Thousands of migrating birds return to the Norfolk coast - including at RSPB Titchwell Marsh and Snettisham

Thousands of birds are returning to our coast this month as part of one of the world’s busiest migration routes.

The birds are heading from South Europe and Africa to The Wash and its surrounding area, exploiting its food-rich wetlands, reedbeds, and mudflats on their way here to breed or to head further north.

This is happening right now across The Wash and at RSPB Snettisham and Titchwell Marsh.

This global phenomenon was celebrated on May 11, officially recognised as World Migratory Bird Day.

Spring is a time when huge numbers of birds are on the move, travelling thousands of miles along routes from their wintering grounds to their breeding sites using this superhighway - and often stopping to refuel along the way.

This year’s theme for World Migratory Bird Day focused on the importance of insects for migratory birds, highlighting concerns about their decreasing populations, which directly threatens bird survival rates.

Insects are a vital food source for many species which are arriving at RSPB Titchwell Marsh this month, a nutritious food source and one of the key reasons birds head to The Wash in their thousands.

This year, campaigners called for conservation measures to protect insects, such as reducing the use of pesticides and fertilisers.

Around 30 different species of birds will be arriving this month and next, with some arriving earlier this year too:

Common tern – started arriving from the middle of April.

Wintering in Southern Europe and the west coast of Africa, these silvery, agile terns arrive from mid-April onwards to breed.

On islands created in the freshwater lagoons at RSPB Titchwell Marsh, common terns find a safe place to nest, using the sand and gravel to create a shallow bowl in which to lay their eggs.

The birds depart our shores again from August onwards, along the East Atlantic Flyway, navigating back to their over-wintering grounds.

Avocet – started arriving in March.

One of RSPB Titchwell Marsh’s star species, the avocet is a familiar sight, searching for water-borne insects, small shrimps and shellfish in the shallow pools.

Many now spend the winter in the UK, especially along the east Suffolk coast, but lots still migrate to Spain or as far afield as West Africa.

The avocet was once extinct as a breeding bird in the UK, but was able to recolonise the beaches in East Anglia during the Second World War which were closed and flooded as a defence against invasion.

The avocet is a symbol of conservation success and was adopted as the logo for the RSPB for this very reason.

Between 40 and 50 pairs nest at RSPB Titchwell Marsh in the summer.

The shallow pools created by the reserve offer relatively predator-free areas from which to raise their chicks.

Mediterranean gull – arriving this month and early June.

The first pair of Mediterranean gulls bred in the UK in 1968, and since then they have slowly and steadily increased. Using the predator-free pools like the common tern, around 14 pairs breed at RSPB Titchwell Marsh.

These striking gulls with a jet-black hood and bright red bill can be seen all year round, especially on the coast in winter, a major part of the East Atlantic Flyway.

Hayley Roan, senior site manager at RSPB Titchwell Marsh, said: “The Wash is incredibly important for the birds and the insects they come here to feed on.

“Here on the Norfolk coast and across the east coast of England, we’re especially privileged to be a part of one of the world’s eight ‘bird superhighways’, the East Atlantic Flyway.

“This amazing phenomenon of nature is happening right here, right now on Norfolk’s coast and we’re seeing a surge in bird migration, as common tern, avocet, and Mediterranean gulls are arriving at Titchwell and Snettisham.

“We’re delighted to support World Migratory Bird Day and help spread the message that we need to do more to conserve these precious habitats. Without them, these birds just don’t exist.

“Seeing the first swallows arrive back from Africa, watching the common terns zipping around or hearing the enigmatic cuckoo calling reminds me of the amazing journeys they have been on to arrive back here in on the east coast of Norfolk.

“Visitors come from right across the UK to visit this hidden gem on Norfolk’s coast as it is one of the best places in the country to see bird migration in action.”

According to the RSPB, international recognition for this area’s importance for migratory birds will help not only in raising the profile of just how special this place is, but also help in the fight against climate change and in protecting this precious nature for future generations.

If accepted by The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, the East Coast Wetlands - including Snettisham and Titchwell Marsh - could join a list of some of the world’s most iconic sites, such as the Great Barrier Reef, the Galapagos Islands and Mount Kilimanjaro.