Local Wildlife Sightings October 2024

 Many places to the west of Royston experienced their wettest ever September. However, for Royston (or, more particularly, my garden) September 1995 was slightly wetter - how disappointing! However, the elements hadn't finished and on the 1st well over an inch of rain fell. If September had had 31 days, it would have been the wettest month since I started recording in 1992! The impact of this horribly wet year on our wildlife has been very negative, and it was clear after all the rain that my macro lens would be of little use until next spring.

I eventually got out on the 4th, the second of two miraculously sunny days, walking up the Icknield Way (west of Royston) and later doing a 'there and back' section of the Icknield Way to the east of Royston. I didn't get as far as the Heydon Pig Farm, but saw plenty of gulls on recently ploughed fields along the way. Corn Buntings were starting to flock just over the Cambridgeshire border - I counted 13 on telegraph wires, with possibly more very distant birds. Red Admirals were the dominant butterfly, although I did see a single Meadow Brown near the house.

Gulls (Three Species) in flight near Royston, 4 October

There has been a big influx of Yellow-browed Warblers, blown by easterly winds, into the country this autumn. Whilst most have stayed on or near the east coast, at least three have been sighted in Hertfordshire. I was (ambitiously) hoping to record one on my local patch this year, but was unlucky. However, I did notice lots of Chiffchaffs on all my walks until well into October, including birds on two separate dates in the back garden. More and more birds are wintering in the UK as our winters become milder. Last winter, one was present on The Heath. I wonder whether any will stay locally again.

 

UK Wildlife Sightings, October 2024

 I was back on the North Norfolk coast on the 2nd, researching for an RSPB Local Group trip to Holme NWT, which I would be leading. There wasn't a great deal to see here - a Yellow-browed Warbler had been sighted near the car park before I arrived, but must have moved on. There was lots of activity on the lovely beach, but no rarities. I moved on to RSPB Titchwell Marsh, a few miles down the road, and was rewarded with a brief sighting of a Yellow-browed Warbler there (too dark for photography). Two others were heard at Titchwell. This species has a number of loud, distinctive calls: people usually mention the disyllabic, Coal Tit like call, but these birds were using a loud, single note call - higher pitched than the call of a Chiffchaff (of which there were many). Most of the migrating waders had moved through, but I still saw twelve species, including the Black-winged Stilt 'escape'.

Black-winged Stilt, RSPB Titchwell Marsh, 2 October

Great White Egret (one of a pair), RSPB Titchwell Marsh, 2 October

Local Wildlife Sightings September 2024

 After a dry August (the first 'dry' month for nearly a year), September started unsettled, with a few rain showers and very variable temperatures, which peaked at 28C on the 1st. Royston is in one of the driest areas of the country, and this was emphasised as we missed torrential rain to the south in the first week and the constant battering of wind and rain that was endured in north-west Britain at the end of August and early September.

September sees bird migration through the country, as passerines head south towards warmer climes. Whinchats and Wheatears were reported locally in the first week, but no rarities were recorded. I was still busy photographing invertebrates, so relied on bird calls more than sightings during this period, although I did see at least three Spotted Flycatchers sallying forth from dead trees in Fox Covert to catch insects. Were these the family of birds that I saw in June and July or others passing through? I'll never know. Chiffchaffs were everywhere, sometimes appearing in parties of up to four individuals, but no Willow Warblers were heard or seen. A Raven was heard over Fox Covert on the 3rd, whilst a Green Woodpecker called nearby, the first time I've heard this species on The Heath for well over a year. A Bullfinch was heard near Royston Hospital on the 8th.

Blue butterflies became much harder to find in September, although several tatty Common Blues, a couple of Brown Arguses and a single male Chalkhill Blue were seen on the north side of Church Hill, mainly feeding on late-flowering Devil's-bit Scabious, on the 6th. No second generation Adonis Blues were seen at any time to the west of the Therfield Road: it seems very likely that this colony has, sadly, died out. Second generation Holly Blues have been few and far between this year. Perhaps the parasitic wasp (Listrodomus nycthemerus) that attacks their larvae had a successful season: these two species exist in equilibrium. The two butterflies that have done very well throughout the summer on The Heath, Meadow Brown and Small Heath, were still much in evidence: I must have seen about 50 of the former, many in good condition, on the 6th.

