With a record 155 species on my 5 Miles From Home List for 2025 could the final month take the total any higher? Of course it could! Cold easterlies ensured that birds were on the move and December proved remarkably lively. An indication of this was the annual Herts Bird Club Christmas Count recorded a record-breaking 118 species during the period between Christmas Day and New Year's Eve.

The eclipse male Garganey I found at Coursers GPs on 23rd November stayed until year end, by which time it has almost completely moulted into summer plumage. The photos below show the bird as it first appeared in November to how it appeared late December but in flight it was always immediately obvious with its pale blue-grey wings.

A Cattle Egret also appeared at Willows Farm on 7th and then remained until Boxing Day.  Possibly the same bird that was seen on 25th Oct, although where had it been in the meantime? The bird was easily viewable as it fed amongst the cattle in the old pumpkin field and was joined by several Little Egrets. On 14th Dec, with a Great White Egret on site, I was able to see all 3 egret species at one site on the same day - I think a first for me in Herts.

While chasing egrets at Tyttenhanger on 14th December I noticed a white blob on the fishing lake and putting bins to eyes revealed a beautiful male Goldeneye! My first locally for several years and perhaps the first male bird I had seen at Tyttenhanger.  More importantly, a new bird for the year coming in at #156.

With family birthdays and Christmas festivities taking over mid-month the news of flocks of White-fronted Geese flying over the county on Christmas Eve got me itching to get out searching. The obvious starting place would be Willows Farm where a regular and sizeable flock of Canada & Greylag Geese had accumulated. Come Boxing Day I headed to Willows Farm and sure enough 13 White-fronted Geese had joined the goose-flock!  My first White-fronted Geese locally since the single bird at Stanborough GPs in 2021 and #157 for my local list.

It was great to have these wild geese from the Russian (albifrons) population feeding with the more familiar Greylags and Canadas and somewhat dwarfed by them. They were last seen on 29th but who knows, we may get more if the easterly chill continues.

​The closing weeks of 2025 felt a little bit like a 'Groundhog Year' with many birds in place by the 31st that were also in place in 2024. A Jack Snipe reappeared at Stanborough GPs while a Black Redstart spent a day there on 19th. Like clockwork, a Great Black-backed Gull appeared at Coursers GPs on 28th - the same day as in 2024. While tempting to think that it might be a returning bird this one was ringed and further research revealed it had been ringed in Le Havre, France in May 2024 so clearly not the same bird as the un-ringed bird last Dec!

The real Groundhog moment came with the discovery of a Yellow-browed Warbler on 31st Dec at Verulamium Park in St Albans. Along with the returning (now 2nd winter) Mediterranean Gull the end of the year finished as it had begun with a group of birders and photographers all assembled near the Fighting Cocks Pub for views of this, presumably returning, Siberian gem.

A great variety of birds wrapped up 2025 but would any of them stay to 2026? The year had proved to be exceptional, not just for my local list with 157 a new record but county-wide too.  Long may it continue!

Well, the year has flown by (note bird pun) and I have written very few blogs about anything other than Stanborough GPs. This blog has remained somewhat quiet but perhaps accurately reflects the fact that Stanborough GPs has continued to provide most of the birding action this year.  Aside from a few visits to Cornwall my birding has been almost entirely locally focussed.  With the year drawing to a close, it is, of course, time to reflect on what has proved to be an excellent year locally and a record-breaking one at that!

In all I have recorded 155 species within 5 miles of home during 2025, among them no less than 7 County Rarities - all of them self-found.  My all-time 5 Miles From Home List now stands at 199 species with no less than 5 new species added this year.  The list is poised for something special to become #200.

Of course, the year is not yet ended so who knows what might still appear!  For now I will summarise the year month by month:

The year started exceptionally well with 100 species seen by the end of the month.  No need to say more other than, read my earlier blogs for this year.

