I'd like to say that it's been a manic few weeks trying to keep up with all the arriving Spring migrants but the opposite is true!  Instead, in the face of high pressure weather systems, at time bringing strong winds and freezing temperatures, not much has arrived.

It would be easy to blame the impoverished pits with water almost entirely drained from the main pit and much reduced decent habitat than in previous years but, truth be told, it's been a fairly slow start throughout the County.  Any sign of movement has therefore been very welcome and the last couple of weeks have seen some further new arrivals.

For me, the headline species has been the 2 male Wheatears that arrived yesterday in strong, freezing winds and are still present today.  They are such smart birds with their grey backs, white rumps and peachy-cream breasts adding a welcome bit of colour to the pits.  They join the Little Ringed Plovers (up to 9 on 24th) as the first arrivals from Africa.

Another hint at movement came on 23rd with the arrival of the first White Wagtail of the year - a smart male - and it or another bird were present again today.

This evening the first 2 Swallows flew through the site, committed to a westerly flight path and not, it seems, tempted to linger at the diminished pits.  Unusually they have beaten the Sand Martins to it and we still await the latter birds' arrival.

Two other highlights stand out from the last couple of weeks.  Firstly, a male Stonechat appeared on 22nd and promptly set about singing - a rare sound in Herts and begs the question whether this species might consider breeding.  Sadly, something which the bird will not know is that the habitat from which it sings is ear-marked for destruction come mid-April.  A second bird was also present with both males being seen again on 24th and a single male again today.

The second highlight came this evening with a singing Little Owl - another sound that I must admit I haven't heard much before.  A mournful, hooting call made at regular intervals, quite unlike the usual sharp 'qwick' call that usually alerts me to their presence.  It is the first record at the site this year and indeed for a little while since their original nest tree was blown over in a storm.  Hopefully the singing indicates that there is a female nearby and that breeding may be resumed at the site this year.

In other bird news from the site, a variety of wildfowl remain in small numbers - up to 10 Gadwall, a few Tufted Ducks, up to 9 Shoveler and possibly as many as 15 Teal.  A few Mallards linger along with at least 6 Coots and 2 or 3 Moorhens.  At least 3 Little Grebes continue to pop up on any of the waterbodies while 6 Egyptian Geese and a few Canada Goose pairs have lingered.  Noticeable by their scarcity this year are the Mandarin Ducks with just one pair resting on the middle pool island on 21st and again on 23rd.  A pair flew over this evening too but did not land.

Migrant waders have yet to appear (aside from the Little Ringed Plovers) with Dunlin, Redshank and Ringed Plover all expected together with an increasing range of possibilities as April unfolds.  But will they still find the site attractive I wonder?  At least 2 regular Green Sandpipers continue to use the site with a further 3 birds flying through on 23rd.  A high count of 6 Jack Snipe on 13th was nice but, with the flooded fields drying out, the count was down to 2 on 21st.  At least 30 Common Snipe were flushed on 24th - surely another potential breeder if the marshy habitat was preserved.  Encouragingly, at least 6 pairs of Lapwing seem to be taking up territory on the rough ground areas so hopefully they will follow through to breeding success.

Small flocks of about 50-100 Fieldfares remain around the site with the occasional smaller flock of Redwings passing through.  Other signs of passage included fluctuating numbers of Meadow Pipits and 5 Siskins through on 13th with singles at other times.  Crossbills seem to have vacated Symondshyde Woods now but we may still get the odd passage birds.

With the first Swallows through this evening, eyes will be to the skies for more passage birds but for now I will content myself with this Raven that flew through this evening!

With the recent additions the site year list now stands at 89 species - poised to receive all the summer migrants over the next month!

A few days earlier than last year but bang on schedule a Little Ringed Plover appeared on the mud this last Sunday 8th March. Such a welcome sight as it represents the first true migrant from African shores.  It vanished the next day but today there were 3 on site.

Whether they will find the site suitable for breeding this year is another matter. Work to 'restore' the remaining rough areas of the site to arable farmland is set to commence in mid-April - probably before these birds have settled into breeding.  Hopefully they will find a suitable corner, possibly in the remaining workings, but I shall be keeping a close eye on any established nests!

The damp, misty weather on Sunday also felt right for a Rock Pipit to drop in and while I was convinced I heard one I could not locate it.  I did however find one at nearby Coursers GPs so my hunch was correct.

A Great Crested Grebe spent the day of 4th March on the main pit - a scarce visitor but annual around this time of year.  The evening before a small flock of 27 Golden Plover flew south over the site and a few days later, on 7th, two were present on the mud for the morning.

