Local Wildlife Sightings, March 2026

 The warmer, drier weather of late February continued into March. No fewer than nine Brimstone and two Peacock butterflies were seen on a short walk that took me across the eastern side of The Heath and back by the side of Royston Hospital on the 2nd - my first local butterflies of the year and the first large insects (other than a few queen bumble bees) that I had seen locally in 2026. Up to 15 frogs were noisily occupying the garden pond and on the 4th the first clump of frogspawn was laid there. At last, I had other wildlife to think about apart from birds!

I made my now monthly visit to Scales Park (Meesden) on the 4th. Crossbills were again seen but, on a very misty morning, the surprise was to see large numbers of Siskins (I estimate 30-35) around the evergreens near the eastern end of the main ride. Were they passing through on their way north? The poor visibility may have forced them down, or perhaps Scales Park is a regular stopping off place in the early spring. A very noisy flock of Redwings had gathered at the tops of the trees. Perhaps they, too, were moving through, or at least preparing to move north.

Male Siskin, Scales Park, 4 March

On my way home I called in at Reed End. Two Little Grebes were seen at Phillup's Lake (a positive sign). All the Canada Geese had departed and just a pair of Tufted Ducks were on the lake - will they stay to attempt to breed, or will the resident pair of Coots chase them off? Towards Therfield, some of the farmland finches and buntings had dispersed, although I did see a flock of around 60 Corn Buntings in flight. One landed next to a male Reed Bunting, giving an interesting size comparison (image).

Corn Bunting (left hand bird) and male Reed Bunting, Therfield, 4 March

 

UK Wildlife Sightings, March 2026

 With relatively mild, settled weather and a gentle breeze I decided to go Goshawk hunting at Cockley Cley (Norfolk) on the 3rd. Early March is the best time of year to see Goshawks displaying, although they can be seen in February if weather conditions are right. After 75 minutes of waiting, only lots of Buzzards and a single Red Kite had been seen. However, as I tried to photograph an overhead Buzzard a second bird, clearly a hawk, came into view. People around me said that it was only a Sparrowhawk. Certainly it looked small, but it was fairly high. Eventually I managed to get a 'record shot' of the bird that wasn't blurred. Later examination showed lengthwise striping along the underside of the bird (perpendicular to the barring along the wings and tail), pointing to the fact that this was a young Goshawk - probably a male - success! The image is shown below.

'Record Shot' of a Juvenile Goshawk, Cockley Cley, 3 March

I called into Lynford Arboretum on the way home, on the off-chance that I could see a Hawfinch. A quick check of the feeding station near the 'Shepherd's Baa' cafe netted me my first Brambling of the year (a female). Surely, things couldn't get any better? Oh yes, they could! Sitting at the top of the tallest tree in the paddock was a Hawfinch. I managed to get a few photos before it flew down, not to be seen again.

Hawfinch, Lynford Arboretum, 3 March

The best was still to come. As I continued a walk that I regularly take through the forest I came across signs warning me to watch where I stood, as it was the time of year for migrating frogs and toads. A few yards further on, by the side of a lake, I came upon a mass of courting and mating Common Toads - probably 60 to 70 with more, sometimes 'piggybacking', arriving at the lake as I watched. Forty minutes later I had photographed toads (individuals, couples and even a 'threesome') from every angle. Some spawn had already been laid. The lake is well away from the nearest road, so hopefully mortality as the toads make their way to the mating pond from every direction will be low. I was a herpetologist before I became a bird watcher, so seeing these toads performing was a joy to see.

Common Toads in Amplexus, arriving at their Breeding Lake, Lynford, 3 March

Common Toad 'Mating Ball' (two males and a female), Lynford, 3 March

Local Wildlife Sightings, February 2026

 With the exception of a few days in the first half of January, the weather in the first six weeks of 2026 was dull, dank and dismal. Rainfall in this part of the country was well above average but not excessive, and sunshine was at a premium. We were lucky to avoid the extreme rainfall and flooding in the south west of England or the heavy snowfall and 20+ days without sunshine in Aberdeenshire, but the late winter weather here was pretty miserable, nonetheless. No unusual birds were seen in or from the garden, although Stock Doves were back, underneath the feeders, from late January. In the surrounding area, large flocks of Redwings and Fieldfares were seen. Were these birds new arrivals, driven out of The Continent by continuing bad weather, returning birds from further west or had they been around locally, out of sight and hearing, throughout the winter?

