Minsmere Dawn Chorus

Dad and I had a ridiculously early start yesterday morning, having to get up at 2:30am to get to Minsmere for 4am for the Dawn Chorus guided walk. We were only there for the morning, because we had to do jobs in the afternoon. My luck wasn't with me though, because my camera had a card error, so I couldn't take any pictures for the first part of the morning. We started off with Nightingale, Bittern, Cuckoo and Tawny Owl before collecting all the other warblers and passerines. In Bittern Hide we saw a distant Barn Owl with a Hobby, and in Island Mere, booming Bitterns, squealing Water Rail and jolting Reed and Sedge Warblers. We got back and I tried to get my camera to work. The SD card had got wet because of the rain, so it just needed a dry and it was working well. Here's our fantastic breakfast....

We then went out on our own to see the pair of Stone-curlew that had newly arrived, and we had a look at North Scrape before moving onto Westleton Heath. We got the cracking Stone-curlews, with an unexpected Whinchat, and then a weasel which had caught a rabbit.

North Scrape produced a cracking drake Garganey which was soon put up by a Marsh Harrier, and 3 Arctic Terns. We then went to Westleton Heath, to try and get Woodlark and Dartford Warbler on the year list. We got at least 2 of each specie, with a very nice Willow Warbler.

Dartford Warblers - 2 birds

Willow Warbler

Woodlark

When I got rare bird alert up back at home, it said that a Cattle Egret was briefly on South Levels with a Spoonbill. We had already seen 3 Spoonbill from Island Mere, so I wasn't really bothered about seeing them, but I have never seen a Cattle Egret in the UK before. Also, today, a Savi's Warbler was present on the reserve. Maybe that was there yesterday too?

Happy Birding!

Minsmere Dawn Chorus

A extremely early start, and getting up at 2:30am and leaving at 2:50am was a bit of a struggle, but on the way, 2 Hedgehog were awake, and so was a ghostly Tawny Owl, my first of the year. We got to Minsmere, and we split up into 2 groups. We headed out at 4:00am, and we were treated to a beautiful Nightingale, also my first for the year, singing it's heart in the lowlights. We headed round the woodland trial, and in the distance the first hearings of Bittern booming, Cuckoo, and Water Rail. We focused mainly on the commoner species such as  Chaffinch, Goldcrest, Treecreeper, Robin and Great Tit. After a great Part 1, we headed to the Island Mere Hide, where Bittern, Bearded Tit, Reed Warbler, Water Rail and Reed Bunting were singing in the reeds.

We completed our guided walk, and headed in for our well earned Breakfast. As light approached us, we headed out to the the other hides we missed out on. We headed to the East Hide, where there were Common Sandpiper, Common Tern, Sandwich Tern, and more exciting, a Roseate Tern. It was huddled up against a Black-headed Gull. I had to ask for some help when I spotted this Tern, as I wasn't sure what it was. After getting confirmation of this Specie by 2 very helpful birders, my Camera didn't fall for me today.

We headed on to the Sluice, where the Little Stint had been seen. Typically, it had gone back out to sea, but it had been replaced by a summer plumaged Knot. OK, it isn't as exciting, but it will do for the time. A pair of Common Gull were hanging out by a Little Gull on one of the mudflats.

TOTAL OF BIRD SPECIES FOR 2012 = 158