Spring truly has arrived in Suffolk. It was a lovely warm day, with a gentle south easterly breeze and hazy sunshine all day. A great way to celebrate spring - and the birds thought so too.
Bitterns boomed throughout the day (there are nine boomers now) and showed regularly from Bittern Hide. The Island Mere bird(s) was less obliging but finally put in an appearance at about 4.30 pm and showed well just in front of the hide. Marsh harriers displayed throughout, and several were seen carrying nesting material.
Island Mere was a hive of activity, even without the bitterns. A snipe played a typical game of now you see me, now you don't in the cut vegetation immediately in front of the hide, while a yellow wagtail put in a brief appearance here late morning. Bearded tits regularly flitted above the reeds, emitting their characteristic pinging calls, and were often seen perched on the edge of the reeds. They were also seen from the North Wall. Reed, sedge and Cetti's warblers and reed buntings, sang in the area. A pair of water rails with seven tiny black chicks were seen a couple of times, and mallards also have chicks. Three hobbies put on a good show. On the mere itself were a female goldeneye, male pochard, two great crested grebes and several tufted ducks and little grebes. Finally, five common sandpipers sat on the posts in the mere.
The Scrape was busy too. Careful scanning through the black-headed gulls revealed several Mediterranean gulls. Terns on South Scrape peaked at 21 common, 16 Sandwich and five little. Waders included two green sandpipers at West Hide, a common sandpiper and two bar-tailed godwits at South Hide, several ruffs and turnstones and loads of black-tailed godwits. Two pintails remain on East Scrape, and several teal and wigeons also remain.
On the Konik Field, there were up to seven spotted redshanks, a greenshank, a snipe and several broods of greylag geese.
Nightingales were singing in the North Bushes and near the car park entrance. The first garden warbler was heard near South Belt Crossroads. Whitehtroats are now widespread, as are blackcaps and chiffchaffs. A willow warbler (increasingly scarce here) was heard at the Rhododendron tunnel this morning and a lesser whitethroat was heard between Bittern hide and Island Mere. A cuckoo was heard from the visitor centre at 5 pm.
A buzzard was over Westleton heath early afternoon, having presumably flown over the reserve. A red kite was seen late last night.
Four red deer were very tame near South Belt Crossroads. Peacock butterflies were widespread.
We're looking forward to another great day tomorrow. why not join us.