I was on holiday in Western Australia from 31 October to 16 November, returning to the UK to find my rain gauge overflowing - I had obviously missed some poor weather as I was sweltering in 30+C heat and more or less continuous sunshine! I'll put in a brief report about the trip in due course (500 images to edit). The weather in Royston continued unsettled until the 20th when, having had very little exercise, I decided to go on my 'round the villages' walk. A few hundred yards from my home I found a small flock of Goldcrests (5+) and shortly afterwards another three, but for the rest of the walk I didn't record any more. A Mute Swan was an unusual sighting at Hatchpen Farm pond, whilst a couple of Reed Buntings at Park Farm were, like the swan, 'year ticks' for my local patch. Small flocks of Yellowhammers, totalling 30-35 birds, were seen in various places along the route, four Corn Buntings were at Greys Farm and a flock of around 90 Linnets were seen nearby. Chiffchaffs appeared to have finally departed (but see below). Common and Black-headed Gulls were searching for food in the fields but, surprisingly, no Lesser Black-backed Gulls (the commonest local gull species for most of the year) were seen. A total of 43 species were recorded (39 seen).
Mute Swan (a local rarity) with Farmyard Geese at Hatchpen Farm Pond, 20 November
On the 26th I walked right across Therfield Heath to Fox Covert. Two Stonechats (reported the previous day on the Herts. Bird Club web site) were seen near the 'McDonalds' car park off the Therfield Road. The woodland of Fox Covert and Jubilee Wood can be very quiet in the winter, unless one coincides with a flock of tits and other small birds. Fortunately, on this occasion I was lucky to find a tit flock that also included a few Goldcrests, as well as Nuthatches and a Treecreeper (the last two heard but not seen). A single Chiffchaff was also present. A wintering bird was recorded nearby in 2024-25: will this bird attempt to over-winter too? No Redwings or Fieldfares were recorded: very few seem to be about locally at present.
Stonechat on Therfield Heath, 26 November
On the 28th I did a walk along the Icknield Way to the east of Royston. There were no surprises, but I did see a very loose flock of around 60 Fieldfares along the way. Towards Flint Cross a Common Buzzard with rather unusual markings was seen distantly (image below). It was very black and white, with a dark patch on the side of the head. I wonder whether it is wintering here, having come from a colder part of Europe. It appeared to have a pale rump, but I'm confident that it wasn't a wintering Rough-legged Buzzard, a bird that I have seen on three occasions in Hertfordshire in the last 20 years, but which is now an extreme rarity anywhere in the UK.
'Record Shot' of a Common Buzzard, seen between Royston and Flint Cross, 28 November
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