Titchwell was on form this weekend with visiting birders recording more than 80 species in just a couple of hours and with the winds switching to the east combined with rain the first of the autumn migrant passerines dropped in.
Car Park / Visitor Centre
Spending some time slowly walking around the reserve car parks at the weekend, family groups of blackcaps can be seen foraging on the brambles. Other birds of note in the car park were garden warbler, lesser whitethroat, chiff chaff and family groups of goldcrests tinkling amongst the leaves.
A whinchat dropped onto the grazing marsh fence on Sunday 22nd August.
Lesser whitethroat, Les Bunyan
Meadow Trail / Fen Hide
The highlight around this area was a pied flycatcher that dropped in on the evening of Sunday 22nd August. Also amongst the willow scrub are reed warblers, chiff chaffs and the bullfinches appear to be favouring the scrub behind the fen hide.
Bullfinch, Les Bunyan
Reedbed / Patsy’s
Amongst the water bodies are small groups of gadwall, pochard, shoveler and tufted duck. Several little grebes can be heard and occasionally seen along the channels whilst flocks of sand martins, house martins, swallows and swifts dart low over the reeds feeding on insects. A great white egret was seen on several occasions on Monday 23 August and a bittern continues to be seen flying over the reeds for the lucky few.
Another popular favourite is the bearded tit, they are spending a lot of their time feeding at the base of the reeds, especially when the wind picks up. The marsh harriers continue to remain absent during the day but are coming into roost at night in small numbers.
On Monday 23 August 3 pintail came in off the sea and dropped down on to the reedbed pool.
Freshmarsh
With the water levels low and wader passage well underway, the Freshmarsh has had a fantastic variety of waders on offer this weekend.
Highlights have included 4 curlew sandpipers (2 adults & 2 juveniles), 3 wood sandpipers, 1 little stint, greenshank, spotted redshank, whimbrel and flocks of dunlin, ringed plovers, 60 ruff, avocets, bar-tailed & black-tailed godwit plus a steady turnover of snipe.
Amongst the waders several yellow wagtails are feeding on the islands along with the pied wagtails. Sandwich terns and common terns have dropped in for a respite and checking out the new islands that have been created as part of the freshwater habitats project.
A bonus on Sunday afternoon was two common redstarts amongst the scrub at Island Hide and flicking on the fence line.
Common redstart, Lizzie Bruce
Volunteer / Tidal Marsh
Along the creeks on the volunteer marsh at low tide redshanks, curlew and grey plover were seen feeding on crustaceans.
Whilst a few oystercatchers, turnstones and redshank were roosting on the tidal marsh.
Beach / Sea
At low tide the mussel beds on the beach have been full of birds feeding on the mussels and crabs that are exposed at low tide. Highlights have included 3+ spoonbills, little egrets, bar-tailed godwits, grey plover, black-tailed godwits, turnstones, redshanks and knot.
Towards the Thornham Point end, the wader roost has been comprised of a 100+ knot, dunlin, bar-tailed godwits, sanderling and a purple sandpiper.
On the sea there have been common scoter, gannets and an arctic skua plus a few common scoter, wigeon and teal heading west.
Turnstone, Les Bunyan
Thornham Point
With the easterly wind arriving and some rain on Sunday, there was a good chance of some early autumn passerine migrants in the scrub at Thornham Point. Sure enough there was, with 4 pied flycatchers, a wheatear and a willow warbler amongst the scrub.
Wheatear, Les Bunyan
Report your sightings
If you are visiting why not enter your sightings on to BirdTrack. Your records support species conservation at local, regional, national and international scales. For more information follow the link https://www.bto.org/our-science/projects/birdtrack
And finally...
Our guided walks are coming back from Monday 13 September 2021.
The ‘Discover Titchwell’ walks provide you with a brief overview of the history and wildlife of the reserve and our guides will explain how the RSPB is working to protect our wetland wildlife at Titchwell. For more details please follow this link https://bit.ly/2W2ml7l
See you soon
Lizzie Bruce
NW Norfolk Reserves Warden