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Recent sightings

• 17 May 2013

  Weekly wildlife roundup - Spring...?

  With no let up in the northerly winds, new spring migrants have been thin on the ground this week although there has a few bright moments. The highlight was a spotted flycatcher feeding for much of the day in the shelter of the picnic area. They are getting much rarer these days so it always nice to catch up with one.

  

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

  Spoonbill - Spanish colour-ringed bird (FJ9) feeding on the saltmarsh throughout the week

  Red crested pochard - drake present all week but mobile

  Little ringed plover - 5 on fresh marsh including a pair on Patsy's reedbed

  Greenshank - 1 on Volunteer Marsh on the 17th

  Little stint - adult on reserve 13th - 14th

  Common sandpiper - 2 on fresh marsh on 15th

  Montagu's harrier - possible female hunting over Thornham saltmarsh briefly on the 14th

  Hobby - 2 hunting swifts on 16th

  Wheatear - 2 present during the week

  Spotted flycatcher - 1 in picnic area on 16th

   

  Posted by Paul Eele

• 15 May 2013

  Old favourite returns

  

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

  A spoonbill that has been kicking around the reserve for the last couple of weeks was finally seen well feeding on the saltmarsh over our Wings over Titchwell event last weekend and it turns out to be our old favourite FJ9. Originally ringed as a chick on 2007 in Spain, the bird has favoured the North Norfolk coast since it was first seen at Titchwell in April 2011. The bird spent much of the summer on the reserve and this is the first sighting this year.

  Despite the unfavourable weather conditions, we ended up with a decent species list for Wings over Titchwell with 100 bird species on Saturday and 101 on Sunday. Adding the non avian species such as Chinese water deer, large red damselfly, water vole and 4 species of butterfy took the overall list to nearly 120.

  8 species of raptor (marsh harrier, red kite, peregrine, merlin, hobby, kestrel, sparrowhawk, buzzard), 2 black terns, long eared owl briefly on the Meadow Trail and drake red crested pochard were the avian highlights. Sadly the Temminck's stint decided to do a moonlight flit on the Friday night but a full summer plumage male ruff was a stunning sight.

  Posted by Paul Eele

• 7 May 2013

  Weekly wildlife roundup - Shock horror, a nice bank holiday!

  With a decent weather forecast, bird watchers were out in force along the Norfolk coast this weekend and they turned up a nice selection of birds. With the wind in the south there was a nice arrival of migrants including a wood sandpiper photographed on Patsy’s reedbed, male whinchats on the grazing meadow and near the beach boardwalk, 2 red kites west on Sunday and 2 hobbies hunting martins over the reedbed on Saturday afternoon.

  Despite it now being early May, there is still a winter element to the daily bird sightings. There are still a couple of bramblings around the feeders, a short eared owl over the saltmarsh on the 2^nd and 2 drake long tailed ducks offshore all week.

  The nicer weather has also started to bring out the insects. Brimstone, orange tip, green veined white and peacock butterflies have all been on the wing while the first large red damselflies have been seen on the dragonfly pool.

  Also around recently...

  Garganey – drake on Patsy’s reedbed (7^th)

  Little tern – 1^st birds of the spring present on the reserve from the 2^nd

  Mediterranean gull – 3, including 2 summer plumage adults, on the fresh marsh (5^th)

  Ring ouzel – male along East Trail on 2^nd

  Grasshopper warbler – single male singing in the reedbed and from the brambles on the grazing meadow during the week

  Posted by Paul Eele

• 26 April 2013

  Spring has finally sprung

  After what seems like such a long winter it has been great this last week to see a real arrival of summer migrants. At this time of year the most obvious are the warblers and the hirundines (swallows and martins) As soon at the wind moved into the south there were large numbers of swallows, house and sand martins feeding up on insects over the reedbed and fresh marsh and in the last couple of days the swifts have been passing through. The scrub woodland around the visitor centre is now alive with the songs of chiffchaff, blackcap and willow warbler along with the resident blackbirds and song thrushes.

  The survey season is now in full swing if a little slow. Bearded tits have been active but we are yet to locate any nests and we are still to hear any booming bitterns. The marsh harriers are now back and there are at least 4 pairs around the reserve. Avocet numbers are finally on the increase and we found 15 active nests on the fresh marsh and 5 on the tidal pool this morning.

