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Recent sightings

• 14 May 2012

  Ray's Rambles: The Emperor's Freckles

  
   
  The Ray's Rambles list has suddenly shot up by 10, to 987, which is partly due to starting the moth trap.  This got me the following 5 new species:- common pygmy woodlouse, diamond-backed moth (a micro-moth), double-striped pug, a really smart swallow prominent and a superb female emperor moth.  Remember, anyone can come at 9 a.m.on Wednesdays till the end of the school summer holidays, and see what has been caught in the trap.

  
  I found my next new species on a visitor's blouse, which caused some uncouth comments from my friends, but in my defence it was on her back and was the first eyed ladybird, a pine-wood species, to be recorded on the reserve.  It's rather like the common 7-spot ladybird, but has 15 black spots that are each surrounded by a narrow pale yellow border.

  
  I was amazed that I hadn't recorded wavy bitter-cress during the last couple of years, I must have overlooked it.  My last 3 species though were complete newcomers to me.  The first of them, phyllobius pomaceus, is a blueish-green weevil that lives in nettle beds.  The second was a colony of tiny yellow fungi, small stagshorn, found on a rotting log on the way to Fen Hide.

  
  The last, but by no means least, was a joint effort by staff members, visitors and myself.  A staff member found a beautiful violet growing near the cabin in the car park.  It was white, with dozens of bluey-violet specks, not like any I'd seen before.  Lots of people looked at it and one of our regular visitors thought it was viola adorata freckles, but he wasn't quite sure.  Then I got an e-mail from Caroline Falvey, who had come up with the same name and her input showed me a website where I could confirm the record.  Thank you everyone, much appreciated.  Your efforts have helped me see 437 wildlife species here this year, so far.
                         
                                     Ray Kimber.

  Posted by Jasmine

• 14 May 2012

  Two short....

  Well, the third annual Wings over Titchwell weekend finished yesterday and despite far from ideal winds, we finished on a very creditable 121 speies seen from the reserve over the weekend. This is just two short of the record which we could have smashed.... if only the winds had been kinder allowing a few more waders though on their long migration journeys north.

  Saturday, in particular was cold with those of us stupid enought to be on the reserve at 5am having to wear three fleeces, woolly hat and gloves to keep warm! I was fascinated to see the breath of a canada goose  'smoking' in the cold dawn air.

  The weather was kinder on Sunday, even though our prayers for a nice gentle warm southerly breeze were never answered. The folk on the dwan chorus walk had a great time, the highlight being fourteen bearded tits right next to the west bank path. At one time we had eight recently fledged youngsters in the same field of view!

  Other notables from the weekend were red kite, spoonbill and red crested pochard but the main highlight was the enthusiasm for Titchwell Marsh from all of the volunteers, staff, and visitors.

  Many thanks to all those who took part..... we'll be back again next year!

  Posted by Dave Hawkins

• 1 May 2012

  Ray's Rambles: what a lot of rot

   

  Here's the latest from Ray!

  
   
  Part of a willow tree came crashing down in the car park during the high winds and rain a few days ago.  I had a look at the broken base of the tree and found a large leopard slug sheltering in a crack amongst the rotting wood.  Many of our willows get attacked by various fungi, which can cause a lot of damage, a typical example can easily be seen at the start of the west bank path.  Here a large perennial bracket fungi, ganoderma applanatum (artist's fungus) or ganoderma adspersum is eating into the very heart of the old willow tree, slowly killing it.  It would take an expert with a microscope to separate the two species.
   
  Near the fen hide are some small sycamore trees.  If you look at the trunks you'll find blackish patches, these are sooty mould,  which are fungal complexes feeding on honeydew from aphids and scale insects, so not damaging the trees.  I must thank a good friend of mine, Martin Chaplin, for the fungi information.
   
  The last of my four new species this time is a bird I often miss at Titchwell, but this crossbill sat, calling loudly, on the very tip of a tree along the west bank so not even I could fail to spot it.  My Ray's Rambles list now stands at 976 so I'm hoping that the next few weeks with loads of migrants passing through, the start of the moth-trapping season and all the spring flowers coming out will eventually get me to my elusive target of 1000 species.
   
  Best bird sighting?  A superb male pied flycatcher, showing beautifully only 50 yards from the Visitor Centre - naturally it was raining!
                                  

  Ray Kimber.

  Posted by Jasmine

• 1 May 2012

  Seeing double

  

  For a day at least, the windy, wet weather has moved on leaving us with what feels like a summer heat-wave over the reserve.  Whilst out surveying early this morning, a spoonbill and bittern flew over the reedbed to the soundtrack of a calling cuckoo.  On the walk back to the office, a late gathering of 6 bramblings was visible hanging around the bird feeders whilst a spotted flycatcher looked on from the top of the alders.  The pied flycatcher recorded on Friday was seen around Island hide today; whilst this afternoon, two drake garganey could be seen in all their breeding finery on the freshwater marsh.  What with singing whitethroats, lesser whitethroats and willow warblers, it looks like spring has finally arrived!

   

  Rowena, Reserve Assistant

  Posted by Paul Eele

• 20 April 2012

  Do you know owls don't mate in the rain...

   

  it’s too wet too woooo!

  Ok so I don’t know much about the courtship of owls in the rain but I do know that they definitely can be seen flying about.

  It’s been raining on and off this afternoon but when it looked like it was slowing down, I decided to get out of the office and do a bit of work on the reserve. Every time I walk down the west bank path I have my fingers crossed for bearded tits. I’ve been working at Titchwell for a few months now but I must have had the worst luck as I hadn’t seen any of these little reed dwelling birds. In fact, I was starting to think that they didn’t exist and they were in fact a figure of everyone’s imagination.