After the excitement of January it was inevitable that the next month would prove slow!  Indeed, just 3 further species were added to the local list during February - a Shelduck on 2nd at Coursers GPs, Grey Partridge at Stanborough GPs on 9th and a returning Oystercatcher at Tyttenhanger GPs on 18th.  All very much expected birds that took the list to 103 species.

March of course is when Spring migration really kicks-off but despite feeling full of promise this year the month only added a further 9 species to the total.  Nevertheless, the month held two real highlights in the form of a Black-necked Grebe on 19th at Stanborough GPs and a stunning Blue-headed (Yellow) Wagtail at the same site on 27th.  More expected additions also appeared at Stanborough GPs with Redshank, Little Ringed Plover and Dunlin adding to the wader tally and Sand Martin and Swallow making an appearance on 21st.  A Rock Pipit spent a brief morning at Stanborough GPs while a lovely male Wheatear at nearby Nashe's Farm made it feel like Spring was really arriving.  By the end of the month the species count had grown to 112.

You can always rely on April to bring new birds and that is why it is often the most popular time for birders to be out. Even if rarities don't appear the arrival of most of our summer visitors keeps the month enlivened throughout. This April did not disappoint with some real highlights including 2 County Rarities.

Out walking Max the dog around Nashe's Farm on 8th April I picked up a Goshawk over woods along Coopers Green Lane.  It seemed to be checking out the small clumps of woodland (much to the consternation of the local Sparrowhawk) before ending up over Symondshyde Great Wood where it soared up high with Buzzards and Red Kites. Still a rarity in the County I have now managed to connect with this species a few times locally over the last few years.

April 13th saw me at my usual post at Stanborough GPs where, typically just as other birders had left, I picked up a heron circling up from over towards Stanborough Lakes.  Reasonable scope views confirmed it was a Purple Heron!  Despite my best efforts to 'will' it over in my direction it circled higher and higher while all the time drifting away east.  Both a first for the site and my first in the County this was another County Rarity.  Despite its rarity value I was left a little despondent at having not been able to share such a good sighting and did give me a moment of self-revelation about just how much my enjoyment of birding is connected to sharing my sightings for others to enjoy.  That particular week saw a large influx of Purple Herons into the country so it was nice to catch this movement as so often it feels as if Herts misses out!

Always a highlight of the Spring and a by no means guaranteed one is Garganey.  This April I found a pair at Stanborough GPs on 12th and, in typical fashion, the male was in hot pursuit of the female such that it wasn't long before they had flown the site, taking their chase elsewhere.

While Garganey delivered, waders were in short supply with the hoped for selection never materialising and with only a smattering of birds.  The month saw a Greenshank on 19th and a Common Sandpiper on 21st - both at Stanborough GPs.  However, the wader highlight for me was flushing 2 Whimbrel in fields near Redbournbury on 21st whilst adding Corn Bunting to the list.

Otherwise the month saw the anticipated arrival of the warblers: Whitethroat, Reed Warbler, Willow Warbler, Grasshopper Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat and Sedge Warbler.  House Martins put in an appearance from 6th and the first Swift on 26th.  A Hobby appeared on 19th at Stanborough GPs along with a Common Tern and the month finished with a Cuckoo at Gorhambury on 30th.  A Spring Whinchat was found at Nashe's Farm on 25th - a favourite of mine as they are stunning in their fresh summer plumage.

As always, April delivered and the joy of welcoming new arrivals back for the summer was as strong as ever!  With the new additions my 5 miles from home list had climbed to 132 species.

After the excitement of April, May proved to be bit of an anti-climax with just 3 species added to the year list.  With lots of birds still on the move it seemed ideal conditions just kept them that way with none actually dropping down for us to see!  This year stood in stark contrast to May last year when heavy rain and generally inclement weather produced a host of exciting birds.

A Ringed Plover on 11th at Stanborough GPs was an expected if not overdue wader while the discovery of up to 4 Spotted Flycatchers in Symondshyde Great Wood raised hopes that they might stay and breed.  Sadly, it seems they did not and as far as I know just one pair bred successfully in the local area - a far cry from the days when they used to breed in my porch!

