A Visit To RSPB Titchwell Marsh Reserve, Norfolk
By Kathleen Munroe
20 April 2006

On an Easter visit to Norwich recently to reunite and spend time once again with a very dear and long-standing friend of mine, I was offered the opportunity to visit Titchwell Marsh Nature Reserve, which is located on the north Norfolk coast, approximately 50 miles from Norwich and east of the appealing seaside town of Hunstanton. Being a member of the RSPB as I am, my friend, Helen, had excitedly suggested this excursion in order to enable me and her to spend a day amongst the birds and the countryside, so fine and pretty at this time of year, with all of Nature seemingly bursting into lively colour after winter's sleep. Wherever we looked on the outbound journey trees had burst into blossom or were laden with bright green leaves adorning their branches, gardens were filled with the stunningly translucent yellow forsythia, crimson flowering currant, double pink camellias reaching over brown stone walls and bright green farmlands stretching out for miles. To be sure, it was a day to celebrate spring's indubitable arrival!

The sun was warm on our backs as we placed my RSPB membership card on the car dashboard (to enable free parking, and therefore entry to the Reserve) and we set off on our memorable adventure.
Titchwell Marsh is reputedly one of the RSPB's most visited reserves and it was not difficult to realise why. Besides being carefully laid out and tended, it was well sign-posted, with full facilities, including a small restaurant (many folks enjoying the sunshine outside) a Visitors Centre and shop.
We set off along the primary designated path, from which individual tracks lead to the three hides - the Island Hide overlooking a freshwater marsh, the Parrinder Hide adjacent to a brackish marsh and the Fen Hide within a more wooded environment.

What I loved most of all about this day's birding was the very clear and obvious diversity of bird watchers: from a pair of 'friendly fanatics' who had just splashed out on some lavish new 'scopes' as part of a retirement gift, to the quieter, more modest observers, a pair of 'beginners' who hesitated to identify the chiffchaff which we spotted at the close of our day's adventure as they "weren't sure," they said.
My friend, Helen, was quick off the mark. She asked me, "What was that?" as her eyes followed a small bird into a densely-leafed tree. "A greenfinch, perhaps?" she said pulling out her binoculars and scrutinising the bird more closely. We looked over to the nearby couple who had also seen the bird alight on a branch. Modestly they laughed. "We're not sure," they admitted. Helen pursued the bird's flight, then we checked my field book, the Complete Book of British Birds and saw that it clearly was a chiffchaff, which she had latterly suggested before we checked.Another lady visitor at one of the hides helped us to identify a pair of turnstone. But I run ahead of myself. Let me start all over again!...

Having been an RSPB member and keen birder for three years now, this truly was one of the most rewarding and enlightening birding days I have ever spent. I think the 'trick' is to firstly be able to correctly identify at least a few birds, which Helen did. She identified a sizeable group of Canada geese near the first hide that we visited, lsland Hide, these birds being largely absent from Scotland, according to my reference book. She then went on to spot a pair of graceful avocets fishing very close by. She was also able to suggest the identity of several other birds - and then became emboldened to ask fellow birders if what she had suggested was correct. They appeared delighted with her obvious enthusiasm and interest, and invited us both to have a look through their telescopes which they had set up in the hide and from that moment on we were able to identify loads more species, pointing out this bird and that, comparing their close likenesses in some cases, their particular colourings, markings and characteristics.

In addition, there was plenty of time to enable me to refer immediately to my field guide to identify exactly what we had seen and, in turn, enable a more lasting visual impression upon my mind.

It may seem elementary to mention, but it is absolutely essential to have a good pair of binoculars to enable clear vision and correct identification. It is true that if you enjoy a certain hobby then you should purchase the best 'tools' your pocket can afford for that hobby. A friendly, recently-retired couple whom we met had 'splashed out' on some rather fancy equipment as a retirement gift, and they proved to be an added bonus to our day. They were very keen that we should enjoy what they were able to through their newly-purchased telescope, and oh! what an awesome experience it was every time a bird came into close-up view such that you could almost 'touch' it!

