Minsmere day trip

We made our first visit of the year to Minsmere this morning, arriving around 7am we headed along the north wall footpath, hearing several Nightingales among the north bushes. Our first Cuckoo of the year was heard as we scanned the area for Stone Curlew. As we approached the new boardwalk section a Grasshopper Warbler was heard "reeling" within the reeds. The new boardwalk now takes you directly to East Hide without the need to go onto the beach. Several scans of East Scrape produced a male Garganey, two Greenshank, Knot, Ringed Plover, Black-tailed Godwits, Med Gulls, and our 2nd addition to the year list in the form of several Sandwich Terns.

Several more Sandwich Terns were seen from the public hide, and large numbers of Kittiwake were found roosting on the towers out at sea. 

Several Bitterns were heard "Booming" on our walk around the reserve, but we only managed views of one individual in flight. 

View from North Wall, looking south towards Sizewell

Black-tailed Godwit

After leaving Minsmere, we stopped briefly at Dunwich Heath and managed to spot three Dartford Warblers. Large numbers of Sand Martins were present but we didn't see any House Martins among them. 

Leaving Dunwich, we drove northeast to Walberswick. We parked in Cliff Field car park and walked back along the beach until we found the scoter flock we were after. We were searching for a Surf Scoter and, quickly located it drifting along at the back of a raft of Common Scoter.

Surf Scoter with Common Scoter

We ended the day having seen 94 species, 5 of which were new additions to the year list and the Surf Scoter was also a new bird for my Suffolk list.