A Day To Forget (Almost) - 3.8.25

After our good visit to Norfolk the previous weekend myself and Brendon must’ve used most of our good luck up as todays trip to Suffolk certainly didn’t go to plan!

For the entire week the first news out on the bird alerts was of a juvenile Black Stork showing ridiculously well in a ditch at Boyton Marsh RSPB so with this we drove up and had just gone past Colchester FC’s ground when there was a no sign message. With that I turned round and headed to Abberton Reservoir. Here we spent a couple of hours trying to spot the previous days Temminck’s Stint but failed miserably. Then whilst still in the hide news emerged that the stork was back so off we went. 

We arrived in good time and started walking the 1.5 miles to where to view but as we passed a birder about half way he gave us the news it’d flown off north again! We continued on and the spent another hour staring at nothing. I was the alerted to the distress calls of gulls above and saw them mobbing something. Thinking it was the stork I lifted my bins and to my surprise I saw myself looking at a year tick dark morph Honey Buzzard! We watched it for a couple of minutes before it drifted off north. 

Another hour passed before we headed for home having dipped the stork. 90 minutes after we left it came back and has showed well since and the Temminck’s was seen again later in the day. So an all round bad day at the office apart from the Honey Buzzard.

Welney, Snettisham + Rye Meads - 27.7.25

White Stork

I again joined Brendon this time on a trip to Norfolk and returning home via East Hertfordshire. We were heading north and had reached Cambridgeshire when he said we’ll make a detour to Welney WWT to look for a White Stork. We arrived and parked up and scanned the field it’d been in the previous day from a couple of vantage points but failed to see it. We then popped into the reserve car park to see if it’d moved but a couple of Tree Sparrow were the only thing of note. 

As we were pulling out the car park a message popped up saying the Stork was still there so we drove back and this time walked the river path. As I was walking up a Marsh Harrier swooped down and mobbed the White Stork and as you can see from my photo above it was only the top half of the bird that was visible so no wonder we missed it first time around.

Pectoral Sandpiper

Spoonbill

Snettisham RSPB was our next stop. I hadn’t been here since 2006 when I ticked a Little Auk on one of the pits. There was something to see virtually all the way down to the southern end of the pits including a year tick Little Tern but sadly the White-rumped Sandpiper wasn’t one of them. Just before reaching the last hides we bumped into Phil Bishop and Colin Maynard who said the other target bird was showing. After a quick chat we parted ways and sat down to scan through the numerous waders only to get a call from Phil to say the bird was now visible from the next hide back towards the car park.

From the rotary hide we finally laid eyes on the Pectoral Sandpiper as it proved the mud. Also seen were 23 Spoonbill doing as they do sleeping. As we walked back to the car Brendon mentioned he’d seen a Turtle Dove from the area we were in on his last visit and within seconds one flew past us and landed on the beach! It got even better when another 4 flew past along the beach setting a record flock for me. 

Night Heron

With no sign of any Curlew Sandpipers we set off for home stopping at Rye Meads RSPB reserve on the way. Here from the Draper hide we waited along with a hide full of other birders including James Walsh. 20 minutes elapsed before someone spotted it tucked into the far bottom right corner of the marsh. When the wind blew the willows out of the way you could see it and I managed a lucky record shot of my 5th Night Heron in the UK and my first anywhere since 2012. Typically soon after we left it flew out and landed in front of the hide briefly!

An excellent days birding

Oxhey Park - 24.7.25

We were doing some green flag work in Oxhey Park when I heard another Crossbill calling and a single bird flew NW. 

Cassiobury - 22.7.25

After lunch I headed back out into the park for more litter picking and about 1.30pm I suddenly heard the familiar glip glip calls of Crossbill. I looked up and counted 7 birds heading roughly NW.

Cornmill Meadows, Trimley Marshes + Braughing - 25.5.25

 

Glossy Ibis

I joined Brendon, Chris Sharp and for the first time James Reader on a day out to Essex and Suffolk. Our first stop was Cornmill Meadows in the Lea Valley. After spending an eternity trying to find somewhere to park and what direction it was to the hide we eventually arrived at the sadly burnt out hide and after an assault course to get onto the charred remains we finally had great views of the Glossy Ibis. It was the first one I’d seen in its summer finery and what a stunner it was.

Also noted were 2 Cuckoo, Water Rail and Cetti’s Warbler.

Purple Heron

With views and photos secured we then headed into Suffolk and Trimley Marshes. I’d only previously been here once before for the Pacific Swift back in 2013. We parked up and had a quick cuppa kindly provided by Chris. As we were drinking it the mega alert went off telling me that an Eastern Bonelli’s Warbler was at Dungeness. Despite my request to head that way I was outvoted!! 

We then set upon the long walk to the hides dodging the showers noting a female Marsh Harrier and half a dozen Little Egret. Upon entering the hide we were informed the bird was seen about 10 minutes ago and roughly where. 20 minutes passed before it was re-found and great views were had of the adult Purple Heron. My second in about 6 5 weeks after the bird on Scilly.