During September, my photographic interest turns towards grasshoppers, bush-crickets and spiders, all of which become far more evident as other insects disappear. I have only ever been able to find two species of grasshopper, Field Grasshopper and Meadow Grasshopper, on The Heath, whereas five species of Bush-cricket have been identified locally. This year Dark Bush-crickets and a single Roesel's Bush-cricket were the only ones seen on The Heath at the time of writing, although I am hopeful of finding more. Lots of Orb-web and female Wasp Spiders were seen, with Wasp Spiders particularly abundant at the bottom of Church Hill, where the specimens shown below were photographed.

Meadow Grasshopper, Church Hill, 3 September

Female Wasp Spider, Church Hill, 3 September

Female Wasp Spider on her Web, Church Hill, 6 September

During September I went on two long 'round the villages walks, on the 11th and the 25th, either side of a week's holiday with my partner (14-21st). These walks are largely aimed at improving my fitness (I'm still putting on weight), but of course I am always on the lookout for birds and invertebrates. Co-incidentally, I saw 38 bird species on each walk. The star bird on the first walk was Willow Warbler (two sightings, ID by call), my first local sightings of the year of a species that used to breed in good numbers in the Royston area but is now only seen as an occasional passage migrant. At least two Ravens were flushed from a dead tree at Reed End (Therfield) and five species of water bird, including two Little Grebes, were seen at Phillup's Lake. On the second walk I saw no fewer than five Ravens in the same dead tree at Reed End: is this a family group or a place for Ravens to socialise? Two Ravens, presumably different birds, were seen earlier heading north as I was walking up the Icknield Way. A single Wheatear was seen near the 'Raven Tree'. Five Tufted Ducks (four females) were on Phillup's Lake, but there was no sign of Little Grebes on this occasion. My biggest shock came on the way back through Newsells Stud Farm, when I saw my first local Green Woodpecker for two years! I have heard them 'yaffling' on many occasions this year (more so than in 2023), but they had always been 'in the next field' or 'just over the hill' - the latter a bit like me, I guess.

Gulls Following the Plough, Therfield, 11 September

Five Ravens in a Dead Tree, Reed End, 25 September

Tufted Ducks at Phillup's Lake, Reed End, 25 September

Lovely weather on the 13th prompted me to look at both ends of The Heath for invertebrates. Large numbers of Ivy Bees were taking nectar from Ivy flowers, both off and on The Heath, being joined from time to time by other bumble bees, Honey Bees, hoverflies and Red Admiral butterflies. A few rather jaded Common Blue butterflies were seen at both ends of The Heath and it was reassuring to see, in addition to 6-8 male Adonis Blues on Lankester Hill, a single female. Migrant Hawker and Common Darter dragonflies were still on the wing. These were all in an area where the vegetation had been machine-cut last year whilst this year a swathe of vegetation lower down the hill has been cut. Vegetation on both sides of Church Hill was cut later in September. This will hopefully do the job that Rabbits are supposed to do (but there are too few to do it) and sheep are now not allowed to do (apparently due to dog attacks), encouraging the growth of wild flowers and the vegetation that supports Therfield Heath's special invertebrates. This was, apparently, a very expensive job, but well done to all concerned for doing it.

Common Darter, Therfield Heath, 13 September

Ivy Bee on Ivy Plant, Royston, 13 September

Red Admiral Nectaring on Ivy, Royston, 13 September

This proved to be probably my last productive visit of the year to The Heath to photograph invertebrates. Having arrived back from holiday on the 21st (and found a Speckled Bush-cricket and a Hawthorn Shield Bug in the garden), the following week produced dull weather with frequent rain. On the few occasions when the sun shone, the only butterflies seen were the 'cabbage whites' and a few Red Admirals and Meadow Browns. Migrant Hawker dragonflies were still active and I saw a few Dock Bugs (on Dock leaves, of course) and grasshoppers. Craneflies were very common and a few hoverflies were still buzzing around, but it looks like the end of September will be the time to put my macro lens away for another year. 

