Kent. The Garden of England. Famous for its orchard, oast houses, castles and white cliffs. But did you know that it is also the only English county to have three different birds whose names relate to the county, or places within it (and at least one moth, for that matter).
Despite this claim to fame, there was a time not so long ago when none of those three birds bred in Kent, and one is still a very rare visitor to the county.
Why, you might ask, am I talking about Kent, rather than Suffolk? Because for the last two days it's been possible to see all three of these species right here at Minsmere. One is easy to see. The second is trickier but reliably seen in the right areas. The third, as in Kent, is a rarity.
Let's start with the rare one: Kentish Plover. This is a very pretty relative of the familiar ringed plover. It breeds commonly in the Mediterranean but, despite its name, only a handful reach as far north as the UK in any given year, and it's been many years since one was seen at Minsmere. It was, therefore, very exciting when a beautiful male was found on East Scrape yesterday. Typically, I wasn't here, but luckily it has taken a liking to its favoured island and is still busily feeding on an island close to East Hide.
Kentish Plover
As you can see from this photo, Kentish Plovers lack the full breast band of a Ringed Plover, looking paler above and clean white below. Males, like this bird, have a beautiful chestnut cap. When it arrived yesterday, it turned up with several Ringed Plovers and a couple of Little Ringed Plovers, giving birdwatchers a rare opportunity to compare the three species alongside each other! It was also accompanied by several Dunlins, a Sanderling and two Little Stints, though most of these have already moved on.
This wasn't the first rare wader to visit Minsmere this spring, though as an elegant Black-winged Stilt called in for a brief visit on Sunday. Aptly named, with its incredibly long pink legs, this is also an overshoot from its usual range in southern Europe. There have been several Black-winged Stilts in the UK this spring, including up to four at several sites in Suffolk, so it is hoped that a few pairs may nest somewhere in the country.
Black-winged Stilt - this one was seen in Norfolk last summer
Other waders seen on the Scrape this week include unusually large numbers of Ruffs (up to 16), plus Greenshank, Common Sandpiper, Turnstone, Black- and Bar-tailed Godwits, Whimbrel and the breeding species: Oystercatcher, Avocet, Ringed Plover, Lapwing and Redshank.
The Second "Kent" bird, and the easiest to see is Sandwich Tern. Technically they are named after Lord Sandwich, rather than the eponymous town, but there is no denying the obvious connection with Kent. Good numbers of Sandwich terns remain on the Scrape, along with increasing numbers of Common Terns, while the first Little Terns have returned today.
Sandwich tern
As well as the waders and terns, there's a great selection of other birds to see from the Scrape hides. These include Mediterranean, Black-headed, Common, Herring, Lesser and Great Black-backed Gulls and Kittiwakes, which were joined by a Yellow-legged Gull today. Several broods of Greylag, Canada and Barnacle Geese are now following their parents around the Scrape. Apart from Shelducks, duck numbers are declining but still include Gadwall, Shoveler, Teal, Mallard and the odd Wigeon and Pintail, while a drake Garganey was seen again yesterday.
In the reedbed, many visitors are lucky enough to see Bitterns and Water Rails, especially at Bittern Hide, while Hobbies and Marsh Harriers are regularly hunting over the reeds, alongside Swifts, Swallows and Sand Martins. Stoats have been regular at Bittern Hide too, and two lucky visitors spotted Otter, Water Vole and Stoat from Bittern Hide this morning! A Great Egret was seen again yesterday, too.
Reedbed warblers include Reed, Sedge, Grasshopper and Cetti's, plus several singing Reed Buntings. Other warblers to look, and listen, for in the woods are Blackcap, Garden Warbler and Chiffchaff. Willow Warbler and Lesser Whitethroat have been heard in the North Bushes, and Whitethroats are singing in bushes in any area of scrub, including the dunes.
This brings me nicely to the third "Kent" bird: Dartford Warbler. These lovely little birds with wine-red underparts and cocked tails are sometimes seen in the dunes, but more reliably found by enjoying a stroll around Westleton or Dunwich Heaths. When I was a child, in the 1980s, Dartford Warblers were confined to the heaths of East Devon, Dorset, the New Forest and Surrey, before a combination of sympathetic heathland restoration and warmer winters helped their populations to increase, and they eventually recolonised the Suffolk coast in the late 1990s.
Dartford Warbler by Les Cater
Whilst looking for Dartford Warblers on the heaths you might also find such enigmatic birds as Woodlark, Nightingale, Cuckoo or Nightjar - the first of the latter should return from Africa in the next few days - as well as a variety of insects.
Talking of insects, there have now been several sightings of Large Red Damselflies and Hairy Dragonflies. Green Tiger Beetles are active beneath the busy Sand Martin bank, and Cliff and Tawny Mining Bees are the first active residents of Digger Alley - it will be a few more weeks before the first Beewolves emerge. Among the butterflies, popular species to look for include Orange Tips, Green Hairstreaks and Small Coppers, and the first Painted Lady of the year was reported this morning. And the Kent moth that I mentioned? Kentish Glory is actually a very rare species in the UK, found only in a few parts of the Scottish Highlands, although it formerly occurred in East Anglia, as well as Kent.
Finally, a reminder that our cafe opening hours have changed to 9.30 am to 4 pm, and that we have spaces available on several guided walks this month.