Updated 18/4/2021

Norfolk beaches are amazing places to walk our four-legged friends and some birds choose these beaches to raise their family. It is therefore important that we all come together to do our bit to ensure these birds are given the space to do this.

What birds are you talking about?

Ringed plovers and oystercatchers.  

Ringed plover (top), Oystercatcher (bottom)

Did you know birds’ nest on the ground?…

Hello

Welcome to another round up of what the reserve team have been up to across our North West Norfolk Reserves. 

Breeding Bird Surveys

Over the past couple of weeks, we have continued with our breeding bird surveys including weekly bittern monitoring. It is really encouraging to have a bittern booming regularly at Titchwell as it is a species we have struggled with in recent years. When you are next visiting listen…

And just like that we find ourselves springing toward mid-April! Like us, over the last weeks the plovers have endured a mind-boggling array of weather including a few tantalising glimpses of glorious summer sun (even if accompanied in most parts by a bitter Norfolk wind!). With some warmer days on the forecast it looks like at last things might be hotting up, and I’m not strictly talking about the weather…. Ooh la la…

Welcome to the first sightings blog of 2021 – it has been a while but now that we continue to see an ease in lockdown restrictions, we plan to bring more regular updates of what is around the reserve.

With it being the start of April the first of the spring migrants have started to arrive and a few wintering birds continue to linger.

Woodland / Car park / visitor centre

There are a few bramblings and siskins lingering…

Hello,

Welcome to this week’s snapshot of what the reserve wardens have been up to.

Bittern Survey

First up was the weekly bittern survey. Arriving on site at 5am we were hopeful for some booming bittern action as it has been quite regular but today the bittern had other ideas and opted for a lie in. However, we were treated to two barn owls quartering over the grasslands, a tawny owl calling in willow woods, two…

Here's our Plovers in Peril Project Officer, Wynona, with an update on what's currently happening on our North West Norfolk beaches... 

On a vast stretch of beach each spring a battle is unfolding amongst the tideline. The heroes on these beaches wear black masks and a helmet of grey, the battle cry is a soft rhythmic “toodle-toodle-toodle” and the arena - a tideline littered with sun bleached hornwrack and washed…

Hello everyone!

With Easter Bank Holiday approaching, the following facilities here are open for local daily exercise and recreation:

• Car park
• Outdoor, staffed Welcome Point (9.30am-4.30pm)
• Nature reserve trails
• Toilets (9am-5pm)
• Take away refreshments (10am-4pm). Card payments preferred.

 Please note, due to a fault with our public toilets, we have installed temporary loos in the car park.

 The following facilities…

Hello

Welcome to another snapshot of what the reserve wardens have been up to. 

Bird Surveys

We began the week with an early morning start to continue our weekly bittern surveys and it was encouraging to hear the bittern booming well and regularly. Whilst  surveying for bitterns we also completed our final winter harrier roost count. As is expected for this time of year the numbers have dropped to 23 marsh harriers roosting…

Hello,

Welcome to this week’s installment from the North West Norfolk reserve team.

Beach nesting bird cordons

From mid-February ringed plovers arrive back home to raise their next generation, which includes the beaches of Snettisham and Titchwell. For the next 6- 8 weeks they will spend their time re-establishing their territory and displaying to their partner. From mid-April ringed plovers will start to lay their…

Hello!

As the air around us begins to echo with the excitable trills and mesmerising displays of birds getting geared up for the season ahead, I wanted to take the opportunity to introduce myself as Ringed Plover Project Officer for the exciting new RSPB Project - Plovers in Peril  based at Snettisham Beach. Thanks to the RSPB securing funding from King's Lynn and West Norfolk Borough Council's Habitats Monitoring and…

Hello

And welcome to this weeks installment from the North West Norfolk Reserve Team.

Freshwater Habitats Project

Last week we were able to carry out a site visit with our reserve ecologists to finalise the details of the designs for the freshwater habitat. With the breeding season, a formal tendering process to go through to appoint contracts, it was essential to carry out this visit now otherwise we could risk delaying…

In the Spring and Summer our beaches in North West Norfolk, are home to birds that nest on the ground. Ringed plovers are one of these species and are sadly suffering from significant population declines. The Norfolk ringed plover breeding population has declined by more than 70% in just 30 years with only 123 pairs recorded in 2018.

Ringed Plover - RSPB Images

They are declining as they struggle to find safe beaches…

Hello,

Welcome to another installment from the warden team.

Last week the North Norfolk Coast was transformed into a winter wonderland which scuppered a lot of our plans. Fortunately, the snow vanished at the beginning of the week and we were able to get back out on the reserve for some effective habitat management work.