  Last Saturday morning I carried out the first Common Bird Census (CBC) of the reedbed. We don’t have time to survey it every year so complete the task once every 5 years to give us an idea of numbers. Sedge warblers were most evident with 30 singing males compared to 4 reed warblers although they are a little later in arriving and I am sure their numbers will have increased by next time. At least 6 Cetti’s warbler territories were located along with 4 reed bunting and a single grasshopper warbler.

  Red crested pochard – now 3 birds on the reserve. A pair have joined the ‘resident’ female

  Hen harrier – late ringtail hunting over the saltmarsh (24^th)

  Red kite – single records on 20^th, 21^st and 22^nd probably refer to the same bird

  Hobby – 1^st of the year on 23rd

  Common crane – group of 7 over the east end of the reserve (20^th) then flew north. The group had been tracked along the Norfolk coast all morning and were seen in Lincolnshire in the afternoon. 6 birds the next day in the NE could have been the same birds? A single flew west over the reserve at 11:45 also on the 20^th

  Yellow legged gull – 1 on fresh marsh (22^nd)

  Spotted redshank – 3 on the fresh marsh including one in full summer plumage

  Little ringed plover – 4 on fresh marsh (24^th)

  Cuckoo – 1^st on the year (20^th)

  Whinchat – male on saltmarsh near beach boardwalk on 19^th

  Brambling – 2 late winter birds still present on bird feeders

  Posted by Paul Eele

• 15 March 2013

  What's your name and where did you come from?

  A couple of days ago we received this photo of a colour ringed avocet that Andy Thompson took on the reserve. He sent off the photo and got back the following, and quite surprising, information.

  

  The bird was originally ringed as a chick on the reserve by the North West Norfolk Ringing Group in early July 1990. The bird was part of a brood of 3 and was probably the only one to have fledged. We know that most of or breeding avocets leave Norfolk in the winter and head south but it is really nice to have that proof. It looks like our bird has been favouring the Kent coast but has paid the odd visit to the South-West returning to NW Norfolk in the breeding season. At 22 years old, the bird is getting close to retirement so it will be interesting to see if it follows the lead of many people and settles down with us!

  With the arrival of ‘spring’, birds are now starting to arrive back on the reserve. During the last week we have seen up to 60 birds and even recorded some mating.

  Holme                                                Norfolk            08/08/1990

  Havergate                                          Suffolk            13/08/1990

  Funton                                                Kent                 16/12/1990 - 13/01/1991

  Elmley                                                Kent                 09/03/1991

  Elmley                                                Kent                 29/04/1991

  Elmley                                                Kent                 18/05/1991

  Elmley                                                Kent                 25/05/1991

  Minsmere                                          Suffolk        10/06/1991

  Havergate                                         Suffolk              03/11/1991

  Havergate                                         Suffolk               15/11/1991

  Tamar                                                Devon                 07/12/1991 - 27/12/1991

  Exe                                                     Devon                 28/12/1991

  Exe                                                     Devon                 02/03/1992

  Titchwell                                            Norfolk               21/03/1992

  Snettisham                                       Norfolk               05/05/1992

  Elmley                                                Kent                     05/1992

  Rushenden                                       Kent                 05/1992 - 06/1992

  Titchwell                                             Norfolk               31/07/1992 - 01/08/1992

  Funton                                                Kent                     11/10/1992

  Rushenden                                       Kent                 05/1993

  Funton                                                Kent                   18/09/1993

  Titchwell                                             Norfolk               01/07/1994

  Elmley                                                Kent                        6/10/1994 - 07/10/1994

  Blythburgh                                         Suffolk            30/01/1999

  Titchwell                                             Norfolk            20/03/1999

  Snettisham                                        Norfolk            28/03/1999

  Titchwell                                             Norfolk            30/03/1999

  Titchwell                                             Norfolk            28/02/2000

  Titchwell                                             Norfolk            29/07/2005

  Titchwell                                             Norfolk            17/07/2006

  Two Tree Island, Leigh-on-Sea          Essex              11/02/2012

  Two Tree Island, Leigh-on-Sea,         Essex              10/11/2012

  Two Tree Island, Leigh-on-Sea          Essex              11/12/2012

  Two Tree Island, Leigh-on-Sea,         Essex              26/01/2012

  Titchwell                                             Norfolk            13/03/2013

  Posted by Paul Eele

• 9 March 2013

  Weekly wildlife roundup - Still no spring...

