Minsmere RSPB

This day will possibly go down as one of the most brutal twitches I have ever done, and I diddnt even do it by public transport...

When news of the Purple Swamphen broke on the Sunday afternoon it became hot topic for discussion; was it wild? A first for Britain? Big questions. In the evening after speaking to a few birders, John Hewitt was contemplating making a move in the morning, as so I arranged to come along and go see this bird. The problem? I am of course still on night shifts...

I arrived back from my night shift at 6.00 in the morning, feeling fairly rough. The bird had been seen so we all piled into Johns car and headed down. During the five hour drive down to Suffolk I managed a few hours broken sleep, which was enough for me to at least act like a normal human being whilst we were there.

Once on site it did not take long for us to reach the pool where the Swamphen had been frequenting, and it did not take long for the bird itself to appear out of the reeds. A great big lumbering thing it was, really quite spectacular. It came well out into the open initially, giving fantastic views and then vanished back into the reeds. This was only for a short while though, as soon you could see it skulking through the reeds at the back. Often it would stop to preen or feed allowing fairly decent views.

-Purple Swamphen

Sadly though my photos were not what I had hoped they would be. Still, they show beyond any doubt what it was, a pretty stunning bird.

So whats its credentials as a first for Britain? All other rejected records have been either hybrids or the wrong (African or Eastern) race. This is the first time a Western race Swamphen has occurred in this country. Also, on the continent at the moment there is large dispersal of this species as a result of a large drought in Southern Europe. The species' range has been slowly moving north through France, and a few weeks ago one was seen in Brittany. So looking at it on face value, it does look good as potentially my first, first for Britain. Here's hoping.

After an hour and a half of watching the Swamphen we decided to move on. Not only had I done a night shift the previous night, but I also had to get back to do one the oncoming night too, so we could not really stay an excessive length of time. There was not much else on the pool, although in a moment of panic I tried to string a young Water Rail as a spotted crake after all I saw was its pale face and striped back. My bad.

We moved on to the North Wall where we hoped we would be able to see some Stone-Curlew. They have been tricky apparently but when we arrived we were immediately treated to fantastic views of them, all be it a little distant and hazy, hence why my photos are a little weak. Its the first time I have seen this species since I lift ticked it about 5 years ago. It was pretty exciting to see them again. There have been up to four on site, but we only saw two of them.

-Stone Curlew

By now it was early afternoon and we had to be thinking about heading home. We had a quick walk down to look over the scrape where I added distant Spotted Redshank to my yearlist. Sadly distant was something of an understatement. Other waders we managed to spot on the scrape included Ruff, Lapwing and Redshank. The Spotted Redshanks were not black beauties, but silver grey juvs. Still cracking to see.

On the way out I also added another species I have not seen for many years to my year-list in the form of Marsh Tit. I tried to grab a photo but it proved somewhat tricky and the bird all too quickly dived for cover before I was able to get a photo. We waiting in the area for a short while in the hope it might re-appear but it did not. However, when we were waiting by the loos there were some feeders and it made a brief appearance on there too, although once again I was a little slow trying to go for the camera.

So three year-ticks today and potential lifer in waiting too. Not a bad day out. Even on the way out we got cracking views of a Grayling butterfly on Budlia of all places. I would have loved to explore the reserve some more, but sadly I would not have made it back for my shift. Fortunately I did make it back, but I was so exhausted I fell asleep at least twice during my night vidule. Still, a cracking day out, and somewhere I definitely intend to go back to.

Species List:

Minsmere RSPB: Mute Swan, Mallard, Kestrel, Grey Heron, Common Buzzard, Reed Warbler, Sand Martin, Little Egret, Purple Swamphen, Swift, Swallow, Common Redshank, Water Rail, Magpie, Stone Curlew, Lapwing, Black-tailed Godwit, Barnacle Goose, Pied Wagtail, Ruff, Spotted Redshank, Marsh Tit, Greenfinch, Blue Tit, Great Tit,

