Titchwell Marsh Volunteering

Titchwell Marsh - 17th to 24th June 2017

On the 17th June I headed to Titchwell Marsh for a weeks residential volunteering with RSPB. The residential placements are an amazing way of getting real world conservation experience while enjoying time away. I'd been to Titchwell once before and was super excited when it was offered to me for volunteering. It's a stunning coastal reserve with fresh and salt marsh. It attracts a wide range of species and some exciting vagrants as it's very close to The Wash. I also spent a day at Snettisham which is a reserve further up the coast. 

The lack of internet and TV signal was actually a great detox. Allowing me to surround myself with wildlife all week. Being outside on the reserve means not only did I came back with a tan, I also managed to see lots of wildlife! Such as a mole looking for a good place to dig, common shrew running around and marsh harrier fledglings finding their wings. Titchwell is an amazing place for spoonbill which are my favourite to see, I saw them everyday, including an adult feeding an juvenile later in the week. The turtle doves also fledged a chick while I was there, the first one for many years, it was very exciting!

I had quite a few firsts during the week: turtle dove, bar-tailed godwit, treecreeper, spotted redshank, knot and bearded tit. 

My lists otherwise included:

Titchwell - avocet (plenty of babies around), spoonbill, little ringer plover, little gull, med gull, marsh harrier (inc fledglings), ruff, turtle dove, peregrine falcon (in the village), treecreeper, bar-tailed godwit, jay, mole, red kite, dark green fritillary, spotted redshank, knot, common shrew and bearded tit.

Snettisham - Muntjac deer, common tern, sedge warbler, reed warbler, reed bunting, whitethroat, ringed plover, Egyptian goose, avocet, redshank, oystercatcher with young, linnet and marsh harrier. 

Holme Dunes - little tern. 

Strumpshaw Fen (in a failed attempt to see swallowtail) - common lizard and stoat. 

A Week in Anglesey

I write this amidst exchanging tweets with other Anglesey fans about our love of the place. On my last visit I fell in love with the wild cliffs and edges of Holyhead and couldn't wait to visit them again. We went away to Anglesey for a week, I came back with 747 photos and that was with memory card issues! I have so many photos I'm not sure which to choose! The reason for our trip was to visit the nesting guillemot, razorbill and puffin on South Stack. We stayed close by on Holyhead, to enable us to visit them often.

We started by walking the coastal path around Holyhead, which, however tiring, is a treat. Filled with meadow pipit, skylark, whitethroat, linnet and stonechat. Looking out to sea to see gannets and auks flying by. For us, this culminated in the dramatic South Stack cliffs, filled with thousands of nesting auks. Mainly guillemot with clusters of razorbill and a small 'circus' of puffins. The sound of the colony was amazing, they were certainly drawing a crowd. Although many thought all the guillemot were puffin, it was nice to see so many people enjoying bird life.

This trip developed my love for Anglesey further as the longer break allowed me to explore more of the island. Allowing me to realise what makes it so special. From the wading birds at the Alaw Estuary, to the harbour porpoise of Lynas Point, to more auks at Puffin Island and red squirrels in Newborough Forest. There's wildlife at every corner. Although not as undisturbed as Scotland, Anglesey's dramatic backdrops of Snowdonia and wild peninsulas certainly come close. Being more accessible it makes it my perfect regular getaway from the everyday grind.

As a birder, I didn't manage many more bird ticks on my journey. I feel I'm getting to that stage now! I did add a few butterflies such as the common blue, dingy skipper and small heath. The heathlands that border the island are perfect butterfly territory! After a particularly wet start to the summer I'd been getting concerned about the lack of butterfly activity in my home patch. However, the heathlands and woodland of North Wales were buzzing with speckled wood, common blue, painted lady, wall and red admiral. No fritillaries for us, maybe next time!

I've already booked to go back in August. Hoping to add more to my lists and explore more of the island. Every time I go my list of places to visit just gets longer. In the meantime, I might just decorate my apartment with some of my photos.

My lists:
South Stack - common whitethroat, stonechat, oystercatcher, linnet, raven, skylark, guillemot, razorbill, puffin, meadow pipit, rock pipit, wall butterfly, chough and greater black-backed gull.
Penrhos Coastal Park - shelduck, oystercatcher (in high numbers), curlew and black-tailed godwits.
Cemlyn Bay - nesting sandwich, common and arctic tern, dunlin.
Point Lynas - harbour porpoise, gannet, linnet, meadow pipit, swallow, house martin and whitethroat.
Newborough Forest - common blue, missile thrush, red squirrel and dingy skipper.