Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Titchwell Marsh
We have a new job which doesn't start until next week, so Greger suggested a trip today. It's some time since we drove to the Norfolk coast and we hadn't yet seen the new hide; so off we went to the RSPB's reserve at Titchwell.
Ruff, lapwings and golden plover were on the islands. Pintail are always nice to see, and for once they were fairly close to the bank.
A spotted redshank was feeding in slightly deeper water than the redshank, exactly as it says in the book.
As we walked along the bank, Greger pointed out half a dozen birds flying up from the saltmarsh. I thought they might be twite or linnets. When they settled again in the seablite I could see that one was a lesser redpoll. Then I saw a larger, greyer bird behind it and frantically took a couple of shots before they flew off again. I think it could be a common (mealy) redpoll.
The beach was windy and wonderful, with knot, sanderlings, grey plovers, turnstones and oystercatchers. A string of mergansers was on the sea and a gannet far out was flying steadily eastwards.
Back on the lagoons, this bar-tailed godwit was feeding conveniently close to a black-tailed for comparison.
The new hide is impressive; Greger particularly enjoyed winding the window open and shut.
But all too soon the light was draining from the marshes, while the lovely liquid music of hundreds of golden plovers drifted across the water from the islands where they were roosting. A snipe dropped into a tussock of weeds and grass and foraged there, quite visible through the scope.
As we walked back to the car park two marsh harriers were up hunting and a large flock of geese came straggling and calling high across the reserve, adding a magic of their own to the end of the day.
// posted by Christine @ 1:03 PM 
