Today is officially the shortest day of the year - the winter solstice. As if the daylight wasn't limited enough, it's been a dull, dreary day with the fog barely lifting all day. Despite this, there have been some fantastic sightings (albeit not many great photos given the poor light).
This afternoon, one of our volunteers radioed to say that he was watching three otters at Bittern Hide. Simultaneously, another volunteer was watching a dog otter at Island Mere. The Bittern Hide group was probably a female and two young. Earlier in the day there was a pale phase buzzard over Island Mere, along with the marsh harriers. Two otters were at Island Mere at dusk, too.
Otter by Ian Clarke
The Scrape is jam-packed with ducks. I estimated in excess of 1000 teal on East Scrape alone, with others scattered around the Scrape, Konik Field and South Levels, along with wigeon, gadwall, mallard, shoveler and a few shelducks. A male pintail flew onto the Konik Field as I passed. Surprisingly, this was only the second that I've seen at Minsmere all year!
A drake teal on a sunnier day
There are good numbers of waders on the Scrape for late December too, including three avocets on East Scrape, 15 black-tailed godwits, a knot and 13 dunlins on South Scrape, at least eight redshanks, and several lapwings and snipe. The other highlights on the Scrape today were a second year Caspian gull on East Scrape this morning, a kingfisher on West Scrape, and on or two grey herons and little egrets.
A couple of our more elusive birds also put on a good show on my lunchtime walk, with a water rail feeding along the edge of one of the Konik Field pools (and two others calling in the reedbed), and at least four bearded tits feeding very close to the path as I approached the sluice. Other highlights included a male bullfinch that brightened the gloom in the Sluice Bushes and a sparrowhawk along the North Wall. I failed to find the Dartford warbler in the dunes (again!) but it was reported by at least one visitor.
There were few reports of the bitterns today, and none of the Bewick's swans, though they are likely to still be around.
As this is probably my last blog of the year, it's also worth looking back at some of my personal highlights from Minsmere's 70th birthday year.
A six-belted clearwing from earlier in the year
In the spirit of looking back, we're also pleased to announce that the 2016 Suffolk Bird Report is now available to buy from the shop. At just £10, this is a great review of birdwatching in Suffolk in 2016, including reports about Minsmere's infamous western purple swamphen and our American cliff swallow, plus other exciting birds seen in the county in 2016.
Finally, I'd like to wish everyone a very merry Christmas and nature-filled New Year, and to remind you that Minsmere will be closed on Christmas Day and Boxing Day, but open as usual on all other dates.
A Christmas robin by Jon Evans