UK Wildlife Sightings September 2024

 When I visited Titchwell on the 4th I decided to replace the macro lens of my relatively new Nikon full-frame mirrorless camera with a brand new 100-400mm zoom lens, to check whether I would get better results photographing birds than those that I had been getting for the past 3+ years from my APS-C Nikon DSLR camera with 100-400mm zoom lens. The answer was a definite 'yes!' The birds look further away in the new combination (as expected for a full-frame camera), but heavier cropping reveals significantly more detail in the birds' feathers and a cleaner image. Further improvements could no doubt be reached by replacing the zoom lens with a very large fixed focal length lens (say 600mm F4), the only problems being a combination of an extra 2Kg of weight and an extra cost of around £12,000! Since I'm a bird watcher who just likes to take decent photos of birds every now and again, I'm very happy with the new (and, to be fair, the old) combination.

Titchwell provided me with plenty of good photographic material, particularly from inside the Island Hide, where several species of wader could be seen and glimpses of a Water Rail (my first sighting of the year) could be had. At one point a Hobby came by, causing most of the waders to fly up, before they later landed only a few feet in front of the hide - giving wonderful views for a minute or two. A Little Stint, in particular, was a very popular subject for the assembled photographers. A White-rumped Sandpiper was rather more elusive but did reveal itself later in the day, when I became marooned in the Island Hide in the middle of a thunderstorm. Elsewhere a Black-winged Stilt became the 19th wader species to be seen on the day, allowing for its rather dubious origins (apparently it was an 'escape').

Curlew Sandpiper, RSPB Titchwell Marsh, 4 September

Dunlin, RSPB Titchwell Marsh, 4 September

Little Stint, RSPB Titchwell Marsh, 4 September

White-rumped Sandpiper, RSPB Titchwell Marsh, 4 September

My next expedition of any note was to Shelley, in Suffolk 'Constable Country', on the 12th. This turned into a rather embarrassing flop as my target bird, Purple Heron, eluded me. I found the 'flash' where it was reported to be lurking, but didn't look from the right place (a hole in a hedge, about 500M south of where I had been looking from). I should study the maps on 'Birdguides' more carefully! Still, it was a pleasant afternoon and a surprising number of species could be seen from my viewpoint.

I spent a week on holiday with my partner near Halifax from the 14th. Wildlife watching was very low on the agenda, with highlights limited to seeing a Kingfisher fly past along the River Aire in central Leeds and having a split-second view of a Dipper, again in flight, on the stream that ran past our delightful hotel.

The day after our return I visited Rye Harbour (East Sussex) by coach with my RSPB Local Group. Whilst central England (including Hertfordshire) was enjoying atrocious weather (120mm of rain over the weekend in Woburn), we were extremely lucky to spend the day walking round the reserve in dry and often sunny weather. Highlights included Spotted Redshank, a flyover Osprey, lots of Wheatears and a constant stream of Swallows, heading for Europe and thence Africa (an amazing 120,000 were recorded in the morning, nearby at RSPB Dungeness). A few of my images, taken on the trip, are shown below.

Ringed Plovers and a Dunlin, Rye Harbour SWT, 22 September

Wheatear A, Rye Harbour SWT, 22 September

Wheatear B, Rye Harbour SWT, 22 September

Starling Roost, Rye Harbour SWT, 22 September. Do the birds prefer to be near the Ukrainian Flag?

The appearance of a juvenile Red-backed Shrike at Houghton Regis, near Dunstable, encouraged me out of the house on an otherwise appallingly dull and wet week, on the 24th. This time I came armed with an exact knowledge of where the bird was showing, and was rewarded with good views as it moved around between bushes, close to a stream. A couple of Stonechats were also present here - I wonder whether they would be too large for the Shrike to catch.....

Juvenile Red-backed Shrike, Houghton Regis, 24 September

Juvenile Red-backed Shrike, Houghton Regis, 24 September

Stonechat, Houghton Regis, 24 September

Local Wildlife Sightings, August 2024

Summer proper finally arrived in late July and persisted throughout the first half of August, with dry, warm and sometimes hot weather, which reached 33C (hottest day of the year) on the 12th. Just back from holiday on the 4th, I stepped into the back garden to look at the tomato plants and found a Jersey Tiger Moth resting on one of the leaves - another garden 'first'.

