Minsmere October 2017

BLACKBOURNE U3A BIRDING GROUP VISIT TO MINSMERE Thursday the 12th October 2017

12 of us made the long journey through the Suffolk countryside to Minsmere. On the way we saw many Wood Pigeons, Pheasants and Partridges on the fields along with one or two Hares.

Arriving at Minsmere there was time to have a coffee or hot chocolate as well as giving one member time to find her lost glasses and arrange to hire a buggy.

We headed for the South Hide and then to the sluice and from there to the East Hide. Most of the hides were busy and there was plenty to see although most of the species seen were quite common. Highlights were a couple of Little Stints that showed well and a very sleek Female Stonechat that sat on a post a few yards from our viewpoint in a hide. We also had reasonable views and calls from flocks of Bearded Tits.

By the time we turned away from the sea and headed for the visitor centre we all wished that we had hired buggies as well!

Lunch was taken at the Eels Foot Inn in nearby Eastbridge where space was at a premium but the food was reasonable (apart from the cold chips!).
43 different bird species were seen and 5 species were heard only.

Seen: Pheasant, Chaffinch, Common Buzzard, Blue Tit, Grey Heron, Starling, Carrion Crow, Lapwing, Black Tailed Godwits, Wigeon, House Martin, Ringed Plover, Linnet, Snipe, Common Gull, Little Egret, Wood Pigeon, Mute Swan, Dunnock, Bearded Tits, Marsh Harrier, Cormorant, Magpie, Redshank, Shelduck, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Meadow Pipit, Herring Gull, Kingfisher, Dunlin, Avocet, Shoveler, Little Stint, Stonechat, Teal, Mallard, Barnacle Goose, Curlew, Gadwall, Grey Lag Goose, Jay, Great Tit, Goldfinch.

Heard only: Robin, Moorhen, Cetti’s Warbler, Green Woodpecker,Bullfinch.

Other Wildlife seen: Grey Squirrel, Rabbit, Tortoiseshell Butterfly, Skipper Butterfly, Numerous Dragonflies. We also found some strange white material in the grass and it turned out to be a slime mould called Mucilago crustacea.