The weather over the Easter weekend was mostly kind apart from the cold wind which took the edge off the temperature, demonstrated by the fact most visitors were still wearing fleeces, jackets and wooly hats!
The other effect of the wind was to hold up migration but even so there was a steady trickle of swallows, sand martins and the occasional house martin heading west. Some migrants were held up on the reserve by the cold wind and these included wheatear (grazing meadow), yellow wagtail (Parrinder bank) and white wagtail.
Off shore the large flock of common scoter continue to linger with eleven velvet scoter hiding amongst them. Also off shore the two red necked grebes were recorded again and a black necked grebe in summer plumage was noted in the sightings book. Black necked grebe is a Norfolk description species...if you were the observer, please could you let us have details of the record and we will pass it on the the County recorder?
Titchwell's famous four were much in evidence...with marsh harriers sky dancing and nest building, bearded tits 'pinging' alongside the west bank path, avocets continue to display and copulate and our bittern 'grunted' early mornings from deep in the reed bed.
However the most unusual birds of the weekend were the green woodpecker and rook seen by a colleague. Both species are difficult to see on the reserve despite the fact they are easy to see within just a few miles. The green woodpecker made it on to my Titchwell year list but rook will be more of a challenge!
Common scoter image copyright Marc Read.
Keep on birding!