I'm away from the reserve in Israel this week taking part in Champions of the Flyway which aims to raise valuable funds and awareness to save the vultures of the Rift Valley. This week I have handed the sightings blog over to our new Senior Sites Manager, Hayley Roan. Give us an update Hayley:
"This week I had my first experience of life on the reserve when a special bird comes through. On Wednesday, our friends at Blakeney and Holkham had seen a white-tailed eagle heading our way along the coast and it did not disappoint. The white-tailed eagle came through, soaring over Titchwell Marsh, being mobbed by buzzards and people were delighted. Visitors rushed along the West Bank path to see it as it glided overhead. The sight of this magnificent bird put huge smiles on everyone's faces. This was a happy day! Our Warden, Lizzie, will be so disappointed not to have been here for this.
There's plenty more of interest this week with the signs of Spring becoming increasingly obvious. We had our first sighting of a swallow, frogs and toads are abundant and spawning, tiny leaves are coming through on the trees.
Marsh harriers are performing mesmerising displays, with 24 counted coming in to roost on Monday and there have been good sightings of a ringtail hen harrier.
We've seen lots of chiffchaffs and brambling have been seen on the feeders outside the visitor centre.
Water rail continue to show well in the ditch off the start of the West Bank path and plenty of sightings of bearded tits in the reedbeds. Amongst many others we've had sightings of siskin, water pipit, wheatear, song thrush, red crested pochard and ruff. On the sea there has been red throated diver, eider, common scoter, goldeneye and great northern diver. The reserve is simply heaving with birds.
Hayley."
Photo credit: Les Bunyan
I must drop in one day
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