Recent sightings at Titchwell

Thanks to Paul Eele for the Titchwell sightings list.

Titchwell RSPB Reserve Selected Bird Records

The reserve team at RSPB Titchwell Marsh and Snettisham nature reserves

A visit to RSPB Titchwell Marsh Reserve

RSPB Ouse Washes Thursday 18 June 2009:
The washes are looking amazing at the moment. The best hides are Rickwood, Grose and Stockdales, all less than 15 minutes walk from the car park.

Sights to see include lapwing chicks feeding along the pool edges with adult birds successfully defending their young from the marsh harriers which are cruising past. Both avocet and little ringed plovers have bred on the washes this year with the young chicks viewable from Stockdales and Grose hide. Small flocks of limosa limosa black-tailed godwits are feeding on many of the pools along with redshank. Snipe can still be heard drumming over many areas and the yellow wagtails are busy feeding their young. Other birds that are regularly viewed include teal, wigeon, shoveler, and even the occasional garganey.

Around the visitor centre the first tree sparrow broods have fledged and are busy begging for food around the feeding stations, turtle dove is still occasional hear 'purring' in the area and great spotted woodpeckers are a regular sight.

If all of that is not enough, scarce chasers are on the wing and males have their territories set up along both rivers.

RSPB Ouse Washes Thursday 21 May 2009:
Spoonbill still present today and feeding in front of Stockdales hide

RSPB Ouse Washes Wednesday 20 May 2009:
The washes are still looking very good with wet splashes in front of most of the hides. The best views recently have been from Rickwood, Stockdales and Grose hides. Rickwood has recently had garganey, curlew sandpiper and dunlin. Stockdales and Grose hides have views of avocets, black-tailed godwits and little ringed plovers. A pair of marsh harriers are usually around Welches Dam hide.

Other recent sightings around the reserve include greenshank, spotted redshank, spoonbill, hobby. Also a hen harrier this morning from the back of Stevens Hide, cruising along the Carroll's Ground and Pilot Project

RSPB Ouse Washes Friday 10 April 2009:
The washes are currently draining down well (fingers crossed it remains that way) and many birds are now starting to display including redshank, snipe and lapwing.

This morning the best views were from Grose hide, good numbers of feeding black-tailed godwits, 9 avocet, c50 ruff (starting to get their breeding plumage and getting argumentative), teal, wigeon and a pair garganey.
This week there has been a good variety of birds of prey, including marsh harriers, hen harrier, peregrine and merlin.

Recent sightings from group members: -

At Nar Valley Fisheries, Sunday 14th June 2009:-
Sightings of note were 9 Common Tern, 1 Cuckoo, 2 Grey Wagtail, 1 Hobby, 2 Little ringed Plover, 50+ Sand Martin, 1 Reed Warbler and 3 Sedge Warbler.

At Pentney Pits, Sunday 14th June 2009:-
2 Ruddy Shelduck.

At Nar Valley Fisheries, Saturday 23rd May 2009:-
1 Common Buzzard, 4 Common Tern, 1 Cuckoo, 1 Hobby, 1 Little ringed Plover,one pair of Mute Swan with 5 cygnets and another pair of Mute swan with the female on the nest, 3 Whitethroat.

At Lynn Point, Sunday 26th April, 2009:-
4 Avocet, 1 Curlew, 2 Greenshank, 1 Kestrel, 3 Marsh Harrier, 5 Redshank, 17 Shelduck and
1 Whitethroat.

At Pentney Pits, Saturday 25th April, 2009:-
1 Common Sandpiper, 2 Common Tern, 4 Greenshank, 4 Little ringed Plover, 2 Whimbrel and 1 Yellow Wagtail.

At Nar Valley Fisheries, Sunday 19th April, 2009:-
1 Cuckoo (heard only), 1 Goshawk, 1 Green Sandpiper, 1 Little Owl ) at top of road leading to the fisheries in large tree, 3 Little ringed Plover, 2 Mediterranean Gull ( first sighting at the fisheries), 1 Sedge Warbler.

At Pentney Pits, Sunday 19th April, 2009:-
3 Baracle Geese, 3 Common Tern, 1 Little ringed Plover

Pentney Pits, Sunday 12th April, 2009:-
1 Common Tern, 1 Green Sandpiper, 3 Little ringed Plover, 6 House Martin, 4 Sand Martin, 10 Swallow. In a field in Pentney Village there were 26 Fieldfare and 22 Redwing feeding together.

West Acre, Sunday 12th April, 2009:-
1 Green Sandpiper, 1 Oystercatcher and 2 Reed Bunting.

Nar Valley Fisheries, Sunday 5th April 2009:-
A pair of Egyptian Geese with eight young, 4 Goldeneye, 1 Green Sandpiper, 1 Kingfisher, 3 Little ringed Plover, 2 Oystercatcher. The Rookery was very busy, birds constantly coming and going.

Sugar Fen, Monday 30th March, 2009:-
1 grey wagtail.

Pentney Pits, Monday 30th March, 2009:-
40+ fieldfare, 5 great crested grebe, 2 little ringed plover and 1 wheatear (female).
Outside the Narvos area, at Holme NOA, 1 swallow and at Redwell Marsh NOA, 1 swallow and 6 sand martin.

Abbey Farm, Friday 13th March 2009, about 3-00pm :-
Viewing opposite the car park at Abbey Farm, from the straw bales, I had sightings of the following. 1 Tree Sparrow, 1 Corn Bunting (a first for me at the farm), 2 Reed Bunting, 1 Pied Wagtail, 2 Brambling, 6 Chaffinch and 4 Greenfinch. As I watched a Sparrowhawk came from the top of the field, very low to the ground and close to the hedge. Panic in the hedge as the birds became aware of the intruder. It dived into the hedge, birds going all ways, finally it caught one, came out of the hedge like a rocket, just over my head.
I'm sure I could have touched it if I had been quick enough. It all happened in a flash. One of those unforgetable moments.

North Wootton, viewing across to Wolverton Church, Monday 9th March:-
2 Hen Harrier, 2 Marsh Harrier, 1 Peregrine and the pale Rough-legged Buzzard. We had tried viewing for the Rough legged Buzzard from the cliff at Dersingham Bog but it was much too windy. We moved to Wolverton church but there were two tractors working close to the road making viewing difficult, but, in the newly, turned soil there were over a hundred Pied Wagtails, a great sight. We then went to North Wootton and viewed towards Wolverton Church with, as you can see, some good sightings.
Our group consisted of Rob and Ann Gordon, David Austin and myself.

Thanks to David Lake