Hello,
It has been another great week on the reserve with over 100 species being recorded again on Sunday 24 October, this time by one of roving rangers.
Car park / visitor centre
Chaffinchs, siskins and bramblings are chattering away to each other at the top of the alder trees around the visitor centre. Flocks of these finches have also been migrating through in a constant trickle all week. A hawfinch flew east on Tuesday 26 October. The willow trees are alive with the high pitch tinkle of goldcrests busily feeding away on insects.
Siskin, Les Bunyan
Reedbed
On Saturday 23 October early in the morning the tawny owls were calling in the trees and a woodcock appeared on the tank road, our first of the autumn.
On Patsy’s we have an amazing count of 93 gadwall during the day, whilst in the evening 130+ little egrets have been counted coming into roost along with 120+ cormorants. A great white egret and bittern have also been sighted, though these are a bit harder to spot. Several cetti’s warblers can be heard calling amongst the scrub with the odd one showing on the tank road scrub. Amongst the marsh harriers roosting is a ringtail hen harrier, though the bird comes into roost late and departs very early.
Little egret, Phill Gwilliam
Freshmarsh
The grey phalarope’s stint at Titchwell ended on Monday 25th October when it flew off in the morning. A ring ouzel was seen flying over people’s head as they watched the grey phalarope on Monday. The flock of approx. 1000 golden plover continue to enjoy the Freshmarsh, accompanied by 60+ black-tailed godwits, dunlins, ruffs, avocets, redshanks and this week a little stint has joined the wader party. On the edges of the mud have been at least 4 snipe feeding and a jack snipe was seen in front of Island hide on Saturday 23rd October.
Not only are there plenty of waders on the Freshmarsh, flocks of teal, wigeon and shoveler are busy feeding away in the new deeper pools.
In the evenings 10,000 starlings are continuing to pre roost on the Freshmarsh before heading into the reedbed for the night. A couple of Caspian gulls and yellow-legged gulls are roosting amongst the hundreds of other gulls such as black-headed gulls, lesser black-backed gulls and herring gulls.
Grey phalarope, Phill Gwilliam
Volunteer & Tidal marsh
Across the saltmarsh on volunteer marsh are curlew and redshank feeding with wigeon and brent geese as the tide comes in.
On Tidal marsh up to 6 greenshank have been roosting at high tide along with the redshanks, knot and oystercatchers. A red-breasted merganser was spotted on Saturday 23 October using the tidal marsh along with a couple of pintail. A spotted redshank has been heard across the reserve.
Greenshank, Phill Gwilliam
Beach and Sea
The snow might not have arrived but up to 6 snow buntings are feeding along the high tide line. Two shore lark flew over at the weekend, with one landing on the Freshmarsh on Sunday 24 October. Two Lapland buntings came in off the sea in the afternoon.
On the sea there are flocks of common scoter passing through with the odd velvet scoter amongst them. Red throated divers are being sighted regularly as are red-breasted mergansers, kittiwakes, razorbills and guillemots. A Slavonian grebe remained offshore until Tuesday 26 October and a little auk has been reported on occasions this week.
Snow bunting, Phill Gwilliam
Report your sightings
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