Smudger's Nature: A Path of Love and Understanding of Life

My wait was finally over - Minsmere - this frequently lauded mecca of nature reserves was just fifteen minutes drive away from my base at Happy Days Retro Vacations. My friend Chris usually visits every year but due to his daughter's wedding I was stand in. It's a tough job but I think I was up to the task ?
It was 6am as I left, the sun had been above the horizon for almost an hour and the light deceived you into thinking it was much later than this ridiculously early hour. It had better be good after all the hype I thought as I drove in with huge anticipation.
As the road winds into the last few hundred yards there is a lovely deeply wooded area with views through to open heathland to the left. As luck would have it, a small herd of Red Deer ambled around grazing in the early morning light. I had prepared myself for such an eventuality as my camera lay by my side ready on the passenger seats.

Even being shielded sat in the van, they looked unsettled, their ears pricked up and they finally bolted..

I pulled into the car park which was surrounded by Birches and Oaks with the visitor centre in one corner, giving nothing away as to my position in the scheme of things and the treasures that surrounded me, so it was sound I had to rely on initially.
And what a sound greeted my expectant ears...a booming Bittern and a Cuckoo ! Not a bad start.
Trying to pinpoint my first booming male proved so difficult though, so I consulted the map on the information post and the information stored in my head from Chris's reliable pinpoints and headed off North along the main trail towards the Island Mere Hide.
A male Blackcap serenaded me as I strode, along with a myriad of other woodland birds....

I rounded the edge of the woodland and a whole new open vista revealed itself before me with the Island Mere hide far below to the right.

The early morning mist lay in torpor across the vast reed beds.

Labyrinth Spider nests lay dotted around like land mines as I dodged them down to the path leading to the hide.

One of the first things you notice here is the looming otherworldly building perched on the horizon. Sizewell B. The newest nuclear power station in the UK. Commissioned in 1995 at a cost of £2Bn.
Sizewell A was decommissioned in 2006 at a budgeted cost of £1.2Bn. It was completed in 1966 at a cost of £65 million. Sizewell C is already being planned after B is scheduled for decommissioning in around 2055.
My fervent hope is that renewable energy has been able to gain a sufficient hold on the majority of our energy needs to render Sizewell and most other nuclear power stations redundant in the future. The reactor however, remains an ever present threat to the areas safety no matter how many assurances we are given and no matter how soon it is put to grass. Quite a juxtaposition of worlds so close to one another.

As for the here and now, Nature went about it's business in complete ignorance to it's dangerous neighbour.

As I neared the hide, Common Whitethroats could be heard and seen. Lesser Whitethroat could be heard but it remained elusive in the scrub.

The boardwalk to the hide has reeds surrounding with a glass door on entry. I turned the handle which squealed in the silence. Twenty pairs of eyes turned to meet mine in a silent glaring shoosh !
It was now around 6.30am and what I expected to be an empty room turned into a full up bulging bird-a-thon.
It was the day after the bank holiday. No children but many retired people and me. Just wishing I was. Retired, not a child that is. I always feel 7 years old anyway.
I stood at the back of this state of the art 300 degree hide with wind down and lift up windows that make it feel like a room on the edge of the natural universe, waiting for a seat to become available.

The silence was only punctuated with the occasional tuneless bleat of a Greylag Goose or 'Keeyaking' of a Common Tern. The Reed Warblers were the constant backing group that sang surreptitiously within the reeds.

Marsh Harriers are the common raptor in this neck of the woods and still a real head turner. This male sat for an age on the many posts jutting out of the reed strands.

This is a game of patience and contemplation. The serene vista puts you at ease whilst your wits stay alert for any unsuspecting entrance of a Bittern or maybe an Otter ?
The occasional 'booming' of a male Bittern always breaks the silence and concentration but the sighting eludes us all.

After gaining a decent seat and sitting for nearly three hours, the Bitterns and Otters remained aloof. Still, not a bad place to watch the world go by in the warm still morning.

I left with the hope of the next Bittern Hide providing a good view of it's namesake.

The path along the reed bed edge is fettered with all sorts of small trees and shrubs.
Perfect for all sorts of wildlife. A Willow Warbler was setting up it's territory, singing out it's short descending song.

Hazel and Willow Trees proliferated along the damp borders.

The path leads inland slightly and through the woodland with gaps out onto the reed beds.

The Bittern Hide is on stilts some 25 feet from the floor, allowing commanding views down upon the reeds and across to the distant scrapes by the sea which are just out of eye shot.
Greylag as ever are the ever present bird.

In an occasional small tree, a perched bird could be made out. On closer inspection it revealed itself to be a female Sparrowhawk. A rather indolent one at that. I was informed by another person in the hide it had been there for a good twenty minutes. It proceeded to perch for at least another half an hour whilst a male zipped around beneath us. Maybe trying to impress her for a breeding attempt ?

The only action down below was a rather indignant Mute Swan seeing off a very hoity toity Greylag. Certainly no sight of any Bitterns.

I caught up with the male Sparrowhawk as it perched for a moment in the nearest shrubbery.

Then a Male Marsh Harrier hoved into view, quartering the reeds in search of a meal..

