No, we haven't been visited by Kate Moss and Helena Christensen (more is the pity). Instead we had news early this morning that two black-winged stilts had appeared on the reserve.
Black-winged stilts are rather elegant wading birds that winter in Africa but breed in western Europe. Britain is very much at the edge of their range, and the UK gets a few records every year. Most famous of these was 'Sammy', who stayed at Titchwell for an incredible 13 years.
They have incredibly long red legs (which gives them their name) and a shining white body with black wings. The female has an all white head, the male has grey on the back of the head. they are mostly likely to be found picking their way around shallow pools, in search of their insect food. Ours spent their time at the weedy margins of the reedbed, giving very close views indeed. So much so that one chap complained they were too close to focus on with his telescope!
Drawing by Mike Langman
With global warming, who knows. In the future we may just start to see some breeding birds. They certainly seem to be sighted more and more these days. Of course, with global warming we are also likely to get a rise in sea level, drowning out the very coastal wetlands they would like to nest in. Which is why some of the work by the RSPB in preserving coastal habitats is so important.
And just like buses, one rare bird appears and we get another sighted. Out on the freshwater scrapes at this time was a pectoral sandpiper. This is a bird that lives in Siberia and North America, so it had got quite lost! Thought about 50 or so do turn up in the UK each year. Mostly young birds, caught up in weather systems during their first migration.
So, with the sun shining, all in all it was a pretty good day!
Reedbed, freshwater scrapes, saltmarsh and wet meadow. Frampton Marsh has it all! Come and pay us a visit soon.