It's been a week of contrasts, though here in Suffolk we have certainly not experienced the full force of the UK's week of wild weather.
The week began with the first real chill in the air, but no sign of the snow afflicting northern counties. By midweek, we caught the tail end of the damaging gales that brought severe disruption to Scotland, and the week has finished with a heavy frost and crystal clear skies today.
But what impacts have this weather had on our wildlife? The most significant is the coastal flooding that has affected various low lying coastal areas, especially at RSPB Dingle Marshes, a few miles to the north of us. There, the shingle bank has once again been breached by a huge surge tide, with saltwater now covering all of the saltmarsh, coastal lagoon and most of the grazing marshes. Fortunately, the freshwater reedbeds have survived with only very minimal saltwater intrusion and with the wind falling the tide is at last dropping. All footpaths across the marshes are currently accessible, if very wet in places, but the shingle ridge remains breached in two places. Wardens spent most of yesterday moving livestock to higher ground and checking sluices.
The long overdue arrival of winter today brings with it promise of some real winter birds such as smew and wild swans. The former are yet to arrive, and swan numbers remain low, but there were nine Bewick's swans at Island Mere this morning, and two whooper swans were present earlier in the week. A black swan is on Island Mere too. There has been an inlux of tundra bean geese in to Suffolk in recent weeks, with a small flock on the Minsmere Levels since 24 November. Yesterday this flock peaked at ten birds, alongside 16 European white-fronts. Both species are usually easer to find at RSPB North Warren, but water levels remain low there until we can arrange for the last cattle to be removed from the marshes.
Tundra bean goose by Jon Evans
There was an influx of fieldfares last night, with large numbers in the North Bushes, feeding on hawthorn berries and bullace. There's a few song thrushes and blackbirds with them, which are probably also arrivals from Scandinavia. However, the waxwings that have been present for the last couple of weeks seem to have moved on. The peak counts were 100 in Eastbridge, 40 in the North Bushes and small flocks elsewhere. The last sighting on the reserve was Thursday, but 40 were seen on Westleton Heath yesterday.
Other recent sightings include big flocks of the common duck species and lapwings on the Scrape, black-tailed godwits and the odd spotted redshank on the Scrape, small flocks of crossbills flying over, Fiona the flamingo on Monday (on a brief visit from her current home on RSPB Havergate Island), three spoonbills on Monday (probably also disturbed by construction work on Havergate), the female red-crested pochard still on Island Mere, and a red kite over Whin Hill last Saturday afternoon. Marsh harriers, otters and bitterns are regularly seen form the new Island Mere Hide, and kingfishers and water rails are regular at Bittern Hide. Who said winter is quiet?
Finally, look out for the aquatic reedcutting machine, the Truxor, in the reedbed - we've cleared a bigger area near Island mere Hide this week. And if you want to see roosting starlings, I suggest a visit to North Warren at dusk - there were at least 5000 last night despite the wind.