Another Great Day!

Another day at Minsmere, and another fantastic one. We knew what to expect there today, but we weren't sure if they were still about. I got a phone call from my cousin saying that there were 2 Black-winged Stilts behind the Sluice bushes, in the flooded meadow. Before we went there, we went to see the weeks staying Wryneck near the Visitor Center, pictured top. This stayed in the same position for a while, so we moved on.

Moving through the North Bushes, and a pair of Garden Warblers were singing in the gorse. 2 Ringed Plover, a Sanderling and a Dunlin were all present along the mud flats. But then, a migrant Common Sandpiper moved into view, and brought some Tern species with it. This included Sandwich, Common, Arctic and Little. We then moved on to the Stilts, but they were extremely distant, you couldn't pick them out with binoculars. The commoner summer migrants were all about, with both Whitethroat species, plus Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Reed and Sedge Warblers.

We were then rewarded with an absolute treat. We took a stroll to the Island Mere Hide, where a Bittern was taking fantastic views in front of the hide, pictured middle. Another treat was a brief Otter, which swam across the river, into the reeds. I couldn't believe the number of Hirundines, especially the Swifts! But they weren't the only Hirundine shaped-bird in the flock. Several Hobby's were catching insects as well. Another great day, but not quite finished, as a last stop in Westleton produced a Ring Ouzel, pictured bottom. Fantastic.

TOTAL OF BIRD SPECIES IN 2012 = 154