The nights are getting longer and the days shorter but there is still lots to see at Titchwell Marsh if you plan your visit. One of the highlights as dusk approaches is the roosting harriers. Both marsh harrier and hen harrier use the reedbeds at Titchwell Marsh as a safe haven during the hours of darkness.
After a days feeding on the adjacent farmland and coastal marsh these birds arrive at the reserve before settling in the reedbed for the night. If it has been a clear and calm day this is often very late in the afternoon sometimes only 30 minutes before sunset. If the weather has been more inclement they tend to arrive earlier and attempt to grab a last minute meal by hunting over the saltmarsh and reedbed upto an hour and a half before sunset. Either way the best place to see this is from 'the hump' which is the raised piece of west bank path opposite the main reedbed pool.
In the past the winter roost was solely used by hen harriers and in the mid 1990's 5-7 birds were not uncommon. The marsh harrier at this time was an uncommon wintering bird in the UK and the breeding birds from Titchwell would have been in west Africa for the winter.
In recent years the roost composition has changed and in November 2009 we had upto 9 marsh harrier and 3 hen harrier. The marsh harriers have increased probably due to the larger breeding population and the milder winters.
Unfortunately the hen harriers have decreased and this is almost certainly due persecution limiting the breeding population. In fact in 2007 just 14 pairs were known to have nested successfully in England, whereas, in the absence of illegal killing, over 200 pairs could be supported.
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