The plan was to form a heart of human beings on Whin Hill above the reserve, to show opposition to the destruction of habitat if another nuclear power station was built at Sizewell. There was a big roadside sign at the turning before the one to Minsmere, but that wasn’t my reason for missing the demonstration. Truth to tell, I was late. It had begun before I left home. Arriving was problematic because large numbers of cars were already leaving and the road in is narrow.
Although there were still people on Whin Hill I decided to settle on bird watching and went to East Hide for a look at the sea before checking the birds on the Scrape. The waves were sounding like distant explosions, appropriate when you think of nuclear power.
There is nothing as peaceful as waterfowl at rest, though. So peaceful that a grey heron seemed no more than a distant sleeper. Eventually it did raise itself, merely to stand at gaze. Avocets were a good deal busier, sifting the water for food. So was a greenshank,
which proved difficult to photograph other than with its beak probing the mud. After a few attempts I managed to catch it upright, however. Much easier was a ringed plover on its hurried way along a sand bank. There was also a little egret busy on the opposite side of the Scrape. Groups of Canada geese and shelduck were anything but busy.
On my way back to Whin Hill I noticed a rabbit taking its ease in a meadow. That was where the stone curlews are said to live although to date I’ve not seen one. Occasional deer (but none this time). Minsmere is for all kinds of wildlife not only birds. It is at risk from rising sea levels and coastal erosion so the last thing it needs is a decade-long building project for a power station that will be outdated before it can be commissioned.
The ‘heart’ had gone from the hill and even the refreshment stalls were closing. There were children enjoying art activities and recording why they enjoy Minsmere. It had been a ‘free-access’ day in common with many other and various sites that weekend. Even with admission fees for non-members of RSPB it is still worthwhile, and hundreds of people had demonstrated how much they value it.