  Black throated diver - a scarce winter bird at Titchwell. 1 offshore on 2nd

  Slavonian grebe - 2 offshore early in the week during the calm conditions

  Long tailed duck - the female is still commuting between the saltmarsh and fresh marsh and spends a lot of time rooting on the islands. 5 offshore on the 3rd included 4 drakes.

  Velvet scoter - single drake offshore on 2nd 

  Goosander - 2 drakes briefly on the fresh marsh on 9th

  Woodcock - 10 flushed from scrub while carrying out habitat management on 8th 

  Jack snipe - a very elusive bird was recorded feeding along the bottom of the seawall from Parrinder Hide on 6th

  Avocet - numbers are starting to increase with the 70 on the fresh marsh on 5th. 1st mating recorded on the 9th

  Hen harrier - ringtail hunting the saltmarsh on 3rd

  Water pipit - at least one bird still present on the fresh marsh islands

  Snow bunting - 7 feeding on beach near the viewing platform on 3rd

  Posted by Paul Eele

• 2 March 2013

  Weekly wildlife roundup - What a difference a few days make

  I can't believe how things have changed in a couple of weeks while I have been away. Before I went on leave it wasn't getting light until 7am and by 5pm it was pretty much pitch black. Fast forward two weeks and its changed so much. Its now light enough to go birding by 6:30am and I can drive home before its completely dark.

  But its not just me that it is benefiting, the wildlife seems to have noticed too. The birds are the most obvious change, all you need to do is stick your head out of the door and listen to the bird song. Around the visitor centre and carpark you can hear several blackbirds, chaffinch, dunnock, robin and by far the most obvious are two male song thrushes battling it our for territory.

  This time of year is a good period to start to learn the songs of some of the common garden birds before all the summer migrants return and confuse matters! Although very different to look at, the blackbird and song thrush have very similar songs when you are trying to learn them. Both species tend to sit in high obvious perches so that there song can be heard far and wide but it is not always that simple. The main difference between the songs is that blackbird sings its song all the way through unlike the song thrush that repeats each of the phases in its song 2-3 times. We will be running a series of Dawn Chorus walks later in the spring so if you are interested in learning more then why not join us. Details are on the Titchwell pages of the RSPB website.

  Red necked grebe - 1 offshore

  Slavonian grebe - 2 on the falling tide on the 28th

  Shag - 1 offshore on 21st

  Spoonbill - 2 birds still present in the area but are elusive spending much of their time feeding in the saltmarsh channels on Thornham Marsh

  Bittern - up to two birds present on the reserve. If the weather turns mild, it should be too long before booming could start

  White fronted goose - 2 adults roosted on the fresh marsh with greylags on the 27th

  Pochard - 91 on Patsy's reedbed (26th) was the highest count of the winter so far

  Long tailed duck - the female is still commuting between the saltmarsh pools and fresh marsh. This is very unsual behaviour and it will be interesting to see if she stays into the breeding season. Up to two birds are still present offshore

  Goosander - drake on fresh marsh on 23rd

  Hen harrier - ringtail roosted in the main reedbed along with 11 marsh harriers on the 27th. The roost count also recorded merlin, sparrowhawk, 2 barn owl and a bittern. The west bank path is the best place to watch the roost from 4:30pm until dusk.

  Spotted redshank - 4 present all week

  Avocet - numbers are now starting increase. Upto 60 birds are present on the fresh marsh but they can be mobile feeding occasionally on the saltmarsh

  Water pipit - still two birds present on the fresh marsh

  Brambling - at least 30 birds still present on the feeders around the visitor centre. Many of the males are starting to get their breeding plumage of black heads and orange breasts. If they stay another couple of weeks they will be stunning.

  Twite - 12 in the dunes near the tidal pool on the 27th but they are very mobile and elisuve now.

  Snow bunting - 7 near the beach boardwalk on the 27th

  

   

   

   

  Posted by Paul Eele

• 25 February 2013

  Ray's Rambles: LITTLE GREEN, RED, ORANGE AND BROWN JOBS.

