It's a couple of weeks since my last update, and there have been some notable changes in that time - but lots also remains very similar.

Let's start with the status quo: ducks, ducks and more ducks on the Scrape; flocks of tits and finches on the feeders, siskins in the woods, marsh harriers displaying over the reedbed, and snipe feeding close to Bittern Hide.

What about the changes? Well I could also start with…

Calm sunny winter days always ensure a wonderful day will be enjoyed on the reserve, whatever wildlife you happen to see. That's certainly been the case so far this week, as you can see from these photos taken over the last two days, showing the contrast between clear blue skies and golden winter reeds.

North Marsh, looking towards Dunwich Heath

The new East Hide boardwalk

East Scrape

South Scrape from the Public…

Minsmere is an incredibly rich and varied nature reserve, with the widest variety of wildlife found on any RSPB nature reserve in the country. As one of the biggest RSPB reserves in England, with a complex mix of habitats, located on the migration highway of the East coast and with 75 years of continuous careful conservation management, it is perhaps not a surprise that almost 350 different species of birds have been recorded…

It's that time of year when our wardens and volunteers and volunteers are busy with habitat management work in preparation for the coming breeding season. You may spot them around the reserve clearing birch or gorse from the heath, building brash fences around sensitive areas, or adjusting sluices to control water levels.

Sometimes, however, we need to bring in machinery to help with some of the bigger tasks. While…

After a week of windy, and at times very wet, weather, it's been lovely to enjoy a couple of proper winter days: cold, clear and icy with crisp blue skies and very little wind. 

Of course, there is a downside to such lovely weather: you really do need to wear lots of layers and keep moving. In fact, you may wish to wear wellington boots too, as some of the paths are bit wet, with Sluice completely impassable on foot…

Apologies for the delay since my blog. I've been busy for the last couple of weeks ensuring that all our guided walks and safaris are on the website and ready to book. So, if you would like a guided tour of Minsmere, accompanied by our excellent volunteer guides, then please reserve your place now at www.events.rspb.org.uk/minsmere

Many of the old favourites are back, including Birds for Beginners, Winter Wildfowl…

Happy New Year everyone.

A new year always brings new hopes and expectations. For birdwatchers it invariably means time to start yet another list, or two. How many bird species will you see in 2023? Or in Suffolk in 2023? Or even just at Minsmere in 2023? Perhaps even a green birding list (birds seen without using a car). 

Of course, not everyone keeps lists, but most birdwatchers will at least have a few birds that they…

Happy Christmas everyone

A reminder that all facilities, including the hides and nature trails, will be CLOSED from 3.30 pm on Christmas Eve until 9 am on Tuesday 27 December, when everything will be open as usual.

It will be well worth a visit after Christmas, too, as there are lots of birds to look for. As well as hundreds of ducks and gulls on the Scrape, there are one or two Avocets, Dunlins, Turnstones and Redshanks…

Guest blog by Minsmere visitor experience volunteer, Eve

Goodbye to 2022!

As we begin a new year, our thoughts will sometimes turn toward the things we want to improve about ourselves. The idea of a fresh start can be very appealing but can often become a long list of impossible resolutions and the inevitable failure when real life and a lack of motivation in the winter months get in the way of the planned gym visits…

I may be stating the obvious, but it's certainly been cold this week. So cold that most of our wetlands have remained frozen, and the paths remain incredibly slippery in places, especially through the North Bushes and around Whin Hill. Whilst this freezing weather remains, please take care on the reserve and check our social media for the latest updates.

Despite the ice, there have been large flocks of ducks on the…

In last week's blog I raised the question about whether we set for a waxwing winter. The jury is still out on that, although a few more flocks are starting to appear in parts of northern England, and the current northerly airflow could see more arrive over the next few days. However, I was partly right, as following last week's brief sighting, one lucky visitor was in the right place to photograph one of these enigmatic…

Meteorological winter officially starts on Thursday, (1 December), and there are finally signs that winter is winning the battle against autumn in the natural world, too.

For me, winter has never truly arrived until I've seen the first "wild" swan of the year. I could argue that was today, when I watched a lovely adult whooper swan swimming around Island Mere, but it's also possible that this is the bird that, unusually…

We regularly talk about how hard our volunteers and wardens work to create the perfect conditions for wildlife, so it's great when this work is rewarded by visitors reporting stunning views of the wildlife. That has certainly been the case at Bittern Hide this week, where a new kingfisher perch was installed last week and these beautiful electric blue and orange birds have obliged immediately.

