Tall, long-legged birds have definitely dominated the sightings reports on our guides' radios this week, some more expected than others.
It's no longer a surprise to hear reports of Great Egrets around the reedbed, along with the more typical Little Egrets, Grey Herons and Bitterns. In fact, yesterday I spotted eight Little Egrets in front of North Hide, and watched two Bitterns flying between Bittern Hide and the Scrape, while there are now several Bitterns booming around the reedbed.
Great Egret by David Naylor
Common Cranes are much less predictable, though for the third spring in a row we've got a pair roaming around the reserve. Spotting them can be down to luck - are you looking in the right direction when they fly - but they do at least sometimes announce their presence with a bugling call. Sometimes you might be able to see them feeding in the distance on the South Levels (looking from the dunes), or behind Island Mere (from Whin Hill). It's amazing how such big birds can be so easy to miss though!
Common Cranes by David Naylor
Even more unusual than the Cranes, though, there have been several sightings of a White Stork over Minsmere this week. First reported flying south over Lowestoft on Wednesday morning, it was seen over several other locations along the Suffolk coast before many of us were lucky enough to spot continuing its southward path over Minsmere later that morning. After a further sighting just to the north of the reserve that afternoon, hopes were high that it might have roosted locally. Sure enough, I picked it out again yesterday as it flew low over Bittern Hide, then the Scrape, before disappearing from view somewhere over Dunwich Forest. Then, this afternoon there have been several further sightings around Eastbridge and Island Mere, with the most recent sighting being of the stork flying south towards Leiston.
White Stork by Fred Vennell (this is a library photo, not this week's bird)
White Storks are rare visitors to the UK from mainland Europe, as they find the North Sea and English Channel are too wide to allow them soar on thermals. However, there is now an growing breeding population in Sussex, where they were re-introduced a few years ago, so we may start to see them more often at Minsmere. The mix of wetland habitats here is ideal for both White Storks and Common Cranes, so perhaps one or both species might breed here one day, as they almost certainly did until 400 years ago!
Storks and Cranes are not the only species that visitors and volunteers have watched soaring above the reserve this week. Buzzards, Marsh Harriers, Sparrowhawks and Kestrels are regular, and a Red Kite was seen again this morning. with gulls and crows often joining the raptors in the thermals.
With water levels finally starting to fall, and islands slowly reappearing on the Scrape, the numbers of gulls have increased considerably, and with them so has the volume. Several hundred Black-headed Gulls are already back, along with a few Mediterranean Gulls, while upto five Caspian Gulls and a Yellow-legged Gull have been seen with the Herring, Lesser and Great Black-backed Gulls.
A mix of gulls on the Scrape
Waders have started to return, too. Sightings this week include up to 27 Dunlin, three Ringed Plovers, eight Knot, five Turnstones, a Bar-tailed Godwit, two Black-tailed Godwits, plus Curlews, Redshanks, Snipe, Oystercatcher and Avocets. There are also still good numbers of ducks on the Scrape, including five Pochard, two Goosanders, 30+ Tufted Ducks and 40+ Pintails, as well as the more expected Shelducks, Wigeons, Gadwalls, Teals, Mallards and Shovelers.
Apart from Bitterns and Marsh Harriers, patient watching of the reedbeds should be rewarding with sightings of Reed Bunting, Bearded Tit, Little or Great Crested Grebes. You're more likely to hear Cetti's Warblers or Water Rails, and with luck you might glimpse an Otter. Up to 12 Whooper Swans remained until at least Wednesday, too.
Great Crested Grebe at Island Mere
Other highlights this week include up to four Adders beneath the Sand Martin bank, Water Voles at the pond, the partial Ermine Stoat at Bittern Hide, and the first Dark-edged Beeflies and Early Colletes bees of the spring. A chiffchaff continues to sing in the North Bushes, and Great Spotted Woodpeckers are drumming around the woods
One of the Adders earlier this week, which had snagged its skin on a low Bramble spike