Cambridgeshire Day 4

I think that this day, Wednesday, was almost certainly the hottest day of the holiday! It was also the day that we decided to go and have a look for the stone curlew. Our chosen destination was NWT Weeting Heath because it offers great views, without disturbing the birds-and you actually have a good chance of seeing them.
I was a bit surprised when I got there! I was expecting slightly more, with ponds and stuff but it was actually a couple of hides overlooking a field with a woodland walk of about 3miles. Even so, I was not disappointed with the birds we saw. We decided not to go for the woodland walk but to only go to the hide to look for a stone curlew.
When we arrived in the hide, some other birders there told us that one had just disappeared from sight down a dip. so as we waited I had a look at what else was around. To be honest, not much really! there were quite a few rabbits, crows, rooks, and jackdaws but there was also a pied wagtail and a couple of lapwings.
Then the moment we were all waiting for-a stone curlew emerged from the ditch and began to move along the steel fence along the edge. It was much too far for the camera, but through the scope you could get great views of the bird, in all its unusual glory. The photos below are just record shots, the bird is in the photo somewhere but it might be a bit hard to find.
You got smashing views through the scope, but eventually one of the crows disturbed it and it flew off, further down the field where we could not see it.

-Stone curlew, surrounded by rabbits and crows
After that, we decided to head back to lakenheath fen, because the woodland walk seemed like it would be too far for my mum. Back at lakenheath I wasted no time in heading to the oriole point, to try and make up for my misfortune yesterday. same as yesterday, I did not see an oriole. I wandered around the stakeout for a while but didn't even hear it. There were however other birds to look at, for example, there were a few whitethroats around.

But then, In a small area of trampled grass with a random stick sticking out from the ground, I found a dragonfly perched. I had read on the sightings board that the dragonfly count was pretty low, the only species being hairy dragonfly, four-spotted chaser and scarce chaser. I knew it wasn't hairy and I could tell that it wasn't a four spotted chaser, so by process of elimination I knew that it was a scarce chaser, which is a first for me.

It was great, that I didn't have to chase it and that I managed to find it whilst it was landed, so I started to get some record shots. I managed to get quite a few, at one point it left but then returned to the same stick, as there supposed to do, but never do in my case, which was nice. The dark eye colour tells me that this is a female as appose to a juvenile.

-scarce chaser
I sadly scared it away by trying to climb over the stick to get a few head on photos, so I didn't manage any. And continuing with the dragonfly theme, I managed to find a Hairy dragonfly perched. It was not a great photography position as there were too many blades of grass in the way. It was also perched so that if i wanted to get the whole dragonfly in focus, I would have to shoot upwards at it, and there wasn't enough space below it for me to do that, but the photo I did manage highlight the stunning colours of the insect.

-Hairy DragonflyI then got a text telling me that I had to go back to the car for lunch. It was a pity, and I would be kicking myself if the oriole came out, but no-body seemed to be seriously looking for it today, where as yesterday, there was always a decent sized crowd.
On the way back I spotted a garden spider poised in mid air wrapping up his lunch, so I decided to take some photos.

-garden spider
After lunch I headed straight back into the reserve, with the intention to go straight back to the oriole site, but in the pool opposite the visitor center I spotted a dragonfly hunting, so I decided to try and take some photos to work out what kind it was. There were two of one kind and a Hairy dragonfly too. It was hard, the dragonfly's just wouldn't stay still, But then I got a real surprise. As I was watching the dragonfly's to see if they would land, a small dark matter began to move across the water. Or at least that's what I saw, but the ripple marks went quite some way back so after about 15 seconds of watching this matter curiously, I realised that this was a grass snake. I couldn't believe it. Its the first time I have ever seen a wild snake, although to be honest all I could see was its head!

-Grass snake swimmingBack to the dragonflys, as the grass snake had reached its destination at the far side of the pond. Eventually one stayed still for me to get a decent view of it. it was quite a way off but I managed to get a quick photo which proved that it was a four-spotted chaser.

-four spotted chaserToday was proving far more successful for dragonflies, but there were much fewer birds than yesterday. Aside from the usual sedge and reed warbler the only other birds, although this is an addition to yesterdays, was a kestrel plus the marsh harriers.
I decided to walk via the vegetation pools to the main reserve rather than the path and was rewarded with more views of a hairy dragonfly, although I didn't manage to get the camera in pin sharp focus, otherwise it would have been one of the best photos of them I have taken.