With the bird in the book we trudged back to the car and headed for home via the Hertfordshire village of Braughing. With help from people on the Herts WhatsApp group we had directions for where to park and walk and within 10 minutes we were at the desired location and almost immediately heard the “wet me lips” call of a Quail. Despite it only being 10 feet in front of us in not very tall crops we never saw it but call was good enough for a year tick! 4 Yellowhammer and a Lesser Whitethroat also made the list.

Wilstone - 21.5.25

Wood Sandpiper

With the water level having been lowered to allow for upcoming works on the banks of the reservoir lots of mud was now exposed and bringing in the odd wader. Today’s bird that’d been enticed was a nice Wood Sandpiper. It was found mid morning and was still present when I finally arrive about 7pm. Just my 5th ever in Herts but my 3rd here it was a most welcome addition to the year list especially as I’d not been able to get over to Rye Meads a few days earlier for the one there alongside a Temminck’s Stint.

As I walked back to the car a Cuckoo started cuckooing loudly from the car park poplars before flying out into the trees on Drayton Bank.

Wilstone - 14.5.25

Avocets

The previous day 3 Avocets were found at Wilstone Reservoir but sadly I couldn’t get up there. This wasn’t a problem as they were still there the following day and so once dinner was finished I headed up and wandered round to the hide. From here I found 2 of the 3 birds showing well on the left of the spit. For some reason I thought they were a Tring tick but I checked my records and found they weren’t as my only Herts bird was also at Wilstone way back in November 2003 so no wonder I’d forgotten!

2 Shelduck and a Hobby were also noted.

More Firecrests - 13.5.25

The last few years has sen the number of local Firecrests increasing. I’ve now found numerous birds while at work and today I found another 3. I won’t put where purely because 1 of the birds had food in its bill so possibly/hopefully breeding there.

Beds + Cambs - 5.5.25

A rubbish nights sleep saw me up stupidly early and despite trying to get back to sleep I didn’t so I thought I’d just get up and head into enemy territory or better known as Bedfordshire. As I drove past Luton I did have a little chuckle at their second successive relegation but I soon arrived at Stewartby Lake.

I walked down a footpath and quite quickly I heard the rattle of a Lesser Whitethroat followed a minute or so later by the beautiful song of a couple of Nightingale. I eventually caught a glimpse of one albeit just the head as it belted out its fluty song. A female Marsh Harrier drifted past and a Garden Warbler was heard too.

As it was still early I checked the sat nav and saw that Grafham Water was less than 30 minutes away so off I headed for just my second visit to the site.

Spotted Sandpiper

I arrived in good time and parked up in the Plummer car park only to see a message that my intended target had flown off 10 minutes earlier. The wind was strong and making it feel cold despite it being the start of May and after 20 minutes of searching it was still missing. I wandered over to the dam and thankfully found it feeding along the waters edge of the south bank. Good views were had in the end and my fifth Spotted Sandpiper was in the notebook. It was my first since the brief Hilfield Reservoir bird in 2012 and only my second spotty one. The only other one was my first one back in 2002 on the Durham/Northumberland border.

It was still early so I then headed to Fen Drayton RSPB. I parked up and walked for less than 5 minutes before I heard the purring of a Turtle Dove. I finally managed to pick it out but just after I got my binoculars on it it flicked up and vanished into the trees. Another couple of Lesser Whitethroat were heard.

Another check of the sat nav showed I wasn’t too far from Ouse Fen RSPB reserve. I’d only been there the previous weekend but as there was something else to see I headed over. The first bird of note was the Great Reed Warbler that was still croaking in its favoured reeds. As I rounded the bend further west of the GRW I picked up a couple of Hobby for the year list. As it was there were at least 40 birds present a number I’d never seen before. 

An Arctic Tern was a nice surprise as it flew over the marsh and the pinging of Bearded Tits was heard but just a split second view of one. After scanning the Hobbies for what seemed like forever I finally managed to pick out the orangey breast of one of the two female Red-footed Falcons on site as it banked. A 3-4 second view is all I managed but it was nice to get in on the National influx of this species.

My quick morning out had turned into a 6.5 hour multi site visit but 7 year ticks were had.

Ouse Fen RSPB - 27.4.25

Bittern

I joined Matt and George Moreton on a trip to Cambridgeshire with my first ever visit to Ouse Fen RSPB reserve. Upon arrival we scanned over a pool to look for a pair of Garganey that’d been see the previous day but no joy. We then walked up the footpath but we didn’t get too far before I spotted a Bittern flying towards us. It landed out in the open and we got it in our scopes. George then said it’s walking left but the one me and Matt were watching wasn’t. There were 2 Bittern and both out in the open! 2 more were heard booming too.

Great Reed Warbler

After our fill of those we continued up the path being serenaded by at least 2 Cuckoo’s. All of a sudden I heard the deep croaky song of our main target. After a quick wait we picked it out from amongst the reeds and there it was my second ever Great Reed Warbler. My last was in Surrey in 2002 but wasn’t as showy as this bird. The Cuckoo’s were still cuckooing and then I heard the bugling of a Crane somewhere out towards the north.

Before we left we had another scan of the original pool and Matt immediately picked out the pair of Garganey to end a fantastic morning. Such a shame Hertfordshire doesn’t have a site like this.