Kingfisher by Jon …

Yes folks, I have some more exciting news. Our starlings are back! 

The day after the fabulous new boardwalk to East Hide opened, we received reports from visitors that they had been watching a murmurartion of starlings from there. This obviously needed checking out, and I Friday evening I was able to confirm that about 10k starlings were indeed displaying over the reedbed before swooping in to roost behind South Hide. 

It's been a long time in the planning, and several weeks under construction, but at long last we're pleased to say that the new boardwalk to East Hide is open. It is accessed via a stunning platform from the North Wall, with a gentle ramp taking you down to the edge of the reedbed.

The path then winds its way between the dunes and reedbed, with a couple of lovely benches positioned on the wider passing places…

A lot has happened in the two weeks since my last blog, so I'll try to summarise them as briefly as I can.

Firstly, I can report that our contractors have finished the reprofiling work on East Scrape, which is slowly refilling with water and looks fantastic. The birds clearly think so too as today there are hundreds of ducks, especially teal, and dozens of gulls, including both common and Caspian gulls loafing around…

A lot has happened in the two weeks since my last blog, so I'll try to summarise them as briefly as I can.

Firstly, I can report that our contractors have finished the reprofiling work on East Scrape, which is slowly refilling with water and looks fantastic. The birds clearly think so too as today there are hundreds of ducks, especially teal, and dozens of gulls, including both common and Caspian gulls loafing around…

After the excitement of Tuesday's sightings at Island Mere, there have been further reminders this week of exactly why I, and so many other birdwatchers, love autumn. Yes, it can be frustrating at times, as the previous three weeks of westerly winds have shown, but it can also be full of exciting unpredictability.

Once the wind turned to the south-east yesterday, migrants finally started to arrive in force, with reports…

Wow! Wow! Wow! 

Regular readers will know that Island Mere Hide has always been my favourite place at Minsmere. I could easily spend a couple of hours there just sitting, watching, waiting...and chatting to visitors. Even a dull dreary day it's a special place, and I can expect to see at least one or two of our reedbed specialists. But today it was simply awesome.

I know it's easy to use words such as awesome, incredible…

We've just received a fabulous email from one of Minsmere's earliest ever RSPB volunteers, which I thought everyone would like to read. We love hearing your memories from Minsmere past, especially as we continue to celebrate 75 years of Minsmere.

Guest blog by Brian Morris, Minsmere volunteer in 1947

I have just returned from a short holiday in Suffolk. Whilst there I visited Minsmere and was surprised to find…

As regular readers will know, we've been celebrating 75 years of Minsmere as an RSPB nature reserve this year. It's also 60 years since the Scrape was first created by Bert Axell. With these two milestones in mind, two recent discoveries take on even more significance.

During the construction of the long-awaited new accessible boardwalk to East Hide, our contractors Gilleards have unearthed not one, but two pairs…

Autumn is a great time to enjoy a walk around Minsmere with a different perspective. Instead of focussing the attention on birds, it's well worth taking a wider perspective and enjoying the wonderful colours and varied fungi, especially on a beautiful sunny day like today.

Before I show you some examples of this autumn splendour, and a summary of sightings from the last few days, here's a heads up for some important…

The milder weather and southerly winds this week have delayed the arrival of winter visitors, though there was a brief brambling underneath the visitor centre feeders yesterday. In fact, there have been more late summer migrants passing through than new arrivals, with several hundred house martins and smaller numbers of swallows passing through during the week, as well as a lesser whitethroat and a few blackcaps in the…

The autumn is often a good time of year to look for one of our most popular birds, the bearded tit, and they have certainly been putting on a good show this week. Also known as bearded reedlings, or simply beardies, the name bearded tit is a real misnomer. They are neither tits, nor bearded. They are, in fact, more closely related to the parrotbills of southeast Asia, and the male's black "beard" is actually more of a…

We had great cause for celebration earlier this month as our oldest volunteer, Betty Nelson, celebrated her 102nd birthday in the cafe, and finally retired from her volunteering duties.

Betty blowing out her candles with fellow Minsmere volunteers Chris and Steve

Betty first started volunteering at Minsmere about 30 years ago, and many visitors will have met her during the 1990s and early 2000s when she regularly worked…