Minsmere in May
The may bank holiday should conjure up images of a warm spring day, eating alfresco and the chance to escape to the seaside. Well, escaping to the seaside certainly was on my mind as I set off from Woodford to pick my friend Ed up from his home in Shenfield. The weather this weekend had been dire; the rains had come to perk the garden up but now a northerly wind was threatening to bring a bitter chill to the day. Another early start and with a changeable sky, I met Ed, ate half a sliced pig between a couple slices of bread, all washed down with a decent brew. Our main destination was Minsmere, the RSPB’s flagship reserve and monument to over 50 years hard graft to protect and promote this country’s incredible biodiversity. Ed had his recently acquired Bushnells which were sharp and clear – I was really impressed with the optic quality and handling of these binoculars. I had all my usual kit…minus my tripod strap which I stupidly forgot to attach. On our way to Mi...