We might never have identified a shelduck, were it not for the advantage of their telescope. We saw coot and shoveler, the latter clearly identified by its significantly sized fisher's bill. As a novice birder, I am continually confused by similar looking birds - how does one tell one species apart from another when both colouring and size are so similar? Ask a more experienced birder and then have another closer look, preferably through a telescope. Then refer immediately to your reference book to 'seal' the image within your mind. After a few visits to similar type locations it will certainly begin to 'stick'!

We progressed to Parrinder Hide, which is located overlooking brackish marsh. Here some turnstones were identified by their unsurprising characteristic of turning over stones and debris with their short, triangular bills as they foraged for seashore invertebrates. They were fascinating little waders to watch, these likely being the remaining few of the flock, as turnstone are generally around only until May, having a greater presence along estuaries in winter months and returning again at the close of summer.

There was also a significant presence of oystercatchers (we counted a good 30 or more) which are relatively easy to identify by their clear black and white plumage and red bill. Well had I remembered the haematopus moquini, the African black oystercatcher which I had seen on the shores of the Atlantic beaches around Cape Town, and this, of course - the haemaopus ostralegus - was not dissimilar.

Widgeon and pochard also came into view as our telescope friends discovered them with the same delight that most birders seem to share when they spot these two similarly coloured ducks, for both have reddish or bronze coloured heads, and both have finely marked grey plumage, although they do also have their own distinct differences in characteristics.

Spotted redshanks were identified, and again we shared notes with other friendly birders who were visiting the hide in order to take advantage of the available knowledge. The spotted redshank is most widely distributed on the south and east coasts of England, so it would appear that, here in East Anglia, we had located it in one of its favourite habitats, prior to its departure for its breeding grounds in late spring.

It was at this point, around 2.00pm, that the weather began to close in on us from a lovely sunny morning, and freshening winds accompanied a fine, light rain. Helen and I decided to remain in the hide and bring out the sandwiches of ham, tomato and cucumber and the flask of tea which we had prepared before leaving home that morning. They were welcome indeed! All that brainpower earlier on. We both felt surrounded by the blessings of nature and were very grateful for the kindly folk whom we had met along the way, all so willing to chat and share their various observations accompanying their varying degrees of birding knowledge.

We laughed at the characteristic 'standing and drying of wings' of a cormorant way out on an island within the brackish marsh. We both questioned whether it was in fact a cormorant (particularly as the distribution of this species does not, according my copy of the Collins Complete Book of British Birds, include the Norfolk coast), but one gent nearby indeed confirmed this. Before leaving Parrinder Hide we also observed a scoter, certainly we had experienced a bounty!

The rain finally abated, and we progressed out along the West Bank Path towards the beach. There on the deserted stretch of shoreline we found many little sanderlings running with characteristic speed up the beach, ahead of the tide, in order to seek out the harvest of the wash. More oyster catchers but in fewer numbers than previously were also present.

I think by this stage Helen and I were both feeling pretty content with the way the day had progressed, and we decided it was time to turn for the Visitors Centre and then begin to make our way homeward via Hunstanton. As we retraced our steps Helen was quick in identifying the aforementioned chiffchaff which flew into the branches of a nearby tree, whilst I recognised a friendly little wren flitting amongst some undergrowth nearby, bobbing its characteristic little upturned tail.

The well-stocked Visitors Centre was manned in part by a friendly, semi-retired woman who had been drawn into this voluntary work when her husband, with a position in the medical field, had moved locations to Titchwell village. As she was already an RSPB member, it seemed the natural thing for her to offer her services to the RSPB, which services, as we are all well aware, are indeed greatly welcomed countrywide. Helen and I browsed amongst the useful RSPB information leaflets (... "How to purchase binoculars"..etc!) The Visitors Centre is indeed an essential part of this nature reserve.
I would thoroughly recommend that if you are in the area of north Norfolk or environs, you treat yourself to a day at Titchwell Marsh. The Nature Reserve is carefully maintained, easily traversable, there are facilities for the disabled... and, most of all, there was an abundance of bird life. We both came away feeling utterly refreshed and enriched by our experience.