At mid-way through the year it is definitely time for another update! Somehow the weeks have passed and I haven't got round to updating and Spring has come and gone. It proved a quieter one and has done for many other patches but undoubtedly in Stanborough's case, contributed to by the loss of the main body of water.

A summary of highlights will therefore suffice but one or two in particular stand out.  March closed with the first 2 Sand Martins of the year sneaking through on 31st and a Great White Egret visiting the middle pool - the first record since 14th Feb.

April then opened with a bang on the 3rd with 2 WHITE STORKS picked up heading northeast along the line of the A1 motorway.  Both birds were un-ringed and, as such, make it on to the Stanborough List as species #164

Of course, White Stork sightings are producing a growing conundrum for recorders as to the provenance of this species. Traditionally, un-ringed birds were considered wild while ringed birds were attributed to released birds and therefore treated as 'escapees'. Of course, if the ring could be read, the bird occasionally did prove to be a wild bird from a continental ringing scheme.

To date there are now many more release projects and not all released birds are being ringed, greatly muddying the waters.  As an additional spanner in the works, Natural England has declared that it does not believe there's enough evidence to show that White Storks were ever native to Britain! It seems we may now have a situation where any White Stork record will have to have a permanent question mark over it unless of course it carries a ring proving its wild origins! That said, as a humble local patch - it goes on the list!!

The 2 storks - it is assumed the same birds - were later picked up on the North Norfolk coast by several birders, apparently having continued their NE trajectory from Stanborough. We enjoyed distant views but, judging by the photos, the birds gave better views in Norfolk!

The storks provided the excitement of Spring but while wader passage was virtually non-existent the end of April did deliver a few welcome waders.  A Ringed Plover on 25th was a pre-cursor to more movement on 28th April with 4 Whimbrel appearing in the tilled fields near Symondshyde Farm. Later one observer found a Ruff but this did not stay long enough for others (including me) to see it. I did however pick up 5 Ringed Plovers flying through and together with the Whimbrel made for a welcome flurry of activity.

It was great to see these birds visiting the site, despite the loss of water, and also to hear their evocative 7-note calls.

As for the rest of Spring, it's very much been as expected with the bulk of arrivals throughout April and into early May and with wintering birds - snipe, wildfowl & thrushes - absenting themselves by early May.  A summary of key arrivals & departures follows:

5th April - the first Yellow Wagtail (see lead photo)
6th April - the first (and so far only) singing Willow Warbler
8th April - the first Little Egret of the year visits
9th April - 7 House Martins feeding over the site & the last flock of c30 Fieldfares are noted
10th April - the first Common Whitethroat is found
17th April - 2 Grey Partridge put in an appearance

18th April - Wheatear numbers peak at 8 with the last Wheatear staying until 19th May.  The first Cuckoo is also heard calling from Symondshyde Wood.
19th April - a Lesser Whitethroat turns up
22nd April - the first (6) Swifts are feeding over the site
25th April - a single Ringed Plover is found
28th April - wader day! 4 Whimbrel, 5 Ringed Plovers & 1 Ruff visit the site
1st May - a Sedge Warbler is singing & is later joined by another 2 singing males. To date, 2 pairs seem to be breeding
2nd May - a Reed Warbler is singing
3rd May - a russet-coloured Swallow is seen with normal Swallows on the fence wires by the middle pool - possibly an African (savignii) or Easter Mediterranean (transitiva) race? Either way a very striking bird that I managed to get a few snaps of a week later at Symondshyde Farm.

11th May - 2 Dunlin drop into middle pool

15th May - Garden Warbler singing by long pit - not a common visitor to the site
19th May - the first Hobby is seen at the site

Notable absences were Common Sandpipers (despite a good passage at other sites) and no Spring Whinchat.

With all the new arrivals the site year list has reached 108 species and the attention now turns to the breeding season. Early breeders have included Mallards (at least 2 broods), Canada Geese (at least 2 broods) & Mandarin Duck (at least 3 broods - presumably from the nearby woods).

At least 3 pairs of Lapwing have also bred while up to 3 or 4 pairs of Little Ringed Plovers have been stationed around various parts of the site.  Finally on 12th June, a pair produced 4 chicks on the 'deep pit' but inevitably these appeared to have dropped to just one chick by 19th June. Despite so much loss of habitat, these rare breeding birds have bred successfully yet again - long may it continue!

