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.

I believe there may be a Golden Rule of patch birding - never leave your patch with the added consequence that, if you do, chances are the 'Big One' will turn up!  Well, there's nothing like learning that lesson the hard way...

Taking the opportunity to work remotely and catch up with some coastal autumn birding I headed down to Cornwall for a week on 28th Sep.  I left as the first hints of winter birding were beginning to appear at the pits.  Teal numbers had grown to 15, the odd Snipe was flying around while 5 Golden Plovers made a brief appearance on 23rd and a Wigeon was seen on 24th.  The Dartford Warbler had last been seen on 25th, a Reed Warbler on 26th and a Wheatear on 30th.

It seemed to be quietening down - or so I thought - but I perhaps should have taken the hint when Andrew Steele queried a wader he was struggling to ID on 25th.  Neither of us could relocate it and his distant photos were inconclusive and suggested an odd-looking Green Sandpiper.  It did, however, get me wondering about Pectoral Sandpiper as a possibility.  That said, I don't think Andrew's bird was, HOWEVER, late in the evening on 30th another observer reported 2 Green Sandpipers and 1 probable Dunlin...

Sure enough, I received a message from Steve Pearce the next morning saying he had an 'interesting wader' at the pits.  His description sounded a perfect fit for a Pectoral Sandpiper so I put the suggestion out on the WhatsApp group asking if anyone else could investigate.  Remarkably quickly, another local birder, John Yates, located the bird and from his photos it became clear that Stanborough was playing host to a PECTORAL SANDPIPER!

Sunday 14th September saw me on site as usual following an excellent morning's 'vismig' at Potwells that included a flyover Woodlark!  A County rarity and one that I had hoped I'd catch up with this year.  The session also witnessed a noticeable increase in Meadow Pipit movement and this was in evidence at Stanborough too with in excess of 100 birds noted.

The usual Common and Green Sandpiper were on site and a flyover Raven too.  I commenced my usual scan from the track with my scope of the large weedy area adjacent to the main pit - a good way to pick up any migrant chats.  Sure enough, at least 4 Stonechats were on view along with a single Whinchat.

As one of the regular dog walkers approached I saw a little bird hop up onto a stem right at the back of the weedy area - about as far a way as it could be.  It cocked its tail up and I knew, without a doubt, that this was a DARTFORD WARBLER!  Immediately I was engaged in exchanging niceties with the walker while my mind began racing as I realised I needed to find this bird properly!

The walker moved on and I sent a couple of messages to Steve Pearce and Andrew Steele who I knew weren't far away saying that I thought I had a Dartford but I was going to have a look.  I quickly walked along the back edge of the weedy area at the field edge with ears and eyes peeled.  I reached the end with no joy and realised, in my haste, I hadn't really pinpointed where exactly I had seen the bird.  I decided to return to the track, wait for Steve, and in the meantime pin-down exactly where I had seen the bird.

Steve arrived and we both headed out along the edge of the weedy area again.  Reaching the end there was again not a squeak aside from the usual Reed Buntings, occasional Yellowhammer and Stonechats.  Steve decided to loop around the weedy area and as he completed his loop so the Dartford Warbler began scolding and hopped up on a stem about 20 yards in front of me!  Bingo!!

I quickly called Steve on his phone and he came over just in time to get fairly good views of the bird before it dropped back down into the thistles and weeds.  My second County Rarity in a day and a first for me, not just for my 5 Miles From Home List but also for my Herts List.  The Dartford Warbler was of course new for the site too taking the all-time total to a pleasing 160 species.

My first views were to prove some of my best and I managed a few hasty record shots (see the header photo) before it vanished.  Thereafter it became much harder to see, other than in brief flight views.  The following day, others were unable to locate it but I revisited on Tue 16th and was able to find it again moving along the back edge of the weedy area with a couple of Stonechats.  Again I was able to get a few record shots as it lurked in the undergrowth but never sat up.

Walking back to the car I noticed another little bird flying along, almost next to me but only about a foot off the ground.  I paused and eventually saw it in flight - a Grasshopper Warbler!  I waited while it rustled around in the grass just a few feet away from me and then watched it fly into the main clump of reeds in the wet area.  Another site year tick, taking the year total to 127!

​While I had been observing or (more truthfully) waiting for the Dartford Warbler to appear I had puzzled over hearing what appeared to be Dartford Warbler scolding from two different locations.  While the bird did move quickly through the undergrowth it nevertheless seemed odd.

