After another weekend of cold and, at times, wet weather, it was lovely to wake up to a milder, sunny, and calm day today. The almost springlike weather was certainly appreciated by this week's species of the week - the great spotted woodpecker. Our volunteers reported hearing several of these beautiful birds drumming in the woods - for those who aren't familiar with what drumming  is, I'll come back tot hat later…

If you read my blog yesterday, then you'll know that I managed to miss the glossy ibis that flew over the car park - the second day of it's current visit. So, having heard that it was feeding just off the reserve at Eastbridge, I popped down this afternoon for a quick look.

Glossy ibises are common birds in Spain and Portugal, with a huge global range that also takes in Africa, Southern Asia, Australia and tropical…

I know it's a very British trait to always be talking about the weather, but when the weather is as variable as ours it's perhaps not a surprise that it's such a frequent topic of conversation. Having seen how much disruption has been caused by snow in Scotland and Northern Ireland, I suppose we've escaped largely escaped the worst of the recent stormy weather.

We certainly didn't escape the wind though…

Our series of blogs featuring 70 species to spot at Minsmere continues this week with another common species, albeit one which may be overlooked by many visitors. To do so, though, risks missing out on the chance to spot another popular species, especially during the winter.

Our species of the week is alder, and it's the main food source for siskins. Alders are medium sized trees that are often associated with wetland…

After a beautiful, springlike day yesterday, today has once again dawned dull, though at least the rain and wind have deserted us. As a result, it;'s still quite pleasant walking around - providing you're dressed appropriately with gloves, hat, waterproof/windproof coat, etc.

While the weather may be dull and uninspiring, the wildlife certainly adds a welcome splash of colour to any visit to Minsmere. You'll…

As regular readers will know, since May I have been featuring one of Minsmere's 70 star species in a weekly species of the week blog. These species have been chosen from the list of 70 species that we've been asking you find during 2017 as part of our 70th anniversasry celebrations. Although we've now entered another year, I'm only halfway through the list, so it seems apt to continue to feature these species in a series…

For most of the last year you'll have read many references to Minsmere's 70th anniversary, and hopefully taken part in our 70 species challenge. This was a significant milestone for Minsmere, but today I celebrate two big milestones of my own.

Firstly, I am proud to say that I have now been an RSPB member for 40 years, having first been given membership of the YOC (as our junior membership, RSPB Wildlife Explorers…

I hope that everyone had an enjoyable and relaxing break over Christmas. It's such a shame that the weather wasn't always conducive to a lovely family walk, though lots of you certainly took the opportunity when the wind dropped and the sky cleared.

As I type, I can still hear the wind whistling through the trees outside as Storm Eleanor passes over. It's certainly been a blustery day, and as a precaution we…

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…

I thought I'd post a quick reminder of our opening hours over the Christmas period.

Minsmere is open as usual every day except Christmas Day and Boxing Bay.

This means that apart from those two days, the visitor centre, including shop, will be open from 9 am to 4 pm. The cafe will be open 9.30 am to 3.45 pm. The car park, toilets, hides and nature trails are open dawn til dusk (approximately 7.15 am to 4 pm at the…

As we approach the end of Minsmere's 70th birthday year, it seems appropriate that we end the year with the spotlight falling on one our most iconic species, the marsh harrier.

As recently as 1971, there was only one pair of marsh harriers remaining in the UK, here at Minsmere. (That statement gives me a good feeling, as by using the term "as recently as" to describe the year of my birth, I feel somewhat younger…

Isn't it always the way that no sooner do you write or say something then circumstances conspire to prove you wrong. As I was writing yesterday's blog and commenting on our lack of snow, I was watching a brief snow shower outside the window. Before I had time to edit the blog, the snow had stopped again, so i left it, not expecting enough snow to settle.

It was, therefore, a bit of a surprise to open the curtains…

Well, I think we can say that winter has arrived with a bang, with reports of widespread disruption as a result of snow yesterday and today. I hope you haven't been too badly affected.

