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.

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.

September and October proved to be very quiet as far as autumn migrants were concerned and in that respect a little disappointing.  However, on a positive note, heavy rainfall quickly re-filled the main pit and other areas such that plenty of open water with muddy margins still remains.  In addition, quarrying operations have by and large ceased for the winter period leaving the site relatively undisturbed and ready for anything that might be passing.

There have been some highlights however - the best perhaps being an adult Mediterranean Gull (first for the site this year) that joined the gull flock on 8th Oct.  The gull flock also attracted an adult Yellow-legged Gull on 26th Sep.  A flyover Great White Egret on 30th Sep took the site total for the year to 127 species.

Marsh Harriers continue to visit the site with the possibility of up to 3 different birds - a juvenile, a young male and a female.  Single records came from 30th Sep, 8th & 16th October.  Saturday 2nd Oct saw 3 Ringed Plovers visit briefly which, along with arriving Lapwing (62 on 21st Oct), Common Snipe (10+ on 11th Oct) and up to 3 virtually resident Green Sandpipers, were the only waders recorded in October.

Summer migrants had pretty well gone by the end of September with the last Swallow seen on 11th October.  The last Hobby was seen on 30th Sep and a Wheatear was present on 28th Sep with House and Sand Martins having gone early in September.  The usual winter arrivals have taken their place with at least 3 pairs of Stonechats regularly on site and a few Teal, Shoveler, Gadwall and Tufted Ducks making an appearance, albeit in very low numbers.  Sep 24th saw the first 2 Wigeon with 3 together on 5th Oct.

Perhaps the highlight for me has been a Barn Owl that has sat out in full view on a number of evenings, preening and stretching before heading out to hunt.  Hopefully, the pits will see some more action soon - there's plenty of possibilities, among them Rock Pipit, Black Redstart, Short-eared Owls and, of course, rarer geese or swans.

August is underway and expectations have risen with each day that passes for this is the month of movement!  Or at least we hope so!

The pits are sadly being rapidly filled in and re-landscaped but open water with muddy edges remain not to mention the scrubby areas and arable land.  Longer term heavy rain may restore some water areas but in the meantime hopefully the autumn will bring some good birds.

Today the first Common Gull - a juvenile - was with the growing numbers of Black-headed Gulls and a bright yellowy Willow Warbler was along the track.  Both are signs that birds are moving through, albeit just a trickle at the moment.  In addition, the first Ringed Plover of the autumn made an appearance and at least one Common Sandpiper remains on site with up to 3 in recent days.  Unusual in previous years, 2 Common Tern have been visiting the site most days - an adult with a juvenile bird.

The last few weeks have seen a good passage of both Green Sandpipers (up to 9) and Common Sandpipers along with a single Dunlin on 2nd Aug. In addition a couple of Barnacle Geese have been regularly with the Canada Goose flock along with up to 17 Egyptian Geese.  At least 2 different Marsh Harriers have been visiting the site and sightings may constitute even more birds if they are just passing through.  Up to 3 Hobbies and a Peregrine have also spent time hunting over the site, stirring up the flocks of other birds as they go.

June is a busy month at the pits for breeding birds with many farmland birds finding the site attractive.  This year an oil-seed rape crop has been buzzing with life supporting not just many insects but breeding pairs of Reed Bunting, Whitethroat and Skylarks.  The field has also attracted surprisingly large flocks (for this time year) of Yellowhammer (20+) and Linnet (60+).

The month as also seen a couple of Hobby visiting the site, at least 2 Corn Buntings singing from the weedy field margins and several pairs of Yellow Wagtails raising young.  Pied Wagtails seem to have had a particularly good season with juvenile birds almost everywhere you look!

At least 4 pairs of Little Ringed Plover have successfully hatched young although it is not clear how many went on to fledge.  A pair of Ringed Plover, once a Herts breeding species, lingered to the middle of the month giving hope that they might breed but the last bird departed on 16th.

Both Little Owls and Barn Owls have nests on site and the Barn Owls have raised at least one chick and probably more.  In addition, a Cuckoo seen on 28th gives hope that they may too have bred nearby.  At least 3 singing males were present in the Spring and may well have bred around the Symondshyde Farm end of the site.

Some species appear not have faired so well this season such as Lapwing that, despite being present on site most days, don't seem to have taken advantage of the seemingly perfect habitat.  Sand Martins also seemed to adopt a number of holes from last year but haven't raised young from them.  That said, they remain in good numbers on site so may have bred nearby.