21st February 2011
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Before Christmas I had agreed to give one of my non-birding friends a guided walk of Titchwell. On the way we stopped to watch a Barn Owl sat on a roadside post just past Docking, and after arriving we saw a second one hunting over the marshes west of the main path. A large flock of Siskins were in the alders by the feeders, along with a carpet of Chaffinches below them. The water level seemed a bit high, but we saw the expected waders (Avocet, Golden Plover, Ruff etc) and my first Pintail of the year.
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It was my first look at the new Parrinder hide, and it was a mixed reception. The large windows and even floor are a plus, but I didn't even attempt to use the window-opening mechanism. I was puzzled by the use of a connecting door in the lower section, dividing the hide into two parts. That could be rather annoying when the hide is packed and a bird moves along the freshmarsh. I also have to wonder whether more money than was necessary was spent on the "futuristic" design to make the building conform to some aesthetic ideal, or whether there is a good reason for it. Still, its new and its not broken yet, and with those individual seats you can reasonably tell people talking cr*p to "go swivel", so its not all bad.
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In a quick scan of the sea I saw the Common Scoter flock, Red-breasted Mergansers, Goldeneye and a Long-tailed Duck, whilst a Sanderling running along in front of us kept Cathy & Emma entertained. On our way back we picked up the Twite flock and some Reed Buntings, and a quick stop at Choseley revealed a few Yellowhammers. After lunch we went home, the first time this year that I've gone birding out of Norwich and someone hasn't been or ended up on crutches!
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