Again, with no sighting by others the next day I returned on Thursday 18th Sep evening and quickly relocated the bird, except that this time my puzzlement was answered as not one but TWO Dartford Warblers flew up and across briefly, giving me just long enough to confirm my earlier suspicions.  While light also plays a part, I did think, looking at my record shots, that one bird might possibly be lighter and brighter in plumage that the other...maybe I had unknowingly photographed two separate birds?

I saw and heard a Dartford again on Sat 20th Sep along with Andrew Steele but it remains to be seen how long both birds remain on site.  While Dartfords are a possible candidate to over-winter at the site we are still in peak migration time so they may move on.  They will however, be remembered for the excitement they brought as a genuinely rare bird in the County.

Walking out along the weedy area also brought home what a fantastic (and really under-watched) area it is for small migrant birds.  On Sat at least 5 Chiffchaffs were feeding along the edge with at least 2 Whinchats and 4 Stonechats.  Two female-type Wheatears were also present with a third male seen in the morning too.  Meadow Pipits, Linnets and Yellow Wagtails are also dropping down into the grassy areas while passing Swallows, House and Sand Martins are making good use of the feeding opportunities.  Who knows what else may pop up?!

As a final note, a smart adult Yellow-legged Gull was by the deep pool on Sat afternoon but didn't stay long.

With work and being away I've got a bit behind so a brief summary of late August and early September highlights below.

18th August - the site's first Black-tailed Godwit of the year finally made an appearance, with another 2 joining it on 20th.

19th August - the Barnacle Goose was present again with the Canada Geese flock and then again on 24th.

22nd August - the site's first Spotted Flychatcher since Sep 2021 was found near the horse paddocks and then another bird by the long drainage pit on 30th.

23rd August - a juv-type Marsh Harrier was seen and a Sedge Warbler was present in the main weedy area.  At least 7 Yellow Wagtails were recorded as well.

24th August - the first 3 Meadow Pipits of the autumn appeared in the evening, coming down to drink and bathe at the edge of the main pit.  A Common Snipe was also feeding at the water's edge and Stonechat numbers rose to 4 on site.  Five Swifts were also likely some of the last to be seen this year at the site.

27th August - a Wood Sandpiper was found in the long drainage ditch with a high count of 5 Green Sandpipers and 3 Common Sandpipers.  The 4th record of the species this year.
A Wheatear was also present and found the next day too.

30th August - a Whinchat was on the new fence along the main track.

31st August - a Mandarin was present on the main pit - perhaps the last for a while?

4th September - a juvenile Little Ringed Plover was probably the last for the year.  At least 10 Chiffchaffs were seen feeding in the willows over the long drainage pit water - an area that's proving very attractive to passage birds.

7th September - the arrival of a juvenile Little Stint along with a Ringed Plover brought welcome interest to the site with the stint a site year tick.  The Barnacle Goose made an appearance along with a Reed Warbler and Lesser Whitethroat feeding in the long drainage pit.

8th September - 3 Whinchat were found and rose to at least 4 birds on 12th Sep.  These birds continue to be present on the site along with up to 6 Stonechat.

13th September - while Yellow Wagtail numbers were at 7 again, Meadow Pipit numbers had risen to at least 40 birds on site.  Swallow & House Martin passage is now a continual feature of the site along with the odd Sand Martin.

Barely had the metaphorical ink dried on my last post and the very next day it felt like autumn passage got into full swing!  The write-up has had to wait until now though as soon after I went on holiday and got back to busy-ness thereafter.

On the morning of 8th July 8 Green Sandpipers were reported so for my evening visit I had in the back of my mind that a sudden influx like this could come with a Wood Sandpiper too.  Not finding one, I had begun to pack up to leave when a wader hunched at the edge of a pool drew me back for a second look.

I had initially dismissed it as another Green Sandpiper but something about its head shape didn't quite seem right for that species.  The light was poor so I couldn't really see much else but as I continued watching so it began to feed and I realised I had a Wood Sandpiper!  Eventually it walked out of the glare and allowed the somewhat grainy record shot above. 

Other passage on 8th was also evident with an increase in gulls, including a Mediterranean Gull and a surprise early Common Gull through.  The first juvenile Black-headed Gulls also made an appearance.

Waders continued to feature during the rest of July but in a somewhat muted way.  It has officially been a poor breeding season for the Little Ringed Plovers with just a second pair raising one chick from 18th July.  This means that, in total, only three new Little Ringed Plovers have hatched this year from 2 pairs with likely less than that making it to adulthood.  It's difficult to pinpoint why it's been a poor year for them but it is likely to be a combination of disturbance at key moments in their breeding cycle and loss of habitat due to quarry restoration.

