I left home late morning on
the 16th with my wife and youngest granddaughter and headed for our
accommodation for the week in Brancaster.
My daughter and oldest granddaughter were to join us later in the day
with Paul following on the 17th due to work commitments.
After unpacking the car and
making sure everything was ok I made my first visit to Titchwell. There had been a Great Grey Shrike seen from
the Autumn Trail during the morning and so I set off towards Patsy’s Reedbed,
seeing a Brambling on the feeders as I set off.
There were thirteen Red-crested Pochard, two Ruff and forty Black-tailed
Godwits on the pool but there was no sign of the shrike. Having no luck with the shrike I moved back
to the West Bank and headed out towards the sea. As always there was a good variety of waders
on the Freshwater Marsh with Avocet, Golden Plover, Knot, Dunlin, Ruff and
Black-tailed Godwit all being seen along with a couple of Pintail. There were more Dunlin and Black-tailed
Godwits on the Volunteer Marsh along with a couple of Ringed Plovers and a Grey
Plover. After seeing more Black-tailed
Godwits on the Tidal Marsh I reached the beach and added Oystercatcher,
Sanderling and Bar-tailed Godwit to my list of waders. The sea was very disappointing with just a
few Cormorants observed. As I walked
back I viewed the reedbed from close to Island Hide and saw at least five Marsh
Harriers come in to roost.
The following morning I was
back at Titchwell by 07:00 and did a couple of hours birding before returning
to the house for breakfast. As I walked
out I heard several Cetti’s Warblers and saw six Marsh Harriers leaving the
roost. All the waders seen on the
Freshwater Marsh yesterday were present today but there was also a nice party
of in excess of 150 Bar-tailed Godwits and a single Grey Plover. On reaching the Volunteer Marsh there were
five waders feeding in the channel that runs parallel to the path and I quickly
identified at least some of them to be Spotted Redshanks but they flew further
along the channel before alighting again.
As I approached them gain they flew again and went back to where I had
seen them initially. The light was still
pretty poor but I was fairly confident that one of the five was a Greenshank
and so I walked back and was able to confirm my suspicions that there were four
Spotted Redshanks and a Greenshank.
There were only Oystercatchers and Sanderling on the beach as the
preferred feeding area had been covered by the incoming tide. The sea again proved disappointing with just
three Gannets worthy of note, although there was quite a swell and any distant
birds would have been difficult to locate but there was clearly no
concentrations of birds. As I approached
the wooded area at the landward end of the West Bank circa thirty Siskin were
observed above the tree tops before alighting back into the trees. I finally made a quick visit to Patsy’s
Reedbed where there were fifteen Red-crested Pochard, a Snipe and five
Black-tailed Godwits.
Whilst having breakfast my
wife said her and my daughter were going shopping and I was given the option to
go birding. With news from Wells of
several of yesterday’s good birds still being present I decided that it would
be the best option. Arriving mid-morning
I did wonder if I would be able to park as I knew that some of the parking area
was unavailable for maintenance and as I pulled into the car park my fears were
founded, although I was lucky and managed to get what appeared to be the last
space. After paying for the day, as I
suspected the birds wouldn’t be too easy, I set off down the path hoping that
there would be some indication as to where the birds were. I needn't have worried as there were
congregations of birders around both the Red-flanked Bluetail and the Hume’s
Warbler. Having seen a bluetail on
Thursday I continued on hoping to see the Hume’s. It was feeding mainly in an area to the south
of the path and was calling quite frequently giving some indication as to its
location. However as I suspected it
wasn’t easy to get good views and I must have seen it about ten times, without
being able to get a decent view as it was constantly on the move. I did eventually mange to get good, if brief,
views of it as it moved through the bushes and it was very frustrating. A bonus whilst searching for the Hume’s was a
brief view of a Firecrest.
I had heard that the
Red-flanked Bluetail was showing well and I thought I would get that on my way
back to the car for lunch. However on
reaching the area the bird wasn’t visible and although I saw it quite well
eventually it was very mobile and often disappeared. I eventually made it back to the car and
after some lunch set off back down the track hoping for views of a Pallas’s
Warbler as two were being reported further along the track towards Lady Anne’s
Drive. I stopped to view an apparent
Yellow-browed Warbler, which duly obliged before another birder cried Pallas’s
top of the bush. I just got onto it as
it flew across the path and although it was seen by others on a couple of
occasions I and most others failed to connect.
News then percolated that there were two further along the track and on
walking further we saw a group that appeared to be watching something. When we reached them it transpired that they
had been watching two Pallas’s but they had gone further into the wood. I and others joined a group just inside the
wood who were looking for them and one birder in particular picked one up but
it took quite some time despite his continued efforts to get people on to the
bird. It was feeding at the top of a
birch and wasn’t in view most of the time but I eventually had nice views as it
appeared face on and looking down, when the crown stripe was clearly visible
and it then flew out hovered briefly revealing its pale lemon rump before
disappearing back into the birch.
