One of the nice things about this time of year is the sheer scale of variety you can see whilst wandering around the reserve. Outside the Visitor Centre you have cheeky squirrels
and plenty of birds to photograph, whether it's a Chaffinch
or a Robin
They're all busy scoffing seeds. A stroll down to the pond area will often lead to a close encounter with Minnie - named for the pattern on her head that looks like Mickey Mouse ears. We believe she may be pregnant, so hopefully we'll be able to see her regularly over the coming weeks
It's not just Adders of course, the pond nearby means Grass Snakes are never far away. This tiny baby snake was a real treat though
The Tiger Beetles are in the same area - and they've been showing off their ferocious nature
The Beetles aren't the only Tiger here - this is a Tiger Cranefly!
The prize for "Most Difficult to Fly" insect has to go to the Longhorn Moth though - how on earth does it manage with those antenna?
It's not just moths of course, little butterflies abound, like this Small Copper
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Find me on Flickr / All about your camera - The Getting off Auto Index
Carrying on along the North Wall, you cannot miss all the reedbed specialists, like this Sedge Warbler singing away
Little Wrens confidently shout at the top of their voices
On the seafront itself, the Stonechats are doing well
They have three youngsters, all seem to be doing OK (which is good to see, I've been hearing many little woodland birds have been struggling)
Whitethroats are plentiful
and small flocks of Linnet are up and down all day
If you're really lucky, you may spot a distant Cuckoo
But for many birds, the time for nest building (or pirating) is long gone - little Goslings about all round the scrape
Redshank strut their stuff along the water's edge
and Barnacle Geese trim the grass neatly
Baby Bunnies are also out and about on grass trimming duty
and noisy Black Headed Gulls are finally settling down to the serious business - the cold weather we've had recently definitely seems to have delayed the start of serious incubation
The last duck to see us away from the Scrape is a Tuftie - mooching up and down the waterways
There's just time to pop along to Bittern Hide, where a chance encounter almost distracted me
But I maintained my concentration and was rewarded with a slightly grumpy subject in the rain. Everyone should have a Hobby :-)
Live simply, so others may simply live.
Melbro said:It helps us feel closer to RSPB Minsmere
My time is well spent then :-)
The good thing about Minsmere is that so much of this wildlife is visible from outside the hides, so you don't feel short-changed if you prefer to avoid the undercover spaces at present
Lot to learn