 Newly hatched Lapwing chick Late May highlightsMay 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 Bar-headed Goose on 21st May 2025 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.  The colour-ringed Oystercatcher on 21st May 2025 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 Oystercatcher's ringing history 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. Early June highlightsThe 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.  2 sleepy Oystercatchers on 6th June 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.  This Little Ringed Plover looked settled on a nest but sadly the field was ploughed shortly after! 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.  Hobby on 13th June 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.  Meadow Pipit on 13th June 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. Black-tailed Skimmer & Painted Lady butterfly on 13th June
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 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! A short video clip of the hunting Marsh Harrier on 26th April 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. Common Sandpiper & Wheatear 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. Green Sandpiper & Greenshank 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. Clockwise from top left: Great Crested Grebe, White Wagtail, Meadow Pipit & Yellow Wagtail 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.  Swifts flying in tandem post copulation! While many birds are still getting underway with breeding there have been some early successes with a female Mallard appearing with 7 ducklings (now sadly down to just 2) and a pair of Canada Geese with 6 new goslings. Hopefully they are the first of many fledglings with at least 7 pairs of Lapwing on site and the Mandarin Ducks vanished to the woods to hopefully return with offspring. With the new additions the site bird list stands at 114 species for the year. 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.  A Small Copper Butterfly on 1st May  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.  Adult Yellow-legged Gull on 23rd Feb 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! Woodpigeons feeding on the turnip tops 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.  Wing-tagged Common Buzzard - tagged in the nest in nearby Hatfield Park 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!  Red-legged Partridge on 24th Feb  You always know it's been a quiet end to the month when Coot headlines the blog! However, this bird that turned up on 31st Jan is the first one of the year and signals the start of some spring movement of birds. Many more will follow and, hopefully as in years gone by, will breed at the site. The last half of January was quiet but the site list grew steadily to 77 by the month end with singing Mistle Thrush added and 3 Pochard on 31st. A pair of Pintail on 24th was a nice surprise along with 55 Wigeon, 27 Gadwall and a few Shoveler. A pair of Peregrine were also in the big field on that day and at least 5 Stonechats were on site.  Peregrine on 24th Jan 2025 The regular immature male Marsh Harrier came through the site on 31st whilst the Skylark flock has held at about 50-60 birds along with up to 200 Fieldfares. Mute Swan numbers have fluctuated but tend to be around 15 birds and Lapwing numbers have varied from 30 to 100 birds. A couple of Green Sandpipers continue to favour the site, commuting between the long drainage pit and pools in the arable fields across the road. Gulls continue to provide a bit of interest although the 3rd winter Caspian Gull seems to now be favouring Tyttenhanger Gravel Pits a few miles away. A possible adult Caspian was present on 29th but at distance it wasn't possible to be 100% sure and, despite the nice clean head and darker grey mantle, I couldn't rule out a hybrid bird. Some video-grabs of the possible adult Caspian Gull on 29th Jan 2025 On the passerine front, Linnet, Goldfinch and Chaffinch numbers have dwindled and only about 20-30 Meadow Pipits are in evidence. A couple of Reed Buntings have also been mixed in with the flock along the track. February beckons and with it the hope of some migrant waders arriving at the site - hopefully Oystercatchers but maybe also Dunlin and Redshank.
 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.  The 3rd winter Caspian Gull 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. The White Stork (photo from off-site) & the Snow Goose 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.  Grey Plover Other highlights in 2024 included more records of Pintail than in previous years and many more records of Marsh Harriers with up to 3 different individuals visiting the site throughout the year. The presence of these birds begs the question as to whether they will attempt to breed in the near future - either at the site or in the St Albans area. An Osprey on 5th April was the only record for the year while up to 4 Scandinavian Rock Pipits were on site from 11th-13th March. A Black Redstart on 9th November was a welcome late autumn visitor too. Osprey & Black Redstart 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. Looking ahead to 2025...So what will 2025 hold? The site restoration work is scheduled to continue in the Spring and it is unclear how the site will eventually look. It is hoped that bodies of water will remain with attractive margins for birds. As to the longer term management of the site, that is unclear. Without any management successional growth would stifle the site and remove the scraped areas attractive to birds such as waders, not least the breeding Little Ringed Plovers. Disturbance is also a concern, not just from quarry work but also from increased shooting by the local farmer. The sighting of a fleeing fox before a fox-hunting group with horses and hounds was also a worrying development. Only time will tell but the site remains a fantastic opportunity to create a nature reserve should the landowner and land-managers be so minded. It also functions as an important flood-management system, storing water that would otherwise put pressure on the river and drainage system. The site awaits a vision and hopefully, when there is one, it will recognise the high-value of the site for birds and wider nature.  An unwelcome sight at Stanborough Gravel Pits on 5th Dec 2024 Bird-wise, hopefully 2025 will deliver the same excitement of the last few years. Some notable holes in the site list exist such as Curlew Sandpiper, Spotted Redshank, Common Redstart, Pied Flycatcher, Hawfinch and Crossbill among others. Will 2025 see these added? We shall have to wait and see...! *Attentive readers will note that this is one down on the previous published total as Ruddy Shelduck was removed from the list as a species not yet accepted on to the official Herts List. The status of Ruddy Shelduck in the UK is currently under review by the BOU (British Ornithologists Union) but the outcome of that review is still pending. Instead, the species must be relegated to the "Escapes & Introductions" category as a non-wild bird.
