Barely had the metaphorical ink dried on my last post and the very next day it felt like autumn passage got into full swing!  The write-up has had to wait until now though as soon after I went on holiday and got back to busy-ness thereafter.

On the morning of 8th July 8 Green Sandpipers were reported so for my evening visit I had in the back of my mind that a sudden influx like this could come with a Wood Sandpiper too.  Not finding one, I had begun to pack up to leave when a wader hunched at the edge of a pool drew me back for a second look.

I had initially dismissed it as another Green Sandpiper but something about its head shape didn't quite seem right for that species.  The light was poor so I couldn't really see much else but as I continued watching so it began to feed and I realised I had a Wood Sandpiper!  Eventually it walked out of the glare and allowed the somewhat grainy record shot above. 

Other passage on 8th was also evident with an increase in gulls, including a Mediterranean Gull and a surprise early Common Gull through.  The first juvenile Black-headed Gulls also made an appearance.

Waders continued to feature during the rest of July but in a somewhat muted way.  It has officially been a poor breeding season for the Little Ringed Plovers with just a second pair raising one chick from 18th July.  This means that, in total, only three new Little Ringed Plovers have hatched this year from 2 pairs with likely less than that making it to adulthood.  It's difficult to pinpoint why it's been a poor year for them but it is likely to be a combination of disturbance at key moments in their breeding cycle and loss of habitat due to quarry restoration.

Green Sandpipers have been present throughout July, averaging about 4 birds on site with 2 ringed individuals and 2 unringed birds regularly being seen.  A Common Sandpiper appeared on 15th July and was joined by another on 19th, with a maximum of 3 counted on 27th.  Another Wood Sandpiper was seen briefly on 20th with another heard but unseen on 27th.

A Greenshank put in an appearance on 25th and an Oystercatcher on 29th.  Despite the substantial areas of exposed mud and seemingly ideal wader conditions the offering feels a little paltry for this time of year.  However, it is still early days...

Away from the water, interest included a high count of 4 juvenile Stonechats on 25th and an evening count of 167 Ring-necked Parakeets heading over the site in small groups to their roost at Stanborough Lakes.

Also flying over the site were 2 Peregrine Falcons on 26th, the first Siskin for the year on 27th and the first 3 Ravens for a while on 28th.  The site year list for 2025 now stands at 121 species.

Perhaps the most noticeable change with the new month is the arrival of large numbers of geese.  As in previous years, this seems timed to coincide with the harvesting of the cereal crops.  The goose flock on occasion has grown to almost 500 birds, among them up to 300 Canada Geese, 120 Greylag Geese and a maximum count of at least 57 Egyptian Geese on 10th Aug.

A Barnacle Goose was found with the flock on 7th and seen subsequently on and off.  The goose flock is very mobile, switching between the fields and the water and sometimes vacating the site altogether, however numbers are highest in the evening and early morning.

The first Wheatear appeared near the farm on 1st August and at least 3 were present on 14th with one seen the next day too.

In the same vein a Whinchat was found on 10th August behind the middle pool and seen again the next day - the first site record for the year.  Stonechat numbers peaked at 6 or more on 10th - all scruffy juvenile birds.

Wader passage has been almost non-existent with Green Sandpipers remaining on site but the last 2 Common Sandpipers being seen on 7th.  More noticeable has been the passage of hirundines with several flocks of House Martins (100+ on 12th) moving east with a few Sand Martins.  Swifts are also still passing through with at least 50 noted on 12th but these will be some of the last birds this year no doubt.

Yellow Wagtail passage is also underway with at 10 birds being regularly seen in horse paddocks near the farm.  Both Sedge Warbler and the site's first Reed Warblers of the year have been noted at the back of the main weedy area.  It is likely these are passage birds although it is possible they may have bred on site unnoticed. 

Perhaps the most notable record for the first half of August has been the sighting of 3 Marsh Harriers together by one observer on 13th.  The sighting involved 2 adults calling and being followed by a juvenile bird.  Harriers are certainly on the radar as they disperse post-breeding and who knows, maybe a Montagu's Harrier will come our way!

Much of the autumn remains to come and hopefully the best bits too!  It's always tricky to work out why some years are quieter than others but, given the seemingly ideal conditions, the last 2 months have not delivered the hoped for wader passage.  It is difficult to know if the ongoing quarry restoration works play a part with landscaping and new topsoil being put down - perhaps on top of formerly good feeding areas.