Stock Dove in my Garden, 1 February

I was lucky to get a glimpse of a wintering Bittern when I visited Amwell on the 2nd. It crossed a patch of cut reeds near the White Hide (as seen from the viewpoint) before I had time to get my camera ready. There are possibly two Bitterns wintering here, but they are very hard to see! A large flock of Lapwings was flying about, looking for somewhere to land - most of the islands had been submerged as the water levels had risen during this very wet period.

Lapwings with Egyptian and Canada Geese, Amwell, 2 February

'New' birds for the year seen on local walks included a Raven, seen near Royston Hospital on the 11th, and three Golden Plovers, seen off the Icknield Way north of Therfield on the same day. A Barn Owl (or, rather, the top of its head) was seen on the 17th in the same owl box near the bottom of Church Hill where it had been seen last December. Three Stonechats (one male) were in the same area and another male Stonechat was seen along the Icknield Way, still in Hertfordshire, between Royston and Flint Cross on the 6th. A flock of an estimated 110 Corn Buntings were seen in fields and bushes between Therfield and Reed End on the 9th, having been joined by three Reed Buntings and 40 Yellowhammers, but there was no sign here of the large numbers of Chaffinches that had been seen in this area in January. Nine Tufted Ducks (a record) were seen on Phillup's Lake on the same day, but numbers of Canada Geese had declined from 36 to three.

Male Stonechat, seen between Royston and Flint Cross, 6 February

Female Stonechat, Thrift Farm, Royston, 17 February

A few of around 110 Corn Buntings seen between Therfield and Reed End, 9 February

'Record Shot' of one of three Golden Plovers, Therfield, 11 February

Kestrel, Reed, 11 February

I made another visit to Scales Park on the 10th. Once again, Crossbills were present and on this occasion a big group of 20 individuals was seen. I also saw my first local Marsh Tits of the year (two), flushed a Woodcock and saw a Raven.

Male Common Crossbill, Scales Park, 10 January

Reports of a Black-necked Grebe at Amwell encouraged me to visit on the 17th. In addition to the grebe (image below) I saw both female Smew, which have been present on Great Hardmead Lake for several weeks, but have generally been hard to see.

Black-necked Grebe, Amwell, 17 February

The weather improved slightly towards the end of the month, although remaining unsettled, but little of interest was seen on my local walks. Redwings continued to show more or less wherever I went and towards the end of the month a few were heard singing. On the 27th I headed back to Watersmeet LNR in St Albans for a very productive hour, seeing Siskins and Redpolls on the feeders there. One of the Redpolls was brighter and whiter than the others, suggesting that it might be the flammea sub-species, formerly regarded as a separate species - Common or 'Mealy' Redpoll. Since all Redpolls are now regarded as a single species I didn't spend too much time poring over my photographs to see whether I could confirm its identity to sub-species level. I'm not even sure whether it was captured on my camera - a couple of my Redpoll images are shown below.

Redpoll 1, Watersmeet LNR, St Albans, 27 February

Redpoll 2, Watersmeet LNR, St Albans, 27 February

I also saw my first Blackcaps of the year (two males) here, heard a Cetti's Warbler and saw a Peregrine (presumably one of the Cathedral pair), which circled overhead before flying off. The only disappointment was failing to see a Bullfinch, a bird that has been reported here from time to time but is becoming vanishingly rare locally. Watersmeet is a lovely, bird-filled little reserve and well worth a visit (particularly in the winter months) if you get the chance, but bear in mind that, being near the river, it can be quite boggy!

Male Siskin, Watersmeet LNR, St Albans, 27 February

UK Wildlife Sightings, February 2026

 On a dank, dismal day that was a feature of late January and early February, I visited Grafham Water (Cambridgeshire) on the 3rd, hoping to see one of the many (up to nine) Great Northern Divers that were wintering there. I was in luck: not only was a diver resting near the dam, close to the main car park, but I had chosen a day when parking was free! With a maximum temperature of 3C on the day and a lively breeze blowing in my face, I took a few photos of the diver and of a nearby flock of 20-25 Goldeneyes and left.

Great Northern Diver, Grafham Water, 3 February

I was lucky that a free day for bird watching (on the 4th) coincided with the best weather in the first week of February (dull, but bright with occasional sunshine later in the day and no rain until after dark). I visited the east coast of Norfolk, starting at Great Yarmouth where there used to be a sizeable flock of wintering Mediterranean Gulls (10-20 birds) on the beach on past visits. I hadn't been for a few years and could only find two birds this time. Whether this was due to a decline in wintering numbers or that other birds were elsewhere in the area, I don't know.