Another hour had passed me by. Another blank on the Bittern malarkey. 'They show really well' I was told, 'Great views' I was assured. 'Jackaroo' I muttered to myself...so I left and headed for the now open visitor centre cafe in search of solace.
After some refuelling with a nice black coffee and vegetarian sausage sandwich I walked into the main part of the reserve.
Bee Flies and Four Spotted Chasers lurked near and on the pond by the visitor centre.

The main path to the West side of the reserve passes through some early blooming Oak woodland. The fresh lemon leaf colour I love.

So many Wren territories too.

The West Hide looks across the scrapes towards the North Sea. It was awash with nesting birds. Avocet, Black Headed and Mediterranean Gulls and a large number of Barnacle Geese too, to name but a few.
The light here was getting quite harsh due to my position, so I ventured back to the visitor centre and along to the North and East Hides.

Bluebells are so late this year due to the harsh Winter as is so much else,

Next to the centre is the Sand Martin nesting cliffs. When they aren't out feeding or collecting nesting material, the sky can be alive with these wonderful passerines.

They happened to be around and gave wonderful aerial displays around their nesting chambers in the cliff.

Next stop is the North Hide which is quite distant from the birds plus the sun was directly above which wasn't great for photography.

I did manage to pick out a Spotted Redshank in Summer plumage but the light and distance combined to make it difficult to get a clear view.

A little nearer was a Common Redshank.

Back to the path and the first Butterflies started to put in an appearance. The faithful Speckled Wood.

The North Wall is famous for sightings of Bittern and Bearded Tit which must be on all days except a Tuesday.

There were plenty of Reed Bunting however and the Sand Martins zipped around my head with an occasional Swallow too.

I had now reached the North Sea shore.
Little Terns scanned the shallow waters which gave me great opportunities to up close to one of my favourite birds.

They fed successfully backwards and forwards past me.

Common Terns screeched over my head from Minsmere out into the sea also.

Along the shore is the East Hide giving superb views of breeding Avocets on the scrapes.

The male and female have a mesmerising mating routine. The female lays almost prostrate as the male seems all nonchalant next to her. He will dip his bill in the water and preen as though he doesn't notice her.

Then he walks around surreptitiously and without warning, mounts her.

After dismount, they walk briefly in unison and part as though proud of their hopefully successful coupling.

There are many Mediterranean Gulls here, this recent breeding species is always a delight to see.

A rare migratory Little Gull in intermediary plumage stopped by a closer shot. These are the smallest Gulls and the moist bullied too.

Back out of the hide, I revisited the beach. Sand Martins regularly visit the shore and drop to the ground but only very briefly. I wondered why?

One was gathering nesting material while the other seemed to keep guard. Quite possibly it's mate.

Cuckoos' were constantly calling as I circled the reserve but never seemed to show. This time I had one in my sights albeit a tad distant, plus the heat haze did nothing for clarity either. It was a male looking for food in the way of caterpillars in the gorse and no doubt a mate if any should appear.

I was now back near the visitor centre. As so often happens around nature reserves, some of the wildlife is so used to human contact to the point of ambivalence.
Rabbits seemed nonplussed by my close proximity and carried on grazing.

The Sand Martins were pretty close too on their breeding cliffs.

Peacock Butterflies were quite accommodating.

The day was drawing in. I had negotiated most of Minsmere by now but the Southern side was the last piece of the jigsaw left for me to acquaint myself with.
On my way there through the woods,my first close encounter with a Muntjac Deer presented itself.
It waltzed along the path initially oblivious to my presence until it spotted me and darted off into the undergrowth. They are native deer to South Asia and were introduced here by escapees from collections around 1925. They are now considered to be the most numerous deer on the British mainland and can breed at most times of the year.

Walking near the South Hide, The reedbeds are a carpet next to the scrapes. I stopped for a moment, only to grab a brief moment of flight from my nemesis of the day. The Bittern. That blur in the middle of the reeds was the best shot I could avail myself as it dropped down and out of sight.

I entered the South Hide just a little miffed...

The Avocet proceeded to put on their courtship dance before me in some form of placation.

It worked to a point and then the Kittiwakes took over.
They nest on the platforms near the power station just offshore and gather nesting material in their crops on the islands here.

These dainty gulls are harassed by other gulls thinking they have bills full of food rather than vegetation and sometimes regurgitate their load to placate their pursuer. Only for the predator to be perplexed at the outcome.

Among the many different Gull species are many waders. These Knot are on passage and are usually seen in grey Winter plumage. I have rarely seen them in russet Summer plumage and for a while they deceived me.

The beautiful Avocet danced before me in agitation at anything that dared to venture close to it's mate that brooded on eggs.

My very last stop was back to the Bittern Hide which proved to be in name only once more. It's namesake steadfastly refused to show. I had another two days to visit here so I wasn't too put out on my first venture.
The ever present Marsh Harriers led me to my Happy Days retreat....

Upon reaching my home base, the milky sunset through the copse led me on a crepuscular last walk of the day. Some 15 hours since my departure, I had returned with some sights to reminisce of my first day in the Mere. It had enlightened and delighted and ever so slightly let down, but boy was I champing at the bit to return tomorrow. Best I get some sleep pronto...

That was difficult, as being in such a beautiful natural habitat, I just wanted to stay awake.
Lucky I did as a Marsh Harrier decided it wanted to forgo it's usual reedbed habitat and hunt along the fields a little distant near to my home.