Sunday 14th September saw me on site as usual following an excellent morning's 'vismig' at Potwells that included a flyover Woodlark!  A County rarity and one that I had hoped I'd catch up with this year.  The session also witnessed a noticeable increase in Meadow Pipit movement and this was in evidence at Stanborough too with in excess of 100 birds noted.

The usual Common and Green Sandpiper were on site and a flyover Raven too.  I commenced my usual scan from the track with my scope of the large weedy area adjacent to the main pit - a good way to pick up any migrant chats.  Sure enough, at least 4 Stonechats were on view along with a single Whinchat.

As one of the regular dog walkers approached I saw a little bird hop up onto a stem right at the back of the weedy area - about as far a way as it could be.  It cocked its tail up and I knew, without a doubt, that this was a DARTFORD WARBLER!  Immediately I was engaged in exchanging niceties with the walker while my mind began racing as I realised I needed to find this bird properly!

The walker moved on and I sent a couple of messages to Steve Pearce and Andrew Steele who I knew weren't far away saying that I thought I had a Dartford but I was going to have a look.  I quickly walked along the back edge of the weedy area at the field edge with ears and eyes peeled.  I reached the end with no joy and realised, in my haste, I hadn't really pinpointed where exactly I had seen the bird.  I decided to return to the track, wait for Steve, and in the meantime pin-down exactly where I had seen the bird.

Steve arrived and we both headed out along the edge of the weedy area again.  Reaching the end there was again not a squeak aside from the usual Reed Buntings, occasional Yellowhammer and Stonechats.  Steve decided to loop around the weedy area and as he completed his loop so the Dartford Warbler began scolding and hopped up on a stem about 20 yards in front of me!  Bingo!!

I quickly called Steve on his phone and he came over just in time to get fairly good views of the bird before it dropped back down into the thistles and weeds.  My second County Rarity in a day and a first for me, not just for my 5 Miles From Home List but also for my Herts List.  The Dartford Warbler was of course new for the site too taking the all-time total to a pleasing 160 species.

My first views were to prove some of my best and I managed a few hasty record shots (see the header photo) before it vanished.  Thereafter it became much harder to see, other than in brief flight views.  The following day, others were unable to locate it but I revisited on Tue 16th and was able to find it again moving along the back edge of the weedy area with a couple of Stonechats.  Again I was able to get a few record shots as it lurked in the undergrowth but never sat up.

Walking back to the car I noticed another little bird flying along, almost next to me but only about a foot off the ground.  I paused and eventually saw it in flight - a Grasshopper Warbler!  I waited while it rustled around in the grass just a few feet away from me and then watched it fly into the main clump of reeds in the wet area.  Another site year tick, taking the year total to 127!

​While I had been observing or (more truthfully) waiting for the Dartford Warbler to appear I had puzzled over hearing what appeared to be Dartford Warbler scolding from two different locations.  While the bird did move quickly through the undergrowth it nevertheless seemed odd.

Again, with no sighting by others the next day I returned on Thursday 18th Sep evening and quickly relocated the bird, except that this time my puzzlement was answered as not one but TWO Dartford Warblers flew up and across briefly, giving me just long enough to confirm my earlier suspicions.  While light also plays a part, I did think, looking at my record shots, that one bird might possibly be lighter and brighter in plumage that the other...maybe I had unknowingly photographed two separate birds?

I saw and heard a Dartford again on Sat 20th Sep along with Andrew Steele but it remains to be seen how long both birds remain on site.  While Dartfords are a possible candidate to over-winter at the site we are still in peak migration time so they may move on.  They will however, be remembered for the excitement they brought as a genuinely rare bird in the County.

Walking out along the weedy area also brought home what a fantastic (and really under-watched) area it is for small migrant birds.  On Sat at least 5 Chiffchaffs were feeding along the edge with at least 2 Whinchats and 4 Stonechats.  Two female-type Wheatears were also present with a third male seen in the morning too.  Meadow Pipits, Linnets and Yellow Wagtails are also dropping down into the grassy areas while passing Swallows, House and Sand Martins are making good use of the feeding opportunities.  Who knows what else may pop up?!

As a final note, a smart adult Yellow-legged Gull was by the deep pool on Sat afternoon but didn't stay long.

Despite the restoration of much of the site 2024 proved to be another very good year for birds at Stanborough Gravel Pits with 131 species recorded, just one shy of the total for the previous year.

In all, 5 new species were added to the site list taking the all-time total to 156*.  First to be added were the 9 Brent Geese that appeared at the site on 11th March and later in the day a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker was seen by one lucky observer - another new record for the site.  The day proved exceptionally good and can be read about here.

April saw the addition of a Sandwich Tern - seen by just a few observers - and then a Spoonbill in July seen by just one observer.  The final, and somewhat expected, addition came in December with the arrival of a 3rd winter Caspian Gull that then stayed to almost the year end.

In addition a number of escapes provided added interest in the form of a White Stork ringed at the Knepp Estate in Sussex.  On 16th May a pale-morph Lesser Snow Goose joined the goose flock and tempted thoughts that it might possibly be genuinely wild.  However, without a ring to prove it one way or the other, it is most likely a roving bird from a feral flock elsewhere.

Aside from the new additions, 2024 also held some real highlights on the wader front with the freshly scraped areas clearly proving attractive to migrant waders.  The 3rd May saw the site's second Avocet, 3-4 Little Stints on 21st & 22nd May, and both Spring and Autumn Wood Sandpipers.  Bar-tailed and Black-tailed Godwit, Curlew, Grey Plover and Sanderling also put in a good showing with a very smart summer plumaged Grey Plover from 15th-16th May.

While no evidence was found of breeding Lapwing this year, Little Ringed Plovers did breed successfully with at least 3 pairs raising a brood.  The site continues to be the main breeding site in Herts for this rare British breeding bird.  Little Ringed Plover numbers peaked at 17 on 23rd June and the last birds seen on site were on 15th August.   A lingering pair of Ringed Plovers gave hope that this former Herts breeding species might consider staying but they eventually left by the second week in June.

Other notable breeders at the site included Mandarin Ducks (although numbers were down on the previous year) and both Little and Barn Owls.  Sand Martins are likely to have bred but in small numbers while a pair of Corn Bunting may also have bred.

A number of birds recorded in 2023 were not seen in 2024 - some less surprisingly than others.  Garganey, Whimbrel and Ruff were surprise absences while Bewick's Swan and Turnstone less so.  The removal of the large scrubby area as part of the gravel pits restoration work meant that Sedge, Reed and Grasshopper Warbler were not recorded on site - a real loss as at least 2 of those species bred in 2023.  Common misses included Bullfinch, Brambling and Garden Warbler while Water Pipit and Tree Sparrow absences were less surprising.