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Saturday 23 April 2011

Titchwell RSPB, Choseley Barns & Burnham Norton

Arrived Titchwell RSPB at 8.10am. Sunny day, but much too hot for me. It must be a record today - the heat was intense, more like August than April!

In the carpark a pair of Bullfinches were preening in the top of a tree. Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps around the Meadow Trail but nothing else really of note. Along the main path 3 Greenfinches were in the sueda along with quite a few crisp looking Reed Buntings. At the end of the Saltwater Lagoon and Grasshopper Warbler was reeling along with a couple of Bearded Tits 'pinging' at 9.20am. On the marsh west of the main path just before the beach, 2 Yellow Wagtails and a Wheatear were flitting about in the sunshine. Bittern 'booming'. The heat was already unbearable. There was slight relief from the heat when standing on the seawatching platform. Seawatch 9.40am to 10.45am - 29 Sanderling on the shore west - could not see east as it was very hazy. Little Tern east at 10am. Sandwich Terns x 6 going east. A butterfly came in off the sea, but couldn't ID it! House Martin in off sea west at 10.25am. Gannets x 2 going east at 10.30am. On the sea: Cormorant x 2, Great Crested Grebes x 3, Eider x 16, 2 Red-necked Grebes very distantly at 10.37am. A Green hairstreak landed momentarily on a bright pink sandcastle bucket that was filled with water by the seat and then relocated to a man's shirt sleeve standing near me! He had to hold his arm still for several photos! I only had the 300mm lens attached and would like to have changed to the Macro Lens but that would have been a little bit cheeky I think! So made the best of it with the 300mm lens. Walked back to the carpark as quickly as I could, looking at few birds on route as I could not bear the heat! Back at the car (12pm) which I had deliberately parked in a shady spot, I had a wonderful long rest! Got my picnic rug out, had a wonderful salad lunch I had prepared yesterday and then had a lovely snooze in my shady spot. I must have looked a sight as I had covered my top half including my most of my head, with my Shemagh Desert Scarf - I had to do this as two collared doves were directly above me in the sycamore tree!!! My little corner held alot of insects including a bee fly, hoverflies of different types, a honey bee, several unusual flies which I wasn't able to ID, but best of all were some Large Red Damselflies which I managed to photograph with the Macro lens. It was so hot everywhere else that I stayed in my little spot for well over 2 hours! Strolled over the visitor centre and back to buy a Magnum ice-cream but changed my mind when I was told it was £1.70 and had a Chunky Choc ice instead for £1.20.

Female Reed Bunting, Titchwell RSPB.


Greylag Goose with young, Titchwell RSPB.



Green hairstreak, Titchwell RSPB.


Yacht, Titchwell RSPB.




Large Red Damselfly.


Hoverfly: Eristalis interruptus


Metallic Green Fly!!!


Red Campion.


Choseley Barns - news had come up earlier that 10 Dotterel had been found at Choseley. I didn't hurry as I knew they would be there all day. I managed to see them very distantly as they always seem to be with me. When you get to the drying barns from Titchwell, park up and walk along the western footpath opposite the barns and keep walking past the round bales and continue on until you can see them on your left in the bottom corner of a very large field. I had bought the camera with me - I don't know why really as they are hazy specks - I wasn't that desperate for hazy specks on my camera! A bright yellowhammer was on the wire by the barns when I got back to the car and also a marsh harrier flew off north behind the barns.

Went to the Monty's site - I spent a good hour here, but saw nothing apart from a chaffinch and a pied wagtail. On route to my next stop I got some lovely pictures of 2 grey legged partridge on a verge.

Pied Wagtail which was singing away whilst eating grubs.





Grey Partridge near Burnham Overy Staithe.


Burnham Norton carpark: 2 marsh harriers, mistle thrush on the marsh, starlings, pied wagtails, lots of swallows, chiffchaff singing in the big willow tree.

Back to Titchwell RSPB - From Parrinder Hide, 2 Little Ringed Plover and 1 Ringed Plover, 3 Spotted Redshanks, 1 Ruff, 1 Black tailed Godwit, Linnets, Wood Sandpiper at 8.05pm and half a dozen bright Yellow Wagtails along with several pied wagtails. A pair of Greylag Geese with their very fluffy, cute goslings ventured up the bank, right in front of me - it was lovely to watch these furry balls of delight as such close proximity. Much cooler now as I walked back to the car which was wonderful.




How cute is that!!!!!



Greylag Goose and Chicks.



Yellow Wagtails, Titchwell RSPB.


Ruff, Titchwell RSPB.

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