No visit to north Norfolk would be complete without a trip to the Titchwell RSPB reserve. Some of its early charm may have been lost as it has grown in popularity over the years, with an estimated 140,000 visitors a year making this the RSPB's busiest reserve, but even with the increase of human visitors our avian visitors continue to be impressed with the diverse habitat on offer; from the ever maturing trees and hedges when you first arrive around the car park, the broadleaved trees as you follow the trail towards the visitors centre or the vast freshwater reed bed when you walk along the wooden boardwalks towards the main footpath which continues up past first the freshwater lagoon and then the brackish saltwater lagoon and finally the tidal marsh, before arriving at the sand dunes and the beach with the North sea staring you in the face. Titchwell really has got it covered when it comes to habitat with more plans afoot to extend the reserve creating even more trails and another freshwater lagoon to the east. All of this along with its excellent facilities and array of birds on show, it's no wonder Titchwell continues to grow in popularity.
I started my visit early and despite a less than optimistic weather forecast I was determined to make the most of my opportunity, arriving at a virtually empty car park just before 7am with light rain in the air I passed a fellow early starter who had camera and large lens in hand and was already returning from the marsh - he hadn't actually come to Titchwell for the birds but in hope of seeing a glimpse of the Chinese water deer which have been seen on the reserve, up until then I thought these were just Muntjac deer but my friend kindly explained the differences, the most obvious one being the large protruding tusks in the adult bucks. Unfortunately his visit had been unsuccessful and the deer had eluded him and his camera this time!
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| Adult buck Chinese water deer |
I had hoped to spend more time around the car park (not something I usually do) checking the trees and bushes for summer migrants, this area is often overlooked as visitors head directly for the comforts of the visitors centre but the rain started to get heavier and apart from a couple of bravely calling Chiffchaff's and a small party of Siskin, there was very little else on offer. I made it quickly to the Fen hide overlooking the freshwater marsh, at this point the heaven's opened and I was thankful for the dryness of the hide. I had hoped to see the marsh harriers circling the reed bed but along with most of the other birds they were sensibly taking cover, conscious of the time and despite the rain I decided to cut my losses and head for the recently built very 21st century Parrinder hide which overlooks both fresh and salt water lagoons. I remember the old wooden Parrinder hide which may be more to the liking of the traditionalist but I like the new modern design of hides which are less bird hide these days, more "outdoor educational classrooms" with increased space, excellent visibility and various displays and information on show. I made my way along the main path with woolly hat pulled down below my ears and with the persistent rain ever increasing I did question my decision to come out today because at this point I hadn't seen very much, even raising my binoculars into the cold driving rain seemed more and more of an effort! After finally making it to the shelter of the hide and decamping of my wet clothing there were one or two good birds to be seen with a nice selection of waders on offer, first up was a smart almost full summer plumage Spotted Redshank and then this was quickly followed by Ruff, Black-tailed Godwits, Ringed Plover, Curlew and of course several Avocets. A distant female Red-crested Pochard was a nice surprise and Swallows and a single House Martin flitted over the lagoon, a couple of continental White Wagtails amongst our Pied Wagtails was as a nice comparison and were good to see.
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| The contrasting old and modern style of bird hides |
The thought of continuing my route along the path to the sand dunes and the sea didn't really wet my appetite in the current weather conditions, although a braver soul may have been rewarded for their efforts as sea watching in this weather may have produced some good birds - my thoughts were more of breakfast and a hot bath! I spied an opening in the dark clouds and may be a brief respite in the rain, I decided to make a dash for it back in the direction of the visitors centre. This brief stoppage in the weather had the desired effect on the birds as I picked up a distant pair of Marsh Harriers over the reed bed and two Wheatears along the footpath, freshly in from their wintering grounds. Summer visiting Sedge Warblers started to make their noisy rambling warbles within the reeds without yet revealing themselves and their identifying parachuting displays. I then heard the distinctive "ping, ping, ping" of Bearded Tits fairly nearby as then a male bird climbed the reeds and showed off its black moustache contrasting on its pale grey head. Then lastly as I walked the wooden boardwalk through the reeds and vegetation the unmistakable sound of a Cettis Warbler caught my attention as it exploded into song in the dense undergrowth up ahead, this usually difficult bird to see kindly showed itself to me for an all too brief couple of seconds before disappearing again. Continuing my dash back to the car before the next deluge of rain came, the Chiffchaff's were still calling as the car park began to fill with the steady stream of visitors keen to see what delights Titchwell could offer up!
Was it worth getting up in the dark and looking for birds through steamy binoculars with the lenses covered in rain drops ...........you bet it was!
More about the reserve at Titchwell and Chinese water deer can be found on these two links.
http://www.rspb.org.uk/reserves/guide/t/titchwellmarsh/
http://www.bds.org.uk/chinese_water_deer.html
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