RSPB Minsmere

Suffolk > United Kingdom

A superb mix of the richest lowland habitats in Europe, including reedbed, coastal lagoons, heathland and deciduous woodland, with excellent visitor facilities

Tillagd* av Ian Barthorpe
Senast uppdaterad 5 april 2023

Beskrivning

Minsmere has been managed by the RSPB since 1947. Its long history as a nature reserve, wide variety of habitats and excellent visitor facilites, make this the UK's best nature reserve (as voted by readers of Birdwatch magazine in 2019).

More than 5800 different species of wildlife have been recorded at Minsmere, including about 350 species of birds. Of these, more than 200 species of birds are recorded every year, and it is possibly to see 100 species on most days.

Minsmere's reedbed is the third largest freshwater reedbed in England and is home to important poputions of rördrom, skäggmes, brun kärrhök, vattenrall, cettisångare, rörsångare and sävsångare, as well as otters, water voles and rare dragonflies and moths. In most years, at least one singing vassångare is present.

Scarce herons are regular in the reedbed, including skedstork, ägretthäger, Kohäger, purpurhäger and bronsibis. The UK's first ever västlig purpurhöna was a popular visitor in 2016.

The famous Minsmere Scrape was the first such habitat in the world. This is a series of shallow lagoons, studded with islands, that was created in the 1960s to attract nesting terns and skärfläcka and migrant waders.

In spring, this is a superb area to look for breeding birds, including up to 3000 pairs of skrattmås. These, in turn, attract nesting svarthuvad mås, fisktärna, Kentsk tärna and småtärna. skärfläcka first recolonised the UK at Minsmere in 1947, and up to 100 pairs nest every year.

Spring and autumn migration can attract up to 25 species of waders per day, including good numbers of rödspov, svartsnäppa, gluttsnäppa, skogssnäppa, drillsnäppa and brushane. småsnäppa, spovsnäppa, grönbena and tuvsnäppa are regular, while in recent years, rarities have included dammsnäppa, vitgumpsnäppa, gulbröstad snäppa, styltlöpare, smalnäbbad simsnäppa and brednäbbad simsnäppa.

Other passage and migrant seabirds that are regularly enountered onthe Scrape include silvertärna, rosentärna, dvärgmås, kaspisk trut and medelhavstrut.

The beach and dunes are home to a wide variety of scarce plants, as well as nesting svarthakad buskskvätta and provencesångare. Offshore, large numbers of smålom, skäggdopping and sjöorre may be present in winter, as well as smaller numbers of other seaducks. bredstjärtad labb and storlabb are also regular offshore in autumn.

The deciduous woodland and scrub is important for breeding sydnäktergal and warblers, including trädgårdssångare, svarthätta, törnsångare, ärtsångare and lövsångare, as well as rödstjärt, gök and turturduva. Many of these species are rapidly declining in the UK and across Europe.

Rarities, such as sommargylling, göktyta, törnskata and grönsångare, are annual visitors.

A large backsvala colony breeds next to the visitor centre and regularly attracts hunting lärkfalk.

The adjacent heath is one of the easiest places in the UK to see a number of scarce habitat-specialist insects, flowers and birds. The latter include tjockfot, nattskärra, trädlärka, provencesångare and svarthakad buskskvätta.

The RSPB provides easy access paths, several birdwatching hides and a large visitor centre, with cafe, shop and toilets, and volunteer guides are usually present to help visitors to enjoy their visit.

Detaljer

Tillgänglighet

Minsmere is signposted from the A12 at Yoxford and Blythburgh, and from the village of Westleton, which is 3 km away. There is a large car park, with coach parking (pre-booked coaches only) and a covered cycle rack.

There are three nature trails of between 1.5-3 km in length, and eight birdwatching hides. A map is provided in the visitor centre. Most of the nature trails and hides are accessible by wheelchair, and a mobility scooter is available to hire. The adjacent heathland is best reached by car or bicycle - ask at the visitor centre for directions.

Terräng och habitat

Skog , Våtmark , Sjö , Strand , Jordbruk , Spridda träd och buskar , Slätt , Hed , Flod , Hav / ocean , Dyner , Vassar

Förhållanden

Platt , Sandigt , Öppet landskap

Rundtur

Tubkikare behövs?

Kan vara användbart

Bästa säsong för skådning

Året runt

Bästa tid för ett besök

Vårsträck , Höststräck , Sommar , Vinter , Vår , Höst

Rutt

Bred stig

Hur ansträngande vandring

Lätt vandring

Nås

Till fots , Rullstol , Cykel

Fågeltorn / plattform

Extra information

The reserve is open daily, dawn to dusk, except 25 and 26 December. Entry is free to RSPB members; a charge applies to non-members. The visitor centre is open 9 am to 5 pm (or 4 pm November to January).

Länkar