The weather has played a big part in my holiday week this week and today was no exception, with a mixture of sunny periods with wind and heavy rain showers.
I arrived at Minsmere at about 10:15am, checked in at the hub and made my way of course to the Dragonfly pool, which is near the Sand Martin bank. I soon picked out a Male Variable Damselfly and a Blue tailed Damselfly, numbers were very low, it was also good to see a couple of Four spotted Chasers, nothing else was found, the biggest surprise was no action at the Sand Martin bank.
On then to North Hide, here I saw plenty of Avocets, Black headed Gulls, Common Tern, and Sandwich Tern. After visiting the North Hide, I made my way back to the visitor centre and the cafe for dinner, stopping at a bramble patch on route, finding more Damselflies, mainly Blue tailed but also Azure Damselflies, also plenty of Helophilus pendules Hoverflies about too. On reaching the cafe area, I was greeted by a young Robin and a few Chaffinch.
After dinner I found a different bramble patch, along a footpath near to the visitor centre, I looked along, taking my time, all the way down to the Dragonfly pool, finding a new Hoverfly for the day Sericomyia silentis, but the star find was a male Norfolk Hawker, a real beauty and so close, I enjoyed watching it for quite a while. On then to the pool again and here was something I’d never seen before a Water Vole, and so close, a real treat.
My next port of call was the South Hide, it looked like the rain was slowly moving in again, the bird highlights from the South Hide were Oystercatcher, Little Egret, Black tailed Godwits, Redshank, Common Tern, Sandwich Tern, and Sand Martin. Moving back on to the path, I scanned the skies towards the Bittern Hide, a good place for Hobby, I saw two birds in the air, although distant, the rain had moved thru and the sun had come out hunting, I decided on better views and headed out towards the hide. On arrival the hide was rammed of photographers, of course it would be, and they all seemed settled in, so I headed downstairs and got some great views of the Hobbies hunting dragonflies, they were having better luck then me. After getting some great views downstairs, some of the photographers left, so I went back upstairs and found a seat, a good move on my part as another band of rain moved thru, after the rain moved thru, I hung around for a while only getting brief views of the Hobbies.
It was now 4:30pm, so I decided on leaving, a great day, my first Water Vole and super views of the male Norfolk Hawker, nature always throws in nice surprises.
Bird List : Avocet, Barnacle Goose, Blackbird, Blackcap, Black headed Gull, Black tailed Godwit, Blue Tit, Canada Goose, Carrion Crow, Cetti’s Warbler, Chaffinch, Common Tern, Coot, Cormorant, Dunlin, Dunnock, Gadwall, Great Black backed Gull, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Great Tit, Greylag Goose, Herring Gull, Hobby, Lapwing, Little Egret, Magpie, Marsh Harrier, Mute Swan, Redshank, Reed Bunting, Robin, Sand Martin, Sandwich Tern, Shelduck, Swallow, Swift, Woodpigeon
Dragonfly List : Azure Damselfly, Blue tailed Damselfly, Four spotted Chaser, Norfolk Hawker, Variable Damselfly
Norfolk Hawker
Water Vole
Sericomyia silentis
Young Robin
Huddsbirder 