Jersey Tiger Moth, Royston, 4 August

Local bird records included a Cattle Egret, which I saw at Amwell on the 6th, and a Quail, which I heard from the track leading from the Baldock-Wallington road towards Clothall Common and the model aircraft field on the 7th. Apparently three 'singing' birds were in the same area at the time in this, the 'Quail centre of Britain'. A Tawny Owl, probably a different one to the individual that was heard from the house and garden throughout most of 2023, was heard twice from the house early in the month. Phillup's Lake was pretty quiet, although two adult Little Grebes were seen there on the 12th (no sign of juveniles this year). The Swifts had departed by the time I got back from Scotland. Juvenile warblers (Chiffchaffs and Whitethroats) were seen in local hedgerows as their main food source changed from invertebrates to ripe or ripening berries. On the 22nd I visited RSPB Rye Meads, looking for Garganey and Great White Egret, which had been reported there earlier in the day and on the days before. Sadly, I missed out on both my targets - lots of 'eclipse' Teal were seen from the Draper Hide (where the two Garganey had been seen), but despite my best efforts I couldn't turn any of them into the very similar Garganey.

'Record Shot' of Cattle Egret (left) with Little Egret, Amwell NR, 6 August

Insect numbers were well down on where they usually are at this time of the year, with only grasshoppers increasing in numbers and size. Chalkhill Blues were still emerging early in the month and I found an 'aberrant' female (quite a rare event) on The Heath on the 6th (image below). By the end of the week to the 9th I had seen very small numbers of second generation Common Blues and Brown Argus at all the sites I regularly visit. Numbers rose somewhat in the following week, but it was clear that this was going to be a very poor year for both species. Likewise, I failed to see any Silver-washed Fritillaries on The Heath this year. Numbers had never been high and the woodland areas are not extensive, so conditions for this species are far from ideal. Hopefully, they will return in due course, weather conditions permitting. However, I did see at least three Silver-washed Fritillaries at Scales Park, near Meesden, on the 9th, so I know where to go to see them next year. I also visited Clothall Common (Baldock) on the 7th, where around 15 Chalkhill Blues were seen in far from ideal conditions (image below).

Black-and-Yellow Longhorn Beetle, Scales Park, 9 August

Aberrant Female Chalkhill Blue (some Spots Missing), Therfield Heath, 6 August

Two Male Chalkhill Blues Extracting Salts from 'You-know-what', Clothall Common, 7 August

On the 12th (a very hot day) I visited Hertford Heath Nature Reserve, looking for dragonflies. I was rewarded with the sight of two Southern Migrant Hawkers (a rare but increasing in numbers immigrant from The Continent) flying backwards and forwards across the Brick Pits (they wouldn't settle, so I have no photographic evidence), Willow Emeralds and lots of Ruddy Darters, singly, laying eggs in tandem and mating. At one point a female Southern Hawker made a beeline for my trainer and landed by the side of it, adopting a position as if she was laying eggs (she may have been, but I couldn't find any after she eventually left). I also recorded an Emerald Damselfly, presumably recently hatched (image below) which I couldn't initially identify. However, somebody sent a photo of what looked like the same individual to the Hertfordshire Dragonfly Society Facebook page (an excellent read!), identifying it as a Scarce Emerald Damselfly, so I'll stick with that!

Immature Scarce Emerald Damselfly (?), Brick Pits, Hertford Heath, 12 August

Male Ruddy Darter, Hertford Heath NR, 12 August

Female Southern Hawker interacting with my Trainer, Hertford Heath, 12 August

Locally, Common Darter, Migrant and Southern Hawker dragonflies were on the wing. A few Common Blue Damselflies and Emperor Dragonflies were still active at Phillup's Lake (Reed End). Several members of the wasp mimic hoverfly Volucella inanis were seen, with one found in the garden. Numbers of Common Blue butterflies continued to increase slowly, with around ten males seen on my local wild flower meadow on the 19th. However, Brown Argus butterflies remained scarce.

