25/01/2019. Ashdown Bird Group Annual Outing to Norfolk 2/4

Friday 25 January 2019
RSPB Titchwell and surrounding area.

A fabulous day birding in the Titchwell area with some great sightings.  The weather was mild but overcast - we are so lucky.

The high tide at Titchwell was at 09.20 so we made our way out to the seawatching area first.

• Top of the bill for me were the Long-tailed Ducks - of which there were many including lots of drakes. 
• We saw 3 grebe species, a Red- necked Grebe, a Slavonian Grebe and several Great-crested Grebes.
• Add to these a Purple Sandpiper, 2 female Eiders, numerous Goldeneye, a Red-throated Diver and the usual shore birds and you get some idea of the scale of the experience.
• On the way out we saw a Water Rail in the usual place.  On the return leg we saw 2!

Next stop was the Parrinder Hide.

• The views of the Water Pipit were better than those a couple of weeks ago.  The bird was closer and the lighting was better.
• 2 drake Pintails delighted us.
• The Brent Geese and the 3 Golden Plovers also stood out from the rest of the birds on show.

• At lunch, back at the centre, we saw a single Brambling on the feeders at the rear of the building.

courtesy of Marcus Nash



Next was a tour in the Choseley Barns area, looking for the Rough-legged Buzzard that had been reported an hour or so before.

• We met Les Bunyan, local birder and volunteer at Titchwell and, as promised, he left to find the bird then returned to lead us to the sighting area.  It was showing well on top of the trees in the distance.  His photographs are shown below - we owe him a big vote of thanks.



courtesy of Les Bunyan and Twitter



 

courtesy of Les Bunyan and Twitter



• We also saw our first Pink-footed Geese of the trip, when a skein of 40+ flew overhead.



courtesy of Marcus Nash

On the way back to Titchwell, prior to the Harrier roost, we called in at  Thornham Harbour to see the Twite.  

•  As usual, they obliged, looking stunning in the early evening light.



courtesy of Marcus Nash



 

 

The Raptor roost, viewed from the main path on the west side of Titchwell, was an amazing event.

•   43+ Marsh Harriers were seen in the air at the same time.
• With this number of Marsh Harriers around, finding the Ring-tailed Hen Harriers was always going to be difficult but we did manage to get good views of one, quite early on before the build up of the Marsh Harrier flock.

 

All in the group agreed - another mega birding experience.