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.

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

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

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

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

The first couple of weeks of April are almost done and I'd like to report some amazing sightings but somehow this usually peak period has drifted by quietly.  A settled area of high pressure has brought beautifully clear days with a, at times, strong and chilly east wind.  Rain and cloud cover have been non-existent and it feels as if these missing ingredients have resulted in a lack of migrant birds.  Either birds are backing up waiting to arrive or are flying over, high in the clear skies, not needing to make the usual pitstops.  That said, a steady trickle of migrants has kept things interesting if not exciting.

Full of promise and headlining the period was a stunning male Blue-headed (Yellow) Wagtail of the European race flava.  Found at the pits on 27th March the bird hung around for a couple of days giving many people the chance to view and photograph it.  A perfect picture of Spring the bird suggested the start of something special but actually heralded a quiet few weeks!

While it feels the main influx of Spring migrants has yet to come, prior to the wagtail's arrival, there had been some movement with some expected arrivals in the from of Sand Martins and Swallows​ on 21st Mar.  A Wheatear was found at nearby Nashe's Farm on the same day but it wasn't until 24th that one appeared in the big field at Stanborough GPs.  A further 3 birds were then seen on 5th & 6th April.  A slow passage for this species, especially given the seemingly ideal habitat at the pits.

An Oystercatcher also put in an appearance on 21st along with another Mediterranean Gull and a Little Egret.  The evening finished with a distant circling Marsh Harrier.

Two Dunlin were present on 22nd along with a singing Firecrest while a lone Golden Plover was seen flying around on 23rd & 24th Mar and then a flock of around 50 seen flying over on 27th. A single bird then appeared again on 5th April in the large field.  Equally brief in its visits was a single Shelduck seen on 26th & 30th Mar then on 2nd and 5th April.  Also present in the large field on 23rd Mar were a flock of around 130 Fieldfare but these had dwindled to just a handful in the first week of April.

A Willow Warbler was heard singing at the entrance on 30th Mar and various reports of a Water Pipit on 31st Mar and Rock Pipit on other dates were unconfirmed.  Yellow Wagtails of the usual British race flavissima arrived on 2nd April with at least 10 present on 7th.  Two Barnacle Geese were at the site on 4th April along with a Redshank and first singing Corn Bunting of the year.  With so much of the vegetation gone it remains to be seen whether this species will breed at the site this year.  Two Yellow-legged Gulls also passed through on 3rd April.

Good numbers of Little Ringed Plovers remain on site with at least 16 counted on 7th April.  At least 3 House Martins appeared in the hirundine flock on 6th April while the long-staying 7 Pintail dwindled to just 2 pairs and were not seen after that date.  Remaining onsite were fluctuating numbers of White Wagtails, a pair of Egyptian Geese, at least 2 Green Sandpipers and up to 3 Common Snipe.  Another welcome arrval was a Common Whitethroat on 10th April.

With many of the expected migrants now arriving (the site year list stands at 105 species) the stage is set (hopefully) for something a little more special.  Rain in the forecast still seems to evaporate before arriving and the skies are set to be clear for the foreseeable future so who knows?!

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.