What a difference it makes to see the sun for a prolonged period. It has been so nice to be able to enjoy a few days of sun, and it has certainly brought with it a change in the behaviour of some of our wildlife.

For a start, the warmer, sunny weather has tempted a much bigger range of insects to emerge into their adult forms, making species such as bees, butterflies and dragonflies much more obvious – their larval phases…

Next weekend, TV viewers across Europe will be tuning in for the annual glitter and Lycra-fest that is the Eurovision Song Contest. I’m sure that many of the songs will be up to the usual high/low (delete as applicable) standards that we come to expect, and that there will be at least one among them that is worthy of a second listen.

While I’m sure Eurovision will appeal to some of you, I recommend  heading…

Despite the chilly north-west wind, the reserve is taking on much more spring-like feel, with birdsong echoing from every corner of the reserve, courtship behaviour becoming increasingly obvious, and even a few young birds starting to appear.

Nightingales always prove popular, and continue to sing from the car par entrance and North Bushes. They've been joined in the latter location by various warblers: Whitethroat, Lesser…

I love the unpredictability of spring. One minute we're bathed in warm sunshine, rejoicing that winter is over and wandering whether it's time to get the shorts out of the wardrobe. The next, we're running for shelter as the latest in a series of squally showers drenches us in icy rain, or shivering from the chill of brisk northerly gale whipping down the coast.

Whatever the weather, spring also ushers in…

The latest guest blog from Lou Goom's Volunteer Diary following her visit a couple of weeks ago (all photo's by Lou Goom)

Everything inches up. From the hedgerows to the beaches, creatures turn their backs to the winter, face the sun, and sing. My car window is open, and I drive into the reserve accompanied by the coconut-scented songs of dowdy Dunnocks in the Gorse. Vivid green supersedes the marcescent leaves…

Some of the most famous singers in the world have been referred to as crooners. Think Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole or Marty Wilde. The term may not be in such common usage these days - I can't see it being used for Ed Sheeran, for example - but it is an apt word for a bird that has what might be the described as the best songster in the UK: the Nightingale.

Nightingales are summer migrants, spending the winter in…

The two most popular birds at Minsmere could both be described as little cousins of bigger, more familiar species. One is a regular visitor, though often difficult to see. The other was a completely new species for the reserve.

Let's start with the newcomer. When news came in of five Scaup at Island Mere on Sunday morning, local birdwatchers got quite excited as this is an unusually high count for this seaduck at Minsmere…

Following on from last week's blog where I celebrated the return of the Chiffchaff, this week has seen the return of another typical early spring migrant. Our first three Sand Martins returned on Monday and immediately started to investigate burrows in the recently steepened sandy cliff beside the cafe terrace.

It's always great to watch the Sand Martins hawking for insects and swooping in and out of their burrows…

Guest blog by volunteer guide David Staff

Last Sunday an unusual sight was to be seen on East Scrape at RSPB Minsmere.

A pink Seagull gripped the visitor attention for most of the afternoon.

A Black-headed Gull, whose white feathers showed a glorious flamingo orange pink colour.

I decided to find out what was going on.

Some gull and tern species do commonly show a pink flush, particularly in the breeding season, Little…

Chiffchaffs are gorgeous little birds. They may not have the bright colours of a Goldfinch or obvious features like the Robin's orange-red breast, but they are bang full of character and are typical harbingers of spring. Or are they?

Although most Chiffchaffs in the UK are summer visitors, arriving on our shores from late March and leaving in October to spend the winter in Spain or North Africa, increasing numbers…

Tall, long-legged birds have definitely dominated the sightings reports on our guides' radios this week, some more expected than others.

It's no longer a surprise to hear reports of Great Egrets around the reedbed, along with the more typical Little Egrets, Grey Herons and Bitterns. In fact, yesterday I spotted eight Little Egrets in front of North Hide, and watched two Bitterns flying between Bittern Hide and the…

It may be bit of a cliché, but nature never ceases to amaze me. However many times I walk around Minsmere, I invariably encounter something unusual, unexpected or simply bizarre. It may an unusually high count of a certain species - as with the recent record counts of Shoveler and Pintail - or a surprise meeting with a Slow Worm or Stoat on the path. Sometimes it might be something exceptionally rare, like the Humpback…

I've talked a lot about water recently, but today I'm turning my attention to mud. After so much rain, it's perhaps not a surprise that some of the paths are a bit muddy in places. This means there's also a chance to look for footprints - if you can spot them before they are trampled by the boots of passing human visitors!

Among the prints you are most likely to find are deer tracks, known as "slots". These…

The last week has been perfect for visitors who wish to brush up on their swan identification, or enjoy the rare opportunity to see all three UK swan species in close proximity, with counts of up to 12 Whooper and 11 Bewick's Swans joining the resident Mute Swans on the Scrape.

Mixed flock of swans and ducks on East Scrape

The two "wild" swans (those that migrate to the UK for the winter) can be tricky to separate…

Guest blog by Volunteer Hide Cleaner, Lou Goom

25 January 2024.

Litter Picking & Tidying the Hides

My first task of the day brings my first wild encounter. Collecting my kit from the wardens' store, I have a litter grabber to hand, so move to pick up a loose scrap of fabric circling in the low breeze. Luckily, I recognise it is the minuscule, purposeful scuttling of a velvet-coated shrew along the perimeter of the…

Today is World Wetlands Day, which celebrates the signing of the RAMSAR Convention recognising Wetlands of International Importance. This important international convention was signed in the Iranian town of Ramsar on 2 February 1971. Minsmere is one of many Ramsar sites in the UK and across the world, reflecting it's importance for wetland wildlife. This is also just one of the many national and international conservation…

After several drier days it's great to see water levels finally returning to some sort of normality, with islands and banks reappearing on the Scrape. In fact, water levels have dropped so much that we were finally able to reopen the Sluice Track on Monday, for the first time since mid October, meaning that it's now possible to walk right round the Scrape again. The hides are all open again, too, although the tide…

It's certainly been a good week for duck watchers at Minsmere. With water levels slowly falling, and more semi-dry land appearing around the edge of the Scrape there have been great feeding opportunities for hundreds of ducks, especially close to North Hide and along the central bund on East Scrape. Add in the frost, which has left large parts of the Scrape frozen, and forced the ducks into tighter flocks, and there has…

Construction work has officially started for the Sizewell C project on the Suffolk coast. Hundreds of thousands of you supported our Love Minsmere campaign over many years to ensure the development properly took nature into account. While we did what we could, the UK Government approved the scheme without what we believe are the necessary safeguards. Sadly, nature is the loser here.

Read on to find out more about what…

It's not often that I start our sightings round up with mammal news, but then it's also not often that we see Stoats in their white winter coats this far south. Stoats are beautiful animals whenever you them, with their lithe bodies, shiny chestnut coats, white chin and black-tipped tail. In southern parts of their range, most will stay like this throughout their lives, but in the north they moult their coat in winter…

Happy New Year.

As I've mentioned before in these blogs, I'm one of those birdwatchers who likes to keep lists. In particular, I like to record how many different birds I see in a year. Therefore, in the first few weeks of the year I get just as excited by our commonest birds as some of the more unusual ones - not that I'd ever say that I see any bird without getting excited! Even a Chaffinch or Blue Tit counts the same…

As we move into the final few days of 2023, and pass the shortest day of the year, it feels a little bit like our wildlife is settled, awaiting the longer days of spring, so this seems a good time to look back on what 2023 has had to offer.

First, though, is a summary of this week's highlights. On the Scrape, the flocks of ducks continue to hide the odd Goldeneye, Tufted Duck or Pochard among them, and the two Whooper…