It had been a very successful
day’s birding with some quality birds seen and the number of Goldcrest was
quite staggering as they appeared to be everywhere and I suspect that there
must be several thousand in the woods.
I was back at Titchwell early
Sunday morning and I made a second visit during the afternoon. I visited Patsy’s Reedbed area in the
afternoon and walked along the West Bank during both visits. The sea was again disappointing although I
did see a single female Eider and twelve Common Scoter as well as ten Gannets
and a single Kittiwake. The shore and
the lagoons produced the usual variety of waders with Oystercatcher, Avocet,
Ringed Plover, Golden Plover, Grey Plover, Lapwing, Knot, Sanderling, Dunlin,
Ruff, Snipe, Black-tailed Godwit, Bar-tailed Godwit, Curlew, Spotted Redshank,
Greenshank, Redshank and Turnstone all being seen. There were fourteen Red-crested Pochard on
Patsy’s Pool and ten Pintail were on the Freshwater Marsh and a Water Rail was
observed from Island Hide. During the
late afternoon at least seven Marsh Harriers came into the roost and also a
ring-tailed Hen Harrier. A Marsh Tit
seen briefly on the feeders was perhaps also worthy of note as it was only my
second record at this site.
The weather on the Monday was
a little better with plenty of sunshine and again I made an early morning and
late afternoon visits to Titchwell but this time only walked the West
Bank. There were at least nine Marsh
Harriers in the roost during the evening and I saw the Hen Harrier leave early
morning and then return in the evening when there was also a second
ring-tail. I also heard a Fieldfare,
which was my first of the autumn but didn’t manage to locate it. Two of the Spotted Redshanks were still on
the Volunteer Marsh but there was no sign of the Greenshank, a Kingfisher was
seen at Thornham Pool and a Sparrowhawk briefly over the reedbed.
Brent Goose over Thornham Marsh
Little Egret on Volunteer Marsh
Wigeon on the Freshwater Marsh
Teal on the Tidal Marsh
Oystercatchers on the beach
Golden Plover on the Freshwater Marsh
Ringed PLover on the Volunteer Marsh
Black-tailed Godwit on the Tidal Marsh
Black-tailed Godwit on the Volunteer Marsh
Curlew over the beach
Curlew over the beach
Curlew on the Volunteer Marsh
Spotted Redshank and Black-tailed Godwit on the Volunteer Marsh
Spotted Redshank on the Volunteer Marsh
Spotted Redshank on the Volunteer Marsh
Spotted Redshank on the Volunteer Marsh
Redshank on the Volunteer Marsh
Turnstone on the beach
Herring Gull on the Tidal Marsh
Herring Gull over the sea
The sea was again
disappointing with just the female Eider and nine Gannet being seen.
I was back at Titchwell early
on Tuesday morning and then again during the afternoon. The waders were pretty much the same as on
the previous few days and the sea failed to produce anything new during the
morning visit. My oldest granddaughter
came back with me in the afternoon as I had suggested that it might be a good
afternoon to see a Barn Owl. We called
at the centre to ask if any Barn Owls were being seen and were told that the
best place was the grazing meadows between the West Bank and Thornham. Whilst in the centre the staff showed us a
dead Short-eared Owl, which someone had brought in and a young Hedgehog that
they were caring for. It was sad to see
the owl as it had probably only arrived in the UK in the last few days and had
possibly succumbed after it journey across the North Sea. Although its eyes had lost their sparkle the
plumage was in excellent conditions and it was amazing to feel how soft the
feathering was.
As we walked out along the
West Bank I saw a Barn Owl briefly towards Thornham and Clia also managed to
get a brief few. Whilst we were standing
near Island Hide hoping for further views, Chris and Erik arrived. They had come over for the day and they were
finishing off at Titchwell before heading off back to Oakham. They helped in trying to locate the Barn Owl
but eventually moved off to the sea and Clia and I followed shortly afterwards as
there were still no further sign of the Barn Owl. When we reached the sea Chris and Erik had
seen several Red-throated Divers and a few Common Scoters. The sea was much calmer today making it much
easier to pick up birds on the surface and as I scanned a group of Common
Scoter I found a Red-breasted Merganser amongst the flock. Chris then re-found one of the Red-throated
Divers and shortly afterwards picked up a Slavonian Grebe. With little else visible we returned along
the West Bank and stopped near Island Hide to view the reedbed and Thornham
Marsh. As we were scanning Chris spotted
a Barn Owl just beyond the East Wall and over the next few minutes we picked it
up several times and Clia managed to see it through the scope. It suddenly began flying over the reedbed and
eventually finished over the field to the west of the West Bank before
returning to its original locations. We
were also watching the harriers coming in as Chris and Erik were hoping for the
Hen Harrier but I eventually, after seeing at least ten Marsh Harriers, left
them to it as Clia was beginning to feel the cold. Clia had initially been a little reluctant to
come with me but after seeing the Barn Owl so well she was well pleased with
her visit.