A lovely warm evening on 5th March saw me linger late till dusk while I enjoyed great views of a hunting Sparrowhawk and then a real site rarity in the form of a Roe Deer, sneaking down the the water in the last light.  A Noctule Bat also came out and hunted over the site along with at least one presumed Daubenton's Bat.

Up to 5 Shoveler have visited the middle pool on and off while at least 2 Green Sandpipers have been seen regularly.  The flooded areas seem to contain many snipe with up to 4 Jack Snipe flushed and a peak count of at least 33 Snipe yesterday.

Spring is definitely in the air with foraging bees and a noticeable increase in midges along the track - all good fodder for the approaching hirundines hopefully!  Some notable absences so far this year in the form of Mandarin Ducks, Shelduck and Oystercatchers but there is still plenty of time for these to show up.  A pair of Mandarin Ducks did fly high over the site on 8th but declined to land.  Will we see the same numbers at the site as in previous years or will they turn their beaks up at the newly restored farmland?

The site year list has progressed to 86 species and no doubt this is set to grow with the imminent arrival of Spring migrants.  Hopefully there'll be some good ones!

Rather than write a lengthy review of 2025 I thought I'd simply summarise in a paragraph or two...

Despite misgivings about the future of the site at the start of the year, 2025 proved to be one of, if not the, best years on record with 134 species recorded over the whole year - 3 up on last year.

An additional 7 new species were added over the course of the year taking the all-time total to 163 species.  March saw the addition of a smart summer-plumaged Black-necked Grebe followed on 13th April by a distant Purple Heron part of an influx into the country that week.  An overdue Crossbill became the first known record for the site on 6th July with many more arriving later in the year.  September saw the addition of a stunning male Redstart on 14th followed by the discovery of a Dartford Warbler on 21st - one of several that appeared in the County from autumn onwards.  The year saved the best to last however with a Pectoral Sandpiper found on 1st October that lingered a few days and then a Lapland Bunting on 4th November.  If accepted, the latter would be a first for the County.

The year also saw the addition of two new 'escapees' that fall short of truly wild status: an Alexandrine Parakeet on 13th Jan and a Bar-headed Goose on 21st May.  Both very smart birds and worthy of note regardless of their status.

Once again the New Year presents a very different site from that of January 2025.  Much of the worked gravel areas and open water have gone with just 3 key pools remaining.  These are also subject to reduction by pumping and still their future remains uncertain.  Elsewhere most of the land has been returned to arable/sheep-grazing fields, divided up by new fencing and presumably eventually hedgerow planting.

All of this means that it is likely that the site will not be as attractive to birds as it once was but while areas continue to be disturbed and worked there is hope.  Whether Little Ringed Plovers and Sand Martins will still find areas to nest in remains to be seen but based on other restored sites around St Albans it seems unlikely.

As well as the so-called 'restoration' work another dynamic seems to be at play.  The latest tool in the developer's arsenal - Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) credits - have meant that areas such as Stanborough GPs may well form part of a 'BNG Habitat Bank'. Developers elsewhere (anywhere!) can purchase 'offsite' BNG units thereby fulfilling their obligations to increase biodiversity.  They must be able to demonstrate a minimum 10% uplift in biodiversity (not much really) so to make it even easier it is best if the banked habitat is degraded first so its low biodiversity can be quickly and cheaply 'upgraded'.  The lower the biodiversity the higher the value to a prospective developer looking to offset the destruction elsewhere caused by their development.  Such cynical calculations may well be the justification for the degrading of Stanborough GPs witnessed over the last few years, rather than the embracing of its already excellent biodiversity.

Perhaps the ray of hope is that, in time, the biodiversity of the site will be uplifted, but I suspect in a very 'managed' way producing a shadow biodiversity, a poor imitation of a truly re-wilded state.  Some hope may also be held in the identification of the site in the new Local Nature Recovery Strategy as ear-marked for wetland habitats.  Only time will tell but history is not encouraging on this front and I, for one, struggle to feel too optimistic!​

Many of the birds present at the end of 2025 are still on site, including at least one Jack Snipe and some Common Snipe too.  Three Wigeon appeared on 10th and rose to 7 on 12th.  An adult Yellow-legged Gull was a nice find in the gull flock on 10th and was followed by a first-winter bird on 16th.  The same day also saw the French-ringed Great Black-backed Gull first seen at Coursers GPs further south join the gulls in the sheep field.  A species that was not recorded at Stanborough last year and in generally very scarce in the County.

