For a life long birder like myself, to have a job working at what is probably the best bird reserve in the UK is simply a dream come true. I have many fond memories of working days spent on the reserve. Yes, there have been days when the birds have been the stars for example, spotting six cranes soaring over the fresh marsh or being present when a rare bird such as last spring's Iberian chiffchaff is found.
But, by no means are the best memories limited to the birdy ones! As the visitor officer, most of my job revolves around making sure visitors have the best possible time on the reserve be that on their first visit or their thousandth.
I remember one day last spring taking a mum and her two little girls on a guided walk. They were desperate to see muntjac deer, and I set out on the walk more in hope than expectation. As we crept around Meadow trail, a muntjac stood in the undergrowth just forty feet from us!
Whispering, in best David Attenborough fashion, I pointed the deer out to the girls. They were thrilled! The deer stood their transfixed, even allowing us eyepiece-filling views in the telescope. Suddenly, a movement underneath the deer caught our eyes – now we could see why the deer was not moving! She had two tiny fawns hiding in the undergrowth and they had just stood up! The look of absolute joy on the girls’ faces kept me going for months!
Another highlight for visitors last year was our Wings over Titchwell weekend in mid May. The idea was to show visitors the wide variety of birds we have at Titchwell at the peak of spring migration.
We had loads of staff and volunteers out on the reserve with scopes and binoculars showing people birds. The bitterns performed particularly well that day with many people having their first ever view.
We were all in touch with radios, sending the latest sightings back to the visitor centre where the growing bird list was on view for all to see. Visitors got more and more into the swing of things as the list steadily grew. Many changed their plans and spent two solid days on the reserve. In the end we saw 123 species over the weekend and everyone enjoyed themselves be they first timer or a more seasoned campaigner.
This year’s ‘Wings over Titchwell’ takes place on May 14 and 15. Put the date in your diaries! We will have even more staff and volunteers on the reserve to show you our birds. And just in case you’re wondering - we will of course be hoping to see 124 species this year!