Just a quick bit of housekeeping, we're spending more time out on the reserve with habitat management so this blog will be monthly. For much more up-to-date sightings, you can see a picture of our latest board here: twitter.com/RSPBTitchwell
March is always an exciting month for birdwatchers as winter begins to loosen its grip and spring slowly emerges, bringing with it a few early migrants as the month progresses. However, this year March has been cold with a predominance of northerly winds, affecting migration and slowing the arrival of our summer migrants that stay and breed at Titchwell. Some winter birds have lingered which has pleased our visitors as some unusual birds have been sighted.
It was a quieter year for brambling this year with only a few seen intermittently throughout the month around the Visitor Centre and Welcome Hub. Siskin sightings had also decreased with a maximum of 10 seen in the Alder trees. A pair of great spotted woodpeckers and a grey wagtail were seen in flight on the 8th and 13th respectively. A green woodpecker and a blackcap were added to the sightings on 23rd. Other flyovers included 2 barnacle geese on 23rd.
Often very difficult to see, a bittern was heard to boom on 2nd enlivening our hopes of it finding a mate and breeding. Unusually within the reedbed a female goosander was spotted on the 20th and 6 marsh harriers emerged from the roost on 20th. The marsh harrier roost count has been much lower this winter but as the month progresses numbers would be expected to drop as the harriers set up territories to breed. Disappointingly, sightings of bearded tits have been low as the cold windy weather is not to their liking.
Always a popular sighting, a water pipit (picture above, Phill Gwilliam) graced the Freshmarsh on 2nd; it seemed to like the freshly cut reed area along the edge of the Parrinder bank. It was good to see 40 curlew on the Freshmarsh on 4th as this fast-declining species is a now a cause for concern. Avocet numbers are beginning to rise and 42 were counted on 8th. Mediterranean gulls started to arrive at the beginning of the month with over 100 into roost on 22nd and common gull numbers rose to 40 on 10th. A lone goldeneye was a pleasure to see on the Freshmarsh as well as a surprise visit by a female red-crested pochard on 18th. One of the delights of spring is to watch courtship displays as this is an indication that spring is indeed on its way. As one of our key birds, ringed plovers were watched displaying on 7th. Ruff numbers continued to build with 6 counted along with 10 grey plover.
(Picture: Whooper Swan, Lance Fisher).
With winter on the wane, flyover redwing were noted flying over the Freshmarsh heading northwards towards their breeding grounds in Scandinavia as well as a northward heading whooper swan that spent some time with us.
At last spring migrants started to arrive with a Sandwich tern noted on the 20th, house martin on 23rd , 3 little ringed plover on 28th ,common sandpiper on 28th, a fly-by cattle egret on 28th and 8 spoonbills coming into breeding plumage and using this to their advantage in a courtship display. Will they stay and breed? Let’s hope so!
Sea watching was poor this month with the strong northerly winds making life difficult for the ardent sea-watchers. Numbers of birds seen was also very low with a great northern diver seen on 9th along with long-tailed duck that was seen to fly by, disappointing many who hoped it would stay to be added to their year lists. This was also true of a black-necked grebe and a red-necked grebe that flew by on 20th.
Picture below: Ringed Plover, Cliff Gilbert.
The first little ringed plover of the year arrived on 14th but quickly moved on, as did a merlin that flew over.
Picture below: Little Ringed Plover, Tony Gray. Note the distinct eye ring.
A merlin flew over on 19th followed by a sand martin on 28th.
A brief respite in the weather meant that 4 chiffchaff sang along the Fen Trail delighting many visitors that reported them to the Welcome Hub.
One of the benefits of a being a warden is that whilst working hard on conservation, sometimes birds are flushed unintentionally, and this was true on 24th as a woodcock was sighted at East Bank.
An interesting sighting during the month was a pair of red kites displaying over Willow Wood during the month.
Picture below: Barn Owl, Phill Gwilliam
A few winter-lingering geese were on show on the grazing meadow. Amongst the 110 pink-footed geese were 5 tundra bean geese, a nice surprise for the finder. The grazing marsh was also host to 8 stonechat on 3rd. Even working in the office doesn’t prevent the team from watching 2 barn owls from the office window on several dates during the month over the grazing marsh!
A late Hen Harrier was seen at Thornham Point which then flew over Choseley Road that a member of staff saw whilst driving to work on 28th.
226 Scarlet Elf Cups were counted along the entrance path which brightened up many visitors’ day (Picture, left: Lucy Ferrer).