Dunwich and Minsmere

Thursday June 4
A mid morning departure, Yarmouth Tesco to buy lunch, making it a very late arrival at Dunwich Heath. We'd only walked 5o yards when I saw a male Dartford Warbler perform a display flight, land on top of a bush long enough for us both to bin - and disappear.
Car parking at Dunwich Cliffs is National Trust, the charges are steep, so lunch was overlooking different heathland. A Green Woodpecker flew across the tops, a Magpie was acting suspiciously, no sightings of Nightingale nor Dartfords nor Wood Larks which are the specialities.
The Minsmere overflow car park, along the entrance track was open. It gives a panoramic view of the Island Mere and reed beds. One Hobby hunting along the far bank of trees and, along with 3 Little Egrets, a longer necked bird appeared on a distant wet area. Our second Great White Egret of the year. It would not be possible to see it from any other part of the reserve.
Neither of us felt energetic, West Hide was the sole destination. I just love watching a Hobby fly, catch insects and transfer them from talon to mouth mid flight. One did exactly that from the back of the hide and I was able to get two women to see it too. It was a new bird for them, always exciting. Two pairs of distant, handsome Mediterranean Gulls amongst the hundreds of screeching Black-headed Gulls with many brown young.



Many of the Minsmere icon bird, Avocet, just a few young but several still nesting. Very few waders, just Black-tailed Godwits and a single Redshank to add to the Avocets.