Snowy Owl
By the middle of March, most of us are keen to see the back of winter’s dark, cold wet days and we’re not opposed to shooing March out of the door as quickly as it arrived. But sometimes, a late winter can be a birder’s best friend. Around Mother’s Day in 2018, probably due to the unusually cold temperatures that had been holding on since January, a female Snowy Owl made an unexpected visit to Titchwell. Most at home in Arctic tundra, these birds can migrate south during winter looking for food. However, sightings as far south as Norfolk are incredibly rare.
The Snowy Owl or Arctic Owl found notoriety as Hedwig, the winged messenger in the Harry Potter novels. Hedwig was portrayed as a skilled hunter and loyal companion but in reality, Snowy Owls are shy, reclusive birds unused to human contact. In fact, they are said to have one of the most formidable nest defence displays in the birding world.
Living in the Arctic, where it can be continuously daylight, means these raptors have adapted to be diurnal hunters. They feed mainly on small mammals, amphibians and seabirds. They use their incredibly strong beaks to grip their prey and tend to swallow it whole. Populations of Snowy Owls can boom and bust depending on available prey. Clutch size can be reliant on the male sourcing enough food for himself and his mate and in lean years, a pair of owls may not breed at all. Young birds, get whiter as they get older although females will retain some of their dark markings giving them a ‘salt and pepper’ look. The male’s colouring is a purer white than Arctic foxes or Polar bears. And if you look at their feet, you’ll notice that they are covered with feathers to protect them from those extremely cold Arctic temperatures.
The bird that appeared at Titchwell was a first winter female complete with beautiful barring on a classic snowy white backdrop. Sitting on many birders’ bucket lists, the news of her arrival soon hit the airwaves and a crowd of excited birders headed to the reserve. After posing for a few photos in the local area, the female relocated to Snettisham reserve where she continued to delight birders, photographers and of course, Harry Potter fans.
Red-flanked Bluetail
One year previously, almost to the day, a female (possibly immature male) Red-flanked Bluetail was spotted in the willow scrub around the Dragonfly Pool. This is one of those species whose name stirs up a shudder of excitement in most birders and as soon as its appearance was broadcast, visitors began to arrive. Supposedly, a shy bird, this one was very obliging to our visitors. It flitted along the Meadow Trail quite happily and visitors had a great view of it flycatching from the tops of willow bushes. Unfortunately, the resident robins were not so welcoming and began to harass the bluetail somewhat causing it to become a little more elusive.
The Red-flanked Bluetail breeds in the mixed coniferous forests of northern Asia and Europe. However, it is expanding westwards and reports show it is breeding successfully in Finland which explains why we are seeing more of these gorgeous birds on our shores. Wintering in Indochina it is likely that the bird seen in 2017 had simply taken a wrong turn.
Great Knot
In June 2016 tripods and telescopes lined the West Bank path as eager birders scanned the fresh marsh for a glimpse of a rare bird that had wandered in from its overwintering grounds in Australia. Spotted among a crowd of Red Knot, this migrant was an instant celebrity attracting birders from across the country. Despite being in a large flock of similar birds, the Great Knot was easily recognisable. As the name suggests, the Great Knot is slightly larger than the more familiar Red Knot and it has a more distinct downward curve to its bill. This particular bird was in summer plumage, its back a mottled mixture of black and orange with a densely spotted black breast.
The bird looked remarkably at ease despite having overshot its Siberian homeland and seemed content to hang about with the other waders, roosting on the fresh marsh and moving onto the beach to feed. The Great Knot stayed at Titchwell for almost three weeks giving lots of excited visitors a chance to spot this ultra-rare bird and record that all important ‘mega-tick’.