RSPB Reserve is situated on the Suffolk Coast between the towns of Southwold & Aldeburgh It is Britain’s second most visited reserve & is very popular especially in May. For many visitors it is a long way to travel. Here are a few tips for beginners & seasoned birders alike to make the most of the reserve, which you can use at all times of the year. This is my preferred route & I find this is the most rewarding way to do it. If you want to return for lunch I recommend getting in early as many non-birders & dudes fill up the restaurant by 1pm.
Always make sure you get your permit from the shop which opens at 9am (The reserve incidentally is closed Tuesdays) Members are free on production of your card but expect to pay £4.00 if you are not a member.
On leaving the reception check the bird feeders. It is a good spot to get Brambling in Winter & Greater Spotted Woodpecker, Marsh Tit & Grey Squirrel! All year.
Next walk along to past the toilets where the trees nearby produce many birds like Greenfinch & chaffinch awaiting their turn at the feeder. Make your way to the old car park where from March to late August the Sand martins can be seen nesting in the large bank. Take your time in this area; look around all the trees etc by the picnic tables where in summer many warblers will be seen. These are also good places to see Bullfinch. The dead trees along the south belt which is to the south west of the car park will normally produce Woodpeckers & A good perch for raptors too like Kestrel, Sparrowhawk & in Summer Hobby. The path to North Hide is good for Wryneck in Spring & Autumn & the bushes to the left are good for Ring Ouzel in Spring & Autumn, Goldfinch & Turtle Dove in Summer & Lesser Whitethroat, Garden Warbler, Black cap can be found here along with Common Whitethroat in Autumn. The best tip here is to check everything that moves. It could be something rare!
The secret with North Hide is to sit & wait. It is a good spot in winter for observing Sparrowhawk & Peregrine. Jack Snipe can be seen in the wet spots in front of the hide. It has produced Penduline Tit & Spotted Crake in the past. Garganey are bank huggers during spring & this is another good spot for these migrant duck. Also singing Cettis Warblers can be heard here.
When returning back up the path turn right & walk up to the entrance of the North Wall before getting there look to the right where you will see a bench looking toward a grassy are with Hawthorn & Oak trees in. This is an excellent spot for Redstart in spring & autumn. The trees & shrubs are good for summer birds like Turtle Dove & Common Whitethroats. Be patient here & let the bird’s come to you & you will be well rewarded.
On the left of the track you will see the large expanse of turf dotted with some shrubs. Ring Ouzel like this area in spring, as do Wheatears. All year you will see Magpie & Green Woodpecker. In Winter Peregrine, Hen Harrier & Merlin can be seen from here too.
The North Wall is the place for Bearded Tits & one cannot fail to see them here. The reedbeds also produce Water Rail & in Summer Reed Warblers, Sedge Warbler & Reed Bunting will be seen. In spring incoming migrants can be seen flying south with Swallow Swift & house martin can be seen coming in off the sea. Cuckoos can be seen perched on the fence in the distance.
At the top end of the path by the bench. Check the bushes either side here. It is good for Stonechat & rare passage migrants like Red backed Shrike & the turf below is good for Hoopoe on passage.
The best way to work the beach is to walk along the top of the sandy slope. It gives you the chance to look to your left for sea birds & to your right for land base migrants. Wheatears can be found here in spring & autumn, as can autumn migrants like Pipits & Wryneck. The beach is good in winter for Snow Bunting & shore lark.
Scan the sea in winter & you will pick up hundreds of Red throated Divers interspersed with Grebes &
sometimes the rarer Divers.
East Hide is good & with the sun on your back in the mornings the sun highlights the birds present.
On leaving East hide walk south to the sluice. Keep along the top of the bank as the sluice outfall is good fro wintering Eider, Purple Sandpiper & usually some colour ringed Gulls. (Try reading the numbers with your scope)
As you enter the gate by the sluice in summer look for Adders. They love basking against the wall here & on the warm surface to the right of the dyke. Check the old mill on the right for Kingfisher, Stonechat & Reed Bunting. Also in Winter Merlins like perching here too.
Just before you turn right toward south hide look across the marshes here. Stand by the gate & scan. Bitterns fly over here regally & in winter you could see Hen Harrier, Marsh Harrier & Merlin. Check the grazing marsh pools for Water Pipit in spring & for waders in autumn. In winter it can be good for both Common & Jack Snipe.
I consider South hide to be poor but just put your head in & have a look as it can sometimes produce Passage birds like Black tern & Little Gull in Autumn.
West Hide is in my book the best hide for observing waders.
In winter after leaving west hide walk towards the wood known as south belt. Pause by the first trees & you should get Siskins Redpoll Goldcrest & Treecreeper. Turn left toward the Bittern hide where you will see many woodland birds at all times of the year. This is also a good place to hear Nightingale & see Muntjac deer. The Bittern hide is good for “Bittern” The walk to Island mere is always productive no matter what time of the year you go. In autumn check the wire fence for Redstart & flycatchers.
Whin Hill is a rabbit grazed field, which at all times of the year produces Mistle Thrush & Green Woodpecker. In winter Peregrines take rabbits from here! A great sight to see believe me. Short-eared Owls can be seen here in winter & Ring Ouzel & Woodlark can be seen here in spring. It is also good for seeing Red Deer. Island Mere is better late afternoon for Gulls, which come into roost. Mediterranean Gulls, Yellow legged Gulls & sometimes something rarer can be seen here & it is a good hide in which to practice your gull ID. Good for Bittern too. Wintering Duck abound here with Goldeneye present very winter with the occasional Smew.
When you come out of here take the left path to the “Rhodo Tunnel” the trees here will often produce Redpoll, Siskin & Firecrest in winter.
The walk along the road to the car park is usually very good; look out for Willow & Coal Tit on the feeders opposite the gate. Keep an eye on the wood on the left known as Scott’s Hall Covert very good for woodland birds & stock dove. The Tree Canopy hide will produce good vies of woodland birds & Lesser Spotted Woodpecker sometimes come to the feeder. It is another good place to see deer as they come to drink from the pool. Grass snake is usually seen here too.
Once you turn into the car park look for basking adders in summer, singing Woodlarks in spring & occasionally Hobbies in summer
before writing this article I asked some of the staff for some anecdotes. Someone wrote to the reserves manager complaining that they had come to see Bittern & Avocets but when they arrived they had seen many other birds as well. They asked why they were not told there would be other birds here as well.
One local Wildlife Group asked for a November 11th date to come & see Nightjars & Nightingales & had already eleven places booked for it.
They could not see any Bitterns or Avocets at all!
They visited in October.
One man walked into the shop & said. "Why don't the RSPB put all their rare birds on one reserve & sell the other reserves for building land?"
In one converstaion in a hide a birder had seen a wader he could not identify, when one of the wardens tried to assisit the birder said "oh it's a Redshank" The warden replied that it was actually a Spotted Redshank & told him the ID protocol. "No it is not" replied the birder.
When asked why he said. "Common Redshank is on the board, but Spotted Redshank is not!"
Colin J,
Birding at Minsmere & how to get the best out of it 
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