With the breeding season still in full swing in July, our visitors were delighted to have more opportunities at seeing young birds as balls of fluff, which is the case with young gulls and waders. Feeding flights are necessary, which means that parent birds are more visible, especially those that like to lurk in the reedbed! Bearded Tits are one of our iconic birds which our visitors constantly want to see. July is the ideal time to sit patiently and wait to watch parent birds take food to the nest and later see the chicks begin to fledge and take their first flights. The ‘pinging’ of the birds as they skim through the reed heads often give their position away as they dart over the reedbed (below image, juvenile Bearded Tits, Phill Gwilliam).
Car Park, Visitor Centre, Woodland and Picnic Area
Common Crossbills have been in short supply this year, so birds flying over the Visitor Centre on 4th and 20th was a pleasant surprise as was another Spotted Flycatcher record of one in the car park on 7th. A Green Woodpecker which are scarce at Titchwell, was a welcome addition for those keeping a Titchwell year list on 18th. A Treecreeper was seen in the car park along with a juvenile Coal Tit, on 11th. We would like to think that the Coal Tits have bred on site!
Reedbed
A Black-necked Grebe lurked in the Reedbed Pool from the 29th to the month’s end but it often frustrated visitors as it often hid in the reeds for hours at a time (image below right, Black-necked Grebe, Phill Gwilliam). Bearded Tits continued to show but with the unusual lack of sun this month and windy days, did not show as well as expected for the time of year, unless you had some patience to sit it out on one of the benches.
Freshmarsh
A Shoveler with 5 young was spotted on the Freshmarsh on 5th, a nice breeding record for Titchwell. With a constant effort from our keen birdwatchers on the Little Ringed Plovers that visit our reserve, it was good to see that 2 chicks were still surviving on 6th and 7th, along with a chick of a Ringed Plover pair. By the 23rd the chick was taking short flights in front of the Parrinder Hide. Spotted Redshank numbers varied during the month with 1 on 6th, 3 on 15th, 1 on 18th, 3 on 22nd, 2 on 23rd and 4 on 24th. Common Sandpiper numbers also varied with 1 on 10th, 3 on 17th and 1 on 23rd. One of our volunteers did a count on the Fresh Marsh on 10th and noted 264 Avocet (which dropped to 230 on 21st), 20 Ruff, 136 Med Gulls, 4 Little Ringed Plovers, 44 Black-tailed Godwits (which had increased to 300 by 18th) along with 2 Yellow-legged Gulls. A Green Sandpiper was seen on 11th, 29th and 30th. (Image below right, Ruff in confusing plumages, Cliff Gilbert).
A volunteer noted a Mediterranean Gull on 12th which had been colour-ringed in Germany. A member of staff caused some excitement on 17th when he found a Pectoral Sandpiper by Island Hide which remained all day and into the early morning the next day until heavy rain and rising water levels caused it to move on. Ten Spoonbills were noted on 18th along with 35 Dunlin where there had only been 9 the previous day. An Arctic Skua was an unusual sighting over the Freshmarsh on 19th which possibly heralded the start of the sea-watching season. A single Knot was seen on the Freshmarsh on 23rd along with a single Greenshank on 23rd and 24th. For those who like to work their way through a gull roost, a Yellow-legged Gull was noted on 18th and 24th.
Towards the end of the month, it seemed as if Autumn had arrived with a possible returning Curlew Sandpiper (image below right, Curlew Sandpiper, Cliff Gilbert), which was seen on the next 3 consecutive days. A Garganey was also seen on 26th. The 27th produced 4 Spotted Redshanks as well as a Yellow Wagtail which had increased to 2 birds on 29th. Last, but not least a Whimbrel was seen on 30th.
Beach and Sea
A Caspian Tern was seen to fly west offshore by one lucky visitor on 3rd, possibly roosting on Scolt Head overnight as it was seen flying back again by the same visitor on 4th early in the morning. Four early Arctic Skuas flew offshore on the 7th with one bird flying over Tidal Pool before flying back out to sea. With the sea-watching season now beginning our keen Titchwell year-listers noted a Manx Shearwater on 21st, 22nd and 24th, 3 Arctic Skuas on 23rd with 4 on 24th and a lone Kittiwake on 24th.
Volunteer Marsh
A Spotted Redshank was noted on 11th.
Meadow Trail
A member of staff had another Common Crossbill fly over the Meadow Trail on 6th.
East Trail, Patsy’s Pool, Old Tank Road area
On 1st a male Red-crested Pochard was seen on Patsy’s Pool with a female appearing there on 10th.
Turtle Doves is very sadly a species which is struggling to survive as a breeding bird in the U.K. so are extremely popular with our visitors, staff and volunteers alike, when they are seen. One of our volunteers was incredibly lucky to witness a pair mating when he was watching from Patsy’s Pool area.
Willow Wood
A Mistle Thrush with 6 young was seen in Willow Wood on 6th.
Grazing Meadow
A late Grasshopper Warbler was heard reeling on Thornham Marsh on 11th and 18th by a volunteer with his keen hearing. A member of staff also heard it on 15th.
Early in the morning on the 30th a member of staff witnessed a Cattle Egret on the Grazing Marsh. Sadly, it did not linger by the time the rest of the staff arrived!
Thornham Point
A walk to Thornham Point can sometimes be rewarding, so 2 Whimbrel seen by a volunteer was good to note on 5th.
Other Wildlife
July’s weather has been challenging to say the least with northerly winds dominating along with dull and wet weather. This has made those that look forward to seeing butterflies on the reserve difficult. So, it was good to hear that the Purple Hairstreaks that have flown around the tops of the trees where the old summer house used to be, were still around when they were seen on 12th.
Another insect that delights staff, volunteers and visitors alike is that of a Wasp Spider which was found low down in the grass on the West Bank Path half-way along the Volunteer Marsh section. (Image right, Wasp Spider, Cliff Gilbert).