Female Common Darter, Royston, 20 August

Hoverfly Volucella Inanis (a Wasp mimic), Royston, 19 August

Reports of Adonis Blue butterflies in the Old Rifle Range area later in the week encouraged me to visit The Heath on the afternoon of the 23rd, following a morning rain shower and three days of strong winds. I found several other butterfly photographers there and lots of male Adonis Blues! I counted around 15, most in pristine condition, and there must have been more. Most were on Lankester Hill, at the far eastern end of The Heath. Significant numbers of Common Blues and Brown Argus were also seen and quite a few Chalkhills, mostly females, were still active. I saw a smart Holly Blue on my way up to The Heath, making five species of 'blue' in total. Maybe all is not lost for the blues after all - if only we could now have a colder, drier winter and a drier, sunnier spring in 2025! Most of the female Common Blues seen were suffused with lots of blue (example below). A new generation of Speckled Woods was on the wing. Later, I visited Church Hill. No blues at all were seen on the south side of Church Hill, but around the bottom of the hill I counted nine Chalkhill Blues, including a female, so there is hope that the colony here will revive one day, assuming that the right ants are present. Small Heath butterflies have been here from late April, throughout the spring and summer, and a new generation was on the wing (pristine example below). Some tiny voles were scampering about in the bottom field, where at least five Common Blues were roosting dangerously close to the web of a Wasp Spider.....

Male Adonis Blue, Therfield Heath (East Side), 23 August

'Blue' Female Common Blue, Therfield Heath, 23 August

Small Heath, Therfield Heath (Church Hill), 23 August

Two Roosting Male Common Blues, Therfield Heath (Church Hill), 23 August

Twelve hours of rain on the following day put a dampener on things, and on each of two further visits to this area I was only able to find two male Adonis Blues. No females at all were seen, assuming that the few very tatty females that I did see were all Chalkhill Blues. This is not too surprising, since females are far less active than the males and not at all showy. I presume that some were there - if not, we won't be seeing any Adonis Blues on The Heath next year.

Male Adonis Blue, Therfield Heath, 30 08 24

On the 29th I made a return visit to Wilstone, hoping to see birds at the reservoir and photograph dragonflies along the Grand Union Canal. Two distant Hobbies, two Greenshanks and a Green Sandpiper were seen from the hide at the reservoir. Dragonflies were few here, with most being Black-tailed Skimmers. Migrant Hawker dragonflies were abundant along the canal. No White-legged Damselflies were seen, but I did find a mating pair of Blue-tailed Damselflies. Other insects photographed included some interesting flies, such as a fly with an orange abdomen, possibly Musca domestica (image), and a distinctive fly with a long snout, Rhingia campestris.

Fly (Musca domestica??), Wilstone, 29 August

Migrant Hawker, Wilstone, 29 August

On the 30th a 'there and back' walk from the large layby off the A505 just outside Royston to Heydon Pig Farm failed to produce any surprises. The farm is noted for the large numbers of wintering gulls, occasionally including rarities, that can be seen there. I didn't expect to see many at this time of year, but in fact there were hundreds there, the vast majority Lesser Black-backed. However, farming operations had pushed them further away from my viewpoint, so I wasn't able to check through them for rarities. A Raven was heard, but there was no sign of Lapwings (a familiar sight in the winter) here or elsewhere on the walk.

UK Wildlife Sightings August 2024

 Having got back from Scotland on the 3rd, my first trip of any distance was to Snettisham on the 8th. A reasonably high tide was forecast, although only a few hundred Black-tailed Godwits were pushed back on to the lagoons. As the tide started to recede there were some spectacular murmurations of gulls, terns and (predominantly) waders, with several species involved. On the newly exposed mud, hundreds or possibly thousands of small waders flew and ran about, feeding. I spent a lot of time looking for White-rumped Sandpipers (four had been reported earlier). Eventually one was found and a kind bird watcher put me on to it. It revealed its white rump as it briefly flew. I also saw a Little Stint (see if you can find it in the image below), in amongst the Dunlin, Sanderlings and Ringed Plovers. Walking back to the car park, a bonus came in the form of a Wall butterfly, the first that I have seen this year.