The highlight of the month came on 18th with a smart Avocet found at Coursers GPs.  A less than annual bird in Herts it is always a welcome addition to any list.  With the new additions my local year list now stood at 135.

The month of June, as is usually the case, represented a dip as far as new birds were concerned.  This was not through lack of looking but more often than not the finds involved orchids and butterflies rather than birds!  Local breeding highlights including the regular Little Ringed Plovers and Oystercatchers along with possible breeding (perhaps for the first time) of Black Redstarts in St Albans' town centre.

However, no species were added to the local year list and the list remained at 135.

July brought early interest in the form of Crossbills with a small flock over Stanborough GPs on 6th and then a larger flock of up to 20 in nearby Symondshyde Great Wood in the weeks that followed.  The early records indicated a good 'Crossbill Year' with birds being reported from around the county into December.

An influx of Green Sandpipers to Stanborough GPs on 8th brought a Wood Sandpiper - the first of a few autumn records.  Having been completely absent in the Spring, a Black-tailed Godwit was a welcome addition and the first of several groups at Stanborough and Coursers GPs.

Unlike the previous year, the autumn proved to be a great one for Common Redstarts with the first - a beautiful male appearing at Redwell Wood Farm on 25th.  Several different birds then followed with a final male seen at Stanborough GPs on 21st Sep.  A Black Redstart also popped up briefly at Redwell Wood Farm on 31st.

July finished with 4 new additions to the local year list taking the total to 139 species.

The great thing about arriving at 140 species roughly halfway through the year is that any further species are likely to be fantastic finds.  Of course, that assumes they can be found but the autumn seemed to be shaping up nicely...

An expected addition that marked the 140 species mark was a Barnacle Goose at Stanborough GPs on 7th - part of the annual, post-harvest arrival of geese.  Coursers GPs then saw the arrival of 2 Ruff the next day that stayed for 10 days.

Vismig efforts at Potwells in North Mymms Park finally paid off with a Tree Pipit on 17th.  Despite several records at the site last year this proved to be the only record but a good one at that with the bird alighting for a while.

Zero effort in the garden delivered a Wood Warbler on 22nd - a complete surprise and one that I almost ignored!  I heard a strange call and put it down to the usual Great Tits but the call persisted enough to get me looking.  Almost too late I picked the bird up as it left the garden but long enough to confirm its identity.  Lesson learnt and new Wood Warbler vocalisation learnt too!  A very rare bird in Herts now but oddly my second this year with a Spring bird found in Cassiobury Park in Watford.

With these quality additions my local year list now stood at 143 species with my list well on track to hit my annual 150 target.

Another month when, like April, expectations are high and this year the month did not disappoint with 2 further County Rarities, both on the same day!

Bi-weekly vismig session at first light produced a Woodlark on 14th - confirmation that this species does indeed move through Herts if you're looking.​  Later that day, whilst scanning the rough vegetation at Stanborough GPs I picked up a Dartford Warbler - the first for the site and indeed the first I've seen in Herts.  A second bird was also seen later but the find heralded a succession of finds in the county with another local bird at Gorhambury.

September also saw 2 new wader additions - both on the same day.  First a Sanderling at Coursers GPs on 7th then a Little Stint at Stanborough GPs later that day.  In some years these waders turn up in both Spring and Autumn but these two single records were very welcome in a sparse year for waders locally.

The month ended with a surprise redhead Goosander flying over my garden - a first for the garden and by no means guaranteed locally every year.  However, records of this species breeding further south or over-summering seem to be on the increase so, while the record felt early, it may not be as unusual as previously.

With 5 more species added the local year list now stood at 148 with just 2 to get me to my annual 150 target!

Birding can be like waiting for buses with nothing for days and then suddenly a day when lots of birds turn up!  October was a bit like that with both 12th and 25th producing great birds.

