Welcome to this weeks round up of what has been sighted at RSPB Titchwell and it has ended up being a great week. Below is just a short summary of what has been recorded by the team and visitors. 

 

Car Park / Visitor Centre / Meadow trial

With the first frost of the year, the seasons are certainly changing. Large numbers of starlings continue to pass through throughout the day. Several hundred redwings have dropped into the trees, fieldfares have started to pass through and the there has been a noticeable increase in the number of robins and blackbirds; these will have flown across the north sea from Scandinavia. Siskins and bramblings are feeding on the tops of the alder trees and on the 5/11 a hawfinch flew through.

Yellow-browed warbler, Sue Bryan

The star birds have been a red-breasted flycatcher that was first reported on the 4/11 but remained very elusive and two yellow-browed warblers. These birds could be found moving amongst the scrub around the dragonfly pond on the meadow trail. Whilst watching these birds a lesser whitethroat was seen along with several chiff chaffs.

 

Red-breasted flycatcher, Sue Bryan

Reedbed

This week has seen the closure of the east trail and the path to Patsy’s due to the freshwater habitats project which focused on clearing the ditches to maintain the water flow. The blackbirds and robins have particularly enjoyed this, with lots feeding along the ditch edges.  

Therefore, there has been less coverage in the area, nonetheless the evening roost continues to hold 130+ little egrets, 2 great white egrets and 150+ cormorants.

Excitingly three glossy ibis’s were picked up flying over the reserve on the 4 November, dropping into the reedbed somewhere, unfortunately they couldn’t be relocated.

The bearded tits were busy pinging and erupting high into the sky this week, the water rails continue to be very vocal all over the reserve and a bittern was been sighted on several occasions.

On 5 November a grey wagtail flew over the fen hide and up to two hen harriers have been reported roosting in the area.

Cetti's warbler, Les Bunyan

Freshmarsh

As part of the Freshwater Habitats the commencement of the new predator proof fence began which included lowering of the water levels on the eastern compartment. This has affected the number of birds on the Freshmarsh.

Nonetheless a jack snipe has been videoed bobbing along the edges of the mud from the Island hide and a little stint was present until 31st October. Other wader highlights have included 12 avocet, two spotted redshanks, 80 dunlin, 12 ruff, several black-tailed godwits, 50+ golden plover and 15 snipe.

The number of brent geese have continued to increase with over 70 dropping onto the Freshmarsh for a bath and skeins of pink-footed geese flying overhead.

Despite the disturbance several hundred teal remain plus wigeon, gadwall and shoveler in varying numbers. In the evenings a Caspian gull has continued to come into roost along with several yellow-legged gulls.

 Other highlights have included three stonechats and a kingfisher.

Beach

Down on the beach a short eared owl was observed coming in off the sea on the 5 November and another one was seen on the 2nd November. Up to five snow buntings continue to feed on the upper section of the beach, whilst at the waters edge sanderlings, turnstones, black-tailed and bar-tailed godwits continue to provide great photography opportunities.

At Thornham point two Lapland buntings were feeding on the floor whilst the bushes signified an arrival of blackbirds, fieldfares and goldcrests. A single twite was recorded on the 31 October.

The northerly winds this week produced a high number of kittiwakes, plus sooty shearwater, eiders, great skua, gannets and guillemots. The odd arctic tern and common tern have also been seen on several occasions.

 

Lapland bunting, 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