Waders at RSPB Snettisham, 8 August

Waders, Terns etc. taking off, spooked by a Peregrine, RSPB Snettisham

Record Shot of a Wall Butterfly, Snettisham, 8 August

On the way home I stopped off at Dersingham Bog to look for invertebrates in this distinctive sandy, marshy nature reserve. Sand wasps were seen along with a multitude of dragonflies. Black Darter dragonflies breed here, or so I had been led to believe, but on several previous late summer visits I had yet to see one. Imagine my surprise when I saw not one, but several Black Darters, along with a single Keeled Skimmer. They do exist here, after all! Unfortunately, I could find no sign of Grayling butterflies, which I have seen here in the past but not in the last 3-4 years. Perhaps they no longer occur on this site.

Male Black Darter, Dersingham Bog, 8 August

In recent years I have been looking to go on pelagic boat trips off the UK coast, in order to try to connect with some of the rarer seabirds (Cory's and Great Shearwaters, for example), which I would have very little chance of seeing onshore. The boats go out a few miles from land and drop horrible smelling fishy mixtures ('chum'), which attracts the seabirds. A 'Naturetrek' trip, leaving from Falmouth harbour in Cornwall last September, was cancelled due to inclement weather conditions. Foolishly, I put my name down for another 'Naturetrek' trip, this time departing from Weymouth, on the 15th of August and booked a B&B in Weymouth for the night of the 14/15th. Again the trip was cancelled the day before, this time because the wind was in the wrong direction (!). I was committed to travelling to Weymouth, so made the best of a bad job by spending four hours (mainly) sea watching at Portland Bill on the morning of the 15th, followed by a visit to Arne RSPB on the way home. Sea watching provided sightings of both Manx and Balearic Shearwaters, alongside many Fulmars, Kittiwakes and Gannets as well as a few auks and an Arctic Skua. It was difficult at distance to separate the two shearwater species, which are similar in size and rarely revealed their underparts (Balearics are significantly darker below) and even more difficult to photograph them! Their behaviour was somewhat different - the Manx Shearwaters did more 'shearing' in flight and moved through quickly, whilst the Balearics tended to fly on flatter wings, hung around for longer and sometimes landed on the sea, diving to feed. The composite image below shows 'record shots' of both species, although you will have to take my word for it!

Composite image of Manx (left hand and right hand birds) and Balearic (central birds) Shearwaters in Flight, Portland Bill, 15 August. The Manx Shearwaters are darker above and paler below and have sharper wings than the Balearic Shearwaters. Sorry about the poor quality of the individual images!

Land birds seen at Portland Bill included Ravens, one of which landed close by to inspect the contents of a plastic bag, many migratory Wheatears and several Rock Pipits. One consolation from this brief visit was that I was able to enjoy an excellent breakfast at my B&B, which I wouldn't have had time for if I had been on the boat trip. This was something to digest on the five hour, stop start journey home from Arne. I think that I'll avoid booking Naturetrek pelagics in future!

Raven, Portland Bill, 15 August

Wheatear, Portland Bill, 15 August

On the 16th I spent an afternoon at Paxton Pits (near St Neots), photographing darter dragonflies. One particular group of bushes close to a path usualy holds many (usually) Common Darters and I wasn't disappointed on this occasion. However, getting an uncluttered background for my shots (I always aim to produce images suitable for competitions and exhibitions, however unlikely it is that I'll achieve my target) wasn't easy. One example is shown below.

Common Darter, Paxton Pits, 16 August

My only other trip of any note was to RSPB Frampton Marsh on the 27th. A Baird's Sandpiper (an American wader, which occasionally finds its way to the UK) had been seen the day before but was absent on the day of my visit. However, many other wader species were showing there, including Curlew Sandpipers. Yellow Wagtails were abundant here, with around 20 seen in one small area where cattle were feeding (image).

Three Curlew Sandpipers, RSPB Frampton Marsh, 27 August

Two (of many) Yellow Wagtails hanging around cattle, waiting for flies to eat, RSPB Frampton Marsh, 27 August