Barely had a finished the last post and species #100 came into view! A post on the Tyttenhanger Gravel Pits Facebook group alerted me to a male Pintail on the main pit there on 22nd Jan.  Not only the first at the site since 2016 this would also be my 100th species within Five Miles from Home...if it stayed put.

The next day I headed out early to see if I could find it before work but to no avail.  I figured it had probably moved to one of the many other waterbodies nearby but didn't have time to check them.  Fortunately I was able to go out again late afternoon and after checking the main pit again I checked Coursers GPs across the road.

Straightaway I set eyes on the male Pintail swimming with a flock of Teal, Gadwall and Shoveler.  Bingo!  I had recorded 100 species in January for the first time ever - a remarkable number of species to see within such a small area in just one month!

Of course, a whole week of January remains so there may be more to come but for the moment I feel like resting on my laurels!

Since late July (!) I have been on the hunt for a local Redstart but to no avail.  In 2022 I had a bright male as early as 4th July so it feels like it's been a long wait to get one.  This year the first Herts bird turned up not far away on the edge of Hatfield on 11th August but, despite further county records, none appeared locally.

As part of my search, I targeted Potwells and Redwell Farm on the hill above London Colney and have visited almost every day.  I was of course rewarded with a Goshawk, Tree Pipits and Spotted Flycatchers but my real quarry - a Redstart - remained undiscovered.  That was until today when I entered one of the sheep fields at Potwells and out of the corner of my eye saw a shadow flit up into the bush overhanging the fence-line.

I almost dismissed it as one of the many Robins and Chiffchaffs that were omnipresent but this time, sat on the top wire of the fence, was a female Redstart!  A very welcome #145 for my local 2024 5 miles from home list.  I should add that, just a couple of days before, I had added #144 to the list - an adult Mediterranean Gull that had made a brief appearance at Tyttenhanger GPs.

The Redstart was very elusive so afforded no photo opportunity but I did watch it for a little longer flitting around in the middle of the hedgerow.  Instead, my header photo is of a similar bird at the same site last year.