Mediterranean Gull, Great Yarmouth Beach, 4 February

I moved up the coast to Winterton, where I soon found the wintering Snow Buntings, my target species, sitting on top of one of the fishermens' huts, close to the car park. A couple of photographers were lying on the ground nearby, waiting for the birds to come down to feed on a patch of grass that had probably been 'laced' with bird seed. However, the buntings were reluctant to come down to the ground so I left them to it and moved on again, heading for Sea Palling.

Three of a flock of 23 Snow Buntings on the roof of a fisherman's hut, Winterton, 4 February

The juvenile Iceland Gull, my target species at Sea Palling, was located a few hundred metres north west of the lifeboat station, feeding alongside a few hundred other gulls and waders from a section of beach that stuck out into the sea, close to some rocks. I was told that adult and first winter Caspian Gulls were amongst the many Herring Gulls seen here, but for once I didn't spend much time searching for them - I had more bird watching to do.

Juvenile Iceland Gull (on the right) with other gulls, Sea Palling, 4 February

My final stop was at Hickling Broad, where I walked around the Norfolk Wildlife Trust reserve before heading down to the raptor watchpoint at Stubb Mill. On the way round the reserve I added Bearded Tit, Treecreeper and a single over-flying Common Crane to my year list. A Black-winged Kite, probably the same bird that I had seen for the first time at Hickling last year, had been present nearby during the previous week, but I was out of luck here: the bird did not make an appearance and was not seen on subsequent days either. However, as I was about to leave the raptor roost site at Stubb Mill a male Hen Harrier came in to roost. I missed this bird as I was putting up my tripod again to look for it, but I did see one of possibly two 'ringtails' (females or first winter males) that followed it in, to complete an excellent, if hard working, day of bird watching.

On the 12th, in my next 'twitch' of any distance I went just across the Hertfordshire boundary to Fishers Green in Essex, to see a single Tundra Bean Goose (a rare winter visitor from The Continent that I had missed when I visited Abberton Reservoir in January) and a flock of Russian White-fronted Geese. The weather was atrocious, but I managed to locate and photograph the birds. The only problem was that car parking payment was by 'app' only. After spending time downloading the required app and setting up a password, etc. a local fisherman walked by and remarked that parking was free because the authorities hadn't installed the cameras yet! So, for the second time in a fortnight, I got away with free parking.

Tundra Bean Goose, Fishers Green, 12 February

Russian White-fronted Goose, Fishers Green, 12 February

My partner and I spent a weekend in Eastbourne from the 13-15th. I expected bird watching to be minimal, but discovered on the first evening that there was a spectacular Starling murmuration, centred on Eastbourne pier (where the Starlings roost). On the Saturday, after a rare sunny day, we returned to see the Starlings. Murmurations are always difficult to capture well in the failing light, but I managed to take a few videos of the birds, as well as (less impressive) photographs, one of which is shown below. I estimate that about 3,000 birds were involved.

Part of a Starling Murmuration, Eastbourne, 14 February

During the following week I saw all five grebe species that occur in the UK. Great Crested and Little Grebes, which are common residents, were seen at various locations. A Black-necked Grebe (an uncommon breeding species here) was seen at Amwell (see my 'Local Wildlife Sightings' post for February) and on the 18th I visited Rutland Water, where I (eventually) had good views of a Red-necked Grebe, an uncommon winter visitor that does not breed in the UK.

Red-necked Grebe in Winter Plumage, Rutland Water, 18 February

To 'complete the set' of grebes, I drove up to RSPB Titchwell Marsh on the 20th to see a Slavonian Grebe (a rare and declining Scottish breeder and also a winter visitor), that had been present for several days on the Tidal Marsh, where a female Scaup (which had been present on my previous visit) was also feeding. I didn't stay for long on what was another poor weather day, but I did stop on the way back down the A10 at Sedge Fen (near Southery) , to view a flock of Bewick's Swans (along with a few Whoopers) which was feeding there.

'Record Shot' of a Slavonian Grebe, RSPB Titchwell Marsh, 20 February

One of a flock of about 50 Bewick's Swans, Southery, 20 February

Local Wildlife Sightings, January 2026

 The year started with unusually cold weather, daytime temperatures hovering around 0C and a couple of light overnight snowfalls. I had a rare opportunity to spend a whole day birdwatching on a Saturday (the 3rd). The first bird that I saw was at the bottom of the back garden. I couldn't quite make out what it was until it flew up on to the fence as I came out to investigate and found a large female Sparrowhawk, which had been consuming its prey, a white feral dove! Unfortunately, my camera wasn't to hand and the Sparrowhawk flew off leaving behind the half-eaten bird and a pile of white feathers. The remainder of the dove was later consumed by a Magpie. I've seen Sparrowhawks before in the garden and I've also seen the remains of their prey, but never before the two together.

