RSPB Titchwell Marsh - Part 1

On our recent camping trip to Norfolk we visited a couple of RSPB Reserves. When we visited RSPB Titchwell Marsh we met a nice man at the entrance who told us about what they had recently seen and what habitats they have. I was so shocked when they said they had 2 Bitterns there recently. We chose to walk along the West bank path which goes up to the beach and at the viewpoint just before the Island Hide we met another nice member of the RSPB team who would tell me what everything was if I wasn't sure. Here are some of the things that we saw:


Cuckoo

The cuckoo is 32-34cm in length with a wingspan of up to 65cm. They mainly eat insects, especially hairy caterpillars. Cuckoo's are part of the cuckoo family which include Greater Roadrunners, Common Hawk Cuckoo, Yellow-Billed Cuckoo and the Common Cuckoo, which is the only type of cuckoo in the UK. The cuckoo is on the red list and is protected by The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. A cuckoo gets it name from its distinctive call and is the first sign of summer. The cuckoo is the only bird to lay it's eggs in other birds nests. 

This is the first time in have seen a cuckoo and was lucky enough to see it flying from the marsh, never mind get a photo! I always think a cuckoo looks a bit like a hawk when it is flying.


Marsh Harrier

A Marsh Harrier is a massive bird with a wingspan of up to 130cm! They eat birds and mammals and nest on the floors of reed beds.

These birds are massive with a wingspan bigger than my little brother! This site is a perfect habitat for them and for many other birds like Bitterns and Bearded Tits. 


Kestrel

Kestrels are a well known bird of prey, often seen hovering above with its head down focusing on the prey as its body moves with the wind. They eat birds, small mammals, worms and insects. A kestrel is one of the smaller birds of prey. 

This kestrel was hovering over the saltmarsh and we saw another one hovering over the field



There are so many interesting birds I will share the rest with you in Part two!


Comments

  1. Nanny7 August 2021 at 16:44

    Very interesting, and I'm so jealous that you have seen a cuckoo. I'm sure I saw them when I was younger (years ago) but I remember their distinctive call. You are certainly seeing lots of wonderful birds, well done

    ReplyDelete

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