Yellow Wagtails and Skylarks seem to be having a particularly good year enjoying the farmland and no doubt soon young will appear. At least 2 pairs of Pied Wagtails have already fledged young.

I'm hoping the Little Owl seen earlier in the year is breeding while the Barn Owls have successfully raised 3 owlets in the box. Little Grebes remain on site but have yet to breed.

Despite staying into May, the male Stonechat eventually disappeared so no breeding there but a pair of Meadow Pipits may still be present although not recorded recently.  The large weedy area adjacent to the former main pit holds many pairs of Whitethroat and Reed Bunting. A fairly large (60+) Linnet flock is also enjoying feeding in the big oil-seed rape field.

June is typically a quiet month bird-wise but who knows - maybe a surprise will turn up...a Montagu's Harrier would be nice!  Insects and flowers come to the fore with Painted Lady butterflies having a particularly good year.  A single Pyramidal Orchid has also sprung up in the same area as last year.

A whole month has gone past since my last update with no real excitement in the intervening period.  However, Spring is in the air and most noticeably in the form of returning wildfowl to the site.

Like clockwork, the first Coot appeared on 3rd Feb and was soon joined by a pair of Tufted Duck on 6th Feb - much to consternation of the resident Little Grebe that had had the whole of the deep pit to itself all winter!  Along with these arrivals, Gadwall numbers have swelled to up to 80 birds with Teal peaking at 110+ birds on 21st Feb.  A few Wigeon have stayed around the site with 8 on 17th January dropping to just a pair for most of the rest of the period.  A pair of Shoveler was present on 29th Jan and a Pochard appeared on 15th Feb and stayed to at least 22nd while Tufted Duck numbers grew to just shy of 10 birds on site.  A Moorhen remained on the drainage pool while Coot numbers settled at up to 6 birds.

A flock of up to 80 Canada Geese has been present for most of the period with a pair of Egyptian Geese in the field by the deep pool and joined by another pair on occasion.  The first Greylag Geese appeared on 8th Feb and 4 birds now seem to be regularly joining the Canada flock.  With such a good winter for rarer grey geese in the country there's still hope for a passing White-fronted Goose or even Bean Goose.  Also yet to materialise are any Pintail or Shelduck.

Despite being typically quiet the last month has not been without its highlights.  A single Golden Plover was discovered in the flock of Lapwing on 22nd Jan and was present again on 24th.  While the Lapwing flock has grown to nearly 300 birds (280+ on 20th Feb) Golden Plover have been notable by their absence.  The only other waders recorded have been up to 4 Common Snipe and the occasional Green Sandpiper although the latter don't seem to be regularly using the site at the moment.

Another welcome highlight was the brief appearance of 2 Great White Egrets on 14th Feb - a species not recorded on site last year.  Little Egrets have yet to appear at the site this year but 2 Grey Herons spent some time on the flooded fields by the woods on 15th Feb.​

After initial interest in early January, gulls have not really featured much in the last month save for a regular feeding flock of Black-headed Gulls and Common Gulls over the sheep fields.  Hopefully March will see some more passage but for now the larger gulls seem to be bypassing the site.

Stanborough GPs also continues to be a reliable site for the scarce Grey Partridge with at least 3 birds seen on 12th Feb followed by a single on 14th.  Somewhat easier to come by were up to 5 Red-legged Partridge on 11th Feb with 2 jousting males on 17th.

A particular feature of this winter has been the presence of Crossbills in the adjacent Symondshyde Woods and these have regularly strayed over the site during the last month.  Other flyovers have included several Siskins and a few Redpolls but not in any great numbers.

At least 4 pairs of Stonechat remain at various points around the site, possibly even 5 but these will no doubt move off as the breeding season beckons.  With breeding in mind, both Reed Buntings and Yellowhammers have begun to join the Skylark song with their own familiar repertoires.  There seem to be good numbers of Reed Buntings in the weedy area next to the main pit with additional pairs in the reeds at the middle pool.  The singing males look very fine and seem to puff up their white collars as they sing.

Spring is also in the air for the resident pair of Barn Owls that can occasionally be seen nuzzling their beaks together at the box entrance but no sign of any Little Owls yet this year.

