The Amazing RSPB Minsmere

If you are a fan of the BBC's Springwatch, then you will have been watching the programme recently when it was broadcast from RSPB Minsmere. We went to visit Minsmere on a glorious day while the filming was going on and it is an amazing place. It is set off the beaten track on the Suffolk coast and just the drive down to it from the main road is very beautiful as you meander through farmland and pass meadows and hedgerows full of bloom. There are stunning walks through varied scenery - pathways take you through heathlands, woodlands, marshlands and down to the beach and coast. If you love nature and wildlife it is a feast for your eyes wherever you look! 

A grebe enjoying a quiet swim on a tranquil pond hidden amongst the grasses. 

Pheasants wander around freely and you can hear them calling as they walk around. 

You will spot common bird's foot along the walkways out towards the coast. 

Pretty little daisies - remember making those daisy chains! 

Bright yellow flag irises kept popping up in the marshlands giving a bit of sunshine to the greenery. 

There is a lovely area of sand cliffes and I was completely mesmerised here as flocks of sandmartins kept sweeping to and from their nests. You can see the holes in the cliff were they were nesting and feeding their young, but unfortunately, although there were so many, they were so swift and quick I couldn't capture them on camera! 

White clover enjoying the sun.

There were beautiful views over Dunwich Heath and out to sea as we reached the coast. A whole flock of seagulls were ducking and diving around the fishing boat.

One of the ever elusive reed warblers flitting between reeds and the shrubbery. 

As you reach the coastal area, you enter the National Trust's Dunwich Heath, which takes you down to the beach and sea. 

The beach is a neverending stretch of sand, shingle and grasses. A lovely quiet place to enjoy a picnic half way around one of the main pathways on the reserve. 

A handmade scupture down by the beach, made from plastic debris washed up by the sea. 

A pretty view across the heath. 

The starry little flowers of stonecrop sedum pop up everywhere on the barren heath, spreading over rocks and stones and walls. 

A stunning view across the marshlands from one of the bird hides. The pools are teeming with birds. 

Common cat's ear mingles with the grassland. 

Honeysuckle growing in the wild by one of the pathways. 

We spotted a pair of these unusual buff tip moths. They resemble broken twigs when they are resting and they enjoy feeding on trees and shrubs. 

Sleepy seagulls! 

A lonesome sparrow having a good old sing song. 

Highland cattle graze the land in summer to help encourage lapwings in spring and prevent expansion of scrublands. 

Konik ponies also graze the land, renowned for their hardiness in wetlands, they help keep the boundary between the open water areas and the reed beds, preventing expansion of the reeds. 

Ducks and ducklings enjoying the sunshine and the water.

Wild dog roses tangled in the hedgerows.

Little inlets of water appear everywhere as walked through the marshes and reeds. 

I was really pleased to spot this beautiful marsh orchid. Marsh orchids grow on fens, marshy areas and wet meadows. This one was just on the edge of the wet grassland areas we walked through. 

More fabulous views of the pools. 

A visit to RSPB Minsmere is a stunning day out. I'm sure we will be back soon as we walked for miles and we still didn't see everything or finish exploring all the pathways. It is a place to visit over and over again and during different seasons of the year. 

The Wilderness of Shingle Street, Suffolk

We drove out to Shingle Street while we were in Suffolk. If ever you feel like escaping to the middle of nowhere and stepping into what feels like a film set of ruggedness and wilderness then this is your place to go. As soon as we walked up to the beach, hiding behind tall grasses and cow parsley, we were taken aback by its glorious views. 

The curving bays; the outstretched shingle walkway that is known as 'Shingle Street'; the undulating beach with its ridged sweep of crests and waves that continue and echo with the sea; the shades and hues cast from the sea and sky all add to the spectacular views. Neverending valleys of shingle stretch  from the sea in the south right up to the north and a row of whitewashed cottages. 

A storm was brewing in the east and the sun was glistening in the west, the sky and sea culminating in a drama of turquoise, blues, greens, greys ever moving as the clouds shifted. Sea kale formations make striking natural structures, which add to the drama of the landscape. 

Pretty white flowers of the sea kale. 

Underneath the succulent, silver foliage of the sea kale you will find an array of purple stems, beautiful on their own. 

I began to imagine living in one of these whitewashed cottages, stepping out each morning to watch the drama unfold. There are lots of tales of smugglers in these parts and I could feel my own Suffolk version of Daphne du Maurier's Jamaica Inn coming on! 

A local lady stopped to chat on the beach and told us she thinks it is the most beautiful place in the world, with everchanging landscapes. It changes second by second, minute by minute and I have to agree it is definitely in that category. 

Little poppies have seeded themselves here and there adding a splash of bright yellow and softening the view. 

Sea weed washed up on the stones adds a bit of greenery closer to the sea. 

Sea campion give a simple oasis of colour splashed here and there. 

Near to the shore I spotted little pieces of natural debris washed up by the sea. I love the natural art forms they make. 

As we finish our wander and return back in land, the beach is flanked by Pyrenean cranesbill, grasses and cow parsley, adding their own charm to this area of natural beauty. 

There are raised pathways along the coast and into the marshes and you feel like you could walk on forever and ever... You want to discover where they can take you, but that is for another day. 

On our way back through the countryside I spotted the most beautiful wildflower meadow, full of ox eye daisies that just looked like a froth of snow. I made Rob stop the car to take some photos then we spotted yellow hammers dipping and delving in the sand!  I was delighted we had stopped the car, sometimes you just need to stop and observe quietly for a minute or two and you might be given a rare treat. 

I suddenly looked up after watching the birds and glanced the most unusual view across the horizon: a spectre of a ship shimmering on the distant turqouise waters. It looked as though it was just sitting above a house and over the rolling meadows!