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!

This is one of my favourite walks and only a couple of hours drive from home.  The views are immense - across The Channel to France - and the mighty white cliffs are as dramatic as they are rich in wildlife.  For me, it is one of Britain's best-kept secrets - a stretch of beautiful coastline right next to Dover's busy ferry terminal.

My visit wasn't wildlife-focussed but instead a pleasant walk with good friends, however, nevertheless I encountered a new (for me) species of butterfly - my first ever Chalk Hill Blue.  I stressed to my friends that these were scarce butterflies but it was hard to believe as they were everywhere!  Clearly the chalk downland above the cliffs suited them perfectly.

The males are a beautiful pale blue - a chalky-blue in my mind - lacking the rich depth in colour of Common or Adonis Blues.  Their wings are surrounding by a darker border while the females, as is typical with the blue butterflies, are a more discreet brown. They were by far the commonest butterfly on the cliffs and, at times, I almost trod on them as they settled on the path by my feet. ​

Just past South Foreland lighthouse another wildflower-rich meadow held another gem in the form of the also-scarce Adonis Blue butterfly. Unlike the faded-looking Chalk Hill Blue the Adonis Blue jumps out at you with a stunning deep, rich blue.

My photo doesn't quite capture the intensity of the blue and this is a battle-worn individual having lost a chunk from its left wing - perhaps from a bird.  The little black marks that cross the white wing-border separate this species from other blues and confirm it as an Adonis Blue.  Both the Chalk Hill and Adonis Blues are butterflies that I am very unlikely to encounter on my rambles at home so seeing them in abundance was very special.

Of course, being August and being on a headland just across from France meant that my 'bird antennae' were also up.  However, I didn't encounter too much save a lone Wheatear on passage. There also seemed to be a steady passage of birds out to sea but without a scope I could only identify a few Gannets and Mediterranean Gulls by way of interest.  A dark bird headed west looked tantalisingly like a Brown Booby but at such distance it had to be relegated to the 'in your dreams' category of 'ones that go away'!

Aside from the fact that this walk is book-ended by two National Trust cafés, this short stretch of coastline is well worth a visit.  The area has precedence for good birds and if you want inspiration for a visit check out - Perdix Birding - a blog by local birder Jamie Partridge.