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Ian Barthorpe

The saying couldn't be more true this week as a couple of surprise sightings have kept staff and visitors on their toes, and our regular species have competed for their share of the action.

Perhaps the biggest surprise was a stunning drake eider that spent a few minutes among the hordes of commoner ducks on East Scrape on Thursday morning. It's very rare to see an eider away from the sea (even if East Scrape is barely 100 metres from the sea), and I certainly can't remember one being reported actually on the reserve before. Unfortunately I missed this beautiful bird as it flew back to out by the time I'd finished my freshly made cup of tea (note to self, leave the tea next time and make another one later!)

I did, however, find my own surprise bird this morning in the shape of a lovely male ring ouzel. These mountain blackbirds are usually spring and autumn migrants at Minsmere, with only occasional winter records in the UK. I had popped out to the weather station (above the sand martin bank) to take the readings that we submit to the Met Office, when a mistle thrush flew over towards the North Marsh. As it dropped down into the bramble at the northern corner of the North Bushes, a small flock of redwings, fieldfares and blackbirds took off. As I scanned, I was most surprised to come across the ring ouzel, and with a couple of song thrushes also present I managed to see all six species of British thrush (excluding the various very rare visitors from Siberia or North America).

A mistle thrush by Sue Tranter (rspb-images.com)

In fact, it was a very productive five minutes taking the weather readings as I also heard Cetti's warbler, water rail, great spotted woodpecker, redpoll and wigeon, proving once again just how many species can be found close to the visitor centre. Our guides also found a mixed finch flock in the North Bushes that included several siskins and redpolls, while marsh tits and coal tits were around the visitor centre feeders - where a brambling was seen yesterday. 

Coal tit by Ben Hall (rspb-images.com)

Not wanting to be outdone, the bitterns have been putting on a good show at Island Mere today. One spent many minutes so close to the hide that at least one of our regular photographers was struggling to fit the whole bird into a photo! Several other bittern sightings have been made at Island Mere too, where the great white egret is still present (after nearly two months) and an otter was seen again. Nine Bewick's swans were present early morning, before spending the day feeding in flooded fields south of the Mere. you can see them there by watching from the Whin Hill Watchpoint.

Despite incredibly dull weather and regular showers, the starlings put on a good show tonight too - if you arrived early enough. The first birds gathered over the Scrape from about 2.30 pm, before displaying over the southern end of the reedbed and eventually settling to roost behind South Hide at about 3.45 pm. There still seem to be about 30k birds, though it wasn't easy to count them in the poor light.