Old Times again

No visit to Suffolk would be complete without a visit to Minsmere.  This place has had so much influence on my life that I always enjoy strolling there remembering all the wonderful moments I have enjoyed there.  So today I met up with "The Thursday Club" which included old pals Steve Piotowski, John Grant and Eric Patrick and some new friends as well.




Bewick's Swans


We walked down to the beach by the central path hearing Cetti's Warblers and Bearded Tits on the way.  At the rear of the South Hide a wonderful group of 11 Bewick's Swans were feeding their bugling contact calls echoing over the water.  At the sluice there was a single Purple Sandpiper but we all retired to the East Hide to watch the gull roost.  With a lot of help from John Grant we managed to indenify 3 Caspian Gulls and 2 Yellow-legged Gulls before marching back in the gathering gloom

Bearded Tit

Another great day and I particularly loved to see the Polish konik horses grazing the marshes.  I felt really proud as I brought the first of this breed to the UK in the early 1990,s to assist with wetland management.




Polish koniks or tarpans


The day finished with me talking to the Southwold group of the Wildlife Trust on the Wildlife of Alberta, Canada.  The evening closed with refreshments including a series of muffins and cakes from recipes furnished by my good friend Susan Wallis and my granddaughters Tara and Holly.