Minsmere & Dunwich Heath

 Our third visit last week to Minsmere but we started up on NT's Dunwich Heath with a view walking across the border into Minsmere. After obtaining supplies from the NT cafe we headed off across the heath in the hope of seeing Dartford Warblers, Stonechat and anything else wanting its photo taken.

We started off watching a small flock of Tits and Goldcrest in a pine tree. All the pictures of the Goldcrest were blurry, I find them so difficult to get a decent photo. They will just not sit still for more than half a second.

There were quite a few prominent fungi growing around the heath. This one with its bright orange/red colour looks like a poisonous one to me, no idea if it is though, resisted the temptation to take one home to up marry with garlic and butter.

Looking out across the heath we did manage to get distant sightings of Dartford Warblers and Stonechats but too far for a photo.  Having walked around the heath we set off along the path into Minsmere having heard rumours of a flock of interesting finches. We were lucky, 100yds along the path we had a distant view of one in the top of a pine tree. 

Amazingly there was no one else around and we spent the next 20/30mins following the flock of 15/20 birds around a number of pine trees.

In this one you can see the pine seed in its beak.

There is a female hiding in this shot!

By far the best views we have ever had of Crossbills and all to ourselves. I've only ever seen one in flight before so a big tick on my list.

More fungi.

After leaving we drove to another heath area that backs onto Minsmere to see if we could spot any deer and stags and amazingly we heard the stag before we spotted it with a large group of hinds but they were only visible with bins so no photo.

Back at the car with a cup of tea and home made apricot and walnut cake we were treated to a bright sunset.

I hope you enjoy another day in our Suffolk coastal ramble and thank you for looking.

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