An exciting update from Plovers in Peril project officers Wynona and Ben...

Phew! It has been a busy few weeks for the Plovers in Peril team! While the nation was fully embracing that super long jubilee weekend as a chance for some well-deserved rest and to enjoy some Norfolk sunshine, our staff and volunteers from the local community were out on the beach giving beach nesting birds like ringed plover and oystercatcher…

I doubt that anyone in the country was unaware of the nation’s recognition of Her Majesty’s 70-year reign. Four days of parades, concerts, street gatherings and tea parties would have been hard to miss. But amid all the Jubilee celebrations we might have overlooked another important event that deserved our attention and reverence, World Environment Day. Sunday June 5 marked the occasion for world leaders to review their…

This week is National Volunteers' Week and we want to say a HUGE THANK YOU to all those who have given their time to helping beach nesting birds!

Plovers in Peril – an RSPB project in partnership with Wild Ken Hill and funded by the Borough Council of King’s Lynn and West Norfolk first launched in March 2021, taking a vital step to halt the worrying declines in the number of breeding ringed plover and oystercatcher…

 This week at Titchwell the avocet chick explosion continues, black headed gull chicks appear and an escaped Harris Hawk has taken up residence around the visitor centre.

 Reedbed / east trail

Three great white egrets are a daily occurrence unlike the bitterns which remain scarce though one was seen regularly on Wednesday 1 June.

 Bearded tits are fledging their first broods of the year but continue to be not that easy…

Eyes to the skies for this week’s sightings round up.

Reedbed & East Trail

In the reedbed a minimum of three great white egrets continues to be present, some are displaying the yellow bill which is their non-breeding plumage whilst at least one has the black bill and reddish tibia, which arises during courtship.

Some of our visitors have seen and / or heard the boom of the bittern. It is booming very softly…

This week at Titchwell we welcomed the first avocet chicks into the world and completed our monthly WeBS count.

Car Park, visitor centre & woodland

On Saturday 14 May a Turtle dove was heard briefly in the car park but has not been heard since. A Spotted flycatcher arrived on Sunday 15 May which increased to two birds on Tuesday 17 May. They were often seen at the top of the trees, so do keep looking up.

Also, on…

This week we saw the arrival of our first turtle dove of 2022, which brought the reserve year list up to an incredible 188 species! 

Car Park / visitor centre / woodland

The highlight for many on Sunday 8 May was a white-tailed eagle, that flew over the visitor centre. The white-tailed eagle is known as G801 a 2-year-old bird that is part of the Isle of Wight reintroduction programme. The bird was tracked along the coast…

It has been a steady week for bird sightings with many of our breeders busy on nests or feeding youngsters. 

Car park / Visitor Centre / Woodland

Blackcaps continue to dominate the woodland soundscape along with the odd chiffchaff and willow warbler.

A newly fledged flock of long-tailed tits was spotted this week and many of the nest boxes are home to breeding blue tits.

Long-tailed tit, Ben Andrew (rspb-images.com)

A Plovers in Peril project update from Wynona & Ben...

We are super excited to share news that the first ringed plover nests of the season have appeared on the beaches at Heacham South and Snettisham, a special strip of coast home to declining numbers of breeding ringed plover and oystercatcher during the summer months.

The first ringed plover nest was found earlier this week by our wonderful volunteers who spend…

This week we completed our monthly Wetland Bird Survey across the reserve and we have seen more migrants drop onto the reserve.

Car Park, Visitor Centre & Woodlands

Around the woodland areas, the blackcaps and chiffchaffs continue their song.

On Monday 18 April Lesser whitethroats were heard singing on the east trail where a grasshopper warbler can also be heard.

Red kites, merlin, kestrel, sparrowhawk and buzzar…

With a change in the wind direction to the south there was a flurry of spring migrants arriving at the beginning of the week.

Car Park / Visitor Centre / Woodlands

Blackcaps are dominating the spring chorus but were joined by the arrival of several Willow warblers at the beginning of the week who are passing through the reserve as they continue with their migration.

The highlight of Tuesday 12 April was the arrival…

Rain won’t stop play

Despite the threat of bad weather and occasional downfall of hail stones, we’ve had a cracking start to the Easter holidays. So far this week families have dipped and dunked in the dragonfly pond, set off on adventures to find mini-beasts, charmed worms, followed the story of Marsha our marsh harrier and released moths, beetles and bugs into the wilds of Titchwell. Phew! Is there anything left…

March, the month of change at Titchwell as we say goodbye to our winter visitors and we start welcoming the arrival of the summer migrants.

