and the soundscape of the reserve has changed dramatically as in excess of 2000 black-headed gulls squabble over nesting sites on the islands. Listen carefully among their raucous calls and you should hear the cat-like mewing of Mediterranean gulls, with more than 100 present on most days. Check carefully among the throng too, for common gulls, perhaps a little gulls, and first terns - 22 Sandwich terns were present today, and a common tern was fishing at Island Mere yesterday.
Mediterranean gulls (with a couple of black-headed gulls)
Lapwings and redshanks are displaying at North Hide, where up to three jack snipe and several common snipe can still be seen. Oystercatcher and avocets are marking out their territories too, while passage waders include grey plover, spotted redshank, greenshank, green sandpiper and bar-tailed godwits, alongside the more regular dunlins, turnstones and black-tailed godwits. Duck numbers have declined dramatically, but you should still be able to find shelducks, wigeon, gadwall, teal, mallard and shovelers, while a drake garganey has been seen on the Levels.
In the reedbeds, marsh harriers are already nesting, at least eight bitterns are now booming, bearded tits and reed buntings can be heard, and great crested grebes are displaying on Island Mere. One bird that you may not manage to see or hear so easily this year, though, is the Cetti's warbler, since most of ours seem to have perished during the cold snap known as the Beast from the East.
Talking of bitterns, there has also been great excitement just up the road with the arrival of Suffolk's first (and the UK's 10th) American bittern at the Suffolk Wildlife Trust's Carlton Marshes reserve. With the long-staying glossy ibis still at Eastbridge, and occasional visits from a spoonbill to the Levels, it's certainly a good time to look for heron-type birds.
What other migrants will arrive this week?
Looking forward to hearing the reed and sedge warblers from the reedbeds in the very near future.
Our herring gulls are red listed birds. Think about that the next time you hear some flaming idiot calling for a cull of them.