The three of us set off early for a mid-week visit to Minsmere in Sufffolk. It's only 7 am when we arrive and we have the reserve to ourselves for a while.
As we head up to the new boardwalk we hear our first Cuckoo of the year, with the place being so quiet we hear Grasshopper Warbler as we walk, a good tick for me, the boys already had one last week. Nightingales are heard and we see a few Bearded Tits.
The new boardwalk up to the first hide is a great improvement to the site. Once in the hide, we see Dunlin, Ring Plover, Garganey, Med Gulls, Knot, Oystercatcher, Barnacle Geese, 2 Greenshank, and the only tick we needed was Sandwich Tern.
Looking out to sea large flocks of Kittiwake gives me another year tick. We spend a couple of hours walking around but no more ticks, a search for Dartford Warbler is in vain, so it's a short trip up the road to Dunwich Heath, and as a member of the National Trust I get to park for free always a bonus.
Only walked a short way on the heath before a pair of Dartford Warblers show and more are heard. Many Sandmartin flew about with Swallows but never saw any Housemartin.
6 miles along the coast we head to Walberswick to search for the Surf Scoter.
Parked up we walk a few hundred yards up the beach where a flock of Scotor are seen.
They are a fair way out and the sun wasn't helping us, but the scopes soon picked it out and it was easy to spot once on it.
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| A nice Bar-tailed Godwit |
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| Two of the Barnacle Geese. |
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| On the right a long way out to sea but that's the Surf Scotor. |
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