Titchwell’s June Sightings 30th June 2024 Sue Bryan
‘Rain, rain, go away…….
Come again another day’…..
……so thought many of our visitors as they arrived on holiday expecting June to be hot and sunny at the beginning of the month. Luckily here at Titchwell we have 3 hides where even on the wettest of days, it is possible to sit out of the rain and wind, to watch spectacular displays of a male Marsh Harrier carrying food towards its mate, who will fly up to meet him, turn upside down ready to catch the prey as the male drops it and amazingly catches it and takes the food back to the nest.
Although many days were cold at the start of the month, the birds continued their breeding activities and a good number of species were to be had for those intrepid bird watchers keeping a day list. A list close to one hundred species was possible if the day was started at dawn and continued through to dusk. Towards the middle of the month the days brightened up and we had some better weather with some long sunny days. Sightings of Bearded Tits increased; Spoonbill and Great White Egret visits were more frequent and we had lots of happy visitors!
Car Park, Visitor Centre, Woodland and Picnic Area
A Common Whitethroat was recorded around the Visitor Centre on 1st – 21st and a Lesser Whitethroat was present in the car park from 1st - 25th. Other warblers in included Blackcap and Chiffchaff all month. Three Spotted Flycatchers were seen around the Visitor Centre and Picnic area on many dates, which sadly is a species of bird which is now infrequently seen in Norfolk. A Song Thrush was present around the car park at the beginning of the month, but the highlight was a pair of Cuckoos which could be heard on and off all month. The male Cuckoo could be heard calling its ‘cuckoo’ call and the female could be heard performing its bubbling call. A Grey Wagtail was seen on three dates around the Visitor Centre; 4th, 7th and 16th. The secretive Bullfinch was noted from 5th – 20th. A volunteer was lucky to see an Osprey fly over the Visitor Centre on 7th. A Willow Warbler was seen and heard on 11th and 24th and a Lesser Whitethroat was either seen or heard near the toilet block intermittently all month. A Stock Dove was reported on 20th and a Great Spotted Woodpecker was seen between 19th and 22nd.
Spotted Flycatcher Photo Credit: Sue Bryan
Reedbed
Bearded Tits were present all month, as were Sedge Warblers, Reed Warblers, Cetti’s Warblers and Marsh Harriers. A newly-fledged brood of Bearded Tits were seen on 14th along with two broods of Cetti’s Warblers on the same date. Great White Egrets were seen here on 7th, 8th and 20th and Cuckoos were seen on 6th, 8th and 11th. The iconic dead trees at the end of the reedbed which are often used for birds to perch in, held a Cuckoo and a Red Kite on 11th. A newly-fledged Cetti's Warbler was photographed by a volunteer on the West Bank path by the Reedbed on 30th.
A newly-fledged Cetti's Warbler Photo Credit: Chris Stone
Reedbed Pool
A Great White Egret was present here on several dates at the beginning of the month. The pool has been a bit of a new focus for Titchwell as it has attracted scarcer species and this was continued with the appearance of a Red-crested Pochard on 6th. Two Garganey also joined in the fray at the beginning of the month followed by a Cattle Egret on 14th. A brood of 6 Gadwall ducklings were seen on 4th. A Green Sandpiper was noted on the 27th.
Freshmarsh
Spoonbills were present intermittently all month. Three were seen together on 2nd. Avocet chicks have been hatching and chicks could be seen running around from the beginning of the month. Black-tailed Godwits were present all month. A pair of Little Ringed Plovers were seen all month with a pair being joined by two juveniles and another adult from another site on 28th. A few Mediterranean Gulls were still present all month. A Knot was recorded here on 1st, 17th and 18th. Common Terns were present all month and have bred on the Freshmarsh. A Spotted Redshank was noted on 2nd, 19th and then until the end of the month. A Common Redshank with young was recorded on 4th. Six Teal were also seen on 4th. On 6th a Yellow Wagtail was seen on the mud here. Shoveler have been on the Freshmarsh all month. Very unusually, a Bar-headed Goose appeared standing on the Freshmarsh on 8th. However, this will almost certainly be an escaped bird from somewhere. A Little Tern and a Little Stint were present on 10th. A Caspian Gull was seen on 11th. It was good to hear about some successful breeding with a report of a brood of 7 Pochards that were recorded on 4th. A Greenshank was recorded on 18th. A Wigeon was present on 22nd which is unusual for the time of year. Little Gulls are summer visitors which birders love to see flying around the Freshmarsh. One was seen on 23rd and 24th. On 25th and 27th a Ruff was recorded which was joined by a Common Sandpiper on 26th and 27th.
Volunteer Marsh
Linnets were seen on the marsh on 3rd, but these will almost certainly be under-reported to the Visitor Centre.
Tidal Pool
A Little Ringed Plover was seen here on 12th. Turnstone were recorded here on 18th and 27th but are probably here on many more dates. A Stonechat was seen on 20th. A Greenshank was recorded here on 24th and Knot were seen on 24th and 27th. The 24th also had a Common Tern recorded.
