I've talked a lot about water recently, but today I'm turning my attention to mud. After so much rain, it's perhaps not a surprise that some of the paths are a bit muddy in places. This means there's also a chance to look for footprints - if you can spot them before they are trampled by the boots of passing human visitors!
Among the prints you are most likely to find are deer tracks, known as "slots". These might be the tiny tracks of Muntjac, or the much larger ones of Red Deer - like the ones I spotted on my lunchtime walk today. Sometimes, though, you are able to find some more unusual tracks. A Fox perhaps! Or an Otter. Or, as on today's walk, the distinctive paw print of a Badger, with its four forward-facing toes.
Footprints are often the most obvious signs of a mammals, but there are others too, such as Mole hills, Rabbit burrows, or nibbled nuts betraying the presence of a Grey Squirrel or Wood Mouse.
It sometimes helps to know the behaviour of wildlife, too. Take our Adders, for example. The males are beginning to emerge from hibernation and on sunny days they will bask in certain chosen locations, typically curled up among some low Brambles. Luckily, our amazing volunteers are very good at spotting them and helping you to find them. Of course, if it is wet or cold the Adders will retreat back below ground to await more suitable weather.
The same can be said about Bitterns or Snipe at Island Mere, which require a combination of lucky, patience, timing or someone's help to locate, but the rewards are worth it. So is the wait, as you may spot a Marsh Harrier, Bearded Tit or Great Egret whilst waiting - or even time it just right to see a pair of Common Cranes fly past, as some visitors have seen this week.
Luck and patience aren't needed as much to see the hundreds of ducks on the Scrape, but they can be helpful to spot the first returning waders, especially since many of the islands have disappeared beneath the water again. These waders might include Avocets, Ringed Plovers, Redshanks, Dunlins, Oystercatchers or Black-tailed Godwits, while the first Mediterranean Gull of the spring was seen today, too.
Among the ducks, look for a few Tufted Ducks, Pochards or Goosanders among the commoner species, while both Coot and Great Crested grebe have returned to both the Scrape and Island Mere. There are still 12 Whooper Swans present, but the Bewick's Swans haven't been reported for several days. Likewise, the ringtail Hen Harrier was seen again at dusk last night.
Finally, apologies for the lack of photos in today's blog, which are due to a minor technical issue. You can, of course see a variety of photos on our Twitter, Facebook and Instagram pages - just search for @RSPBMinsmere on each site.