Titchwell - 23/2/2019

Some birders see North Norfolk as the greatest birdwatching area in the country, a long stretch of wetland haunted by rare birds found nowhere else, of well maintained nature reserves which are meccas for wildlife watchers from all over the country. But its subjective, I mean the Suffolk coast isn't too bad either, as well as other places, but North Norfolk just has that aura. Titchwell is the RSPB's main reserve in the area, a site well known for its rarities, especially WADERS. Sometimes its hard to judge the reserve as it can be a bit hot or cold, at times quiet whilst at others its heaving with birds, but usually there is always something good to see.
With the early fog clearing to welcome in an extremely hot February day I descended onto the reserve to catch up on some wintering birds that I haven't been able to see so far this winter. Judging from the car park, it seemed a lot of other people had the same idea, and I had the fear of crowded hides and screaming children, but I needn't have worried, as with most nature reserves the further you get from the café and visitor's centre the less people are present. This was the case today, with most people seeming to have legged it to the beach, rather than hang around the rest of the reserve, which I shall get to later.
The reserve itself consists of a range of habitat succession, along which trundles the footpath, descending from woodland to reedbed, fresh water marshes to saltmarsh, tidal estuary to sandy beach and finally out onto the sea.

An AVOCET on Freshwater Marsh

 



As the path started through the reeds there was a very showy pair of BEARDED TITS, with both birds displaying themselves on the top of the reed fronds, the male distinguished with his little black moustaches. This was quite unusual for such a timid species. There were a few singing CETTI'S WARBLERS, but this is a bird decimated by last year's Beast From the East, and several singing REED BUNTINGS along the path to the sea, but bird song had yet to fully reach a full crescendo yet.
With the warm weather over the last couple of weeks there was very much a feeling of Spring in the area and in the deeper reedbed pools, TUFTED DUCK, POCHARD and COOT were all pairing up or establishing territories, the same with GADWALL and SHOVELLER on the Freshwater Marsh, although it doubtful that they will all nest here, the birds nest at low densities so may spread out further into the local area.

There was still a flock of BRENT GEESE wintering in the area.

 



On the Freshwater Marsh further signs of Spring were heralded by the presence of around forty AVOCET, a bird which nests here in large numbers. Also present on Freshwater Marsh BLACK HEADED GULLS were establishing territories and courting, amongst whom were several MEDITTERRRANEAN GULLS, all hanging around this one island which was protected by an electric fence, a device to keep hungry foxes from stealing their eggs.
Signs of winter were still apparent with a flock of BRENT GEESE flying in from nearby, and there were still some WIGEON left.

Some WIGEON on Freshwater Marsh

 



The rest of the walk was fairly quiet as it headed to the beach,with the other marshes having nothing unusual, a few WADERS feeding on the mud here and there with out anything interesting.
Where the path ended, finally coming out onto the beach, was where it seemed everyone had headed to. The beach is huge, a great sandy expanse that runs to the horizon both ways, but it still being February there weren't many people using it.
On the beach there were around twenty birders present, training their telescopes out onto the sea, occasionally commenting on something they had observed. Sea watching is a birdwatching niche, which entails looking at distant specs against the blue background, straining to see any detail on that far away bird, maybe being brave enough to get a definite record. Having been brought up inland its still not something I'm really used to.

Sea watchers on the beach

 



The North Norfolk sea is much shallower than here in Suffolk, so as a result has lots more birds out on the water. However, maybe because of the warm Spring weather, or because of a slight mist, the sea was fairly quiet. There were still some birds out, best of all was a huge GREAT NORTHERN DIVER close to shore, and there were at least two BLACK THROATED DIVERS about. DUCKS were quite good with a pair of RED BREASTED MERGANSERS, a solitary male LONG TAILED DUCK, and at least seven GOLDENEYE. Also present were a couple of GREAT CRESTED GREBE and a COMMON SEAL.

OYSTERCATCHERS roosting on the beach

 

On the beach most of the WADERS had dispersed, with just a small flock present, containing, BAR TAILED GODWITS, KNOTS, OYSTERCTCHERS, CURLEW, GREY PLOVERS, TURNSTONES and SANDERLING all feeding on the area where sea met sand.
From the beach it was a walk back down the same path seeing the reserve in reverse, finally making its way back to the visitor's centre to have a coffee and a scone. Time well spent.
Well I had a good time today at Titchwell, I saw a lot of birds, some rare, some not, but all great, and its times like these when I find this pastime so enjoyable. It really pays off when I get to go to a place like this and I am really able to immerse myself right into its soul. These places are special and are unfortunately so rare in our countryside that it attracts so many people from far around, but they are well protected  an managed, with these wildlife societies they are in safe hands.