Heavy rain on New Year's Day and almost throughout the following weekend (30+mm by the 5th) suggested that 2025 was going to be no improvement, weatherwise, to 2024. However, a 'cold snap' from the 6th brought with it some welcome winter sunshine, even if daytime temperatures barely reached 0C. I took the opportunity to do lots of local walking, as well as to visit some of Hertfordshire's 'honey pot' sites. A walk around my Local Patch on the 3rd (another sunny day) produced 42 bird species (40 seen): nothing special, but it was good to be out getting exercise in the sunshine, after several days of grotesque over-indulgence. Likewise, 37 bird species were recorded on a walk to Heydon Pig Farm along the Icknield Way on the 10th. With the ground very hard, not many gulls were seen at the pig farm. However, Ravens, a wintering Chiffchaff and hundreds of Starlings were present and good numbers of Fieldfares (but no Redwings) were feeding on berries in bushes along the way.
Fieldfare near Heydon, 10 January
I missed out on the female Smew at Amwell on the 6th, but did see a male Red-crested Pochard there, as well as lots of gulls which included a Great Black-backed Gull.
Male Red-crested Pochard (on the left) with a Common Pochard, Amwell, 6 January
Another glorious day on the 9th encouraged me to visit St Albans. A rare, wintering Yellow-browed Warbler had been drawing in the crowds at the Verulamium Park. This tiny bird, not much bigger than a Goldcrest, showed well at times at the edge of the lake and I was able to get a few 'record shots' of it as it dived about an Oak Tree, presumably hunting for tiny invertebrates. This was a Hertfordshire 'first' for me, taking my species list up to 200. Nearby, the local Peregrines were showing well on the Cathedral, although I missed out on seeing a Black Redstart there (last winter's returning bird??).
Record Shot of the Yellow-browed Warbler, St Albans, 9 January
Peregrine on St Albans Cathedral, 9 January
I walked from the Verulamium Park to the attractive little Watercress Local Nature Reserve, where I was rewarded with a brief sighting of a Water Rail. Siskins and Redpolls were feeding in the Alder Trees, and a female Bullfinch visited one of the bird feeders.
News on the grapevine that a fairly large Starling murmuration (5,000 to 10,000 birds) was regularly occurring at RSPB Fowlmere encouraged me to visit on the late afternoon of the 13th. I decided to head for the Reedbed Hide, from where I presumed that I would get good views of the Starlings as they flew above the reedbed. However, by 4.30pm it was almost dark and all we had seen was a Barn Owl and a small group of Starlings. I decided to leave and, as I walked back to the main track, there were the Starlings performing behind the hide! It was virtually dark by this time, but I still managed to get a few photographs of the murmuration before the birds disappeared into the reedbed. There appeared to be far fewer than 5,000, but of course it is impossible to count them.
Starling Murmuration, RSPB Fowlmere, 13 January (converted to B&W for clarity)
Bird activity in the garden varied from day to day. There was no (apparent) return of the Brambling that I had seen on the last day of 2024. A Stock Dove visited on several occasions. Stock Doves nest nearby, but until recently they were very rare visitors to the garden. This bird is quite persistent, despite being chased around by the larger Woodpigeons. The dark days that were so common in December returned from the 15th, with very little sunshine but lots of cloud, mists and drizzle. Local walks were generally uneventful, although I did see a flock of Lapwings (my first local Lapwing sighting since 2023) at Greys Farm on the 15th. The flock didn't stay, however. Ravens were recorded at a variety of locations and 22 Corn Buntings were at Hatchpen Farm on the 18th. Twelve Grey Partridges were seen in a field off the Icknield Way between Therfield Heath and Therfield on the 22nd.
Stock Dove in my Garden, 17 January
News of up to four Short-eared Owls appearing regularly in fields at Holwell (north of Hitchin) provoked a visit on the 17th. I arrived in time to see three in the air together, and managed a few 'record shots' whilst I was there. The field over which they were hunting presumably contained lots of Field Voles, their favourite prey. A Grey Heron, standing quietly in the middle of the field, may well have been waiting to gobble up some voles as well.
Short-eared Owl, Holwell, 17 January
Short-eared Owl with admirers, Holwell, 17 January
On the 23rd I visited Bramfield, near Hertford, where Hawfinches had been regularly reported this winter. I was lucky to see one almost immediately, high in a tree in the churchyard, and later heard others hidden in the churchyard Yews (their calls are similar to, but louder than, those of the Robin).
Hawfinch in Bramfield Churchyard, 23 January
My 'Big Garden Birdwatch' for an hour on the 25th produced nine species (about average for the BGBW), but this included the first Feral Pigeon that I had ever recorded on a BGBW count, Feral Pigeons having not previously been seen in the garden before 2024. I ventured to Wilstone Reservoir on a very dull afternoon on the 28th. Great Egret, Wigeon and Teal were amongst the sightings, but there was no sign of a reported Goosander. I looked hard through a very large (mainly) Black-headed Gull roost, but couldn't find any rarities. The following (sunny) day I went on my 'round the villages' walk, recording 45 bird species including my first local Redwings of the year and Ravens in Royston, Therfield and Reed. An unusually large number of Kestrels were recorded - possibly the rain of the previous couple of days had flooded their prey (particularly voles) out of shelter?
Kestrel, Therfield, 29 January