The 12th started with the regular vismig session at Potwells which yielded an elusive Ring Ouzel and noisy Brambling.  Although difficult to connect with in Herts the Ring Ouzel was the first of 4 records this autumn but all birds seen in flight.  A visit to Stanborough GPs late morning then gave me fantastic views of a ring-tail Hen Harrier hunting at the back of the main pit - a real treat.  Despite being driven off by crows the bird did return in the afternoon and gave several observers good views.

Continuing the theme, a female-type Merlin appeared the next day giving exceptional views perched on one of the new fences along the track at Stanborough GPs.

With my yearly total now well past 150 at 152 it felt that surely the year must be winding down - what else could I add?  And yet the month held a couple more surprises on 25th when out walking Max I picked up a group of swans dropping down to the pits at Tyttenhanger GPs.  I got on them just in time to establish that they were Whooper Swans!  A mad dash then ensued to locate which pit they'd landed on.  I needn't have worried as all 9 birds were settled for the remainder of the day on the main pit -  a beautiful wintery sight.

It seemed the day was over, but just as I left for the car a message came in saying that a Cattle Egret had been found among the gulls surrounding the swans.  I dashed back and added #154 to the list!

Barely had the new month started and a bolt from the blue struck!  With freshly tilled fields at Stanborough GPs the flocks of small birds - larks, pipits, wagtails and finches - had grown to a fever pitch with probably several 1,000 small birds regularly across the site.  I took to scanning these flocks as they fed on the ground and along the scrubby edges.  In the back of my mind I had the hope of picking up a rarer bunting but my scans revealed just Skylarks in all their varied plumage tones.

The day was drawing to a close but the light was still clear and bright.  I decided to scan one more time and focus on the far edge of the field at the scrubby margins.  As I did I noticed a smaller brown chunky bunting moving along with the Skylarks.  My heart started racing as a got better views of it as it crept along between the clods of earth.  It was clearly smaller than its Skylark neighbours and moved in a very similar creeping, low-to-the-ground fashion.  And yet it stood out with rufous chestnut hues and when I saw its face, it was an 'open' expression unlike a Reed Bunting - a LAPLAND BUNTING!  It's distinctive jizz gave instant recognition - I had watched one in Cornwall at close quarters just the previous year.

Unfortunately, that very evening, the farmer had decided to drive up and down the track firing off a pop-gun to scare the birds away.  He had never done this before so why he chose that particular evening I don't know.  Before I could wrestle my digi-scope camera into position the flock of about 30 Skylarks plus my bunting flew up and around and away, disappearing into the sunlight somewhere else on site.  When they flew I thought I picked up the 'chu' call of the Lapland Bunting but not enough to be certain.  The light was going and I realised I had to put the news out - a County First - but with the proviso that it was unlikely to be seen by anyone else!

A search ensued the next morning with up to 10 birders on site but ultimately drew a blank despite high numbers of birds remaining on site.  A thrilling but frustrating encounter as a Lapland Bunting on the ground would have been a real draw for others.  I still hang on to the thought that it might be rediscovered over-wintering nearby but to date no joy and most of the flocks have now dispersed.

Whether or not the bunting will be accepted on to the Herts List remains to be seen but it made a very special #155 for my local year list.

With December still in full swing at the time of writing I shall reserve this month's write up for Part 2 of my 2025 Review...

If I am to drag myself away from my local patch at the start of the 'peak season' then what better place to go than Cornwall!  Arriving on 29th March and departing on 4th April I managed to fit in some good birding that included 3 life ticks!

First up was the long-staying Booted Eagle just north of Penzance that had arrived the day after I left Cornwall in January.  Thankfully it had then stayed put all that time and had developed a routine of appearing just south of Sancreed Beacon each morning.  My wife and I therefore joined the assembled photographers and watchers on top of the beacon first thing along with some inquisitive wild ponies.

