Hello,
Welcome back to our updates on the Freshwater Habitats Project at RSPB Titchwell funded through Life on The Edge
October highlights
October has been an amazing month on the reserve for birdlife.
As you approach the freshwater marsh you can hear the whistling sound of a thousand golden plover who are enjoying the newly created bunds to roost on. A dotterel snuck in amongst the golden plover flock on the 4th October. A grey phalarope spent twelve days entertaining visitors with its spinning behaviour, a feeding technique used to stir up invertebrates to the surface for it to feed on. We have also watched a jack snipe bobbing in front of Island hide and a good number of other common waders such as dunlin, ringed plovers, black-tailed godwits and ruff. As the autumn progresses, we have welcomed back brent geese, teal and wigeon all feeding and roosting on the Freshmarsh.
Grey phalarope, Phill Gwilliam
In the reedbed at least one bittern has been sighted on a regular basis, grey herons and kingfishers are fishing along the newly opened ditches and the wildfowl appear to be enjoying the newly opened pools of water. Listen out for the squeal of the water rails as they too have been quite active lately. In the evening 130+ little egrets and 100+ cormorants are coming into roost and marsh harrier numbers are beginning to build with a ringtail hen harrier roosting in the area.
Coming up
In our last update we mentioned that work would pause in October whilst we awaited the arrival of the new water control structures for the reedbed. As October ends, we are preparing for contractors to recommence work on Monday 1st November.
Water management
Next week RSK Habitat Management return to site to complete outstanding tasks. These include the installation of new water control structures to enable us to alter water levels throughout the year.
Water level management is a critical element of our work ensuring the reedbed is just right for the differing requirements of our key species. For example, bitterns prefer nesting in wetter areas whilst bearded tits prefer to nest in older, drier areas.
They will also be clearing more ditches along the Tank Road and East Trail to maintain drainage and water flow across the reserve.
Improving water management across the reserve will allow us to better respond to changing weather patterns and so become more resilient to climate change.
A new predator fence
Since 2016 we have been trialling a predator proof fence around the largest of the islands on the Freshmarsh. The fence demonstrated that mammalian predation was preventing species such as avocets fledging chicks. Though the fence had its limitations such as a poor visitor viewing experience.
With the newly designed Freshmarsh we are now investing in a new predator proof fence that will protect the new eastern compartment from mammalian predation, mainly foxes, during the breeding season.
Work to remove the old fence and install the new fence will commence on Monday 1st November, lasting about 2-3 weeks, but this is dependent on the ground conditions and the weather.
This work may have some impact on the birds that you are likely to see on the Freshmarsh, however this will be dependent upon where the contractors are working on a given day. In many cases the birds actually move closer to the west bank path and island hide, providing even better views.
Avocet chick, Les Bunyan
If you have any queries, please do get in touch with us at: titchwell@rspb.org.uk
Best wishes,
Lizzie Bruce
NW Norfolk Reserves Warden
The project LIFE on the edge: improving the condition and long-term resilience of key coastal SPAs in S, E and N England (LIFE19 NAT/UK/000964) is supported by the LIFE Programme of the European Union in partnership with the RSPB and the National Trust