 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.  The toppled Little Owl tree 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. From left to right: the 3rd winter Caspian Gull, the Caspian Gull showing primary wing pattern & the adult Yellow-legged Gull 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. Lesser Redpolls
 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.  Barnacle Goose 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.  After a quiet autumn period the first week of November saw some welcome variety with a steady trickle of migrant birds visiting the site. Unsurprisingly, easterly winds dominated the period and, as usual, seemed to change things up. A male Marsh Harrier on 3rd Nov seemed to herald a few arrivals - 3 Wigeon that increased to 4 on 7th, at least 5 Golden Plover flying around the site and a huge flock of 400+ Linnet in the fields. In addition, a peak count of 8+ Common Snipe on 3rd joined up to 6 Green Sandpipers, a flock of 60+ Lapwing and up to 3 pairs of Stonechat around the site. The young male Marsh Harrier hunting at the far end of main pit The 4th Nov saw the arrival of a Dunlin and the 5th a smart adult female Shelduck. The Barn Owl was also back at its hole that evening.  An adult Yellow-legged Gull joined the afternoon roost on 6th November. The gulls seem to like the newly scraped exposed mud on the edge of the deep pit. The area also looks good for waders and maybe will be as the ground matures and provides more invertebrate food. The main pit however is clearly still attractive to waders with a Redshank appearing on 8th Nov.  Adult Yellow-legged Gull on 6th Nov  A distant view of the Redshank on 8th Nov The real highlight of the week however came on 9th Nov with the discovery of a smart male Black Redstart that spent the day hopping around the newly formed earth bank along the track. While it had gone the next day many local birders were able to see it and it becomes #128 for the site year list. A few more shots of the obliging Black Redstart on 9th Nov While the Black Redstart charmed another bird puzzled - appearing to be the site's first Caspian Gull, closer scrutiny suggested it may have been a hybrid with a Herring Gull. The bird gave a very 'Caspian' vibe with its bulk, extremely long legs and white head. It also had a nice white underwing and clean black tail band in flight. However, small notches on its tertial feathers, heavily chequered inner greater coverts and heavy anchor-marked scapulars suggested at least some Herring Gull influence. Despite the bird's stand-out 'presence' among the other gulls it sadly does not make it on to the site list. It surely must soon though!  Putative 1st winter Caspian Gull on 9th Nov that appeared to be a Herring-Caspian Gull hybrid. Regardless of the disappointing outcome the Caspian-type gull provided further education on the pitfalls of gull ID and the challenge of pinning down pure species. Equally, the first week of November was by no means disappointing and delivered a welcome variety of birds to spice things up after a dull autumn!
 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.  A poor photo of the adult winter Mediterranean Gull on 8th Oct 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.  Wigeon  2nd cal year male Marsh Harrier on 26th June June is the pivotal month of the year when the compass swings slowly round from bringing us Spring migrants from the South to bringing us back Autumn migrants from the North. As the last Ringed Plovers of Spring departed the first returning Green Sandpiper appeared on 15th with up to 3 birds on site subsequently. Little Ringed Plover numbers also grew to at least 17 birds on 23rd June with apparent new arrivals from off site. Lapwing numbers have also swelled during the month and the first Shoveler and pair of Teal appeared on 26th. June 4th saw a young (2nd calendar year) Yellow-legged Gull on the deep pit - a species we will no doubt see more of as the the year progresses.  2nd cal year Yellow-legged Gull on 4th June The anticipated wader 'drop-ins' began with an Oystercatcher on 15th followed by a Redshank on 20th. Hopefully July will bring more waders and maybe a site tick in the from of a Spotted Redshank or Curlew Sandpiper!
A Great White Egret on 24th was the first for the year while a young male Marsh Harrier (pictured) briefly quartered the main pit weedy area on 26th. This latter species has seen a huge increase in records over the last few years and maybe in time we'll see our first breeding pair. |
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