Very wet visit to RSPB Titchwell Marsh, North Norfolk, on 22nd November 2025

I went on a coach trip from London to Titchwell Marsh towards the end of November.  

It was raining when we arrived and it stayed like that all day!

The first port of call was the nearest bird hide where I saw a group of Northern Shovelers swimming across the lagoon and a few Shelduck standing on a small island.  It was raining quite heavily!

After a very soggy walk to the Parrinder hide, I ate my lunch and took a few photographs

Eurasian Teal in the rain

Male Norther Shoveler in the rain

View across the lagoon from the Parrinder hide

Meadow Pipit in the rain

Almost bird-less view across the reserve - though there is a very distant Marsh Harrier on the left

and, finally, an Avocet in the rain

Unfortunately I was now very wet as my waterproof jacket had proved not to be waterproof any more, so I had to spend the rest of the afternoon in the cafe and shop while most of the others in the group went off for a wet walk on the beach and saw a lot more birds there than were actually on the reserve that day.  You win some, you lose some!  It was just one of those days!

Short birding walk round one side of Walthamstow Wetlands on 9th November 2025

I went for a short walk on a sunny afternoon in Walthamstow Wetlands where the first bird I spotted was a lovely Egyptian goose

Gaggle of Canada geese swimming across a reservoir

Two Great Crested Grebes floating on the water

Looking across a bird-less reservoir - the people in those flats must have a great view of the wetlands

Lots of red rose hips in the afternoon sunshine

Four synchronised Cormorants

Cormorants standing at the edge of Cormorant island

Little Egret and two Black-headed gulls hoping to find some fish

Crazy Black-headed gulls flying above the Little Egret and a Cormorant

Little Egret and Grey Heron - both hoping to find some fish

 

Birds and lots of water during my second visit to Leighton Moss nature reserve on 6th November 2025

Northern Shoveler seen from the Causeway hide

and a female and two male Gadwalls - also at the Causeway hide

This is the path leading to the Causeway hide - there had been a lot of rain during the few days I had been staying in the area and, although it was not raining during the day, I could only just manage to go along this path by gingerly walking along the side by the hedge.  I could not go any further towards the Lower hide as I was told there was a lot of 6" deep water further along the path and I was only equipped with waterproof shoes and not wellies!

As I could go no further along that path, I turned round and went to Lilian's hide

A flock of nine Whooper swans had just landed in the lagoon in front of the hide

There was a juvenile Whooper among the group, which had slightly disturbed the Coots

The Whoopers only stayed for a short time and were soon off somewhere else

I accidentally photographed a Marsh Harrier when I was taking pictures of the Whooper exit!

Oh dear - the path to the Grisedale and Tim Jackson hides was covered in really deep water!

and only suitable for people with waterproof boots/wellies or, alternatively, for these three Mallards, which were on their way there!

I back-tracked once again and climbed up the Skytower from where I saw a male Eurasian Teal

and a female - both with feathers blowing around in the wind

I had run out of places that I could reach without getting wet feet, so ended up in the bird feeder area near the Visitor Centre

Coat Tit and female Chaffinch on the feeder

Two Coal Tits

Female Bullfinch on the ground near the feeders

Greenfinch with seed in its beak

A Robin was checking out that its picture was included on the bird identification chart - it was!

I was joined by a very close Robin on the picnic table when I was eating my lunch

I had another look at the bird feeders, where I saw my first Marsh Tit

Back at Lilian's hide, there were three Snipe among the ducks at the edge of a little island

I was staying in the area especially to visit Leighton Moss and was annoyed with myself at not being better equipped for walking through deep water.  I just did not expect there to be so many places on the site that were prone to flooding.  Regardless of that, I did see some interesting birds - especially the Whooper swans and the Bullfinch - and just wish I was able to visit again in drier conditions.

Birds and nature in Grange-over-Sands, Cumbria - 5th November 2025

I decided to visit Grange-over-Sands on the second day of my short trip to Cumbria

There was a beautiful autumnal-looking Hornbeam in the area not far away from the railway station

I walked along the prom in the opposite direction to the town

I could not go far in that direction and so turned round and headed back to the town where a Little Egret was searching for snacks in the shallow water in front of the prom

Little Egret with Holme Island on the left and Arnside Knott in the distance

Beautiful multi-colour Hydrangea in the long flowerbed at the back of the prom

House Sparrow perching on a thin twig

Several Shelduck feeding in shallow water at low tide

Curlew walking across the wet sand

I went into Ornamental Gardens next to the railway station where a group of Bar-headed geese were feeding in the area round the War Memorial

Bar-headed goose feeding on the lush grass

A white Snow goose was with the Bar-headed flock

I have only ever seen Bar-headed geese in the UK with clipped wings as part of a Waterfowl Collection - these had obviously flown into the gardens as they showed off their huge complete wings!

The huge group of Bar-heads, plus one Snow goose, continued feeding round the War Memorial for some time against a background of Autumn-coloured trees and shrubs

 

Amongst the group was a Bar-headed goose with an almost completely white head

I was surprised to see a solitary American Wigeon on the lake - I believe that there used to be a Waterfowl Collection kept in the gardens in Victorian times, but there isn't one kept there now