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…

Hello everyone,

From Wednesday, 2 December the following facilities will be open at RSPB Titchwell Marsh:

Hello

Welcome to another weekly round up from the reserve team.

Harrier count

We began the week with a winter harrier survey to record if any hen harriers roosted on the reserve and to also count the marsh harrier roost at Titchwell. It was a lovely morning to start the working week and the harriers didn’t disappoint. We were treated to one ringtail hen harrier and 27 marsh harriers leaving the roost, which is about on…

Hello,

We hope you are all keeping well. With Lockdown 2.0 in full flow and the temporary closure of our shop and café it has felt very strange at Titchwell this week. Fortunately, this time around the reserve team can still keep going with the management of our reserves.

Snettisham

With word of a white-tailed eagle in the Snettisham area, I walked out to the reserve from my house and met Hayley on the reserve…

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

We were pleased to welcome back Ryan and Matt on Monday. Ryan has returned to us as a residential volunteer for the winter months after another successful season as one of the National Trust Seasonal Rangers for Blakeney Point. Matt has returned to us for two weeks to finish off his seasonal contract with the RSPB, over the summer he has spent most of his…

Hello,

Welcome to this week’s sightings round up from Titchwell.

On Monday it was our monthly WeBS count which allows us to have a monthly summary of what wetland birds are on the reserve.

Patsy’s: Coot 9, Shelduck 9, Gadwall 24, Mallard 2, Little grebe 2

Freshmarsh: Avocet 20, Bar-tailed Godwit 31, Black-tailed Godwit 112, Dunlin 12            , Gadwall 4, Golden Plover 6, Lapwing 73, Moorhen         5, Shelduck 27, Shoveler…

Hello there!

We know that for many of you, RSPB Titchwell Marsh provides enjoyment and solace in the natural world throughout these challenging times, that’s why - in line with Government guidance on essential, daily exercise outdoors - during the second lockdown, our car park, trails and toilets remain open for you to visit.

Please follow all current Government guidance around social distancing, who you can visit…

Hello

Welcome to an overdue update on what the reserve team have been up to.

East Bank Pipes.

For those of you that have followed this blog or our social media accounts you will know that on a regular basis our outlet pipes from the Freshmarsh have collapsed as result of erosion. This causes lots of problems in terms of managing the water levels but also allows sea water to enter our freshwater habitat. This isn’t ideal…

Welcome to another round up of what has been sighted on the reserve.

Whilst we maybe one of the only places on the North Norfolk coast without a red-flanked bluetail or Palla’s warbler or Dusky warbler there are still plenty of birds to be seen. Last weekend I was participating in the Global Bird Weekend and recorded 75 species in only a couple of hours.

On Monday we completed our monthly Wetland Bird Count across…

Hello,

It has been a steady week for sightings on the reserve but it is certainly starting to feel more autumnal out there.

Small flocks of siskins, lesser redpolls and bramblings have been passing overhead this week with some dropping into the trees around the visitor centre. Great spotted woodpecker and jays have been regularly heard and a tawny owl was reported on Saturday.

A walk around the boardwalk and you are certain…

Hello

Welcome to this week’s reserve team roundup which has felt incredibly busy.

On Saturday and Sunday Hayley, Lucy, Nic and myself spent some time at Snettisham monitoring visitor numbers, cars and hide capacity during another series of high tides. On Sunday the light was incredible and huge number of knot were just dazzling in the sun. It was truly special. 

We welcomed Jim back from his two weeks holiday in…

Hello and welcome to another weekly round up from the reserve team.

Monday started with Hayley and I at our Snettisham reserve to complete a number of jobs. As mentioned in a previous blog we use a herbicide to help remove some of the vegetation on the roost bank to ensure it remains free of vegetation for the knot to roost on. There was a small amount that I missed so I finished this off plus I sprayed a small area in…

Hello

Welcome to the latest sightings roundup from RSPB Titchwell.

On Friday like much of the east coast we were battered with gale forced northerly winds and torrential rain. This resulted in the water levels rising dramatically across the reedbed and Freshmarsh, despite the outlet pipes being wide open. Nonetheless when the rain stopped, and the wind dropped over 80 species were recorded on Sunday.

The wind dropped…

Welcome to this week’s reserve team round up.

I am back from a sunny week walking in the Lake District passing Jim in the night as he headed off to Scotland for two weeks of mountains.

