Page 10 - Hunstanton Town & Around - May 2015

10 Hunstanton Town & Around May 2015 Tel: 01485 533422 email: editor@townandaround.net
RSPB Titchwell Marsh

Carrie Carey
What do a Sherman firefly and an Egyptian character have in common?
The answer is that both can be seen at RSPB Titchwell Marsh this spring.
During low tides it is possible to view the discarded hulls of two WWII
tanks, remnants of a time when the north Norfolk coastline stood in
readiness against the invasion of Hitler’s forces. From 1942 to 1945
Titchwell Marsh was used by the Royal Tank regiment as a firing range
and the Royal Dragoon guards also used the area for military exercises
unleashing 17 pounder guns on Sherman firefly tanks.

At the end of January 1953, a storm surge breached parts of Titchwell’s
sea defences and flooded the reclaimed land. The area quickly reverted to
salt marsh and over the following decades, the sand dunes and shingle spit
began to form. Nearly forty years later during another spring tide the sea
once again breached the shoreline and the tank hulls were exposed.
Further inland, visitors to RSPB Titchwell Marsh can take a gentle
meander along the meadow trail taking time to loiter around the dragonfly
pond where frogs are spawning and the water vole family have taken up
residence. In this part of the reserve, keen eyes might spot smaller species P.J. PARSONS
of wildlife such as adult shoulder stripe and Hebrew character moths also
preparing for warmer days. PLUMBING AND HEATING
In between woodland and beach lies a large expanse of reedbed and salt
water marsh where endangered birds such as bitterns and bearded tits are
calling their mates in readiness for the breeding season. Looking to the
skies, marsh harriers can be seen whirling and swooping over the marsh
in an outlandish display of courtship.
Just outside the visitor centre, the new wildlife garden is almost
complete and provides a miniature reflection of the 800 acre site. Faces
beam with pleasure as hands, muddy from the damp soil, work busily to
plant the last of the foxgloves, celandines and hawthorn bushes.
Join us this spring and you can experience Titchwell past and present; OIL & GAS HEATING
take a step back in time whilst taking another closer to nature.
FITTED KITCHENS, BATHROOMS
& SHOWERS, CERAMIC TILING
Wash and Go Windows
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