What's that wet stuff?

After an incredibly dry six months, extending back to the beginning of lockdown, the weather gods clearly decided it was time to wreak their revenge, resulting in what can only be described as awful weather on Friday.

We had actually fared better than forecast for much of last week, with a few showers and increasing wind as the week wore on, but by Friday the heavens open and the wind blew, and only a tiny handful of very brave visitors decided  to come and see us. The wet and windy continued over the weekend, albeit with lighter rain, resulting in the closure of all woodland paths from Friday lunchtime until this morning.

Happily, it doesn't look like there was too much damage from the wind - just a few branches down here and there, so we've been able to reopen normally again today. 

I say "normally" deliberately, because it's unlikely that we'll return to the "old normal" again for several months (if at all), so our current visitor arrangements are the "new normal". As a reminder, this means that the shop and reception are open 10 am to 4 pm only, the cafe 10 am to 3.45 pm, and the toilets 9 am to 5 pm. Face coverings are required at all times in all buildings - this includes the hides and toilets. The cafe has no indoor seating available, so you'll have to eat outside (or in your car), whatever the weather - you cannot eat or drink in the hides please. Also, please note that all visitors must complete NHS test and trace contact details, either by scanning the QR code if you have the app, or completing an old-fashioned paper copy.

One happy result of the wet weather is that the Scrape looks like a coastal lagoon again with water levels having rapidly risen since Friday. This has coincided with big increases in numbers of wintering ducks, with hundreds of teal dabbling for seeds in the shallow water, accompanied by slightly smaller numbers of wigeon, gadwall, mallard and shoveler. A couple of garganeys were spotted among them late last week, too. East Scrape is particularly busy.

Drake teal by Ian Barthorpe

Higher water levels means less muddy margins for feeding waders and water rails, but a couple of little stints and green sandpipers were still present today, along with a dozen or so dunlins and avocets. More surprisingly, a young Sandwich tern paid a visit to East Scrape this afternoon.

The windy conditions have seen some interesting birds passing by offshore, too, including red-throated divers, gannets, dark-bellied brent geese, common scoters, one or two Arctic skuas and single eider, little gull and purple sandpiper.

Several whitethroats, lesser whitethroats and blackcaps remained until at least Thursday, but migrant numbers are little lower today, suggesting that many of these have now headed south. Despite that, sightings today have included cuckoo and wheatear in the dunes, ring ouzel and spotted flycatcher in North Bushes. We're eagerly awaiting the first yellow-browed warbler of the autumn, while redwings are slowly starting to arrive in Suffolk too. Early morning visitors have also been treated to passage flocks of siskins, meadow pipits and chaffinches flying over.

Spotted flycatcher by Nigel Smith

Finally, we can't forget the reedbed, where bearded tits continue to show well at times around South Hide, Wildlife Lookout and Island Mere. Hobbies, bitterns and marsh harriers are all regularly seen in flight, up to five great white egrets remain in the reedbed pools, and otters are seen most days.