My wildlife year at Titchwell has started off with a series of surprises, resulting in 3 new species to add to the Ray's Rambles list, which now stands at 943.
I started with a spotted redshank trying to swallow a three-spined stickleback (new), it gave up after wasting 20 minutes. A few days later I had a repeat performance with a cormorant failing to eat a dab.
A red admiral butterfly and flowering creeping buttercups were most unusual records at this time of the year and daily sightings of one or two chinese water deer have been very popular. So far though it's been our birds that have been the real stars. The long-staying arctic redpoll and the mandarin have now been joined by a pair of red-crested pochard, but best for me was the adult iceland gull (new) that was feeding on the beach. It had the decency to stand next to an adult mediterranean gull!
The most unexpected new bird was a drake chestnut teal, an Australian bird that had obviously escaped from captivity. As usual I've had a lot of assistance from dozens of people, my latest helper was a very young lady who had been collecting shells in her bucket. On top of her collection was a mermaid's purse, the egg case of a blonde ray. Her efforts have raised this years list to 180 species. My interest in nature started when I was seven, by the looks of it I could have started three years earlier! Ray Kimber.
Photo by Andy Thompson