To date the site year list stands at 81 species - a little behind last year but all to play for!  The stage is set once again for Spring migration so, with the first Swallows and Sand Martins already being reported elsewhere in the country, hopefully we'll see some action soon.

This morning a Black Redstart was found feeding along the track, up and down off the posts along with a pair of Stonechats. The 134th species recorded at the site this year and making it a 2-redstart year with the site's first Common Redstart back in September. A Corn Bunting was also reported this morning - another good bird for this time of year.

The find brightens up an otherwise dull period with nothing much else to report.  A Jack Snipe has been flushed on two occasions along with some Common Snipe but, thanks to the draining of the main pit, very few wildfowl have been noted.  A few Teal appear every now and then and a male Gadwall joined the domesticated Mallards today.  Up to 3 Mute Swans have also visited on and off while up to 3 Little Grebes remain, but diving ducks are yet to return.

Up to 6 Grey Partridge are occasionally flushed while the odd Golden Plover has been seen flying over the site but not landing.  Up to 4 pairs of Stonechat remain on site while other regulars such as the Green Sandpipers and Grey Wagtail are regularly recorded.

After a quiet few weeks of mild and sometimes wet and windy weather the daily searching has paid off!  A visit yesterday evening, saw me scanning the huge flocks of Skylarks mixed with Meadow Pipits and large flocks of Linnets.  I was almost done but as I scanned yet another group of Skylarks another smaller, more rusty-coloured bird was also moving along with them, very much in their slow, low-to-the-ground style, but clearly not them.

On the first good view as the bird appeared from behind the furrows of soil I knew I had a LAPLAND BUNTING!  The usual panic then ensued as I tried to fit my scope-phone adaptor to my scope, relocate the bird and start videoing!  All of this I did but, need I say typically, as I pressed record everything flew off.  I have a short clip of video with blurred soil and some fuzzy flying birds!  I'd like to say the header photo is of the bird but it is one I took in Cornwall last year of a far more obliging bird.

I watched the sub-flock of around 30 Skylarks fly across the track and away - at one point I thought I could hear a call reminiscent of a Lapland Bunting but wasn't sure.  Either way, it disappeared and a 5-hour search this morning from first light was unsuccessful.  I shall continue to search, as I'm sure others will as, if accepted by the rarities panel, this will be a first for Hertfordshire (rather surprisingly).  An inland Lapland Bunting on the deck is a rare thing so re-locating it would be a very popular outcome.

Searching for the bunting did reveal a few other birds including at least 2 Corn Buntings with the flock of Skylarks, 6 Grey Partridge and 4 Crossbills.  Two males and a female of the latter species perched up in the tree by the ruin giving excellent views before flying over to the puddles on the track to drink.  They were only there briefly before they headed towards Symondshyde Great Wood where there is no doubt a resident flock this autumn .

In other news, the site has been fairly quiet but highlights included a male Brambling with the finch flock along the track on 16th-18th October.  Two Crossbills circled the site on 26th Oct and the juvenile Merlin was seen again in flight.

A drop in temperatures (albeit short-lived) on 23rd Oct saw 6 Green Sandpipers roost and Teal numbers increased to over 40 birds.  The Teal were also joined by an immature male Wigeon on various dates along with a few Shoveler.

Work at the site continues apace with land drainage completed in many sections and the worked areas quickly tilled and seeded by the farmers.  Attention has now turned to the main pit which is sadly being drained and exactly how much of that will be left remains to be seen.  'Enjoying it while it lasts' is the order of the day and the site is still playing host to a great variety of birds as the ground continues to be worked.

The month of June finished quietly as expected with much of the focus on resident breeding birds.

​The first Little Ringed Plover chicks (just 2) appeared on 17th from a nest that appeared initially to have been abandoned.  However, not so, and the heatwave may have accounted for the parent birds spending more time than usual off the eggs.

To date, just one chick survives but another nest nearby will hopefully fledge soon.  The parent birds are remarkably tenacious with the the fledged chicks' nest just metres away from quarry traffic digger tracks and the second nest on a beach frequently disturbed by bored youths and other visitors.

The latter part of June also saw a fair few Yellow Wagtail juveniles appear with at least 3 broods noted if not several more.  Another potential breeder - Corn Buntings - have also remained on site with at least 2 if not 3 birds favouring the middle pool area.

