On arrival at Minsmere this morning I was greeted to a veritable feast of birdsong - nightingale, garden warbler, blackcap, Cetti's warbler and whitethroat were all singing in the scrub between the car park entrance and the Discovery Centre. Add in blackbird, robin, dunnock, chaffinch, blue tit and great tit and there's no need to walk far to hear a superb variety of songbirds.
There's a real springlike feel to the Scrape too, just a couple of weeks before the latest series of BBC Springwatch goes on air on 30 May. Hundreds of pairs of black-headed gulls are nesting and if you look carefully you may spot a Mediterranean gull or two among them. Several pairs of common terns are beginning to settle, while both Sandwich and little terns pass through in small numbers and may be seen settled on the Scrape islands. A fine adult black tern flew over the reedbed and Scrape yesterday too.
At least 159 avocets were counted yesterday, with most of them happily settled on nests. Nesting redshanks and lapwings are very vocal around South and North Hides respectively. There's also been an impressive passage of Arctic-breeding waders through the Scrape this week. There have been doubled figure counts of knots, dunlins, grey plovers, ringed plovers, bar-tailed godwits and common sandpipers as well as a few sanderlings, turnstones, greenshanks and single little stint and curlew sandpiper. Many of these are sporting their finest breeding plumage too.
Within the reedbed we've had reports of the first fledged bearded tits, reed buntings and stonechats, while reed and sedge warblers are in full voice. The latest surveys have revealed 11 booming male bitterns, with regular sightings at Island Mere and Bittern Hide. Kingfishers, water voles and water rails are sometimes seen and otters remain regular, especially in early morning and late evening. At least seven hobbies are now hunting damselflies and St Mark's flies above the reedbed, at several pairs of marsh harriers are nesting.
For me, though, the highlight of my lunchtime walk today was the scent of some of Minsmere's spring flowers. A gorgeous waft of hyacinth in South Belt marks the presence of bluebells, with this year's display being the best for several years. They are only a one minute walk from the visitor centre too, so easy for everyone to enjoy (there's others along the entrance too).
Bluebells in South Belt by Ian Barthorpe
My olfactory sense was put to good use again near the sluice with a magnificent display of coconut-scented golden gorse in full bloom.
Gorse by Ian Barthorpe
Among the other flowering plants on my walk were two species that can be used as culinary herbs - garlic mustard and spring beauty. You'll find more photos of these plants on the RSPB Suffolk Facebook page.
With such wonderful flowers, it wasn't a surprise to spot several butterflies on my walk, including red admirals, peacock, orange tip, small white and small copper, as well as my first four-spotted chaser dragonfly of the year.
What will you spot this weekend?