-Hairy Dragonflyback at the Oriole site there was only more disappointment to be found. However, the verges to the path were still providing a distraction, this time in the form of a large skipper, identification based on the faint spots on the wings.

-Large skipper

Once that had gone, there was still more, although certainly not a easy to identify. I found this wonderful lacewing perched on an overhanging blade of grass. what struck me was the bluey green tint to the wings and also the small black spots on the head. This lacewing is not in my dads insect book, so I can not say what kind it is, not that it matters, its just nice to see. There were quite a few of them fluttering about, so they were quite common down here, whitethroat food!

-Lacewing
Because the verges were proving such a success I decided to walk along the path where yesterday there were those wicked beetles, to see if i could find some more, or something else pretty cool. I managed to find this spider, which seems to be protecting her eggs under her. I have had a look in a quite vague wildlife book and it says that this spider is likely to be Nursery web spider, pisaura mirabilis which makes sense based on the behavior displayed here! It was quite big and the egg sack is almost the same size as the abdomen of the spider, so it makes you wonder how many eggs must be in the egg-sack.

-Nursery web spider
Further up the path I spotted a whitethroat, so far the bird of the day, perched really conveniently on a jutting out reed. It didn't stick around long, but the shot I got must be one of the most successful photos I have ever taken of a whitethroat!

-whitethroatAt the top of the path was the familiar stile that led onto the public footpath along the side of the river. I decided to go and have a look up on top, and maybe at the river for damselflys and waterbirds. But as soon as i got to the top of the path I spotted something else. It was a small butterfly but this one was brown as a pose to blue. I knew immediately, as soon as it landed that it was a brown argus, but even so I had a nagging doubt that it may just be an exceptionally brown female common blue.

It was really dainty, and although not as colourful as its blue relations, it was still really cool to see. Incidentally this is my first new butterfly for the holiday. I spent a while taking photos before I just sat and watched it as it fed on the Daisy's on the low grass that covered the path.

-Brown Argus
I took loads of photos for fear that something may go wrong if i only took a few! After it flew away I decided to take a look by the river, to see what was around. I found a banded demoiselle, which was nice and the first one I had found on the site.

On the way back to the oriole site, I spotted another nursery web spider, this one without a egg sack, and so showing how long its legs were i.e. quite long! It was hidden in a leaf. The fact that these spiders didn't seem to asociate with webs made me wonder how they hunt, maybe this one was ambushing something! so I took a few photos and then left, to avoid disturbing the spider.

-Nursery web spider
When i got back to the oriole site, it was about 4 o'clock which mean't that there was the evening light effect taking place. This truly would be the last chance i would get to try and see an oriole. But instead of an oriole I got good views of a cuckoo, finally an unusual bird for today! I got to see it cuckooing without even having to use my binoculars, which was kind of special because it might have been my final memory of the reserve. There were a few reed warblers that were quite angry about the cuckoo being so close to their nests.

-Cuckoo

In the scrub in front of me, before the poplar plantation I suddenly spotted a small brown bird. It was another whitethroat, once again quite close and so I once again took plenty of photos. Its curious because a few minuets before I had seen a whitethroat with a mouthful of caterpillars, and this one had no caterpillars in its mouth,. so I reasoned that there must be a nest somewhere nearby.

-whitethroat

As I was watching and waiting for a potential oriole, I found the scarce chaser again, and it landed for me to take a photo face on, but sadly they diddn't come out well, possibly because of the light fading.

Anyway, I got a text telling me to head back to the car, because it was time to go home. On the way back, I spotted a brown female common blue damselfly, which just adds to the bio-diversity of the place.

-Common blue damselfly

so, once more i have to say goodbye to this fabulouse nature reserve-I thouroughly recomend it to anyone going to the area! So this was the last full day in cambridgeshire, as tomorow we were going home. Its been a great holiday, it almost had asmany new species as norfolk last year, and norfolk is reknown for its wildlife, so that puts it in perspective!

and whats even better is that we saw the whole point of coming down-the stone curlew! thats the best bit, with their beady eyes and wierd personalities.