Minsmere: 2 dawn chorus wanders

2 early starts, being on the reserve before 4.30a.m. On both mornings. On the Saturday, I was accompanied by friend Roger with whom we were staying at nearby Leiston. As we drove through Eastbridge, both tawny and barn owl were seen from the car. We visited all the hides around The Scrape, registering good birds above the cacophony of the 100's of breeding black headed gulls. Cetti's, reed, sedge and garden warbler were heard along with chiffchaff, whitethroat and blackcap. Bitterns were booming (3), oystercatchers and avocets called and piped and, from the public hide, a pair of pintails were picked out. Along the beach we flushed a cuckoo and heard stonechat. As we mounted the North Wall a common sandpiper peeped and flew a 100 yards before settling to give good views. A grey plover, lapwing and several dunlin were found in the scrape along with good numbers of barnacle geese. Back home for breakfast and a garden view of a sparrowhawk.
Sunday, and I was out by 4. Again, a tawny owl flew in front of the car, but then the first highlight of the morning: a singing nightingale. Several recordings and a grainy photo. Red deer were around the car park before a wander to the Bittern Hide and Island Mere hide. From the former a distant marsh harrier was observed along with plenty of warblers. Along the path to the next hide a bird larger than a swift rose from the ground before heading off over the conifers: a nightjar. My 1st for several years. From the island mere hide a flyby bittern, grey heron and tree creeper made it on to the list, eventually totalling 83 species for the 2 mornings + kestrel on the way home. Good time birding and pleased to add the nightingale, nightjar and common sandpiper to my year list. Photos from the top:
View from public hide
Black headed gull
Oystercatcher on black headed gull island.
Flyover shelduck
Early morning red deer
Nightingale (flash photo)
Red deer in better light
Red deer from the Bittern Hide
Distant marsh harrier
Wren

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