Today I would be out at Titchwell RSPB reserve up on the North Norfolk Coast, about an hours drive from the Bed and Breakfast in Thetford.
After my full breakfast I arrived at Titchwell at about 8:30am, with Blackcaps, Robins, Wrens, Dunnock, Chiffchaff and Blackbirds all calling around the car park area.
The visitor centre wasn’t open at this time (9am it opens), so I made my way around the centre and down on to the path that leads down to the sea. I was soon hearing Reed and Sedge Warblers calling from the reedbeds, a bit windy today so they were staying low, Wall butterflies were along the embankment, never seen so many of these before. Black headed, Herring and Lesser black Backed Gulls overhead, I could clearly hear Avocets, Oystercatchers and Redshanks before I even saw them out on the exposed mud, there seemed to be Avocets everywhere.
I carried on down the path towards the sea, on the left of the on the Saltmarsh area I could see, Greylag Geese, Brent Geese, Little Egret, and then a Spoonbill landed close before flying off again, not long enough to get on camera. I took my time getting down to the beach, as you can freely look over the freshwater marsh, plenty of birds about.
Down at the beach I found Oystercatchers, Turnstones and a couple of Bar-tailed Godwits, I walked back and settled in to the Parrinder hide, scoping over the marsh I picked out Turnstones, Common Sandpiper, Dunlin, Black tailed Godwit, Ringed Plover, Common Tern, Sandwich Tern, Tufted Duck, Shoveler, Shelduck, and Teal. Walking back to the visitor centre Red Kite, soared overhead. I decided on lunch seeing Woodpigeon and Collard Doves around the feeders, before I ventured back out and around the Fen areas.
Out after lunch and the Fen area where hopefully I could pick up on some Dragonflies/Damselflies, i did struggle to find some, eventually finding a single Hairy Dragonfly and a Four spotted Chaser along with a few Large Red, Azure, and Blue-tailed Damselflies. A Cuckoo was calling but never found, Whitethroats seemed to be singing from every bush along with Blackcaps and Cetti’s Warblers, a couple of Marsh Harriers floated over the reeds and overhead were Swifts, Swallows, Sand Martins and House Martins. I stayed in this area a while taking photos of the Damselflies mainly before moving back on to the reserve. I stopped at a seat overlooking the freshwater marsh area and took photos of the Avocets and Black tailed Godwits, when a guy stopped and asked the usual question ” seen anything”, “nothing out of the ordinary” was the reply, there’s a Little Gull over there to your right, sure enough there was, I had been concentrating on taking photos and hadn’t seen it, a nice addition to the day.
I made another walk down to the beach seeing Curlew, and a group of four Little Terns, on the tidal marsh, which was now nicely filling up. A slow walk back I picked up the Spoonbill again on one of the pools on the saltmarsh and to finish the day a Great White Egret on the reedbed pool.
A fantastic day at Titchwell, I love coming here.
Bird List : Avocet, Bar-tailed Godwit, Blackbird, Blackcap, Black headed Gull, Black tailed Godwit, Brent Goose, Canada Goose, Carrion Crow, Cetti’s Warbler, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Collard Dove, Common Sandpiper, Coot, Cormorant, Cuckoo, Curlew, Dunlin, Dunnock, Goldfinch, Great Black backed GUll, Great White Egret, Grey Heron, Greylag Goose, Herring Gull, House Martin, Jackdaw, Lapwing, Linnet, Little Egret, Little Gull, Little Tern, Magpie, Marsh Harrier, Meadow Pipit, Moorhen, Oystercatcher, Pied Wagtail, Pochard, Red Kite, Redshank, Reed Bunting, Reed Warbler, Ringed Plover, Sand Martin, Sandwich Tern, Sedge Warbler, Shelduck, Shoveler, Spoonbill, Starling, Stock Dove, Swift, Teal, Tufted Duck, Turnstone, Whitethroat, Woodpigeon, Wren (60)
Butterfly List : Green veined White, Large White, Orange tip, Peacock, Small White, Wall (6)
Dragonfly List : Azure Damselfly, Blue tailed Damselfly, Four Spotted Chaser, Hairy Dragonfly (4)
Huddsbirder 