Delights of Suffolk
Updated: Jul 2, 2020
Magical murmurations and rippling reeds.
On my recent trip to Suffolk I experienced a wonderful sight at Minsmere the RSPB nature reserve. Thousands of starlings were arriving from numerous directions then merging together to do their spectacular murmurations before diving down into the reed beds to roost for the evening.
“Thousands of birds flocking together and making incredible shapes in the sky”
We stayed at a delightful B&B called Trustans Barn which is a converted barn just a couple of miles away from Minsmere. This is run by sisters Sally and Rosie who made us feel very welcome and told us about the murmurations taking place. These things are never guaranteed and the birds had been flocking off and on for the previous two weeks so we were really lucky to witness the spectacle for ourselves. It was so good that we returned the following evening to see if they would perform again - and they did!
Flooded villages and pebbly beaches
Nearby we also visited Dunwich heath and beach, where there once was a busy maritime port. It is hard to believe that the port existed because all that is left now is a small village and big pebbly beach. The port was flooded by the sea and now lies below the water about a mile out from the beach. It is said that sometimes you can hear the old church bell ringing at night from its watery grave.
