Back in the Saddle

Now we're finally allowed out of the house once more with lockdown easing a bit, we've been able to head back to Minsmere to see what we've been missing.  It's been particularly galling to miss the early months of the year as Mrs WJ & I love spending time chatting to people about the Adders on site - and, of course, the key male basking season is drawing to a close around now as the females start to emerge and every hot-blooded (er, well, you know what I mean) Adder's thoughts turn to lurve.

However, all is not lost as we have managed to spot the odd chap hanging around on the colder days and it was particularly nice to see Stranger - a regular on the Adder trail from previous years.

Some of the Beach Boys were down in the dunes too, though it was a pretty chilly day so they were all sluggish and deep in shelter keeping out of the wind

Chaffinches were showing off in the trees

Reed Buntings were in the bushes.  Well, OK, just the one - he's found the feeders near the Visitor Centre!

The Bunnies are munching, wondering what all these Humans are doing around the place again

Whilst Canada Geese and Oystercatchers wander round the wetter areas

It was before Christmas when we last visited - and changed the batteries in the trail camera we have set up monitoring one of the Badger setts (a benefit of volunteering, you get the chance to do such things!).  It took a while to trawl through 3 months worth of footage, but a Woodcock was a definite highlight

And we've now concluded there are definitely 4 Badgers at least - one of these has a dodgy eye, so is recognisable

Fox and Badger don't get on 

But it's back to the sunshine and the regular camera for this last clip - Bees are appearing all over the place and these guys are quite unusual.  They're Early Colletes, only very recently seen outside the southwestern UK but now spreading.  With a confirmation on the ID, they become yet another entry on the Minsmere species list!  There is a female in the middle of all these males believe it or not....