I was perhaps the only one present who hadn't seen the eagle yet so was particularly focused on scanning the tall pines at Trelew Farm above which it apparently arose each day.  Sure enough I picked it up a couple of miles south, rising just above the tall pines - my first ever British BOOTED EAGLE.  A pale-morph bird, it then slowly made its way towards us but remained distant, perhaps giving the best views as it glided down below the horizon on occasion.

With the main bird in the bag it seemed rude not to poke my head over the fence of a small paddock at Marazion and see the Hoopoe - one of many birds in this Spring's influx.

The following day I stayed local on The Lizard and picked up a few year ticks in the form of a Great Skua passing with lots of Manx Shearwaters and Kittiwakes off Lowland Point near Coverack.  I also found my first Willow Warblers of the year and Coverack bay held fishing Sandwich Terns.

A walk out along the cliffs and through the heathland around Kynance Cove the next day found me several Wheatears, including my first female of the year, and a smart male Black Redstart.

The 2nd April found me a Red Kite on passage over St Keverne around midday (still a scarce bird here) and then a visit to Loe Bar later in the day connected me with my first Osprey of the year.  I scanned the beach and sea at Loe Bar picking out Sanderlings, a male Common Scoter and a Red-throated Diver but nothing rare...however that was all about to change!

Early the next day, local birder David Collins, messaged to say he had found an adult male Kentish Plover on the beach at Loe Bar - definitely not there the evening before!  I got there as quickly as I could and thankfully immediately got on the bird - my first ever KENTISH PLOVER and a very smart bird at that.

As I arrived to see the plover I was also conscious that many other birders were rushing back past me to go for another rarity that had turned up near Lands End just the day before - an Alpine Accentor.  It would seem rude not to follow suite and later that day, accompanied by my wife and dog Max, I arrived at the stunningly beautiful stretch of coastline north of Sennen Cove.

The bird was favouring a rocky outcrop (Aire Point) just north of Gwynver Beach and walking down the steep slope to the coast path, the azure-blue sea before me, glistening in the sun and lapping at the white sand of the beach made me feel like I had been transported to a tropical paradise!  I don't think I've every 'twitched' in quite such a beautiful setting.

After a 20 minute walk I arrived at Aire Point joining around 10 others all looking for the bird.  It had just been seen but disappeared behind the rock outcrops.  A tense wait followed but all of a sudden it was back in view, seemingly unconcerned about the admiring onlookers.  A set my scope and phone camera up and managed some pleasing shots of what was my first ever ALPINE ACCENTOR.

A subtly beautiful bird with many features only becoming apparent after close scrutiny - its partly yellow beak and speckled white throat for instance.  It behaved exactly like its smaller relative, the much more familiar Dunnock, hopping slowly amongst the rocky, coastal flora.  It struck me that perhaps this remote headland resembled the closest thing to a rocky alpine outcrop in its more usual territory in the mountainous regions of southern Europe.

Both the Kentish Plover and the Alpine Accentor were birds that I had missed much closer to home with both occurring at Pitstone Quarry in recent years.  Needless to say, the Cornish setting was undoubtedly the finer scenery!  I was also later very pleased for my photos of both birds to feature in the Rare Bird Alert Weekly Roundup Report.

My time in Cornwall was up but not before I added my first Whitethroat of the year, singing along the entrance road to Kynance Cove.  Welcome back and I'm sure the first of many still to come!

Since leaving Cornwall a week has already gone by and each day has delivered one or two additions to the 2025 5 Miles From Home List.  In fact I am 6 species up on the same date last year so the local area has certainly been delivering!  Since my Cornish trip I have added a further 17 species to the list - some of them expected such as Greenfinch, Sparrowhawk, Green Woodpecker, Raven and Red-legged Partridge but others not so expected.

The Little Owl headlining this post is always a pleasing find - especially as this one at Tyttenhanger Gravel Pits has been harder to find in recent years.  After what appeared to be a good year with 2 pairs at nest holes they then disappeared and have not been regularly seen in the last couple of years.  Knowing they are still there is reassuring as I know of at least two other sites where the main nest tree has been felled - either by the land manager or by strong winds.