Up to 5 Green Sandpipers remained on site joined by a Common Sandpiper on 17th that was seen again on 27th & 29th.  The only other birds of note were 2 adult Grey Partridge seen on 14th and a lone Teal (an eclipse male) on 27th signalling the seasonal shift and joined by another on 30th.

July opened with a sense of autumn passage with a high count of at least 16 Little Ringed Plovers on site including 3 full-grown juveniles.  Undoubtedly part of a post-breeding dispersal with numbers returning to the usual 5-6 birds over the next few days.

Green Sandpiper numbers have stayed at up to 5 birds but it is hoped that among them might be a Wood Sandpiper soon!  A Hobby was seen on 4th along with the site's first Red-veined Darters (2) noted by visiting County Recorder for odonata species, Roy Woodward.

Along with the arrival of the Crossbills other birds seemed to be on the move too with 2 juvenile Stonechats appearing at the site.  Their appearance is in line with previous years and are likely to represent dispersing juveniles rather than locally bred birds.  A good passage of over 100 Swifts and 50 Swallows east was also noted and the Linnet flock increased from about 30 birds to well over 100.

The stage is set for Autumn passage so let's hope it's more exciting than the rather quiet Spring we've had!

May did not finish with a bang but nevertheless did hold some interest with a Cuckoo heard calling on 21st along with the arrival of 2 Common Sandpipers.  In line with annual movement of 'suspect' geese a very smart (unringed) Bar-headed Goose appeared on the same day along with a bona-fide ringed Oystercatcher.

Originating in central Asia and migrating across the Himalayas at extreme altitudes, it seems inconceivable that a wild Bar-headed Goose should ever make it to the UK.  This bird may simply be an escapee from a private collection or perhaps, a partially wild bird living as part of a feral population in the UK.  Regardless of its origins it was a very smart bird and first record for the site.  It follows the similar Snow Goose record of 2024.

The Oystercatcher sported a bright blue & yellow leg ring with white letters HE on it.  I was then able to identify this as a bird ringed by the Devon & Cornwall Wader Ringing Group on 13th Oct 2021 at Dawlish Warren on the Exe Estuary in Devon.  My sighting constitutes the only sighting away from that site and the first since Feb 2023.

It's interesting to see how far this bird has travelled and with some birds being re-sighted in Europe, who knows where it will go next?  The full history of the bird can be found here:  ​https://www.dcwrg.org.uk/recoveries/oystercatcher/bird/GBT-FJ28711 

The last Common Sandpiper was seen on 24th May but the next day 2 more Ringed Plovers appeared and another Oystercatcher on 31st May.  Another Ringed Plover was also present on 28th May.

On 27th May a new brood of Mandarin Ducks appeared - a mother with 10 new ducklings in tow.  Lapwing chicks were first seen on 21st with at least 3 Lapwing broods proved by the end of the month.

A Lesser Whitethroat was heard singing on the last day of May and a pair of Egyptian Geese were noted - one of 3 pairs that have frequented the site this Spring.

The first few weeks of June saw a trickle of waders with more Ringed Plover (2 on 4th & 1 on 10th), 2 more Oystercatchers on 6th and a Dunlin on 2nd.  At least 3 pairs of Little Ringed Plovers continue to display around the site but as yet there has been no evidence of breeding.

Disturbance at critical moments may have not helped the Little Ringed Plovers this year with an unwelcome visit from a walker with 4 off-lead dogs and untimely ploughing by the farmer.  There is enough space on site so hopefully pairs will breed successfully in due course.

On cue with previous years, a Corn Bunting was singing on the wires along the track on 11th and then seen singing at the back of the main weedy area on 13th.  Hopefully a mate will be found and breeding will get underway again.

Both Mandarin Ducks and Lapwing have continued to be successful with a third brood of Mandarin ducklings appearing on 11th June and a fourth brood of 2 further Lapwing chicks the next day.

Of course, as June progresses, thoughts of autumn migration begin to creep in!  June is a turning point in the migration calendar and first back are the Green Sandpipers.  Almost before we began to expect them, 5 Green Sandpipers arrived on 13th - a very typical date for their return.  At least one bird was colour-ringed and studies have shown that they can make the journey from Scandinavia in one non-stop flight!

A Hobby was also hunting over the pits on 13th and 2 Grey Partridges were flushed near the ruin.  One of the partridges looked very small and could have been a juvenile.

