Sunday
17th April Light to fresh W Sunny intervals,
two short hail showers
Cuckoo
cuckooing in the early morning and nearby willow warblers and chiff
chaffs singing with cetti's warbler blasting; these start the day
with still a cool wind blowing from the west.
I
set off for Minsmere RSPB reserve, the iconic and magnificent reserve
which has hosted Springwatch recently, with alight wind mostly from
behind to help me on my way. The small country lanes are empty so
early on a Sunday morning and there are small undulations in the
landscape to give me short rests as I cruise downwards after each
short uphill section.
Signposts
with milages start to tell me that I am going backwards. Not really,
it is just that in the centre of Loddon the sign states five miles to
Beccles. The next two signs each say six miles despite being over a
mile further. Oh well, keep pedalling.
On
reaching the main Lowestoft to Ipswich road at Blythburgh there is a
splattered stoat on the road, which I photograph for my 'car-nage'
project. A hundred yards later there is a dead male wheatear. So sad
to think that this bird had flown all the way from Africa to die on a
British road side. I check it for a ring bit doesn't have one.
Minmere
is truly wonderful and a short hail shower passes over as I cycle
down the seemingly never-ending entry lane.
I
meet a gentleman who is telling everyone that he is a local bird
guide, Alex Bass and together we walk to the Mere Island hide.
Bearded tits are easy to see here and a number of bitterns are
booming. A reed warbler not too far into the reeds yet still unseen,
is singing and so becomes bird number 210 on the year list.
Around
the walkways and through the oak forest, I head for the scrape. There
is a cacophony of black-headed gulls and a number of avocets and
duck. The black-tailed godwits are acquiring summer plumage yet their
single bar-tailed cousin is still in it's silvery winter attire.
I
find a common tern sitting on post number four, bird number 211. The
islands used to be named after biscuits way back long ago but now
there are numbered signposts to help birders locate the different
species. Coomon sandpiper, look right of number two. Mediterranean
gull, look by number nine.
A
sandwich tern flies out to sea as I push the bike along the sandy
path.
I
circumnavigate the scrape, visiting every hide before heading back to
the Island Mere hide for the evening. Well, after enjoying a coffee
in the cafe taking up position on a picnic bench overlooking the sand
martin cliff. The sand martins are here in good numbers, flying
frantically around and occasionally landing next to holes in the
sandstone. They don't seem to be entering them though, just hanging
onto the cliff edge.
I
try to imagine what it must be like for new visitors to the reserve.
On leaving the visitors' centre they walk down a short path. Suddenly
on turning a corner they come across a golden yellow streaked with
orange sandstone cliff with maybe a hundred swirling sand martins. A
beautiful introduction to one of the RSPB's flagship reserves.
Evening
at the Island Mere hide, most people have gone home but four ladies
who are staying in accommodation on the reserve are enjoying the
peaceful sunset.
An
otter swims nearby not too concerned about being so near to the hide.
I cup my ears and hear the bird I have cycled here for, Savi's
warbler. The bird is a long way off over the far side of the large
mere yet it is quite a distinctive trill. Nowadays a very rare
breeding bird in Britain, I remember seeing them in the 1980s singing
on bushes not too far from this spot. The Savi's I really remember
though was at my patch, Upton Warren nature reserve, back in 1984.
That bird could be seen reasonably close singing on a now long gone
bush near to the Moors car park. I remember seeing it one evening, a
lifer for me and then returning before daybreak the next day to get
more views. A male garganey was beside it on the water; a lovely
pair.
The
Green Year list now stands at 211, 28 birds ahead of this time last
year.
33.13
miles 1052 feet elevation up 1055 feet elevation down
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