Wednesday morning was rather
wet after some heavy overnight rain that continued until about lunchtime. As the rain ceased I decided to go to
Choseley drying barns as there had been a Black Redstart yesterday. When I arrived there were several other
birders looking for the Black Redstart but it hadn't been seen and after a good
look around the barns with still no sighting I assumed it had gone and decided
to end the day at Titchwell after seeing four Grey Partridges in one of the
fields.
There was news of quite a bit
on the sea and so I made my way out to the beach without stopping too
much. When I arrived there appeared to
be very little but I did find a Razorbill and there was a large flock of Common
Scoter in flight at the far end of the wind farm. As I made my way back along the bank I there
were fourteen Red-crested Pochard on the Freshwater Marsh and there was also a
Spoonbill, which was new for the week.
Another birder then informed me that there were three Grey Partridge on
the stones on the Volunteer Marsh side of the path to Parrinder Hide. I walked back a few yards and found the three
birds on the wall and although I have seen them here a few times previously it
was rather a surprise. As I was scoping
the birds I noticed a pipit, also on the wall, which was a Rock Pipit. I only saw five Marsh Harriers come into
roost this evening but the Barn Owl was seen again just beyond the east bank.
I was back at Titchwell for my
regular early morning visit and walked out along the West Bank to the sea,
which was again disappointing with just circa fifty Common Scoters, six
Goldeneye and a single Gannet being seen.
There was the usual concentration of waders feeding along the shoreline
with two Knot being the best. There was
a couple of Pintail on the Tidal Marsh as I walked back there was a Spotted
Redshank and a Greenshank on Volunteer Marsh.
As I approached the Freshwater Marsh a Peregrine flew over and caused
quite some disturbance but after the birds settled back down there appeared to
be a large number of Ruff and I counted 105, which was significantly more than
I had been seeing all week. Two
Stonechats were observed in the reedbed as I returned to the car park and the
Peregrine flew over again.
It was my youngest
granddaughter’s birthday today the 22nd and the plan was for Paul
and I to take them both on a trip from Morston to see the seals on Blakeney
Point. We had taken Clia on the trip
just three years ago and had seen hundreds of Grey Seals and an odd Common Seal
on the point but today there was just a single Grey and four Common Seals. A second Grey Seal did haul itself out onto
the sand and we did see several others in the water but the main bulk of the
Greys had not yet arrived. We were also
given the opportunity to land on the point, which we took and it was my first
time for over twenty years. There was a
plaque on the side of one of the buildings showing the level of the water
during the surge of 2013, which was over five feet, indicating that the whole
point must have been under water during the event.
After getting back to the
cottage and with news of the Black Redstart back at Choseley Barns I gave it
another shot. There were a few birders
present when I had arrived and most had seen the bird and it wasn’t too long
before I got reasonable views as it fed on the roof on the most eastern barn.
With still a good hour and
half of light left I went onto Titchwell and found that a Water Pipit had been
reported on Thornham Pool and so that it where I went first, after seeing a
Brambling on the feeders. I did find a
Rock Pipit but there was no sign of the Water Pipit and another birder who saw
the bird was casting doubt onto its identity.
Whilst looking for the pipit I had brief views of the Kingfisher as it
flew away down the channel. A Hen
Harrier along with nine Marsh Harriers came into roost and the Hen Harrier flew
around for several minutes before it finally dropped into the reeds. I also had a brief view of the Barn Owl and a
Sparrowhawk flew over Thornham Pool.
Friday was our final day and
we needed to be out of the cottage by mid-morning but I was able to make one
final visit to Titchwell. As I started
to walk along the West Bank I caught sight of what I thought was a Short-eared
Owl quartering over the area but I lost it behind the trees. I moved along to view the area further down
the path but initially there was no sign but it did reappear and I had some
nice views as it quartered over Thornham Marsh.
As I walked alongside the Freshwater Marsh many of the gulls were
leaving and on hearing some Curlew I raised my bins to see several departing
and also caught sight of a Spoonbill as it flew off to the east. The rest of the visit, which was a little
shorter than normal produced only what I had been seeing regularly all week but
there was no sign of a Spotted Redshank or Greenshank this morning.
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