A Meadow Pipit was feeding along the new tree planting area which renewed hopes that there might still be a breeding pair on site - although this was the first bird seen since the dog disturbance.

Elsewhere around the site insect life has exploded with a good variety of odonata including recently Emperor Dragonflies, Four-spotted Chasers and Black-tailed Skimmers.  The first Marbled White butterfly was noted on 13th along with another Painted Lady butterly.

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.

Despite the cold and quiet past few weeks of February little signs of Spring are beginning to creep in to view.  Easterlies have dominated the month so far with temperatures struggling to get above 5 degrees Celsius.  The cold, overcast conditions have not proved conducive to early Spring passage but finally, mid-month, it feels like we may be on the brink of Spring.

The sun actually came out yesterday and this coming week promises a new and warmer weather system.  By the last few years' standard, returning Oystercatchers are now officially late but little clues to early movement have appeared.  Today the lone and patient Coot was joined by another - I assume they can now get to the business of courtship and nest-building but I'm sure challengers will arrive!

Tufted Ducks have returned with numbers now up to 13 birds and just yesterday, 3 Mandarin Ducks arrived with 5 today.  Despite their love of parkland pools with mature trees for their nests these ducks seem to really enjoy the bare gravel pits and appear to find plenty to nibble at on the stony ground.

Wildfowl numbers in general have fluctuated and never seem to have recovered from the shooting onslaught unleashed by the farmer on his pet Mallards.  Unfortunately, the more savvy wild ducks are quick to leave and while occasionally visiting soon vacate the site once they spot human visitors.  These have included around 30 Wigeon, similar numbers of Shoveler, a few Gadwall, a single male Teal and female Pochard.

Other regulars have included the 2-3 pairs of Stonechats, 2 Green Sandpipers and varying numbers of Egyptian Geese arriving to roost in the evenings.  A high count of 24 birds was noted on 5th Feb.  A Chiffchaff was also foraging with the Stonechats on 5th.

Highlights of the first few weeks of February include 2 Jack Snipe flushed along with 10 Common Snipe on 10th Feb and an adult Yellow-legged Gull on 4th Feb.  A Little Owl was also calling from its usual area on 5th and a Little Egret was noted on 1st Feb.  A Great Crested Grebe on 8th Feb and a pair of Grey Partridge on 9th were also new for the site year list.  With a pair of Red-legged Partridge seen on 15th the site total now stands at a healthy 85 for 2025.

One final highlight of the month so far has been the continuing sighting of Marsh Harriers with a wing-tagged bird on 13th and a male on 14th.  The male has been presumed to be an immature - possibly a 3rd calendar year bird - with contrasting underwing and dark trailing edge to it wings.  However, it does not appear to be the same as a similar bird seen in November 2024 that had darker wings with dark ends to its tail feathers.  In addition a full adult male was seen on 26th June last year along with a juvenile and female bird.  Assuming some of the sightings are of the same birds it seems that there may have been 5-6 individuals involved over the last 12 months.  With records in every month for a whole year it seems to bode well for a possible breeding attempt somewhere in the area at some point.

Below are 4 of the birds seen over the last year:

Having recently been introduced to a paper on Marsh Harrier identification I am less sure about ageing Marsh Harriers as the paper suggests it is nigh on impossible!  The paper can be found here and makes for interesting reading.

Whatever the case, hopefully these birds will continue to be seen in the area and one day stay to breed.

Late November proved to be quite a quiet period at the pits so just a few highlights to mention along with the usual increase in wintering wildfowl and Lapwing numbers (c200).

The 19th saw the arrival of a lone Barnacle Goose that stayed until 26th Nov.  The day before a Marsh Harrier put in an appearance while a Great White Egret flew over on 29th but did not land.

The real highlight came on 28th Nov with a male Pintail gracing the far end of the main pit.  It's been a good year for Pintail records at the site with this being the 4th record this year involving 10 different birds.  The bird remained to the end of the month and on to 1st Dec.

Scraping the barrel a bit but 3 Grey Partridge put in a reappearance along with 7 Red-legged Partridge - perhaps heralding further releases.  New game feeding stations are also in evidence so their days could be numbered!

A highlight for me was a particularly beautiful evening on 28th Nov when the Barn Owl chose to sit out in its recently adopted hole.

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.