Two star birds reappeared while I was away - the Yellow-browed Warbler at Verulamium Park in St Albans and the Black Redstart over-wintering in the roof of St Albans Abbey.

The Yellow-browed Warbler had been giving astonishing views low down at the lake's edge but I had to make-do with treetop views.  Local birder Murray Brown had re-found it on 7th January after it went missing during Christmas.  The Black Redstart - presumably last year's returning bird - was a somewhat peculiar sighting in that the bird has taken up residence in the cathedral roof.  It's believed to be feeding on a healthy supply of Ladybirds but can only be seen when it appears at a small diamond-shaped window at the west end.  I trust it knows how to get out but is no doubt benefiting from the shelter and free food!

The same day saw me visit Stanborough GPs where I flushed a Jack Snipe and Garden Wood at Tyttenhanger GPs where I found an over-wintering Firecrest - both great birds to get on my list so early on.  I was a bit slow with the camera but did manage a distant shot of the Jack Snipe as it (unusually) chose to fly around quite high before dropping back down.

A very pleasing find on 14th came in the form of a Woodcock in a wood at Highfield Farm on the edge of St Albans.  It has become my most reliable site for the birds and will hopefully remain that way for many years more.  A dog walk around the Munden Estate, Bricket Wood the next day gave me a pair of Mandarin Ducks but these were out done on 19th with a flock of 15 at Coopers Green GPs!  The dog walk the next day brought brief views of a Barn Owl that has been regularly hunting at Redbournbury and at least 2 of the resident Cetti's Warblers there.  My list now stood at 90 species.

I was extremely pleased to get the Barn Owl - after all I've yet to hear or see a Tawny Owl this year.  However, that same evening I popped into Stanborough GPs and was rewarded with a distant Short-eared Owl.  It appeared to fly up from Cromer Hyde farm but then headed off north-west flying higher and higher.  This is a real bonus bird as I didn't record one locally in the whole of 2024 despite there being 4 in the area at the end of 2023.  To have it 'in the bank', so to speak, this early on bodes well for the 2025 year list!

The week was not done however and with gulls on my radar I spent some time checking local roosts.  I trekked out to the back of Coursers Farm where a newly scraped area has been attracting gull flocks.  After some scanning I was rewarded with an adult Caspian Gull that with the Little Owl took me to #93.  A visit to Coopers Green GPs today also revealed a healthy gull roost with a surprise Great Black-backed Gull among them.  This is a bird I usually have to wait until Christmas to see and is maybe the bird that appeared at Coursers GPs this Christmas just gone.  Either way, it takes me to 94 species for my local list and begs the question as to whether 100 is possible before the end of January?  Watch this space...!

As has been my wont for the last few years the New Year saw me visiting The Lizard in Cornwall for a week.  There is nothing that I like better than to walk out along the coastline and encounter the elements and the wild ruggedness of the landscape.  Lowland Point (pictured) is usually one of the first places I head to where usually it is just me and the sea and the rocky shore.  There's always something of interest, either in the bird and marine life or in what the sea has thrown up.  I've learnt to linger, even in a storm, and take time to sift through what can be found.

Mediterranean Gulls and Firecrests are common encounters at this time of year giving the feel of rarity.  Wintering Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps also pop up hinting at the warmer climes - although no sense of that on the first day I arrived.  Instead a storm blew from the southwest throwing foam onto the beach and driving rain.  Guillemots and Razorbills sat on the sea while Kittiwakes along with a single Fulmar and Manx Shearwater sheared past.  And then a small wader flew up from the beach and settled just ahead of me - the first treasure in my search: a Purple Sandpiper!  This was my first ever at Lowland Point in over 40 years of visiting.

Further along the shore I came across three large eels washed up on the rocks.  Each about a metre long I realised they must be Conger Eels - a species I had only ever heard of and never seen.  Perhaps victims of the storm or more likely a fisherman's by-catch.  They looked fairly fresh with just the first marks of gulls beginning to feed.