Car Park / Visitor Centre / Woodlands

 A highlight for many of us in March has been watching the large flock of Bramblings moult into the fine breeding plumage and listening to them singing in the morning. Many have now departed back to their breeding grounds in Scandinavia, but a…

An update from Wynona and Ben, our Plovers in Peril Project Team.

On a rather blustery Tuesday morning, the Plovers in Peril team at RSPB Snettisham beach were excited to be joined by a few of our Norfolk coast neighbours to speak out about beach nesting birds and to share an important message to visitors.  

In a bid to slow the worrying declines in three beach nesting bird species across the Norfolk coast, conservation…

I never made it onto the athletics team at school.  I couldn’t master the high jump, hurdles terrified me, and running at speed was not for me. Age hasn’t changed my preference and I still opt for a ramble over a sprint when it comes to taking a spot of outdoor exercise.

The benefits of ‘soft exercise’

Walking is a ‘soft exercise’ that can help us savour the world around us and reconnect with nature…

Our beach ranger volunteers are nothing short of extraordinary. Working across our sites through the year to inspire others and provide much needed protection to vulnerable beach nesting birds clinging on in our shared spaces.

Each volunteer has a story of their own and an individual journey that has led them to join our team, but they share one thing in common – they are all local people, stirred to take action for the…

An update from Wynona our ringed plover project officer.

A new season is here for the birds that breed on our beaches!

As the weather warms in Norfolk, many of us start to think about summer and those much-needed escapes to the sandy shores of the Norfolk’s coast! Only thing is, we aren’t the only ones making important plans for the season ahead.

The beaches at Snettisham, Heacham and Titchwell are home to…

Hello all!

As I sit writing this post, with a view over the rippling marram grass and colourful mosaic of shingle at Snettisham beach, the atmosphere is full of hope and promise as the world wakes up from the cold days of winter. There is a calmness in the early spring sunshine, but in a few short weeks this same scene will be bursting with energy and drama as the creatures that call this place home rush to raise their…

Handing it to nature

Over the last year or so I’ve definitely noticed that my hands feel a lot drier than they used to.  Like most people I seem to be washing mine a lot more, and and over time chemically based hand wash has literally stripped my skin of natural oils leaving it dry and sore.

Swapping my usual product to one that has been made without harmful ingredients will help restore some of those lost lipids…

We are looking for volunteer beach rangers to help protect, monitor and spread the word about vulnerable beach nesting birds which breed on the sand and shingle beaches between Snettisham and Heacham in Norfolk.

Can you spare a few hours a week? Local beach nesting birds need your help!

Beach nesting birds like ringed plover and oystercatcher are struggling to find safe places to raise their families on the Norfolk coast…

Moving in: give wildlife a home this February with a garden nestbox

If you’re thinking about putting up a nestbox this spring, there are a few pointers to bear in mind. Not least of all, the importance of location, location, location.

As a general rule of thumb, unless there are trees or buildings which shade the box during the day, nestboxes should face between north and east, avoiding strong sunlight and the wettest…

Hello,

Spring is in the air this week with the woodland dawn chorus building featuring Song thrushes, Chaffinches, Robins and Blackbirds singing away.

Car Park / Visitor Centre / Woodlands

The bird feeding area has been very busy as enter the hungry period, the time when natural food supplies are at their lowest.

The are a number of Brambling around the trees along with Chaffinches, Goldcrests, Blue tits, Great tits

February may be the shortest month of the year but its arrival dispatches the  bleakness of winter and hints at warmer weather to come. Watery sunlight boldly peeps through the folds of night and there’s a promise of spring in the air. Thin layers of glistening frost may retain the legacy of Christmas scenes, but romance is just around the corner.

Valentine’s Day is the perfect occasion for bird lovers, nature lovers…

Hello, 

I feel like I say this a lot, but it has been another great week on the reserve for some bird watching, with a good selection of birds all across the reserve. 

Car Park / Visitor Centre / Woodlands

The Siberian chiffchaff continues to sighted around the meadow trail along with a couple of common chiff chaffs. The tops of the trees are alive with the flocks of goldfinches chattering away to one another. Bullfinches…

Stopping points for migratory waterbirds

Few migratory birds complete their onerous journey in one fell swoop. Most species will make considered ‘layovers’ along the course of the flyway in which to rest, refuel and seek protection from inclement weather. For waterbirds, wetland habitats are a vital component of this annual return pilgrimage between winter and summer homes.

RSPB Titchwell Marsh and Snettisham…