Events in Norfolk and Suffolk / rspb / the coast / Waveney Valley / Wild Birds / Wildlife April 11, 2008
Celebrate spring on the Suffolk coast
Timed to coincide with the anniversary of Minsmere becoming an RSPB nature reserve in 1947, ‘Spring on the Suffolk Coast’ offers visitors the chance to discover more about Suffolk’s wildlife on Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 April.
Entry to Minsmere will be free for all visitors during the weekend. There will be guides available to help visitors in several birdwatching hides between 10 am and 4 pm each day. There will also be three free guided walks each day. Places will be limited with bookings taken on the day.
Families can have a go at pond dipping; looking for newts, tadpoles, dragonfly larvae and water boatmen. There will also be a microscope with large monitor in the visitor centre for amazing views of mini-beasts, feathers and other interesting wildlife objects at high magnification.
A weekend of superb wildlife
RSPB spokesman, Ian Barthorpe, said, ‘Spring is the best time to visit Minsmere. The Scrape will be a hive of activity, with avocets, Mediterranean gulls and common terns displaying and settling down to nest. The reedbed will be alive with the sounds of booming bitterns and chattering reed and sedge warblers, with marsh harriers and hobbies hunting overhead. Meanwhile, nightingales and various warblers will be singing in the woods, and bluebells should be bursting into flower.’
Ian continued, ‘The ‘Spring on the Suffolk coast’ weekend is an excellent opportunity for visitors to learn more about Suffolk’s superb wildlife with the help of our enthusiastic team of volunteer guides. And with free entry for the weekend, there’s every reason to plan your visit now.’
‘Spring on the Suffolk Coast’ also includes a large demonstration of binoculars, telescopes, tripods and accessories from many of the leading suppliers, with the chance for visitors to test the latest equipment before buying.