  I found David, the conservation intern down the path; he was carrying out a marsh harrier survey. We sat in the rain for a bit and then he suddenly jumped up- “bearded tit!” I did wonder for a moment if he was having me on, but there it was! A beautiful male with it’s sandy coloured back, grey head and black side-burns. It climbed up the reeds, and hopped from stem to stem bobbing up and down.

  As the bearded tits disappeared into the reedbed I continued my walk down the path. Over the radio I heard David point out a short-eared owl. It was flying over the grazing meadow giving people fantastic views.

  Heading down to the Parrinder hide everyone was wearing big smiles as they ambled along in the rain. The coot on her nest was all tucked up, huddled away from the storm but the waders didn’t seem to mind and I got great views of a couple of avocets and godwits on the Volunteer Marsh. There was a break in the clouds for a moment and in the air was that lovely ‘after it’s been raining’ scent.

  I popped into the Parrinder Hide and a group of visitors called me over to see the yellow wagtails. They were so bright, a beautiful sunshine yellow against the stormy sky. They were the first ones I’ve seen this year and it was a great view out along the bank.

  So although I’m a bit soggy now (and of course it stopped raining and the sun burst out literally the moment I walked back into the office), I had a really enjoyable walk and got to add another bird to my list of species I’ve seen!

  Posted by Jasmine

• 17 April 2012

  Ray's Rambles: Friday 13th, not unlucky at all!

   

  Here's the latest from Ray! 

  

  
  The four new species added to the Rambles list in the last fortnight come from very different families.  Firstly I found, attached to a large slipper limpet, a red sea-weed called coral weed that had been washed up after a strong northerly.  Next came a larch tree, only about 10 metres high that somehow I had not noticed before, growing at the back of the willow wood..  This was quickly followed by a colony of social mining bees making their nest in the vertical bank to the left of Island Hide path, their large bright yellow pollen 'baskets' made them very conspicuous.
   
  Without doubt though, the star attraction for me was the black guillemot found close inshore on April 13th.  This bird, partially moulted from winter to summer plumage, stayed around for several hours, but was only seen for a short time the following morning.  Although it was the third one that I've seen here, for most of our present staff it was a reserve tick.
   
  One of the most enjoyable aspects of doing Ray's Rambles has been learning more about some relatively common species.  Late last Autumn many people asked me what the hairy caterpillars were that they had seen along the west bank, and I had no idea.  Most of them, the caterpillars that is, were covered in tufts of pale brown hairs, some had a gingery tone, while others were much darker.  Their faces were shiny black and the basic body colour was also blackish.  They appeared again in March this year and I watched two of them spinning silky coccoons on the concrete wall outside Parrinder Hide.  This week I flushed a ruby tiger moth from the new sea bank close to the hide and, after reading up about them I discovered that they over-wintered as a caterpillar and that my other observations fitted this species exactly - you live and learn!
   
  My year total now stands at 360 and the grand Rambles total is 972 species.
                                Ray Kimber.   

  Posted by Jasmine

• 13 April 2012

  Panic...

  ...has just overtaken the reserve with the report of a winter plumaged black guillemot showing well on the sea off the beach boardwalk.

  Ray was the first of the volunteer hide helpers on the scene and confirmed that the bird was still present and the rest of us donned our waterproofs and swiftly (my little legs couldn’t keep up with David) made our way to the beach. Ray was ready for us with the bird in the scope and we all added a new species to our Titchwell list.

  Black guillemot is a breeding bird from northern shores with the bulk of the British population breeding in the Northern Isles. They tend to winter ‘at sea’ like many of the auk species and can turn up almost anywhere along the coast. Most birds are recorded flying by on sea so it very unusual to be able to chase after one. This bird is only the 8^th reserve record and the first one since 2008.

  Unfortunatley our bird didn't quite look like the one in full summer plumage. Ours was just beginning to to get the black body feathers but did have the large white wing patch. This bird was taken on its breeding grounds in Norway.

  

  Posted by Paul Eele

• 12 April 2012

  What a difference a few days make

  Following the dodgy weather of the Easter break, back to work and conditions improve! Not a bad thing for us as we are now into the thick of the breeding season survey work.

  With calm conditions this morning we have been able to get out and check the reedbed for bitterns and bearded tits. Unfortunately the bitterns are still giving us the ‘run around’ and despite a couple of sightings we still haven’t recorded any booming yet – fingers crossed for tomorrow. It is still a bit early for much bearded tit activity yet but we did have a few birds about. Most of the activity was centred on the east bank (near the dead trees) although there we birds calling behind the Fen Hide pool.

  Despite it being quiet for the breeding birds, the change in the weather has produced a flush of summer migrants. Around the carpark there were 3 singing male willow warblers along with new chiffchaffs and blackcaps. The first sedge warblers are now in with 6 singing around the reedbed although they are not doing their song-flights yet. Highlight of the morning was a swift west over the reedbed; the 2^nd earliest record for the reserve along with 5 sand martin and a swallow.  

  

  Posted by Paul Eele

• 4 April 2012

  To fly a kite

  This magnificent bird of prey is unmistakable with its angled wings and forked tailed.  Over the past week, at least one has been sighted over the reserve each day, with 3 being recorded together over Thornham saltmarsh last Saturday.  During the 1980’s, red kite was one of only three globally threatened species in the UK and was saved from national extinction by one of the world’s longest reintroduction and protection programmes.  The programme began in 1989, with the release of 6 birds in Scotland and 5 in Buckinghamshire.  The success of these reintroductions led to the release of many more red kites over the next 15 years; the eventual aim is for the red kite breeding population to expand to colonise all suitable habitat throughout the UK.  We hope the sight of three red kites together over the reserve will soon become an everyday event!

  

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

  Rowena, reserve assistant.

   

  Posted by Paul Eele