Another highlight of the New Year so far has been the continuing presence of Crossbills in Symondshyde Great Wood.  With good numbers still present in the woods it means they occasionally venture into Stanborough GPs boundaries with a flyover flock of at least 10 on 13th and at least 3 birds in trees bordering the site on 16th.  As they gather to leave for their breeding grounds I'm sure there'll be more records for the site too.

At least 2 Barn Owls are in the box while a Green Sandpiper has been frequenting the site as has a Little Grebe.  Other site faithfuls include up to 5 pairs of Stonechat over the whole site and a flock of c.100 Lapwing roosting on the workings.  As yet Golden Plover are yet to appear in any numbers but this seems true of other regular sites too.  A family party of 3 Mute Swans has been visiting regularly and, while wildfowl numbers are almost non-existent, a flock of at least 60 Teal were present on the middle pool on 16th.

​To date, the site year list has reached 60 species with plenty more (hopefully) still to come.  Late January can see the start of late winter movements as birds get ready to depart - perhaps evidenced today (16th) in the increase in Meadow Pipits on site.

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.

While the search for the recent Pectoral Sandpiper proved predictably fruitless it did however yield some nice autumn birds.  I'll take these as consolation prizes and proof that it's worth keeping looking.

First up, were 4 Stonechats followed by a late first-winter Wheatear enjoying the newly dug drainage pipe mounds.  Skylarks and Meadow Pipits continue to move through the site along with an increasing number of Reed Buntings.  Three Little Grebes continue to frequent the deep pool along with a Grey Wagtail and it was while observing this latter bird that I notice the star bird of the day - a Rock Pipit!

A pretty scarce bird in the county, Stanborough Gravel Pits does well for this species with Rock Pipits visiting annually and this the second record of the year following a Spring bird on 16th March.  In classic form, it crept along the edge of water, taking a bath at one point before preening on the bank.

Some photos of the Rock Pipit with a video of it preening below.

I mentioned the Wheatear enjoying the newly dug drainage pipes and this work represents another major step in the site's 'restoration' to farmland.  Many hundreds of metres of perforated pipe are being laid underground every 20 metres or so on all the slopes.  These then feed into main drain pipes that will take run-off water to both the main pit and deep pit.

While the work is fascinating to watch I can't help feeling that an awful lot of plastic is being buried in the soil and that good old-fashioned ditches might have been a more environmentally suitable solution.  Whether these drains work long-term or not remains to be seen and hopefully some water-logged areas will remain for over-wintering Snipe and Jack Snipe.

The first week and a half of March saw some much warmer weather with temperatures reaching a heady 18 degrees Celsius.  South-easterlies also felt promising but those elusive Spring migrants are still awaited.  New planting has begun (following and perhaps prompted by the recent hedge destruction) and hopefully new good habitat will grow up along the track bank in time.

​Despite the lack of Spring migrants a few highlights have headlined the period and are indicative of the changing season.  New for the year, a Shelduck appeared for one day on 2nd and another 2 on 11th.  Also new for the year, up to 3 Barn Owls have been present on site with one regularly hunting the back of the turnip field.

The real highlight came today, along with the 2 Shelduck, in the form of 2 Redshank feeding along the edge of the main pit.  Hopefully harbingers of more wader passage and certainly an expected arrival in early Spring.  Along with the Shelduck and Barn Owls, they take the site year total to 89.  The first White Wagtail of the year was also with the Pied Wagtail flock.

The last half of February proved very quiet with little to report and many of the same birds present.  However, a returning Oystercatcher arrived on 23rd and stayed until the next day - a welcome boost to morale as Spring tarries!

The site would appear suitable for them to breed but, being relatively new habitat and in constant flux, the site may not hold enough food for them.  Either way, the Oystercatcher brings this year's site total to 86.  Other wading species were in short supply with a maximum count of 11 Snipe flushed on 20th along with 2 Jack Snipe - presumably the same birds recorded earlier in the year.  Up to 80 Lapwing remained in the area along with 2 Green Sandpipers favouring the long drainage pit as usual.

An adult Yellow-legged Gull joined the gull roost on 23rd and appeared to be a different bird to the one on 4th being a heavier, possibly male, bird.

Wildfowl numbers have fluctuated, presumably in response to varying levels of disturbance at the site.  Mandarin Duck numbers have grown to 12 birds with Wigeon fluctuating between 20 to 50 birds.  A noticeable influx of Teal occurred with a peak of c150 on 24th but all virtually gone by the end of the week.  Tufted Duck numbers also peaked at 19 birds on 24th and varying numbers of Shoveler (max 21) and Gadwall (max 10) were present.  A single Pochard visited on 22nd while a Little Grebe has been seen on a couple of occasions.

