Frozen nets again yesterday morning thwarted our attempts to get our early so we had to go for a afternoon ringing session instead. Although quieter that recent weeks, despite the colder weather, we did manage to get into double figures with new birds ringed. Highlights were 2 woodcock and a female fieldfare. This is the first bird to be ringed at the site in the last 2 years.

female fieldfare

A couple of hours on the reserve this morning produced two more yearticks (fulmar and slav grebe). Although the tide was further out the sea was much calmer making stuff easier to sea. The two drake velvet scoter showed well fairly close in and stood out well in the good light. Good numbers of goldeneye are still present and the slav grebe was close in feeding with them. The fly-by fulmar was about the only thing on the move offshore. Good numbers of wildfowl on the fresh marsh now with the water levels lower. 209 pintail was the highlight.

Weather not been great over the last couple of days but I did manage an afternoon on the reserve yesterday. After a false start, 2 people spending 45 mins badgering me about the Fen Hide windows as usual, I did get great views of the bittern. Unfortunatly it didn't show for long and we were making too much noise with our 'detailed discussion'

Now the water levels on the fresh marsh have dropped a bit there were plenty of waders about. 4 avocet, 150+ lapwing and 38 ruff to roost plus at least 5 spotted redshank about. I tried to get some digi-scope images but the light was too poor.

Ended up at the sea but there was a large swell and the birds were very difficult to get a decent view of despite large numbers present. Large numbers of common scoter have moved closer inshore and at least 2 velvet scoters were with them as they flew further out along with over 50 goldeneye. The large waves have been churning up the seabed and large numbers of common gulls were feeding in the surf along with a cracking adult med gull.

Canada goose and velvet scoter take the total to 110.

Bit of a jammy day on the yearlist front today and there is already talk in the office of how to handicap me.
While messing about with water levels and adjusting pipes I flushed a kingfisher from the usual spot along the main path. The bird can often be found sitting on the outfall pipe catching small fry that get pushed through the pipe into the pool below. I also climbed onto the back to check that this pipe was clear and saw a drake goosander under the pipe! At first I thought it was dead but it soon moved and headed off down the creek onto the saltmarsh. Yearlist now up to 108.

Bittern seen twice feeding along the ditch next to the area we cut last week - inspired habitat management!!

After 24 days I have finally caught up with turnstone taking the total to 106.
Good day for raptors with 2 common buzzard, red kite and marsh harrier in the same field along with kestrel earlier.

After the last couple of days I haven't got many of my 9 lives left! Managed to get the Softrak out on Thursday but it was a bit of an ordeal as we managed to get the rescuing digger stuck twice. Thankfully, after about 4 hours, both machines were back on hard ground and my heart rate could return to normal!

Not much time for looking at birds over the last few days with everything else going on but another 3 species to the list. Cracking common buzzard sat on the grazing marsh fenceline and barn owl on Thursday and a flock of 11 mistle thrushes west late this afternoon (possibly the largest flock recorded on the reserve) takes the total to 105.

Bloody typical, I should have kept my mouth shut the day! Things were going so well with the Softrak on Monday, working well in the conditions.

Well this is how I left it today...!

If you are thinking of writing a blog, some advice. It may look simple but it is not. You can't copy and paste into the blog, the preview looks nothing like post you have just created and it is difficult getting the images in the right place. Basically it is a pain in the arse. Having said that I am going to soldier on and see what happens.

Mealy redpoll added today but the total stays at 102 as the marsh tit from the other day turns out the be a mimicing great tit instead.

Most people don't like Mondays and many of them don't even like their jobs but I am not one of them - today was a great day
If you know a warden of a nature reserve you will know that we love big machines and today we had one arrive at Titchwell. The Softrak machine is designed to cut vegetation in very wet conditions and has wide rubber tracks to stop it sinking. It can work in areas that are over boot deep in mud! Pictures will follow later in the week.

The birds have been pretty good today as well. No yearticks but fantastic views of bittern in front of the Fen Hide. The bird was standing on the edge of the pool as the machine passed by and it didn't even bother to fly off. At least 2 birds are present at the moment.
At the end of the day we completed our monthly hen harrier roost count. Although there was a brief appearance of a ringtail, the marsh harriers were the highlight. 14 birds (1 male) were seen over the reedbed at dusk including 9 females circling around together. Probably the most adult harriers I have soon on the reserve.