The snow has missed us on the Suffolk coast this time, although it did settle just a short distance down the coast at Rendlesham and Woodbridge. It was certainly cold over the weekend, and there were some flakes of snow, but not enough…

For the latest in our weekly focus on one of the 70 species to spot at Minsmere, I've selected one of our most familiar species, yet one that is all too often overlooked by birdwatchers in favour of its scarcer cousins. While almost everyone who sees a bitterns shares in the excitement of the sighting, and little egrets can easily wow families and beginners, grey herons can easily be passed over as "just" a heron.…

Today is the first day of winter, according to meteorologists (though astronomers will tell you it's the winter solstice on 21 December) and it has certainly felt a bit wintry at times. Perhaps not so much so as yesterday, when a sprinkling of snow cast a white cloak across the reserve. As is usually the case with the first snow of winter, it didn't linger long, despite several further flurries, but it clearly marked…

 As much as we may try to go through life with an open mind, our expectations always have an impact on our experiences.

Some people come to Minsmere, as they have found out (quite rightly) that it’s a fantastic place to witness some extraordinary wildlife spectacles. Others may visit simply to have a wander around the footpaths, to enjoy the scenery and to perhaps, as a bonus, see ‘some nice birds’.

As regular readers will know, Whistling Joe has once again registered a complaint at the behaviour of the Island Mere bitterns, as you can read here. I know he blames me, but I can't really be held responsible for the non-conformist behaviour of our bitterns, which have yet again thrown out the rule book and begun parading around for all and sundry to see them!

After reading his last post, and enjoying the amazing…

After a cold but beautiful two days to celebrate our Festive Fun weekend, today dawned dull and wet. It clearly had an effect on some of the wildlife too, with fewer sightings reported by our guides until it began to dry up. 

Of course, even during the heaviest rain, there is always something to see at Minsmere, even if it is only the constant toing and froing of tits and finches on the feeders. You never what you might…

If you watch the news, visit the High Street or follow social media, it will hardly have escaped your attention that today is the so called "Black Friday" when retailers across the world slash prices and try to entice you to buy the latest "must-have" bargain that you don't really need. OK, so sometimes you really can pick up a good deal - we've capitalised to book holidays on Black Friday in recent years - but surely…

Every year, the RSPB team in Eastern England gets together to celebrate some of the wonderful conservation work and visitor developments around the region. This year it was our turn to host this event on the Suffolk coast, so last week we gathered at Ufford Park Hotel, Golf and Spa near Woodbridge last Wednesday.

When I say we, I mean about 180 staff and volunteers from as far away as Lincolnshire, Hertfordshire and…

The frosty mornings and bright sunshine over the weekend signalled the start of winter, and with it the arrival of more wild swans. Last week's family of Bewick's swans have been joined by an additional five birds, with eight Bewick's now commuting between Island Mere and East Scrape.

It may have been a false dawn though, as autumn well and truly returned today with a typical dull, dreary November day providing…

Every so often, nature throws us a curve ball. Something we didn't expect. 

If you're a relative beginner to watching nature then it may be surprise new visitor to your garden, or a type of behaviour that you've not witnessed before. I can still vividly recall, for example, the thrill of seeing my first reed bunting sitting, plain for all to see, in my parents' honeysuckle bush. I was about eight years old, but the…

It's Monday, so it must be time for my latest focus on one of our 70 species to spot at Minsmere as part of our 70th anniversary celebrations this year. Every week I have a minor dilemma over which species to focus on as there are often several that could fit the bill. I'm also conscious that some are better left for the mid winter, when there's less variety, or even for next spring.

Today, my biggest dilemma…

Our wonderful volunteer guides have had a busy day today. It's not often that we can fill both our blackboard and What's About sheet during the winter months, but there has been a superb variety of wildlife, and for the most part it's been under a beautiful blue winter sky.

Photo by Hannah Jones

It's not just been birds that they've been reporting either. Mammals have featured prominently with otters seen…