Titchwell Marsh 20/6/13

I must admit that Titchwell Marsh is one of my favourite UK nature reserves and despite the damp conditions I still enjoyed my afternoon birthday visit. As I parked in the car park a Cettis Warbler was singing, a unmistakable sound that has this year been missing from the nature reserves in Cleveland. Then as I walked through to the visitor centre a Jay was sitting on a picnic table, as a Field Vole scurried across the path all in the space of a few minutes.

Heading into the reserve up the main path, a male Ruddy Duck was on Thornham Pool along with Tufted Duck, Wigeon, Gadwall, Mute Swan and Coot. Reed Warbler's and Reed Bunting's sang along both sides of the path as the Island Hide approached. Before reaching the door, the first drops of rain started as darkness came overhead. The waders were all roosting in a elongated huddle, moving as one body when the rain came down. The brown mass was occasionally lit up like a beacon when I summer plumage Knot or Bar-tailed Godwit appeared.

 

The birds seen during our visit were as follows:

Bar-tailed Godwit
Black-tailed Godwit
Dunlin
Turnstone
Knot
Mallard
Pied Wagtail
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Black headed Gull
Shoveller
Cormorant
Avocet
Shelduck
Canada Geese
Mute Swan
Pochard
House Martin
Swift
Teal
Reed Warbler
Chaffchiff
Jay
Gadwall
Greenfinch
Blue Tit
Woodpigeon
Pheasant
Lapwing
Common Tern
Coot Moorhen
Greylag Geese
Oystercatcher
Little Egret
Great Tit
Reed Bunting
Robin
Wren
Blackbird
Wigeon
Tufted Duck
Herring Gull
Bittern
Cettis Warbler

The wild flowers along the Fen walk were fantastic too and it was along this path that we saw the Bittern in flight and also the Cettis Warbler.