  Eighteen new species in February, I didn't think it was possible!  Being fair, I did find a couple, but couldn't name them.  Identification was all due to very patient experts who were trying to teach this old dog new tricks.  So an alga, 2 fungi, 2 liverworts, a gall and 12 mosses have been added.  All 18 are noted at the end of the Ray's Rambles list, which now stands at 1154.

  In the wet woodland common feather-moss (Kindbergia praelonga) and rough-stalked feather-moss (Brachythecium rutabulum) are abundant, and it is most likely to be one of these that you will soon see being collected by various small birds to line their nest.

  Some mosses are quite attractive and fairly easy to identify, others are a real challenge.  Sandhill screw-moss, (illustrated) is pretty and easily found along the edges of the old tank track. 

  During the industrial revolution a lot of pollution drifted over Norfolk from the midlands on the prevailing winds, this caused many pollution-intolerant species to largely disappear.  Since the clean air acts have been in force a lot of these mosses have made a big come-back.  Mosses are doing pretty well in Norfolk at the moment.

  One of the liverworts, blueish veilwort (Metzgeria violacia) can easily be seen as an extensive green film on the lower willow branches between the car park and Visitor Centre, it only turns blueish when dried out.  In the same general area visitors have been almost certain to see the bright red fungi.  Two years ago I would have thought "That's a pretty fungus," now I think "That's scarlet elf cup."  My friend Martin looked at it and said "It could be a new species on your list" and his expert friend confirmed it as sarcoscypha coccinea.  So we have two scarlet elf cup species, one near the picnic area and one on the fen trail.  Also on the fen trail is an orange alga, once again growing in patches on low willow branches.  The gall, willow witches broom can be seen growing from the top tips of the tallest willows in the car park, it looks like a small version of the witches broom that most of us are familiar with on birch trees.

  The lessons I should have learned in the last two weeks are to always keep my note book ready, my ears open and my mouth shut when dealing with experts!  Oh well, two out of three can't be too bad, can it?

  Ray Kimber.

  

  Image: Sandhill Screw-moss Credit Ray Kimber

  Posted by Pernille Egeberg

• 23 February 2013

  Weekly sightings - including a field full of fieldfares

  A fine sunny start to the week has been followed by a relatively bright, grey and cold, sometimes snowy, finish.  Not the kind of weather you'd expect to see spoonbills in...

  Long tailed duck - this beautiful female duck has been visible on the Fresh Marsh every day this week.  She occasionally flies out to sea and back, but is more often than not to be seen on, or near, the 'tufted' island directly South of the Parrinder hide on the fresh water marsh.  A recent picture of her can be seen here

  Goldeneye - a best count of 150 offshore on the 17th.

  Red throated diver - at least one out to sea on the 17th and the 21st

  Black throated diver - one seen off shore on the 17th and 18th

  Red necked grebe - one seen out to sea on the 18th

  Spoonbill - two were spotted on the tidal marsh for a short while on the 22nd, and one has been seen flying over today (23rd)

  Hen harrier - one seen, on the 20th, flying over the main path

  Ringed plover - two on the Volunteer Marsh yesterday

  Avocet - 60 on the Fresh Marsh on the 20th.  Numbers on the reserve have been rising steadily over the last couple of weeks.

  Golden plover - a best count of 300 on the grazing meadow to the West of the visitor centre, where there are usually at least 100 each day.

  Fieldfare - 80 counted on the grazing meadow to the West of the visitor centre on the 17th, along with up to 20 redwing.

  

  One of the larger members of the thrush family, though smaller than the mistle thrush, the fieldfare can be identified in flight by pale grey patches under the wing, and a grey back and rump (see photo).  A winter visitor to the UK, the fieldfare tends to breed in woodland and scrub (including parks) in Scandinavia and Eastern Europe.  During their time in UK they are often seen feeding in flocks in fields, or taking berries from trees.

  Firecrest - one reported near Willow Wood on the 18th

  Brambling - there seems to be an increasing number on our feeders at the moment - perhaps due to a combination of the cold weather and thoughts of a long flight to the continent.

  Twite - a small group of five on the beach on the 20th.  I also saw at least two amongst a small mixed flock of goldfinch and linnets feeding on the beach today.

  Posted by Phil Golder