Hello,
Welcome to this week’s sightings round up from Titchwell.
On Monday it was our monthly WeBS count which allows us to have a monthly summary of what wetland birds are on the reserve.
Patsy’s: Coot 9, Shelduck 9, Gadwall 24, Mallard 2, Little grebe 2
Freshmarsh: Avocet 20, Bar-tailed Godwit 31, Black-tailed Godwit 112, Dunlin 12 , Gadwall 4, Golden Plover 6, Lapwing 73, Moorhen 5, Shelduck 27, Shoveler 10, Teal 435, Turnstone 2, Wigeon 4
Tidal marsh: Bar-tailed Godwit 30, Black-tailed Godwit 9, Curlew 2, Dunlin 6, Greenshank 2, Grey Plover 121, Knot 57, Little Grebe 2, Mallard 2, Oystercatcher 30, Ringed Plover 1, Spotted Redshank 3, Turnstone 28.
The evening gull roost is holding several hundred black-headed gulls and lesser black backed gulls, 8 yellow-legged gulls and a Caspian gull.
Within the reedbed there are two great white egrets roosting on site in the evenings, with one of them we presume spending its day feeding in the channel at Thornham Point with a grey heron. The evening little egret roost is still occurring, but numbers are starting to tail off. Roosting marsh harriers is averaging about 30 birds in the main reedbed along with a stunning male hen harrier. A second male hen harrier was observed on the sea on Thursday flying over a small flock of eider.
Other highlights on the sea this week have included a drake gooseander, common scoters, great crested grebes (5) and red throated divers.
Brent geese, Phill Gwilliam
The two snow bunting at Thornham Point have continued to be seen this week, other beach highlights have included 200+ oystercatchers, bar-tailed godwits and several ringed plovers and sanderlings.
On the surrounding saltmarsh there have been small flocks of snipe getting up and flying overhead, along with feeding curlew, dark-bellied brent geese, wigeon and lapwing.
Around the woodland area two woodcocks have been sighted early in the morning and flocks of bramblings are loitering at the tops of the trees.
It may be early November but there are still plenty of birds passing overhead including several hundred fieldfare, redwings, chaffinches and bramblings and thousands of starlings. A careful listen out to the flight calls of birds passing overhead has resulted in several crossbills and the odd hawfinch and Lapland bunting going over.
A reminder that the reserve car park, trails and toilets will remain open during Lockdown 2.0 for local residents to enjoy their daily exercise but the cafe and shop are closed.
For more information visit this update: Lockdown 2.0