The 'deep pits' have been reduced to a small lake and it remains to be seen if these will be attractive to birds.  Since the new topsoil has gone down these pools have been devoid of birds other than loafing gull flocks.  The middle pool has virtually dried up while the main pit has been given an extended life as water has been pumped into it temporarily.  It too faces the same fate however with further landscaping set to greatly reduce its size.  Let's hope what is finally left recovers to attract birds and wildlife again but for the moment you can't help feeling that the site is in decline.

​With still no rain, nor any forecast, water levels have dropped naturally, exposing lots more mud.  Despite good waders turning up at other sites not too far away nothing out of the ordinary has dropped in.  Two more Greenshank appeared on 15th and staying until 17th while the year’s first 2 Ringed Plovers appeared on 12th with another 2 present on 17th.  Little Ringed Plovers continue to display and stake out various areas of the site but, as yet, have not been pinned down to specific nests.

​A Marsh Harrier and a Hobby briefly on 16th were the only other highlights of the past week along with fairly regular visits from a Little Egret.  Sand Martins continue to number around 30 birds with at least 30 holes counted in the workings.  The first Mandarin female appeared on 15th with 6 new ducklings and no doubt we’ll see more in days to come.  Interestingly, at least 10 male Mandarins were found roosting on the pond in Dogsheart Spring copse.  It seems likely these are non-breeding birds (unless they really have left all the work to the females!).

​I recently spoke with a manager from Cemex the quarry operator and their plan is to continue the ‘restoration work’ shortly.  To that end they have installed a pump to remove water from the Deep Pit (on the left as you come in from Coopers Green Lane) and water levels are now falling rapidly.  Temporarily this exposes lots of nice mud but this will dry quickly and make way for the diggers to return.

​The plan is for the diggers to landscape the area leaving just a small kidney-shaped pond in the far left-hand corner.  The rest of the area will be smoothed with topsoil and will presumably be suitable for farming.  This of course is likely to mean the loss of deep water at the site perhaps making it unattractive to the Little Grebes and diving ducks.
 
The increased disturbance will also make it unlikely that Little Ringed Plovers will breed successfully in this area.  Thankfully other areas still remain available however, beyond this section of works, there are plans to drain the Main Pit (on the right as you enter the site from Coopers Green Lane) and continue with topsoil landscaping to restore as much as possible to farmland.
 
The site manager did express his reservations that water would be able to be controlled and fully expects that lakes will re-form after heavy rain.  Various elaborate pumping systems have been explored to take water off-site but no final plan is in place.  As I have mentioned before, trying to fight nature and take vital water off the land seems crazy and my hope is that nature forces the outcome!  When water is such a valuable resource and when flood zones are under increasing pressure it seems ridiculous that money and resources would be spent trying to pump water off-site and away to other systems.
 
Unfortunately, the plans are the product of many parallel thought processes and interests with little to unify them into sensible coherence.  Historic restoration plans do not seem to take into account current realities – such as the excellent habitats created by quarrying – and ecological assessments are species and habitat-obsessed such that the wider ecosystems and natural re-wilding processes are considered free to be sacrificed or ignored in favour of new planting.  Vested interests of landowners and managers that (understandably) seek profit and reward dictate that works are carried out to take advantage of current funding meaning that levelling everything and starting afresh can be the preferred option.
 
Hopefully something good will be left but for now it is best to enjoy it while it lasts!

Stable periods of high pressure, easterly winds and very little rain have made for a slow passage this Spring.  Glaringly absent from the roll-call are waders such as Black-tailed Godwit, Ringed Plover, Curlew and Whimbrel.  But Spring is not yet over and there have been some highlights over the last few weeks.

Perhaps top of the bill was a female Marsh Harrier that spent a few hours early morning hunting over the middle pool on 26th April.  It was constantly harassed by Carrion Crows and Red Kites but nevertheless spent some time on the ground.  At one point it sat next to a Brown Hare and they just stared at each other!

April 21st saw a little bit of movement with the arrival of the first Common Sandpiper of the year and a high count of at least 6 Wheatears on site.  The Common Sandpipers increased to 2 birds on 6th & 7th May but just one remains on 11th May.  At least 3 Wheatear hung around but the last bird was seen on 6th May.

In other wader news, Greenshank have been a feature so far this Spring with singles on 21st, 22nd & 28th April followed by 3 birds on 7th May and another single on 11th May.  Unringed Green Sandpipers were also seen on 22nd, 27th & 28th April with a very late bird on 10th May.  It is likely that these are passage birds rather than from the local overwintering population.  Three Common Snipe were seen on 1st May and at least 2 remained on 7th May.  Little Ringed Plovers seemed to have settled into pairs with at least 4 pairs on site and starting to sit on nests.