In the afternoon I opted for the shelter of the wooded valley that leads down to Tremayne Quay on the Helford River.  Along the way, more Firecrests and a brief glimpse of a Marsh Tit as it made its way along with a flock of Long-tailed Tits.  The river banks held Curlew, Redshank and Greenshank - all welcome additions to my year list and by the end of the day I had run up a total of 57 species.

The next day I took advantage of a break in the weather to visit the Helford River again in search of a Red-necked Grebe.  I knew one had been sighted a while back and in previous years I had managed to find one just off the mouth of Frenchman's Creek where it enters the main river.  I scanned with my telescope for a while finding several Great Northern Divers in the process.  Just as I began to lose hope a Red-necked Grebe swum into view - a juvenile bird - and gave good but brief views as it constantly dived, only staying surfaced for less than a minute at a time.

Later in the day, another bird - an adult - was found by another birder and at times both birds showed together.  I, however, had moved on, picking up a very smart Black-throated Diver off Dennis Head and the usual wintering Common Sandpiper on Gillan Creek.  A brief look at Coverack Sewage Works revealed at least 4 Chiffchaffs along with a very pale Siberian Chiffchaff of the tristis race.  This was to be the first of several 'Sibes' with another 3 seen at Helston Sewage Works later in the week along with another obliging Common Sandpiper.

I finished the day on Goonhilly Downs with a hunting male Merlin, my Cornish tally now up to 70 species.  The next day saw me back along the Coverack coast from Lowland Point with the target set as 'Grey Beach' - a sheltered cove that often attracts passerines and waders thanks to the abundance of insects out of the wind and the, presumably, warmer section of sandy cliff.  Last year I found a Water Pipit feeding amongst the seaweed with the Rock Pipits...what might be in store this year I wondered?

Despite there being a flock of around 20 Rock Pipits my search revealed no unusual pipit.  However, I did note many Chiffchaffs flitting around on the cliff, catching flies so I turned my attention to them as previous years had revealed a Siberian Chiffchaff and a Black Redstart.  However, the bird that caught my attention this year was a little Yellow-browed Warbler - my 5th find of this species this year!

Making the most of the sun I visited Kynance Cove in the evening where a pair of Choughs were enjoying the clifftop thermals and a Peregrine soared across the downs.  The rain however, returned with a vengeance the next day so I headed out in the car for some roadside birding.  In a sodden field full of Redwings I found 3 Cattle Egrets but the rain denied any decent photos.  At this time of year, finding any livestock puts you in with a good chance of finding these birds and flocks of up to 100 have been seen in previous years.

Moving on to Gunwalloe Cove and some more car window viewing I found a Red-throated Diver on the sea with a lone Guillemot.  Diving constantly, the diver (and the weather) denied me any decent shots but I did manage just one record shot!

The next day, in contrast, was sunny and bright and I joined two local birders - Steve & Joe - for a visit to Loe Pool in the hope of locating the regular wintering Bittern.  Joe had a secret weapon in the form of a thermal imager and very quickly located a likely heat-blob in the reedbed.  Sure enough a Bittern-like area of feathers could be seen but the bird quickly moved further into cover and out of sight.

We moved around to the other side of the reeded area noting several Cetti's Warblers, a Firecrest, Kingfisher and at least 3 squealing Water Rails as we did.  Once again we located the likely Bittern heat-signature and before long we had managed to train my scope onto the bird.  We all had reasonable views of this highly elusive and highly camouflaged bird before once again it disappeared.  The short video clip below shows how well-hidden it remained!

Three Goosander were also on Loe Pool and on the way home I picked up a juvenile Marsh Harrier near the Lizard village and Golden Plover and Snipe over Goonhilly Downs.  My Cornish year list had reached 89 species with one day left but more rain forecast.

