At last we've said goodbye to the wet and windy early autumn weather and look set for an Indian summer - for the weekend at least. Which must be as good a reason as any to get outside and spend some time in the company of nature this weekend. Hopefully I can suggest a few more good reasons to make Minsmere your destination of choice.
Cakes, scones, binoculars, bearded tits, red deer, fungi, and a great variety of birds. But not necessarily in that order, depending on who you are.
Talking of cakes and scones, there have been a few new items added to the cafe menu over the few weeks, include steak and ale pie (pictured below), lamb hot pot and sausages and mash - though they're not available every day. There's also a choice of vegetarian options available, of course.
We're pleased to welcome Viking Optical back to Minsmere this weekend for our latest binocular and telescope open day, so if you're considering buying some new birdwatching equipment, this might be the perfect time to visit.
If that's not enough to tempt you to visit, then how about the variety of wildlife that can be seen at the moment. Clouds of common darter dragonflies can be found throughout the reserve, with a few migrant and southern hawkers among them. Butterflies such as small copper, small heath, speckled wood and peacock flutter between flowers, or soak up the late autumn sunshine. Fungi are appearing everywhere, with some impressive parasols, puffballs and shaggy inkcaps and various species whose names I don't know. A few red deer are often seen around Bittern Hide, the Wild Zone or the North Wall, while bigger numbers gather on the traditional rutting fields at the northern end of the reserve - don't forget that we've added a few extra red deer safaris (see yesterday's blog) if you want to get closer to the deer.
Porcelain fungus - one of the species to look for in September
As you wander through the North Bushes, look for warblers such as blackcaps and whitethroats refueling on blackberries before continuing their migration south. With a bit of luck we might find a rarer visitor there soon too - a yellow-browed warbler, wryneck or red-backed shrike perhaps? We should also start seeing the first redwings and bramblings arriving any day.
Bearded tits seem to be everywhere at the moment. Small parties are regularly seen along the North Wall, around the Konik Field, at Island Mere, and even in the narrow strip of reeds outside East Hide. Calm autumn mornings are the best time to see these gorgeous little birds, the weekend should be a perfect opportunity to add them to your list.
Male bearded tit by Jon Evans
If you are visiting, then you'll definitely want to pop along to East Hide if you can. The variety of ducks and waders on East Scrape at the moment is excellent. Pick of the birds must the stunning juvenile red-necked phalarope that has been with us since Saturday and is still spinning around picking insects off the water's surface. (There is a great video of it on the RSPB Minsmere Twitter page - click here.) It is favouring the edge of the Scrape, left of the hide, and when I went to see it this afternoon it sometimes disappeared behind an island or into the reeds. How much longer will it stay for?
The phalarope wasn't t the only scarce wader on the Scrape today as three little stints and two curlew sandpipers could also be seen feeding along the edges of the island or in the shallow water. At times, the stints were showing extremely well from East Hide, although as always the flocks of waders can be mobile and may move elsewhere on the Scrape, or to Konik Field of Lucky Pool.
Little stint by Jon Evans. Apart from the tiny size, note the very short bill and white lines down the back, plus buffy crown and sides to breast.
Other waders on the Scrape include at least 30 dunlins, 15 ringed plovers, a little ringed plover, a few ruffs and spotted redshanks, at least eight avocets still and up to four bar-tailed godwits among the 70+ black-tailed godwits.
Hundreds of teals can be seen on the Scrape, too, with smaller numbers of wigeons, gadwalls, shovelers and mallards. Some males, especially the gadwalls and shovelers, are already acquiring their colourful breeding plumage following the post-breeding moult, though many remain confusingly brown. Luckily, our volunteer guides are usually on hand to help with any tricky ID issues.
Please note, though, that we do have to try to complete the Scrape management work next week, and expect to be cutting bank vegetation with a tractor on Monday and clearing more vegetation with our volunteer work party on Thursday. As a result, there will be some disturbance to at least part of the Scrape each day, though there will still be plenty of opportunities to watch the ducks and waders - please ask at reception for the best places to visit on each day.
Next week we will also be carrying out a stock-take in the shop on Wednesday, so the shop will be closing earlier than usual that day - though the cafe and reception will remain open as usual . So, if you are visiting on Wednesday, buy your birdfood or Christmas cards on arrival, before you enjoy your walk.