I was at Titchwell Marsh early morning at around 07:00 and David arrived
just afterwards. I set off to the west
bank and picked up a Western Marsh Harrier to the west of the path and there
were five more over the reedbed to the east and a single Little Egret near
Patsy’s Pool and a Eurasian Curlew flew over the reedbed.
There had been some light drizzle since leaving the car park, which
suddenly became heavier and so I went into Island Hide and was joined by
David. There was a good number of birds
on the Freshwater Marsh but the light and rain weren’t making viewing easy, but
we did find a single Dunlin and counted eighteen Bar-tailed Godwits roosting on
the Freshwater Marsh and at least twenty-five Ruff scattered around. As the rain eased we decided to head for the
beach but before we reached the path to Parrinder Hide it became heavy again
and we headed for the hide.
One of the two Pink-footed Geese that have been resident this summer was
just to the left of the hide and there was a single Eurasian Oystercatcher and
five Pied Avocet quite close. When the
rain eased David decided to head for the beach again, but I stayed put. I counted forty-five Common Shelduck and
found a single Northern Pintail and a Black-tailed Godwit before going to view
Volunteer Marsh, where there was a single Eurasian Curlew and a Common Redshank
near the hide but nothing else.
When I reached the west bank there was a Little Egret on the far side of
Volunteer Marsh. I considered heading
for the beach, but David was coming back having seen very little and we went
back towards Island Hide. There were two
Little Egrets on Thornham Marsh, but we saw nothing else of note, although we
did hear a Redwing as we got back to the car park.
After breakfast I went with my wife to Holt and we then drove back via
Salthouse and Burnham Overy Staithe, although we didn’t get out of the car as
the weather was still awful. There were
a few Eurasian Wigeon visible from the beach road at Salthouse and whilst
viewing these I found a Common Redshank and saw a Little Egret in flight. At Burnham Overy Staithe there was a Little
Egret and Common Redshank in the channel and a Eurasian Curlew flew over and I also
observed four Little Egrets in flight over the marsh before we headed back.
At long last the weather began to improve a little and I finished the
afternoon at Titchwell. I walked down
the west bank hearing a Water Rail close to Thornham Pool and there was a
Little Grebe on the Reedbed Pool. When I
reached the path to island hide several other birders were watching the Jack
Snipe and whilst initially it was quite difficult to see it did eventually give
some excellent views and a Water Rail also showed briefly.
As I walked further along the bank I had three Eurasian Curlew, a
Black-tailed Godwit and a Common Redshank on Thornham Marsh. Looking up the channel on the north side of
Volunteer Marsh I found a Grey Plover, a Eurasian Curlew, four Black-tailed
Godwit, five Dunlin and nine Common Redshank.
A pipit then flew in and dropped out of sight into one of the channels
but a few minutes later it appeared and I was able to see it was a Eurasian
Rock Pipit.
On reaching the beach there were plenty of waders that included good
numbers of Eurasian Oystercatcher and a few Eurasian Curlew and there was also
three Grey Plover, two Ruddy Turnstone and a single Sanderling. The sea was quite rough but there was no sign
of any birds, although they would have been difficult to locate in the wind and
heavy sea.
As I walked back along the track there were forty Brent Geese feeding on
Thornham Marsh and I found two female Northern Pintail on the Freshwater Marsh
and counted seven Pied Avocet and twenty-seven Ruff. As I approached the reedbed there was a
Common Kestrel hunting over Thornham Marsh and at least six Western Marsh
Harrier were observed over the reedbed and towards Brancaster.
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