Red deer rut 4x4 safaris at RSPB Minsmere

When I saw this advertised on Facebook, I was immediately taken by the idea - and so was Rosey. As it required 4 persons we asked our friends, Andrew and Deb. So, on the 6th October we arrived at Minsmere in chilly damp conditions for our safari!

The resulting pictures are not brilliant as weather and distance were against us. Our guide/driver had a 600 mm lens which was probably a better option. Never mind- here are mine for the day.

Some of the hinds on the move when we approached. No stag here.

Two of the stags that we encountered.

The stag bellows for attention

A young stag- not competing yet!

Pictures not brilliant, but an enjoyable day and one I am glad we experienced.

 Index of posts

RSPB Minsmere

Minsmere is a great place to spend some hours, which we have done on numerous occasions. Today being one of those days, albeit with large numbers of other people!

The Wikipedia entry gives a brief description of the place:-

RSPB Minsmere is a nature reserve owned and managed by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) at Minsmere, Suffolk. The 1,000-hectare (2,500-acre) site has been managed by the RSPB since 1947 and covers areas of reed bed, lowland heath, acid grassland, wet grassland, woodland and shingle vegetation. It lies within the Suffolk Coast and Heaths Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and the Suffolk Heritage Coast area. It is conserved as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), Special Area of Conservation (SAC), Special Protection Area (SPA) and Ramsar site.

The nature reserve is managed primarily for bird conservation, particularly through control and improvement of wetland, heath and grassland habitats, with particular emphasis on encouraging nationally uncommon breeding species such as the bittern, stone-curlew, marsh harrier, nightjar and nightingale. The diversity of habitats has also led to a wide variety of other animals and plants being recorded on the site. 

Before becoming a nature reserve, the area was the site of an ancient abbey and a Tudor artillery battery. The marshes were reclaimed as farmland in the 19th century, but re-flooded during World War II as part of preparations for possible invasion. 

The reserve has a visitor centre, eight bird hides and an extensive network of footpaths and trails. Entry is free for RSPB members. Potential future threats to the site include flooding or salination as climate change causes rising sea levels, coastal erosion and possible effects on water levels due to the construction of a new reactor at the neighbouring Sizewell nuclear power stations. 

Most of these images were taken with a Sigma 150-600 mm lens - hand held. So quality a little suspect at times. 

Spotted, (rather `heard` first) this Chaffinch sitting in the gorse bushes.

From one of the hides, or viewing points, these Canada Geese went about there endless feeding 

We had hoped to see the sand Martins, and we did. Getting the picture was another thing! However, after numerous attempts, these were two of my better ones. A bit noisy, but an image at least. Amazing birds to watch as they display their speed and agility.

Unfortunately from a great distance, a Marsh Harrier swoops over the reed beds

 Index of posts

Bittern at Minsmere

One of the birds that is on the hit list of possible the majority of people interested in the natural world, is the Bittern.

On 4th March 2014 we visited RSPB Minsmere, one of our favourite sites because of its diversity (the Scrape to the sea front). One particular hide, which is on the edge of the reed beds, is known as the bittern hide, and for good reason.

We had not been there very long when our bird appeared really close to the hide and we were able to get a few images - magic!

A description by the RSPB: `The bittern is a thickset heron with all-over bright, pale, buffy-brown plumage covered with dark streaks and bars. It flies on broad, rounded, bowed wings. A secretive bird, very difficult to see, as it moves silently through reeds at water's edge, looking for fish. The males make a remarkable far-carrying, booming sound in spring. It's very small, reedbed-dependent population make it an Amber List species. It is also a Schedule 1 species.`

Read more 

Populations of the bittern, a wetland bird that was facing extinction in the UK in the late 1990s, are at a record high, conservationists report.Resident numbers of “Britain’s loudest bird” increased in 2017, and experts – using the foghorn-like booming call of the males to survey the species – have counted at least 164 birds at 71 sites.

Home