My First Visit to Titchwell in Four Years

30th August 2023

I don't normally go to Titchwell these days due to the travelling time, but in the area so took the opportunity for a visit. The re-profiled freshmarsh has resulted in high water in front of the Island Hide so only long-legged waders like Black-tailed Godwits can feed there. There were also a few Avocets there, but a little more distant.

The saltmarsh to the north of the Parinder Hide is now very high in vegetation so the only bird visible was this Curlew in the nearby creek.

Ruff seem to be increasing in numbers everywhere and Titchwell is no exception.

This white one was having a bath.

You used to get a lot of waders feeding close to the beach path, but today there was just one rather obliging Redshank.

All of the adult Shelducks seemed to have departed but there were still quite a few juveniles. I always think their pastel shades make them more photogenic than the adults, especially against a dark background.

Spoonbills have been a speciality at Tichwell for some time now but still nice to see five just loafing around.

And on the way to the dunes a couple of Whimbrel went over calling.............

...........and this one appeared to be multi-tasking, having a preen mid-flight!!

On the beach the tide was way out so acres of sand and seaweed-covered mud with the usual suspects including Dunlin and Turnstone.

Of the larger waders there were Oystercatchers, Curlews and Black-tailed Godwits.................

................and that beach speciality the Bar-tailed Godwit.

On  the way back to the visitor centre a female Muntjac appeared with her fawn...................

...................and another appeared quite close to the path.

But the star of the show today was the Wasp Spider that was hanging in her web by the path. Apparently there were quite a few along that stretch this year, and I don't recall seeing them at this site before.