Loja Wildlife, Granada Province, Spain.: Thornham Marsh and Titchwell, North Norfolk Coast, Norfolk, UK.

Tuesday, 17 January 2023

Thornham Marsh and Titchwell, North Norfolk Coast, Norfolk, UK.

Birding at some site not visited for a few years.

The Salt Marsh at Thornham.

Pam, John and I were out and headed off to the North Coast, our first stop was at a very cold Thornham where we parked out on the Saltmarsh where we scanned the channels finding Eurasian Curlew (Zarapito Real / Numenius arquata), Eurasian Oystercatcher (Ostrero Euroasiatico / Haematopus ostralegus), Common Redshank (Archibebe Común / Tringa totanus), Black-tailed Godwit (Aguja Colinegra / Limosa limosa), Dunlin (Correlimos Común / Calidris alpina), Grey Plover (Chorlito Gris / Pluvialis squatarola) and Shelduck (Tarro Blanco / Tadoma tadorna).

Flooded Meadows at Thornham.

Out on the saltmarsh and on the fields we added Greylag Geese (Ansar Común / Anser anser), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Northern Lapwing (Avefria Europea / Vanellus vanellus), Black-headed (Gaviota Reidora / Chroicocephalus ridibundus) and European Herring Gull (Gaviota Argéntea Europea / Larus argentatus), Wren (Chochin / Troglodytes troglodytes), Meadow Pipit (Bisbita Pratense / Anthus pratensis), Linnet (Pardillo Común / Carduelis cannabina), Skylarks (Alondra Común / Alauda arvensis) and a flock of Dark-bellied Brent Geese (Barnacla Carinegra / Branta bernicla).

Eurasian Curlew (Zarapito Real / Numenius arquata).

Eurasian Oystercatcher (Ostrero Euroasiatico / Haematopus ostralegus).

Grey Plover (Chorlito Gris / Pluvialis squatarola).

We walked back along the road a short way seeing a large flock of Pink-footed Geese (Ánsar Piquicorto / Anser brachyrhynchus) overhead and several Snipe (Agachadiza Común / Gallinago gallinago) which flushed from a track side ditch.

Pink-footed Geese (Ánsar Piquicorto / Anser brachyrhynchus).

We moved up the coast to Titchwell were we parked and booked in at the center, had a coffee before walking up the main track to the beach, on the open water we found Eurasian Curlew, Black-tailed Godwit, Common Redshank, Avocet (Avoceta Común / Recurvirostra avosetta), Northern Lapwing, Common Moorhen (Gallineta Común / Gallinulas chloropus), Mallard (Anade Azulón / Anas platyrhynchos), Eurasian Teal (Cerceta Común / Anas crecca), Eurasian Wigeon (Sibón Europeo / Anas penelope), Gadwall (Anade Friso / Anas strepera), Northern Pintail (Ánade Rabudo / Anas acuta), Shelduck, Marsh Harrier (Aguilucho Lagunero Occidental / Circus aeruginosus), Sparrowhawk (Gavilán Común / Accipiter nisus), Little Egret (Garceta Común / Egreeta garzetta), Black-headed and Lesser Black-backed Gull (Gaviota Sombria / Larus fuscus).

Dark-bellied Brent Geese (Barnacla Carinegra / Branta bernicla).

On the beach there were good numbers of waders feeding and roosting along the shoreline including Bar-tailed Godwit (Aguja Colipinta / Limosa lapponica), Red Knot (Correlimos Gordo / Calidris canutus), Ruddy Turnstone (Vuelvepiedras Común / Arenaria interpres), Sanderling (Correlimos Tridáctilo / Calidris alba) and they were joined by a flock of Dark-bellied Brent Geese.

Eurasian Teal (Cerceta Común / Anas crecca) male.

Eurasian Teal (Cerceta Común / Anas crecca) female.

I set up the scope and we scanned the sea, we soon found a female Goldeneye (Porrón Osculado /Bucephala clangula), a pair of Red-breasted Mergansers (Serreta Mediana / Mergus serrator), Great Crested Grebe (Somormujo Lavanco / Podiceps cristatus) and Common Scoter (Negrón Común / Melanitta nigra).

Titchwell RSPB.

We walked back to the center and then to the car where we had our lunch, John and I then went for a walk along the boardwalks, we found Common Chiffchaff (Mosquitero Común / Phylloscopus collybita), Dunnock (Acentor Común / Prunella modularis), Long-tailed Tit (Mito / Aegithalos caudatus), Robin (Petirrojo Europeo / Erithacus rubecula), Song Thrush (Zorzal Común / Turdus philomelos), Common Chaffinch (Pinzón Vulgar / Fringilla coelebs), Goldfinch (Jilguero Europeo / Carduelis carduelis), Great (Carbonera Común / Parus major) and Blue Tit (Herrerillo Común / Cyanistes caeruleus), Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Common Magpie (Urraca / Pica pica), Blackbird (Mirlo Común / Turdus merula) and Skylark (Alondra Común / Alauda arvensis).

Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus) in the car park.

On the pool at the end of the track we added Common Pochard (Porrón Común / Aythya ferina), Northern Shoveler (Pato Cuchara / Anas clypeata), Eurasian Coot (Focha Común / Fulica atra) and Mute Swan (Cisne Vulgar / Cygnus olor).

Black-tailed Godwit (Aguja Colinegra / Limosa limosa).

On the way back we drove through some farmland, we added Red-legged Partridge (Perdiz Roja / Alectoris rufa), Rook (Graja / Corvus frugilegus), Common Buzzard (Busardo Ratonero / Buteo buteo), Common Kestrel (Cernicalo Vulgar / Falco tinnunculus), Common Starling (Estornino Pinto / Sturnus vulgaris), Pheasant (Faisán Vulgar / Phaisanus colchicus) and several Chinese Water Deer (Hydropotes inermis) and a couple of European Brown Hare (Lepus europaeus).