It has been another varied week for sightings at RSPB Titchwell Marsh with action all over the reserve.
Car park, visitor centre and woodland
This week the car park has been alive with birds including willow warblers, chiffchaffs, treecreepers, and the odd lesser whitethroat. On the 28 August a little owl was heard calling in the car park, a scarce bird for the reserve. A common redstart was present on the 30 August and a pied flycatcher was around the visitor centre on the 1 September. Mistle thrust and siskins have been heard flying over the visitor centre and a coal tit has been seen on the feeders, a fairly uncommon bird for the reserve.
Common redstart, Cliff Gilbert
Reedbed
Within the reedbed the bittern has been seen more frequently this past week. A minimum of two great egrets are often seen feeding on the reedbed pool. At the weekend two cattle egrets first appeared on the Freshmarsh before roosting with the cormorants on the dead trees. The female garganey was present until 28 August.
Turtle doves sightings have increased with two birds seen on the tank road and flying over the east bank when along the Autumn Trail.
Above the reeds there have been large flocks of feeding house martins and swallows, building there energy supplies before they migrate southwards for the winter months.
Turtle dove, Cliff Gilbert
Freshmarsh
A large flock of 500+ golden plover has been a regular site this week on the Freshmarsh. On the 28 August there were 3 spotted redshank, 16 spoonbills and 2 cattle egrets with 6+ common sandpipers, a green sandpiper and a brent goose on the 29 August. A little stint and pintail were the highlights on the 31 August and on the 1 September 2 little stint dropped in to the Freshmarsh along with 4 wigeon.
Also present this week include 60+ avocets, 100+ black-tailed godwits, 20+ ringed plovers, redshanks, greenshank, lapwing, dunlin, snipe, turnstone and a wood sandpiper.
In the evening gull roost there are Yellow legged gulls and Caspian gulls.
Curlew sandpiper, Cliff Gilbert
Volunteer and Tidal Marsh
On Tidal marsh 60+ oystercatchers are roosting on here, along with a few turnstones and dunlin. On the 1 September 2 curlew sandpipers dropped in briefly.
Beach and Sea
It has been an interesting week on the sea, on the 27 August highlights included a black tern, 2 dark phase arctic skuas, but bird of the week was a juvenile Sabines gull that flew east on the 29 August.
Also, on the sea this week there have been gannets, common scoters, fulmars, little terns, sandwich terns and common terns.
Wheatears have been present on upper part of the beach this week, whereas on the tideline there have been
Thornham Point is worth a walk down to when the migrants are passing through, on the 31 August there was redstart and 2 wheatear and on the 1 September there were 3 pied flycatchers.
Arctic skua, Cliff Gilbert
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