Weather: Sunny, warm with a pleasant cool breeze. From 10:40am.
In the carpark: Woodpigeon, Robin, Chiffchaff, Blackcap.
Visitors' centre feeders: House Sparrow, Greenfinch, Chaffinch; in nearby bushes, Wren.
On the way up the path to the Island Hide, on marshes to the left: Little Grebe, Coot, Mallard, brief Redshank, Mute Swan, Little Grebe, Lapwing.
Continuing up the path & suddenly a large brown bird flapped over the path in front of Kim & I, an unmistakeable Bittern, a first at Titchwell for me, all the more amazing to me that I had recently seen one for the first time at all at Minsmere last month. It flew into the freshwater reedbed near to the fen hide & out of view.
Also in or over the reedbeds: Reed Warbler & Marsh Harrier, a brightly-coloured male joined by a female.
On the fields opposite the freshwater marsh: Skylark, Reed Bunting.
On the first freshwater marsh/scrape area: Ruff, still in remnants of breeding plumage, as were others seen later; Avocet, Curlew, Oystercatcher, Black-Headed Gull.
Into the Parrinder Hide: Grey Heron in the distance; a very close young reed warbler being fed by its parent; a usual brief glimpse of Bearded Tit in the nearby reedbeds; Canada & Greylag Goose with young; Black-Tailed Godwit all in russet breeding plumage; Teal, Pied Wagtail & a lone Common Tern; six fairly distant, roosting black waders were Spotted Redshank again, like other waders, in breeding plumage.
From the left-hand side of Parrinder Hide: Starling, Herring Gull, Moorhen; an active small wader foraging on the shore of a nearby island was an obvious Common Sandpiper, my first for many years & a species I was hoping to see on this visit; Dunlin again in dark-bellied breeding plumage.
Heading to the beach: Cormorant flying out to the sea; singing Meadow Pipit & Little Egret amongst the marshes opposite the hides; Swift & House Martin zipping about.
On the beach, out at sea: good views of Sandwich Tern, crashing into the waves for food, a large tern & again a species I haven't seen for many years; a lone Great-Crested Grebe; a small group of Eider, out towards Brancaster beach.
After a couple of hours enjoying the sunshine, Kim & I headed back to the car-park passing the reedbeds where we had excellent views of reed & Sedge Warbler; finally back to the car-park & a singing Chiffchaff.
47 species, none new.
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