This week I have to lead again with an update on our phenomenally popular starling murmuration. Regular readers will know how much I love starlings, and how often I've written about the amazing way these pre-roost flocks twist and turn in unison through the sky, but this year's performances have been on completely different level.
Starling murmurations occur at Minsmere at some point every winter - sometimes for just a few days, other years for several months. In some years they are best in the autumn, other years in late winter, and sometimes even in midwinter. Flock sizes vary too, from as little as 3000 in some years to 60 000 or more birds. Our current flock is towards the higher end of the scale, at about 40 000 birds (though even that compares poorly with flocks of 1 million or more in the Somerset Levels or over Rome).
Starling murmuration by Christine Hall
Not only is the flock large, but they have been putting on some incredible performances over the last few days, playing to the massive crowds of visitors lined up along the North Wall in late afternoon, twisting and turning to evade the attentions of hungry peregrines and sparrowhawks, before diving en masse into the reedbed to roost. As last week was the school half term holiday, the crowds included many families who were able to tick off this natural spectacle on their bucket lists.
Part of the murmuration earlier this month
Currently the birds are arriving about 5 pm, though we recommend arriving by 4.30 pm to grab a take away coffee and cake from the cafe before heading out tot he North Wall to watch the action. For the latest information about our starlings, please check our twitter account - www.twitter.co.uk/RSPBMinsmere - or the RSPB Suffolk Facebook page - www.facebook.co.uk/RSPBSuffolk. You can watch a video of the action at https://twitter.com/SuffolkSi/status/964959133526044677
Of course, you may wish to visit earlier in the day to explore the reserve properly and take the opportunity to see some of our spectacular winter wildlife before it departs - or even catch some early signs of spring. The winter species include two redhead (female-type) smew that remain mobile around the Scrape, or on the pool behind North Hide; five whooper swans that favour the pools behind Wildlife Lookout; 14 Bewick's swans that roost on either the Scrape or Island Mere before spending the day feeding fields near Westleton; up to 11 goosanders that also roost on the Scrape or Island Mere; the immature glaucous gull continues ot make occasional visits to the Scrape; and a water pipit that is occasionally seen at Island Mere.
Most of these species have one thing in common: they visit the UK from Arctic areas to take advantage of our milder winters (the water pipit is an exception as they migrate NW to the UK from breeding grounds in the Alps). They join a number of commoner visitors to Minsmere every winter, which include tiny teal, whistling wigeons, a good proportion of our mallards and gadwalls in winter, and the second star species of this week's blog - the shoveler.
Shovelers get their name from the large, spatulate bill with which they filter seeds and invertebrates from the shallows - though they often keep it below the water-line or tucked into their back! The males are very distinctive with their bottle green head, small yellow eye, white breast and chestnut flanks. Females are best told by the front-heavy appearance - thanks to that bill.
Female shoveler
It might be dull and dreary today, but the gorgeous weather over the weekend tempted the first male adders out of hibernation and the bitterns began to grunt from the reedbed - the precursor to booming. The first daffodils are flowering behind the visitor centre, and hazel catkins have been dangling from the trees for several weeks already. Birdsong is increasing every day, and great spotted woodpeckers can be heard drumming in the woods. Marsh harriers are sky-dancing over the reedbed. It won't be long before we see the first brimstone butterflies either.
Finally, with spring very much on our minds, our wardens will be making final preparations for the breeding season on the Scrape tomorrow. There will be a work party during the afternoon who will be preparing the islands and installing numbered posts for monitoring purposes. As a result, there is likely to be quite a bit of disturbance tomorrow afternoon, so if you are visiting, arrive early to view the Scrape, check out the reedbed hides after lunch, then head out to the north Wall to take in the concluding showpiece. Enjoy it while it lasts!