Beach and Sea
Many seabirds were reported on 1st and these included, Kittiwake, Sandwich Tern, Little Tern, Fulmar, Gannet and Little Gull. A count of 56 Gannets were recorded on 1st. Sandwich Terns and Little Terns were seen intermittently all month with 10 Little Terns counted on 28th. Over hundred Golden Plover were seen by a volunteer coming in off the sea on 2nd and 200 Bar-tailed Godwits were counted along the beach on 5th. This was eclipsed by a count over 300 Knot here too on the same date. A Leucistic bird was amongst them which is an unusual sighting. A Red-throated Diver was reported on 9th. On the beach, Dunlin, Sanderling, Curlew and Grey Plovers were seen along the tideline all month and a Stonechat was recorded in the dunes 7th and 18th. Three lucky observers saw a Long-tail Skua flying along the shoreline and reported it to a member of staff who was nearby but not close enough to see it! Sanderling were added to the day list on 13th. A Red-breasted Meganser was recorded on 21st and an Arctic Skua was noted on 22nd. A Curlew was noted on the beach on 28th but are probably present more frequently that they are reported to the Visitor Centre. A Stonechat was seen in the saltmarsh on 28th.
Meadow Trail
A Cuckoo was seen here on 21st.
Fen Trail
The Fen Trail offers some protection in parts from the wind and birds often take shelter in this area. Bullfinches can be quite secretive and although are quite clearly a near-resident bird are often overlooked, so a report of one on the 3rd was welcomed. Blackcaps are also still singing and were noted on 4th and13th. A Song Thrush was good to see on 4th too. A Cuckoo was recorded on 5th. Our Tawny Owl was heard on 20th. A Sparrowhawk was seen along the trail on 25th.
East Trail, Patsy’s Pool, Old Tank Road area
A Cuckoo was seen here on 1st, 2nd and 14th and two birds were present on 3rd and 28th. A Great White Egret was seen wading around on 2nd,10th and 11th. Hobbies were noted here on 5th and 7th. A volunteer had a lucky find on 5th when he found a Red-backed Shrike which disappeared in the evening. Egyptian Geese were noted here on 8th. Three Turtle Doves were seen on the Old Tank Road on 5th and another one was seen on 7th. A Pochard with 6 young was noted on 4th and two young on 14th. By the 18th a Green Sandpiper had appeared here. A Little Grebe was reported to the Visitor Centre on 18th, although they are often seen here but not reported to the Visitor Centre. A Grasshopper Warbler was heard by Patsy’s Pool on 20th. By 23rd a Red-crested Pochard had appeared with another joining it on 27th until the month’s end. A Lesser Whitethroat could be heard around Patsy’s Pool on 27th with two birds reported on 28th. A Bullfinch was seen here on 27th.
Red-crested Pochard Photo Credit: Sue Bryan
Willow Wood
A Great Spotted Woodpecker was seen here on 20th.
Grazing Meadow
A Kestrel flew over the grazing marsh on 1st. Brent Geese continue to linger here and were still around on 2nd. A Grasshopper Warbler was heard by a member of staff on the meadow on 5th ,11th 19th until the month’s end. A Stonechat was recorded on 6th, 10th ,11th and 17th and a Common Whitethroat on 8th.
Thornham Point
A Wheatear was seen here on 2nd along with 2 broods of newly-fledged Stonechats.
Flyovers
Flyover birds on 1st included Swallow, Swift, House Martin and Red Kites. These birds could be seen on most days flying over the reserve throughout the month. Spoonbills are also recorded on most days too but 5 together on 8th was notable. Mediterranean Gulls are still around the reserve and can be either seen or heard on most days flying around. Four Wigeon flying over were notable for the time of year. On 4th a Sparrowhawk was reported along with a Hobby that was also reported on 7th, and 21st over the beach. One was also seen flying over Patsy’s Pool on 27th. A Sparrowhawk was seen again on 13th. A Siskin was heard flying over on 6th as was a Greenshank and a Grey Wagtail. Sand Martin were noted on 10th and 28th although they will almost certainly have been under-reported.
The 7th produced a Great Spotted Woodpecker in flight and a Turtle Dove was a nice surprise for someone on 9th which was followed by 3 birds on 10th. A Spotted Redshank was heard calling as it flew over on 15th. A Rook was seen flying over on 17th and the following day a Peregrine was seen. A Great White Egret was recorded on 20th, 27th and 30th flying over. On 28th, seven Cattle Egrets were seen flying over the reserve.
Other Wildlife
On 21st, a variety of wildlife was reported as being seen which included: an Otter in the Reedbed Pool, Black-tailed Skimmer, three Emperor Dragonflies, two Norfolk Hawkers in and around the reserve and four Golden-bloomed Grey Longhorn Beetles found on Bristly Oxtongue. A Water Vole was seen on the West Bank path on 28th.