A few from Minsmere

Whatever happened to spring/summer ?    The weather, as probably most of you have experienced, is far from good for this time of year and vastly different to when we visited rspb Minsmere just over a year ago when we were wandering around the reserve in mostly in short sleeve shirts !    Has been a mix of very grey cloud, cool at times and very breezy conditions sending a lot of the smaller birds down into the reeds and bushes although this doesn't bother the Marsh Harriers which are seen reasonably frequently.     Expected to have more photos for you but I've hardly practised with the new Canon 5R and 100-500 lens so still a work in progress !     The sun tends to appear in the evening at the moment when we are back at the rental house and today as I volunteered to go the long walk back to fetch the car nearer for t'other half he told me I'd missed the Bittern right in front of the hide by five minutes  LOL.      

  Here's a few from today,   the others have been put on odds and sods thread.  

Marsh Harrier (male)

Common Whitethroat, one of dozens seen and heard singing throughout the reserve ..........

Quite a few Barnacle Geese and the first time I've seen their offspring ........

This next photo is when an inquisitive coot decided to take a peak at the new youngster ..........only to be told by Mr Barnacle Goose to get back where he/she came from   !! 

Konik ponies keeping the grass trimmed .......

Far too far away for a reasonable photo but Mediterranean gull;  thanks to Bob for Black-headed Gull ID;    

lots of avocets and also an unusual number of Kittiwakes on the scrape along with huge numbers of Terns ........

5 great egrets have been seen at one time;  here are two of them in flight ........

When the sun did pop out - for 8 minutes. !!   I saw a few bumble bees on flowers by the coastal area 

and one of the hundred or so terns ........... this one practicing for the Olympics performing balance beam routine    !!!!