Minsmere Nature Reserve

Went on my second trip with RSPB today to Minsmere Nature Reserve along the coast in Suffolk.

It was a great day of birding for everyone!

Soon after reaching the reserve I was greeted by the brilliant sight of this hovering Common Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus).

And that I made by way to the coast thru the lowland wet grassland,

and along the beach to one of the hides overlooking a great wetland surrounded by reed beds. The first bird to catch my eye as I entered the hide was a black bird walking along the edge of the water - a good look thru the binoculars revealed a Spotted redshank (Tringa erythropus) in summer plumage.

The water body had a few small mounts of sand popping out of it making small islands. These were full of birds especially Gulls and Terns. In fact there was a lot of Black-headed Gulls (Larus ridibundus) busy feeding their chicks.
Here's a few snaps of the many species and sights I saw today -

A Common Tern (Sterna hirundo) with a Shelduck (Tadorna tadorna) in the background.



The strange billed yet elegant Avocet (Recurvirostra avosetta) was in force, lots of them were seen today.
Yet another Common Tern (Sterna hirundo).

A Barn swallow (Hirundo rustica) showed us the way forward!


An Oystercatcher(Haematopus ostralegus) and a Lapwing(Vanellus vanellus) shared an island.

After viewing the main water body from all the hides around it and also having caught a fleeting glimpse of the elusive Bittern (Botaurus stellaris) I made my way back to the coach taking me back to London.

On my way out of the reserve I spend around half an hour watching some common garden birds feeding off the bird feeders fixed next to the ticket office/ shop of Mismere.

There I saw these fellows flying off!!!

In all I saw 47 species - 5 of which were lifers!! : )