January 2026 is nearly over and, just like last year, I've already got to 99 species within 5 miles of home!  Once again, this begs the question might I get to 100 again in January?  I did last year but things have stalled this week so it may be touch and go!

January 1st kicked off well with two, presumed, returning birds staying into the New Year at Verulamium Park.  Firstly, the second-winter Mediterranean Gull gave itself up relatively easily in the morning while the Yellow-browed Warbler made me work a bit harder.  However, a second visit in the afternoon gave me exceptional views.

Also kindly hanging around in the New Year was the male Garganey at Coursers GPs, now resplendent in summer plumage.  I needn't have worried with this one though as the bird has been seen since on the main pit at Tyttenhanger, cavorting with the male Teals.

Other New Year's Day highlights included the over-wintering Jack Snipe at Stanborough GPs along with the Barn Owl pair cosied up in their box.  Tyttenhanger GPs also produced a single Brambling with the large Chaffinch flock and the regular female Stonechat.  I finished the day on 72 species and then headed down to Cornwall for a week.

Notable by their absence were the White-fronted Geese, the Cattle Egret and the Great Black-backed Gull present locally over the Christmas period.  Would I be able to find them in 2026?  I returned from Cornwall to news on 10th Jan of 9 Common Cranes over the Bedmond area.  Just within my 5 mile area these would have been a good addition for the year had they not headed off SW immediately.  Just 10 days into the New Year and I'd already missed something!

Over the next few days however, I managed to add 2 or 3 new birds for the year each day.  The 10th saw a nice adult Yellow-legged Gull (#74) at Stanborough GPs and later the regular Little Owl (#75) in its hole at Willows Farm.  I found the Firecrests (#81) in Garden Wood the next day and Crossbills (#85) in Symondshyde Woods the day after that.

The New Year always has its surprises and this one came on 14th Jan with a female Goosander on Tyttenhanger main pit.  A bird I don't always connect with locally so great to get it on the list!

Jan 16th brought more good news with the re-finding of the French-ringed Great Black-backed Gull in the sheep field at Stanborough GPs.  A bird I thought I might have to wait until December to see again!  Indeed gulls seemed to be a theme with a nice first-winter Yellow-legged Gull present at the same sight that day and then a very smart adult Caspian Gull (#95) the following day at Tyttenhanger GPs.  Not an easy bird to come by and it got me wondering if this could be the 3rd year bird that lingered last year, now in its 4th year.  My only hesitation is whether any sub-adult traits would still be present as this bird was a stunning full adult.

In amongst these larid ticks a few others were welcome additions, such as the Blackcaps in my garden - hard to come by sometimes in January - and the Woodcock in its habitual place at Highfield Farm.  A visit to the Watercress LNR in St Albans got me a smart male Bullfinch while Coopers Green GPs delivered me at least 16 Mandarins (#97).

A walk around Redbournbury with John on 22nd Jan brought a surprise encounter with a female Marsh Harrier.  I say surprise partly because I had listed it as a wish for the walk but also as it is the first I've seen locally for a little while.  Having had many sightings earlier last year they seemed to peter out as the year went on.  Almost as soon as I had ticked the harrier off news came in of a single Golden Plover at Stanborough GPs.  A scarce bird so far this winter I had to make the dash across St Albans where it was waiting patiently in amongst 220 Lapwings.  Number 99 was in the bag but will I get one more this month...?

Happy New Year everyone!

New Year's Day saw a Herts Bird Challenge to see who could find the most species on New Year's Day and kick-start those year lists.  Sadly the weather was terrible so few ventured into the field and yours truly, being perhaps the most lunatic of all, found the most birds!  No prizes but just the confirmation that time spent in the field, regardless of the weather, can produce a good variety of birds.

Before the rain set in I managed to find 2 of the 3 the long-staying Great White Egrets at Tyttenhanger Gravel Pits along with a brief appearance by an adult Yellow-legged Gull.  The usual species were present including a squealing Water Rail so with 45 species under my belt I headed to Stanborough Gravel Pits.

Again, the usual highlights were present including Wigeon, Stonechat & Green Sandpipers.  A lingering Lesser Redpoll was also a welcome New Year addition.  The real highlight was a single Golden Plover that battled low against the driving wind and rain taking my day total (and year total) to 65.  My nice new notebook was already soaked through with the elastic strap detached from the soggy paper.

A quick visit to Frogmore Lakes on the edge of St Albans got me lovely eye-level views of about 30 Siskins all feeding on alders in the rain.  I finished at Verulamium Park, hoping that the Yellow-browed Warbler might reappear but instead had to settle for Egyptian and Greylag Geese, Peregrines on the Abbey, a Mistle Thrush, and fly-by Kingfisher.  My New Year total finished on 75 species and I went home to dry out!

The next day, I added a Great Spotted Woodpecker and caught up with the juvenile Marsh Harrier at Coursers Gravel Pits.  2025 was off to a good start with 77 species on year list and most importantly on the Five Miles from Home 2025 List!  Now, to focus on my 'other patch' with a trip to The Lizard in Cornwall.

For as long as I can remember, I have wanted to find my own Wryneck and recently I did on a visit to Cornwall!  Sadly, my camera continues to play-up and this was really the only shot I managed, the others all too blurry to share.

We were staying just outside St Agnes on the north Cornish coast and just a short walk from St Agnes Beacon - a small tor that, once climbed, gave far-reaching all round views of the area.  The surrounding farmland, hedgerows and scrub all made for excellent Wryneck habitat and it was the perfect time of year for one to pop up.

The Beacon also looked like a good vismig spot so I scheduled an early morning visit on 6th Sep to see what might be there and watch the sun rise.  At the top, I was rewarded with breath-taking views as the mist hung in the valleys and the sun began to rise.  Quite a few Meadow Pipts were mobile around the beacon and one of my target birds then called overhead - a Tree Pipit!  It settled further down the Beacon so I made a mental note to look out for it later.

As I walked the path along the Beacon ridge a lark flew up and landed just a few metres away - a Woodlark!  It didn't stay long enough for a photo but flew off across the nearby field and out of sight.  I continued on a loop down to St Agnes Head to check out the headland scrub and the back up to the Beacon.  I didn't add much on my loop save the local pair of Choughs and a Whinchat with the many Stonechats.  A Ringed Plover and Dunlin flew over - typical passage birds at this time of year.

As I walked along the lower path round the Beacon a small bird flew up and across the gorse.  I put my bins to my eyes and bingo!  There sat a Wryneck and the very first one I had found myself.  I was amazed at how small it looked in flight - just like a large warbler really.  They are peculiar, cryptic birds with their unique camouflage and habit of twisting their neck like a serpent.  They also - at least to me - possess a 'larger than life' quality as when observed in binoculars or in a scope they seem a fairly significant bird and yet the moment they fly or start flitting around the resemble a bird not much bigger than a House Sparrow.

The Wryneck remained in the area and eventually disappeared into a small holly bush not to be seen again.  However, the Tree Pipit did reappear in the same bush!  My next target must surely be a new camera!!