Wonderful Wetlands

When you think of Minsmere, what habitats or wildlife come to mind? I'd hazard a guess that the answer, in most cases, will be related to wetlands. The Scrape, reedbeds, water, the coast, Avocet, Bittern, Marsh Harrier, Water Vole, ducks, gulls. Yes, Minsmere has dry habitats too - woods, heath, acid grassland - and their associated wildlife, but for most visitors, it's our wetlands that are most attractive.

The view of the Scrape from South Hide

Wetlands are vital to all life, sustaining our crops, reducing the risk of flooding (if well managed) and, of course, providing us with clean drinking water. Sadly, wetlands have often been mistreated by humans - drained, polluted, neglected - to the detriment of people and wildlife.

Wetlands are so important that they are celebrated every year on 2 February, which is known as World Wetlands Day. This date is significant as it marks the signed, in 1971, of the RAMSAR Treaty on Wetlands of International Importance. Ramsar is a town in Iran where this treaty was signed. Signatory countries have since designated their most important wetlands as RAMSAR sites, and this is just one of many international and national wildlife designations that apply to Minsmere.

As well being a RAMSAR site, Minsmere is a Site of Special Interest, part of a National Nature Reserve, and Special Protection Area and Special Area of Conservation, and one of only five sites in the UK to hold a Council of Europe Diploma. More recently, Minsmere is a key site within the proposed East Coast Wetlands World Heritage Site.

To celebrate World Wetlands Day at Minsmere, one of our volunteers, Margaret, is leading a special Winter Wildfowl guided walk at 10 am on Sunday. There are still spaces available, but they are limited, so to book your tickets please click here.

With the theme of this walk being winter wildfowl, it is not surprising that wildlife dominate the sightings again this week. The term wildfowl means ducks, geese and swans, though sometimes also includes other wetland wildlife such as grebes and coots. Many of these species are present this week.

This is a great time of year to test your swan identification, for example. As well as the resident Mute Swans, we have four Whooper Swans and four Bewick's Swans on the Scrape. Whoopers, with the yellow "wedge of cheese" on their bill, have flown here from Iceland for the winter. The smaller Bewick's, with a "blob of butter" bill come from much farther east, around the Tamyr Peninsula in Arctic Russia.

A pair of Whooper Swans with a Mute Swan, by David Naylor

Most of the geese that you're likely to see at Minsmere are feral birds, descending from captive stock, with Greylag, Canada, Barnacle and Egyptian Geese all being possible. We don't see so many of the truly wild wintering geese, with Pink-footed Geese favouring Norfolk and Brent Geese wintering around the estuaries. White-fronted Geese do winter in small flocks on the Suffolk coast, though, including at both RSPB North Warren and RSPB Boyton and Hollesley Marshes. Minsmere used to be a regular wintering spot too, but they have become much scarcer in recent years, so the discovery of three European White-fronted Geese on the Levels and around the Chapel Field has been a nice bonus.

European White-fronted Goose - an archive photo by Jon Evans

Ducks account for most of the birds on the Scrape, with large flocks or Shelduck, Wigeon, Gadwall, Teal, Mallard, Pintail and Shoveler, plus one or two Pochards, Tufted Ducks and Goosanders to test your identification skills. That's where Margaret's knowledge will really help you - or that of our other volunteer guides that you might meet in the hides. 

The most notable of the ducks this week is a Long-tailed Duck that has joined the Common Scoter flock on the sea, but unfortunately the flock is often a long way offshore and a telescope is needed to spot them. Whilst looking for the scoter flock, you might also spot a Red-throated Diver or Great Crested Grebe offshore.

Of course, it's not only wildfowl on the Scrape. A large flock of Lapwings will quickly catch your attention, especially of a passing Marsh Harrier or Sparrowhawk disturbs the flock, as when I entered East Hide a couple of days ago and the sky filled with Lapwings. Among them are about 20 much smaller Dunlins, five or six Turnstones and one or two elegant Avocets and long-billed Black-tailed Godwits. Look carefully and you might spot the wintering Purple Sandpiper, or a Ringed Plover or Redshank.

Huge flocks of gulls are usually on the Scrape, too, including Common, Black-headed, Herring and both Great and Lesser Black-backed Gulls. You may need the help of our volunteer guides, or one the local gull experts, to spot a Caspian or Yellow-legged Gull among them, while the first Mediterranean Gull of the year was seen this week too.

Out in the reedbed, Marsh Harriers have already started displaying on sunny days, Water Rails and Cetti's Warblers can be heard, and Bitterns continue to put in regular appearances. A Water Pipit has been seen at both Island Mere and on the Scrape. Bearded Tits are best seen around South Hide - if you can get there. Unfortunately, the path between the Sluice and South Hide has flooded again with this week's high tide. As this flooding is often linked to the tidal cycle, it can change quite quickly. Please check at reception on arrival, but if you find the path flooded, please retrace your steps rather than wading through - even in wellies - as it can be difficult to see where the edge of the path ends and a a deep ditch begins.

Water Pipit by David Naylor

My personal highlight of the week was a stunning Kingfisher that spent much of yesterday feeding around a recently cut patch of North Marsh. Other visitors have also been lucky enough to see Great Egrets and Little Egrets of the reedbed, Common Cranes on the Levels, or Peregrines hunting over the reserve.

Regulars will be pleased to know that the Water Vole was seen at the pond again on Wednesday, while Otters continue to be seen most days at Island Mere. Most visitors will spot a Muntjac around the reserve - often under the feeders, but you might also be lucky enough to find a Stoat or Weasel. I watched a Stoat dragging a hapless Rabbit along the entrance road on Wednesday, for example. For the first time this year I can also report an insect sighting as Red Admiral was tempted out of hibernation by the sun.

Other wildlife that is less directly related to the wetlands has included a pair of Ravens and a Red Kite overhead, flocks of Redwings and Siskins in the woods, drumming Great Spotted Woodpeckers, a regular Nuthatch around the feeders and Bullfinches in the North Bushes. We may even see the first Adder of the year in the next couple of weeks. After all, we do switch to our summer opening hours from tomorrow, with reception and the shop staying open until 5 pm and the cafe till 4 pm, giving you an extra half an hour to treat yourself to a cake or scone!

Photo by John Chapman