Green Sandpipers have been present throughout July, averaging about 4 birds on site with 2 ringed individuals and 2 unringed birds regularly being seen.  A Common Sandpiper appeared on 15th July and was joined by another on 19th, with a maximum of 3 counted on 27th.  Another Wood Sandpiper was seen briefly on 20th with another heard but unseen on 27th.

A Greenshank put in an appearance on 25th and an Oystercatcher on 29th.  Despite the substantial areas of exposed mud and seemingly ideal wader conditions the offering feels a little paltry for this time of year.  However, it is still early days...

Away from the water, interest included a high count of 4 juvenile Stonechats on 25th and an evening count of 167 Ring-necked Parakeets heading over the site in small groups to their roost at Stanborough Lakes.

Also flying over the site were 2 Peregrine Falcons on 26th, the first Siskin for the year on 27th and the first 3 Ravens for a while on 28th.  The site year list for 2025 now stands at 121 species.

Perhaps the most noticeable change with the new month is the arrival of large numbers of geese.  As in previous years, this seems timed to coincide with the harvesting of the cereal crops.  The goose flock on occasion has grown to almost 500 birds, among them up to 300 Canada Geese, 120 Greylag Geese and a maximum count of at least 57 Egyptian Geese on 10th Aug.

A Barnacle Goose was found with the flock on 7th and seen subsequently on and off.  The goose flock is very mobile, switching between the fields and the water and sometimes vacating the site altogether, however numbers are highest in the evening and early morning.

The first Wheatear appeared near the farm on 1st August and at least 3 were present on 14th with one seen the next day too.

In the same vein a Whinchat was found on 10th August behind the middle pool and seen again the next day - the first site record for the year.  Stonechat numbers peaked at 6 or more on 10th - all scruffy juvenile birds.

Wader passage has been almost non-existent with Green Sandpipers remaining on site but the last 2 Common Sandpipers being seen on 7th.  More noticeable has been the passage of hirundines with several flocks of House Martins (100+ on 12th) moving east with a few Sand Martins.  Swifts are also still passing through with at least 50 noted on 12th but these will be some of the last birds this year no doubt.

Yellow Wagtail passage is also underway with at 10 birds being regularly seen in horse paddocks near the farm.  Both Sedge Warbler and the site's first Reed Warblers of the year have been noted at the back of the main weedy area.  It is likely these are passage birds although it is possible they may have bred on site unnoticed. 

Perhaps the most notable record for the first half of August has been the sighting of 3 Marsh Harriers together by one observer on 13th.  The sighting involved 2 adults calling and being followed by a juvenile bird.  Harriers are certainly on the radar as they disperse post-breeding and who knows, maybe a Montagu's Harrier will come our way!

Much of the autumn remains to come and hopefully the best bits too!  It's always tricky to work out why some years are quieter than others but, given the seemingly ideal conditions, the last 2 months have not delivered the hoped for wader passage.  It is difficult to know if the ongoing quarry restoration works play a part with landscaping and new topsoil being put down - perhaps on top of formerly good feeding areas.

The 'deep pits' have been reduced to a small lake and it remains to be seen if these will be attractive to birds.  Since the new topsoil has gone down these pools have been devoid of birds other than loafing gull flocks.  The middle pool has virtually dried up while the main pit has been given an extended life as water has been pumped into it temporarily.  It too faces the same fate however with further landscaping set to greatly reduce its size.  Let's hope what is finally left recovers to attract birds and wildlife again but for the moment you can't help feeling that the site is in decline.

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.

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.

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?!

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.

It feels like it's been a slow autumn passage this year at Stanborough GPs but that may also be to do with the continuing in-filling work at the pits.  Very little open water is left but just enough to retain the Mallards and a surprising number of Little Grebes (10+).

The expected passage of Wheatear peaked on 8th Sep with at least 7 birds on site and a Whinchat too.  Notable too has been the evening roost of Egyptian Geese which rose to a record 65 birds on 11th Sept - possibly a County record.  The species seems to be going from strength to strength and may well be set to overtake Greylag Geese populations.

The evening of 13th Sept saw the largest flock of Meadow Pipits this autumn with over 200 birds flying around the site and over the main field.  With just one of two birds on 11th these birds are fresh in from the north.  An additional highlight of 13th was a flyover Golden Plover that dropped down into fields south of Coopers Green Lane.

The same evening also saw a roosting juvenile Dunlin at the site (see title picture) and an arrival of at least 7 Mandarin Ducks to roost - absent from the site in the last month.