Two Great Crested Grebes were present on 26th and 2 Coot remain on site.  Another Little Egret made a brief appearance on 23rd.  Perhaps more noticeable on site has been the flocks of birds gathering to feed in the large sheep fields.  Common Gulls have been passing through with the flock peaking at about 300 birds on 20th.  The most dramatic flocks have been the Woodpigeons with some Stock Doves and Jackdaws mixed in.  Several flocks of around 1,000 birds commute between the surrounding fields and virtually cover the crop when they land!

A smaller flock of c100 Fieldfares also remains in the field. These flocks of course attract predators and 2 Peregrines have continue to visit the site but, as yet, no Merlin.  Last year's wing-tagged Buzzard has reappeared and at least 2 Ravens have been seen flying over the site on a few occasions.  Another noticeable change - very much in line with previous years - is the growing flocks of Pied Wagtails and Meadow Pipits visiting the water's edge.  Hopefully these in time will harbour White Wagtails and maybe some scarcer pipits.

Passerine activity is more noticeable with the approach of Spring and both Yellowhammers and Reed Buntings are now singing on site.  They will hopefully breed but one major set-back for all passerines has been the sudden removal of the willow hedge between the ruin and Symondshyde Farm.  Aside from providing shelter and nesting opportunities for many birds the hedge-line also provided a valuable corridor into an otherwise shrub-less site.  The track between the hedges also held a variety of butterflies not found elsewhere on site.  It is not clear why the hedge was ripped out and hopefully it will be allowed to re-grow but equally it may be ploughed in and replaced with a fence.  A real loss at the very start of the breeding season.

The good news is that March has arrived and with it the promise of Spring migrants.  We'll hopefully soon have the calls of Little Ringed Plovers on site with Sand Martins and Swallows overhead.  Last year March saw some excellent birds so let's see what this year brings!

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.

Two weeks into the year and the Stanborough Gravel Pits year list has climbed to a healthy 60 or so species.  New Year's day saw terrible wet and windy weather and yet a few of the regular species could be found - Green Sandpipers, Stonechats, Wigeon and the a Little Grebe.

The highlight of the day was a lone Golden Plover battling low against the wind and rain.  A larger group of nearly 30 were then seen on 9th with 3 on the field near the model airstrip.  A Marsh Harrier put in an appearance on 6th and a Jack Snipe was flushed on 12th.  An unusual sighting on 13th was an Alexandrine Parakeet flying over the site with the regular flocks of Ring-necked Parakeets.

Freezing conditions gripped the pits in the second week of the year and the main pit froze over save for a small pool.  While wildfowl numbers weren't as high as expected a surprise aspect of the freeze was a big increase in Mute Swans with 26 on 12th.

The first really good bird of the year appeared (albeit distantly) on 16th in the form of a Short-eared Owl.  Not recorded in 2024 it is really pleasing to get one in the first winter period.  It appeared to come up from near Cromer Hyde Farm where owls were present in 2023 but headed off NW gaining height all the time.  Hopefully it won't be the last sighting this year.  

The year finished with a variety of highlights - mostly interesting birds that lingered or reappeared and one final new species for the year in the form of 2 Jack Snipe flushed on 27th December along with at least 6 Common Snipe.  Good to know they are still visiting the site and they take the site total to 131 for the year.

A Little Owl was in its usual hole (pictured) on 7th December however, the next day, Storm Darragh brought its tree down and the hole now sits just a foot above the ground!  Subsequent visits have revealed new droppings at the lowered hole suggesting the Little Owl may have continued to visit the hole despite its toppling.

On the water, wildfowl numbers grew with at least 20 each of Shoveler and Gadwall and the occasional single Tufted Duck and Pochard.  Diving ducks seem to have pretty well vacated the site this month but the male Pintail stayed on until at least 29th Dec while Wigeon numbers peaked at 55+ mid-month.  At least one Little Grebe remains faithful to the deep pit.

The Caspian Gull reappeared on 24th along with an adult Yellow-legged Gull, the former then staying with the gull roost until 28th.

The immature male Marsh Harrier put in an appearance on 18th while a lone Golden Plover flew around the site on 26th.  Otherwise it was business as usual with up to 4 Green Sandpipers remaining on site and a flock of c80 Lapwings split between the deep pit and the new workings scrape.  At least 4 Stonechat stayed on the weedy areas while the 100-strong flock of Linnet continued to enjoy the seed-heads on the restored areas.

A final highlight, particularly as they don't seem to common this winter, were 3 Lesser Redpolls (soon to be demoted to simply 'Redpolls') that were feeding on the alders along the Coopers Green Lane border.