Undeterred, the next day I headed out to Lowland Point for a good soaking but, truth be told, I find battling the elements somewhat therapeutic - especially when I know there's a hot shower to go back to!  The wind was blowing directly onshore with no chance of shelter.  In a short lull in the rain I scanned the sea revealing a steady passage of auks - Guillemots and Razorbills - along with a strong passage of Kittiwakes.  Three Manx Shearwaters went past too and a Cetti's Warbler called from Godrevy Beach.  The real find however, and a sad one at that, was a dead Common Porpoise on the beach.  The Great Black-backed Gulls had begun to tuck in and when I walked back later the tide had reclaimed the corpse.  It is not the first cetacean I have found on this beach and it is always a sorry sight, particularly as I had seen a small pod of porpoises heading past Lowland Point just a couple of days ago.

I reported the dead porpoise to the Cetacean Strandings Investigations Programme (CSIP) based at the London Natural History Museum.  Here you can report both dead and live strandings and hopefully the information will contribute to a better understanding of these ocean-going creatures.

My time in Cornwall was up but my stormy visit to Lowland Point gave me one more gift in the form of a Whimbrel - a scarce wintering bird and no doubt one of the first to be recorded in Britain this year.  Soaked through I could return for my hot shower with 90 species under my belt for the week and a respectable 114 for my British Year List 2025.

I was preparing myself for an '11th hour' scramble to get to my 150 species target for my annual "Five Miles From Home List" but then Sun 10th Nov dawned and, before I knew it, the target had been achieved.  Sitting comfortably on 148 species for the year, I had assumed another 2 species would be possible but didn't expect to get both in the same day!

The previous day had seen a Black Redstart appear at Stanborough Gravel Pits and a hybrid Caspian Gull so I knew the easterly winds were once again doing their job.  Both species were however already on my list so I still held out hope for something new.

Slow into the field I decided to visit Coursers GPs first and I arrived just after 9am.  As seems to (annoyingly) often be the case, all the birds went up in the air as I arrived, disturbed by some unseen threat - maybe a fox along the bank.  However, this time the melee of birds allowed me to immediately pick out two small waders flying around - Dunlin.  I watched them settle back down along with a larger wader on the distant mud.

My immediate thought was a Redshank but once the scope was focussed I could see it was a Ruff - new to my local year list and the one wader I felt I had missed this year!

There have been very few Ruff records in the county this year so to get one so late on was really pleasing.  The 2 Dunlin stayed close by the Ruff but always distant from me and I left them feeding together to check Stanborough GPs - after all other birds may have arrived elsewhere.

Arriving at Stanborough just long enough to establish that there wasn't anything extra to be seen I got a text from local birder, Steve Pearce, to say that a Red-crested Pochard was on the scrape lagoon at Tyttenhanger GPs!  This is a less than annual bird in the area so I knew I had to back-track the way I had come as this would be the target #150 for the year!

Arriving at Tyttenhanger GPs the male Red-crested Pochard was immediately viewable, staying close into the bank and only a few metres away from us.  A beautiful bird, albeit in Category C as a 'naturalised' bird, this species nevertheless takes the honour of being the cherished 150th species for the year on my Five Miles From Home List. 

That said, I could argue that the Ruff was the true 150th as I have resigned myself to lumping both Mealy Redpoll and Lesser Redpoll together as a single species.  That would make the pochard #151 but I have decided, rightly or wrongly, to align my lists with the current accepted list of species so have to forfeit Mealy and Lesser in favour of just 'Redpoll'.

Before I sign off, it is worth mentioning another sighting that I almost ignored at the time - a smart Caspian Gull at Coursers GPs.  It immediately stood out from the Herring Gulls around it but my mind was on other things.  Thankfully, I took a few record shots that others were able to confirm as a 3rd winter/sub-adult Caspian Gull.

All of this leaves me once again amazed at the sheer variety of species that can be seen in the year all within 5 miles of where I live.  It also leaves me wondering what else might still to be found this year with over a month left to go...I am still missing Great Black-backed Gull after all!