WAB at Minsmere 19/20th April 08

[mrs fish]

I have started this new thread for the WAB meet at Minsmere



What time would people like to meet in the carpark ,does 9.30 am on the sat sound ok?

[mrs fish]

Who is coming to Minsmere on April 19th?


Not long now people

I will be there

[Wild-Woman]

Me and the Wild-Man! All being well.
Jules

[DavyG]

We'll be there.

Dave (and the boss).

[Hobjob]

I'll be there

[smartie]

We're not going to manage the Saturday now, as I have to work (boo hoo) but might manage to get over on the Sunday. If so we'll find you

[PMG]

By this time next week we should be wandering around a happy bunch of bunnies......... I hope the weather has gone milder by then tho - its still on the edge of sharp to brrrr here in the north west - having said that tho there werre sand and house martins and swallows at work last night - the martins were whizzing past my ears below gutter level on the visitor centre

We had a look over Leighton Moss earlier this week while having a night away at the caravan and altho the marsh harriers were displaying really well - I didn't hear a bittern - we weren't there long tho and the bitterns are more noisy in the mornings - so I'm not unduly worried that they were quiet....

See you really soon now
Pauline

[DavyG]

I haven't been to Minsmere since we saw the Bluethroat a few weeks ago, so I'm really looking forward to next weekend.

The weather isn't too bad in Suffolk at the moment, hopefully it will be a tad warmer next weekend though.

Here's the latest report from Minsmere:

Tuesday, 8 April 2008

A red-rumped swallow spent the evening in front of the Island Mere hide yesterday, arriving with a large flock of sand martins and barn swallows. Red-rumped swallows breed in Southern Europe and this bird has flown too far north on spring migration. This represents the fifth record for Minsmere and the earliest spring record for Suffolk. We have now confirmed 11 booming bittern territories, the highest number at Minsmere since at least 1976, and birds can be heard booming in the late afternoon and early evening, particularly near the Island Mere hide. Avocet numbers have increased to a peak of 183 and up to six ruffs and seven spotted redshanks and a single common sandpiper have been seen. Up to 23 summer-plumaged Mediterranean gulls on the scrape have provided quite a spectacle. Two summer-plumaged black-necked grebes made a brief visit on 5 April when a common crane also flew south. A yellow wagtail accompanied a white wagtail this morning, adding a splash of colour to the grazing marshes on the levels amongst the Konik horses.

I'm looking forward to meeting you all next weekend.

Dave

[mrs fish]

I am looking forward to meeting you all who I haven't already met

Tursiops should be coming too

[PMG]

Wow Davy G - thats some report - now my mouth is watering - bring it on!

Pauline