Snettisham in the Snow

The significant snowfall isn’t helping to reduce the water levels so the entire…

Hello,

Welcome to another weekly round up from the North West Norfolk Team, which follows similar themes from previous weeks.

Flooding

This week we had contractors returning to the reserve to install additional drainage around the visitor centre so that the courtyard will no longer be our new water feature. Whilst here we were going to help us flatten the soil adjacent to the welcome hub to tidy up that area, however…

Hello,

Welcome to another installment from the wardening team featuring some of the work we have been up to this week

Path Repairs

As many of you know, the west bank path, has seen better days with areas worn down to the membrane and when it rains lots of soft areas form. This doesn’t make it ideal for those with prams or wheelchairs. Therefore, whilst the reserve is almost visitor free, we took the opportunity to bring…

Hello!

Welcome to another warden’s ramble, keeping you informed about what we have been up to on the reserves.

Winter Bird Surveys

It was my favourite way to begin the week with our monthly harrier roost count. As the morning dawned, we were treated to bearded tits pinging in the reeds, a kingfisher darting along the ditches and Hayley was lucky enough to glimpse a bittern. As for the harriers, Hayley’s luck continued…

Hello,

I hope you are all managing okay during Lockdown 3.0 and even if you can’t visit us you are still able to connect with nature in some way. If you need a sense of normality, the Big Garden Birdwatch is fast approaching (29 - 31 January) and the best bit, you don’t even need a garden to participate.

To find out more about how to take part, and to register, please visit: https://www.rspb.org.uk/get-involved…

Hello everyone!

Our Residential Volunteer, Ryan, is back again this week with a summary of some of the things the wardening team have been up to this week. Over to you Ryan:

Hello again,

Happy New Year and welcome to another reserve update. In light of this week’s newest lockdown (third times the charm?!), I just wanted to send my best wishes to everyone and I hope everyone keeps happy and healthy for this coming year…

Hello everyone! 

We're thrilled to announce that the car park and trails at BOTH Titchwell Marsh and Snettisham will remain open for locals to exercise.

We do strongly urge you to follow the legislation around non-essential travel and please visit your most local nature reserves and green spaces only.

The following facilities will remain closed, however:

• Meet & Greet
• Hides
• Refreshments
• Shop
• Events and guided …

As you are too aware 2020 was a strange one and as I write this, we are entering Lockdown 3.0. Reserves such as Titchwell have spent much of the year opening and closing various facilities with many of you unable to visit us this year.

Despite the lack of visitors, volunteers and staff presence on site the reserve has managed to record an incredible 220 species, subject to some being accepted by the British Birds Rarities…

Hello,

It is good to be back after a lovely few days in Cornwall and it has been another varied week.

Christmas celebrations

As we head towards Christmas this year our Christmas celebrations turned virtual as is now the new normal for 2020. On Tuesday evening we had  North West Norfolk gathering for staff and volunteers, reflecting on this year and looking forward to 2021.

On Wednesday afternoon we participated in the…

Hello!

Here's our Conservation Volunteer, Ryan, again with our most recent sightings. Over to you Ryan:

Heeello and welcome to another weekly wildlife round-up from Titchwell and Snettisham. With more “wintery” (some might just say rubbish!) weather last week, some amazing stand-out birds really brightened up the week.

At Titchwell, the headline bird was a red-head smew that was spotted flying in from…

Hello everyone,

Another varied week out on the reserves. Once again, Conservation Volunteer, Ryan, brings us up to date with what's been happening. Over you Ryan:

Hi,

Another week has flown by! With the reserves team a member down (have a great honeymoon Lizzie!) the rest of us have been busy carrying on with the winter work plan, along with some extra maintenance tasks.

The week started for me with a coordinated…

Hello everyone,

I'm handing over to our Conservation Volunteer, Ryan, again this week as he tells us about the recent bird sightings at Titchwell and Snettisham. Over to you Ryan:  

Hi everyone and welcome to another roundup of all the amazing birds that have been spotted on our reserves at Titchwell and Snettisham in the past few weeks.

With the last few migrants of the autumn having moved through, there is a distinctly…

Hello!

This week we returned to a more "normal" operation as we reopened the shop, takeaway café and hides across the reserves and more of you were able to travel to visit.

The Reserve Team have continued to be busy throughout lockdown 2.0 and this week our wonderful Conservation Volunteer, Ryan, brings us up to date with what has been happening out on the reserves in North West Norfolk. Over to you…