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…

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…