Another amazing day at RSPB Minsmere. A slow start, but boy did it soon get exciting.

On the scrape there was a festival of gulls with great black-backed, lesser black-backed, herring, black-headed, Mediterranean, Caspian, yellow-legged and kittiwakes (thanks are due to local RSPB volunteer for help with ID and this article from Bird Guides.) We also saw black-tailed godwits, redshank, Canada geese, oystercatchers, avocets,  shelduck, common terns as well as ringed plovers on the beach.

Before reaching the Bittern hide we also saw grey heron, greylag geese, great crested grebe, mute swans, little egret, coots, moorhens, sand martins, swallows, a reed bunting and great spotted woodpecker with young.

However, the main spectacle of the day was a display of marsh harriers and hobbies right in front of us at the Bittern hide.

Before the day was over we even saw Cetti’s warblers (but I was not quick enough to grab a photo).

Click below for a gallery of a selection of my photos from today.