April 22nd saw a Great Crested Grebe visit the site and the next day a late White Wagtail put in an appearance.  Good numbers of Yellow Wagtails remain on site but most seem to have paired up and moved out to the fields, hopefully to breed.  A pair of Meadow Pipits have also been displaying and favouring the weedy area so it's hoped they might breed too.  A common species in the winter they are a scarce local breeder.  The site's resident pair of Grey Partridge were seen on 23rd April and again on 11th May.

Swifts arrived back on 26th April with at least 8 birds present.  Thereafter they have once again become a regular feature of the skies with overcast weather bring a flock of over 100 in the past weeks.  Sand Martins have established at least 12 holes in the quarry workings with at least 30 birds regularly on site.  Hopefully their nests will be unaffected by quarry works.

In non-bird news, Brown Hares continue to be abundant on site but less visible now the crops have grown and courtship is dying down.  Painted Lady butterflies have been seen along the track a few times while a Small Copper butterfly was seen on 1st May.

The last week has seen the rather undramatic arrival of migrants - a steady trickle compared to last year's bumper days.  Though less dramatic it has meant that most days have held some interest with new birds being found on site.

Heavy rain on 15th April felt like it should have delivered gulls and terns but instead brought down a fall of wagtails with at least 30 Yellow Wagtails (including another Blue-headed Wagtail) and 3 White Wagtails with the usual Pied Wagtails.  Always a delight to witness even if the rest of the site felt quiet.  Earlier in the day a single Wheatear had been found along side the main pit.

The next day saw the arrival of a singing Lesser Whitethroat in the hedgerow bordering Coopers Green Lane and this was still singing at the time of writing on 20th April.  A pair of  Wheatears were found in the freshly ploughed restored areas on 17th and these were joined by a third bird - a female - on 20th.

Some passage was in evidence on 19th April with a Greenshank found early morning that later appeared to relocate to Tyttenhanger GPs.  The afternoon saw the first Hobby of the year over the site along with a passing Common Tern.  The next day saw another or possibly the same Greenshank hidden at the far end of the main pit along with another Hobby over high.  A singing Sedge Warbler joined the Lesser Whitethroat at the track entrance taking the site year list to 112 species for 2025.

Who knows what it was but something imperceptible changed this last week and the expected autumn migrants began to appear.  Maybe it was heavy rain following a long, dry stable period of weather or maybe it was just the necessary passing of time but 24th August saw the arrival of a Sanderling on the puddle (formerly know as the main pit).

Having missed 3 or 4 birds in the Spring I was particularly pleased to catch up with this one.  It spent the (very wet) day feeding at the far end of the pit but gave good enough views for a short video:

It was joined later by a Greenshank and the day also saw a reasonable passage of martins and Swallows.

The following day saw the arrival of 2 Wheatears and 2 Whinchats and a small passage of Yellow Wagtails - all signs that things are moving in the right direction and that more will undoubtedly follow!

Starting with the 'low' and that is the inescapable fact that back-filling and 'restoration' work at the pits has continued apace.  The main pit has been drained using a pump system and just a couple of large puddles remain.  It is not clear yet how much of the pit they intend to backfill but at least half of it is ear-marked for re-landscaping.

It remains utterly baffling as to how this plan has been persisted with and, to me, appears to be a clear example of the absence of joined-up thinking.  The local farmers would have liked the water body preserved - they know they cannot farm this land as historically it has always collected water.  In addition, the local water company has been encouraging farmers to keep water on their land to avoid flooding downstream.  And yet, the gravel company has been told to persist with a plan of drainage and restoration involving pumping water off-site - something that, in all likelihood, will have to continue indefinitely.

All this while, an area rich in wildlife has been destroyed and the opportunity to create something really special for nature missed.  Of course, left to nature, that opportunity might return but once again, we as humans, seem set on fighting nature - to what end I don't know!

While water remains on site and large areas remain disturbed by diggers and the plough the attractiveness to birds and other wildlife continues at the site.  Passage this month has been slow but steady with the highlight a Wood Sandpiper on 12th August.

One or two Common Sandpipers have remained on site with varying numbers of Green Sandpipers.  Joining them occasionally have been up to 3 Ringed Plovers, 2 Little Ringed Plovers, at least 5 Common Snipe and a single Greenshank.

Away from the water's edge a juvenile Peregrine has been practising hunting over the site and a couple of Grey Partridges have reappeared following the harvesting of the fields.