The title might seem strange to many of you, as listening to news and weather reports there seems to be barely a day that's gone by this summer without rain being mentioned. All we seem have heard is reports about 2009 having been a wet summer, after ealy prediction for a 'barbeque summer' failed to come true.
Not here on the Suffolk coast! Far from it. We've had one of the driest summers on record. Apart from a couple of showers, usually during the night, it's been incredibly dry all summer. This is not good news for Minsmere's wildlife.
Anyone who has visited us this summer will know how dry the reserve is. The Scrape has looked more like a desert than a thriving wetland for most of the year. While we try to control the water levels, it's impossible to move water onto the Scrape if there's none to move. South Scrape has remained wet, as this is salty so we can let water flow in at high tide, but salt water would kill the invertebrates on the rest of the Scrape. Luckily, water has remained in the reedbed, so the Konik Fields have continued to attract migrant waders and wagtails, but the Scrape has at times been alomost devoid of birds.
There are some benefits to the lack of water though. It has been easier to carry out the annual vegetation cutting programme on the Scrape this summer. Most of the islands and banks have now been cut, and we are rotovating parts fo the Scrape to revistalise the nutrient supply once water levels start to rise. The sunny, dry weather during the summer holidays encouraged families to attend our very successful programme of children's activities - without getting wet for a change.
We've also opened up two new temporary trails to help visitors to spot Minsmere's hidden wildlife gems. The North Bushes Trail, as last year, has provided close views of various warblers, chats and flycatchers as they refuel on blackberries, elderberries and flies before continuing the journey south to Africa. The new Reedbed Trail, behind South Hide, gives stunning views across the reedbed, and has offered the chance to watch bearded tits taking grit from specially placed trays. This grit helps these tiny birds ot digest seeds, which form the bulk of their diet for the winter.
We've also focussed our attention on spotting some of the other widlife highlights at Minsmere, not just birds. It's been a good year for butterflies and dragonflies. Our wildflower walks have proved popular, and their have been interestign moths caught in our traps. Soon, we'll be ready for our red deer viewpoint to open again. It opens on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 25 September to the end of October, plus throughout half term (23 - 31 October), on Westleton Heath. Look out for more details soon.
I hope you'll forgive me asking for rain, but we really do need it - my garden is looking very parched, and I'll be glad when I can stop watering the veggies, quite apart from Minsmere's transformation into the Sahara.
Best wishes, I'll write again soon.