This week saw the official start of spring, according to the Met Office, who mark the change from winter to spring on 1 March - although others go with the spring equinox on 21 March as the key date. Whichever date you mark spring by, a walk around Minsmere gives a clear indication that spring is very much upon us, with adders, booming bitterns, displaying buzzards and marsh harriers and the return of Mediterranean gulls among just a few of the seasonal highlights - more on these below.
This week we also celebrated World Wildlife Day, which is 3 March every year. This date was designated by the UN in recognition of the signing of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) in 1973, and helps to raise awareness of the importance of plants and animals. This is an important international convention that has helped to save and protect many of the world's rarest species of wildlife - although there is much work still to be done.
It seems apt therefore to celebrate some of the incredible diversity of wildlife seen at Minsmere, with more than 5800 species at last count. These range from tiny lichens in the dunes to mighty oaks in the woods, the UK's smallest birds (goldcrests) to our largest land mammals (red deer). Throw in a multitude of moths, fabulous fungi, mysterious mammals, and interesting insects and there's something for everyone to enjoy, whenever you visit.
Back to the signs of spring, though, and one of the more popular spring wildlife highlights among our visitors and volunteers is the emergence of male adders, with up to four of these beautiful reptiles basking in the North Bushes as they soak up the sun's rays. The males always emerge several weeks ahead of the females, so if you see an adder in March it is likely to be a male. Please ask at reception for directions on where to watch these adders to avoid disturbing them.
Two of the adders among the leaf litter this week - as the photo shows, they can be hard to spot until you get your eye in.
For many visitors, the sound that signals the arrival of spring at Minsmere is the deep resonant booming call of the male bittern. The first bittern was heard booming way back on 29 January - an early start this year - but remarkably I have only heard my first one of the year yesterday! If you spend a bit of time in Island Mere or Bittern Hides during the spring then you should hear a booming bittern or two. You are also likely to hear the high-pitched call of a displaying marsh harrier, and perhaps to spot their dramatic switchback display flight. Several pairs were very active over the mere yesterday.
Male marsh harrier by Steve Everett
Another characteristic sound of spring is the raucous calls of black-headed gulls on the Scrape. It's great to see these beautiful birds returning to the Scrape, and numbers are rapidly increasing this week.
Black-headed gull
Alongside them, we're also excited to welcome back one of the most attractive gulls that you'll ever see, the Mediterranean gull. Many visitors find gulls daunting to identify, but there's really no need. We don't have a lot of species in the UK, and most are quite easy to identify as adults, especially our commoner species. In the case of Mediterranean gulls you should easily see their jet black head (in contrast to the chocolate brown of a black-headed gull!), bright red bill and clean white wing tips. You'll also easily hear their cat-like calls above the throng.
Mediterranean gulls displaying
Other birds that are returning to the Scrape for breeding include avocets (about 30 are now present), ringed plovers, oystercatchers, coots and our three species of feral geese - greylag, Canada and barnacle - while lapwings are displaying in front of North Hide.
Oystercatcher (above) and lapwing (below)
Although there are signs of spring all around us, there is also plenty of evidence that winter is hanging on a little longer yet. All of the wintering duck species remain in good numbers - albeit a lot less than a few weeks ago - and the green-winged teal is still continuing to put in regular, if frustratingly brief, appearances.
The green-winged teal, with wigeon, shoveler and female teal
The redhead smew can be similarly elusive, and yesterday we had a lovely surprise when she was joined by another redhead and a stunning drake. As it's getting quite late for this attractive duck to be seen in the UK, these may be birds relocated from elsewhere in the country on route back to Siberia.
Smew male and female by Jon Evans
Other more notable species seen on the Scrape over the past week or so include several goosanders, a drake red-crested pochard (on Friday and Saturday only), a female common pochard, an unusual hybrid duck (thought to be a mix of tufted duck and ferruginous duck), Caspian and yellow-legged gulls and several turnstones, while the six whooper swans remain.
Sleeping whooper swan - they completely ignored the scrapping mute swans on the same island today
For the last couple of weeks it's been impossible to complete the full circuit of the Scrape as the path was closed due to flooding between South Hide and sluice. This path re-opened this morning, although waterproof walking boots are still needed. All of the hides are now accessible (though we recommend waterproof footwear).
Apart from the bitterns and marsh harriers, the other species to look for in the reedbed include little and great crested grebes, otters, reed buntings, bearded tits, water rails and Cetti's warblers - the latter three species may be easier to hear than see! At least three snipe are still feeding at Island Mere, and a very obliging stonechat has been a regular sight there this week.
Another couple of stonechats have been equalling showy at the start of the North Wall, while one pair of Dartford warblers again looks to be setting up home in the dunes. The sunny weather earlier this week (which was very welcome) saw a small passage of common buzzards, plus a red kite flying west on Tuesday, and brought our local buzzards out to defend their territories - it's great to hear them mewing overhead.
After a long wait for a starling murmuaration this winter, we seem to have a small flock (less than 3000) gathering between the visitor centre and Bittern Hide from about 5 pm each evening. They have regularly attracted a peregrine or two, so do put on a bit of a display, but nothing like as spectacular as the huge murmuration we had two years ago.
Finally, I was also treated to some fabulous views of one of our most colourful birds this week as a charm of goldfinches fed on seeds close to North Hide. A lovely reminder that our commoner species should never be overlooked.