We haven't been to Minsmere for over a year. To-day was not a good day to choose. A brisk northerly wind and no sun at all. Always a good visit with birding possibilities, we added two year birds despite the conditions. The best was three Swifts over East Hide viewed from North Hide. We walked from the centre to North Hide, enjoying the buzz of 50+ Sand Martins investigating the many holes in their sandy bank tenement. The many Cetti's sing despite the conditions. We also saw a lone female Wheatear, 4+ pairs of feral Barnacle Geese, one Black-tailed Godwit, Gadwall, Lesser and Greater Black-backed Gulls and too many Black-headed Gulls to count.
We hoped to see the Stone Curlews from North Bank, they seem to be nesting out of view this year. Our reward for braving exposure to the wind was a Green Woodpecker and a short Garden Warbler song and flight.
After a welcome hot drink, we drove to the Rhododendron tunnel entrance to Island Mere, parked and walked. We must have sat for 45 minutes seeing.......very little. Two Marsh Harriers, Greylag, Mute Swans, Swallows, House Martins and the occasional boom of a distant Bittern. Disappointing.
The lane to Eastbridge and Sizewell was closed, the inland route is very much longer so, we drove home.
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