Minsmere trip

On Sunday 22nd June, I had a very enjoyable, but hot, trip to Minsmere. I immediately walked over to the Public Hide and saw Jon B, but immediately spotted on the southern most girder sat a 1/3 of the way back on the left side was the fine Roseate Tern, almost all black bill with red at the base and very white plumage, after only a couple of minutes it flew but it soon flew back and settled again back in the same place. Quite a few c40 Sandwich terns seen. A Red Kite flew in from the north and headed west towards the Island Mere area, I don't recall seeing a Red Kite at Minsmere before? A Spoonbill flew in from the south and settled somewhere on the west Scrape area. Also seen were around 60 Black- tailed Godwit at the back of the east scrape area, together with 9 Spotted Redshanks together and all asleep. Good to see John G too. As I was looking around between the East Scrape and Public hide just west of the sandy path, I saw a fantastic fairly pale Clouded Yellow buttefly fly south and then into the grass but I couldn't relocate it. I walked around in the increasing heat and saw 2 Small Copper butterflies and 1 Peacock butterfly caterpillar crawling vigorously amongst one of the northern most concrete tank traps. From the East Scrape hide, I saw an adult Kittiwake perched briefly on the bench. I headed to the woodland just before the path to West and South Scrape and saw a fantastic female Tawny Owl, perched right out in the open, I also see Barry B, Carl's brother really good to see him as the last time I saw him was at the Taiga Bean Goose at Hen Reedbeds during Covid!