Monday I was straight back into the place with our monthly WeBS count assisted by Hayley and volunteer Chris. It was a beautiful sunny day, but this can make counting Freshmarsh challenging with many of the birds in silhouette. Following…

Hello

Here is this weeks summary of what has been sighted at Titchwell.

Monday, was the monthly Wetland Bird Survey (WeBS) which was completed on a beautiful calm and sunny day though this can make counting Freshmarsh challenging as many birds are in silhouette. Below is a summary of the count which is about normal for this time of year at Titchwell:

12 avocet, 302 bar-tailed godwit, 294 black-tailed godwit, 4 dunlin

Hello there,

Here are the sightings from this week at RSPB Titchwell Marsh, kindly compiled by some of our regular visitors:

Tuesday, 15 September started off very foggy and reports of 33 snipe, two grey wagtail, 29 siskin, a green sandpiper and mistle thrush all heading west. A spotted redshank was spotted on the freshmarsh and a great white egret in the reedbed pools. The highlight was the little bunting seen at Thornham…

Hello and welcome to another instalment of our reserve team update where we try to give you a flavour of some of the work we do to manage our North West Norfolk reserves.

Our Warden, Lizzie, who usually brings you these updates has taken some well deserved holiday this week. So it's an update from me.

On Monday our Visitor Operations Manager, Lucy, held the fort at Titchwell while Jim and I spent another long day at Snettisham…

Hello there!

With our Warden, Lizzie, away I've taken the reins for this week's sightings. 

Saturday

Starting around the coast at RSPB Snettisham. If Titchwell is the RSPB's North West Norfolk crown, then surely Snettisham is the jewel in that crown?

On a small incoming tide the mud flats at Snettisham gave us: 2,520 oystercatchers, 206 golden plover, 203 curlew, 140 grey plover, 15 ringed plover, 13 bar-tailed…

Hello and welcome to this week’s reserve team round up. First up we welcome Hayley back from her well-earned two-week holiday.

For those of you who follow us on Twitter and Facebook you may have noticed that we will be virtually opening Knots Landing at RSPB Snettisham on Thursday 17^th September. This has been a complex project but has resulted in a storm-resistant hide to enable you to watch the incredible wader…

Welcome to another sightings roundup from Titchwell

We shall begin with the willow scrub encompassing the car parks and fen trail towards the tank road. This week they have been full of blackcaps munching on the elderberries plus chiffchaffs, whitethroats and the odd lesser whitethroat and reed warbler.  Green woodpeckers and great spotted woodpeckers are often heard before they are seen and one lucky visitor recorded…

Hello,

We will kick off this week’s sightings instalment with the star bird of last week; the wryneck.  This bird was found by one of our visitors on Tuesday afternoon feeding on the tank road where it remained until Thursday. Surprisingly we have had less than 10 records of wrynecks for the reserve.

Wryneck, Les Bunyan

Thornham grazing marsh continued to hold a couple of whinchats and stonechats. And a scan across…

Hello

Welcome to this weeks round up from the North Norfolk Reserve Team.

Last weekend was my turn to be Duty Manager, this role is rotated between Hayley, Jim, Lucy and myself resulting in one of us working one weekend a month. We act as first aid cover and supporting the visitor operations team. Normally this role also provides me time to catch up with office work. On Friday and Saturday, the Norfolk coast was subjected…

This year has been one of the most emotionally draining seasons I have been part of.   

For us the season began last winter when we secured funding from the Kings Lynn and West Norfolk Habitat and Monitoring Mitigation Fund to enhance our beach cordons and to revamp our signage at both Snettisham and Titchwell. As part of the project I spent time in late winter developing a monitoring programme of people’s behaviour when…

Hello

Welcome to the latest instalment of what has been sighted at Titchwell over the past couple of days. This weekend with strong northerly winds forecast a spot of sea watching was on the cards.

Friday

Totals for the day were 26 great skua, 5 arctic skua, 1 long tailed skua and a steady stream of gannets, fulmars, common terns, sandwich terns and kittiwakes all heading west.

Saturday

Between 6am – 9am another sea watch…

Hello

And welcome to another weekly round up from the North West Norfolk Reserve Team.

Having worked tirelessly throughout lockdown Hayley our Senior Sites Manager is taking a well-deserved two-week holiday. This leaves Jim and I to carry on with the reserve management across our four reserves.

The week started with our Wetland Bird Survey (WeBS) at Titchwell. This is a great way to spend a couple of hours even if it…