I spent the rest of the morning at Verulamium Park, St Albans. The park has got a deserved reputation for its Kingfishers, which give ridiculously close views as they fish from the River Ver, which runs down one side of the lake. Unfortunately for photographers the backgrounds are usually rather messy clusters of twigs and leaves, which also tend to catch the sun, making correct exposure virtually impossible. Nevertheless, I didn't look a gift horse in the mouth (images below). However, I missed out on the Yellow-browed Warbler and Mediterranean Gull that had also been seen in the park.

Kingfisher 1 (a male), St Albans, 3 January

Kingfisher 2 (possibly a different male), St Albans, 3 January

During the following week I spent quite a bit of time bird watching locally, trying to catch up with local rarities and building up modest year lists. On the 5th a visit to Amwell produced ten different duck species, including Goldeneye, Red-crested Pochard and a couple of female Smew. Bitterns have been seen here regularly, and I missed one flying in to the reedbed as I walked between the White Hide and the main viewpoint - such is life.

Ring-necked Parakeet, Amwell, 5 January

On the 6th I went on my 'round the villages' walk. Phillup's Lake (Reed End) was almost completely frozen over, giving me a rare opportunity to photograph a Little Grebe that was diving away in the small patch of available water. A pair of Coot (presumably the lake's resident pair) and a single Mallard were also there, whilst no fewer than 27 Canada Geese were attempting to graze on the neighbouring field.

Little Grebe and two Coot in a blizzard on Phillup's Lake, Reed End, 6 January

The highlight of the walk came a little further on, as I approached Therfield. I saw large flocks of Linnets, Corn Buntings, Chaffinches and Yellowhammers feeding in game cover and set-aside, then flying up into trees and bushes as I walked along the track. I reckon that I saw some 400 to 500 birds. Most impressive were the numbers of Corn Buntings seen: I reckon that 40 was a conservative estimate. Although Linnets made up the bulk of the birds there must have been around 100 Yellowhammers as well: my highest local count of this attractive farmland bird for a couple of years. Although the weather was now dull (with the occasional snow shower: see image above), the flat light made it easier to capture the features of these farmland birds - see the images below.

Corn Bunting, Therfield, 6 January

Nine Corn Buntings, Therfield, 6 January

Linnet, Reed, 6 January

The following morning saw me visit Scales Park near Meesden, hoping to see the wintering (and later breeding?) Crossbills. I was fortunate to see eight (a single male plus parties of three and four birds), although many more were probably present. I also saw a Raven, but there was no sign of Marsh Tits on this visit.

Record shot of a male Common Crossbill, Scales Park, 7 January

Later in the day I went to Roe Green, near Sandon, where up to three Short-eared Owls had been seen on previous evenings. The birds were reported to appear after dusk. I (along with others) probably stood in the wrong place to see the birds, because I only got only the most fleeting glimpse of what must have been one of the birds when it was almost completely dark. However, I did have three sightings of Woodcock flying out of or into Roe Green Wood.

On the 8th I was out again, walking east from Royston along the Icknield Way to Heydon Pig Farm. More Linnets and Yellowhammers were seen, along with a Meadow Pipit and four species of thrush. Gull numbers at the pig farm were much lower (around 80 individuals) than in previous winters - perhaps the frozen ground had persuaded some to head further south and/or west. Amongst the gulls present, which were viewed and photographed distantly, were a probable Yellow-legged Gull and an interesting black-backed bird that had black markings behind the eye (see image below). This was most likely a strangely marked Lesser Black-backed Gull, even though it appeared smaller than the gulls around it. I harboured hopes that it might be something much rarer, such as an American vagrant (Laughing Gull or Franklin's Gull), but the shape and structure is unfortunately wrong for these birds, as well.

Fieldfare, near Heydon, 8 January

Some of the gulls at Heydon Pig Farm on 8 January, with the apparently small and oddly marked Lesser Black-backed Gull in the left hand group.

I always make a point of visiting the attractive little Lemsford Springs reserve, near Welwyn, early in the year. This is one of the best places in the UK to see Green Sandpipers during the winter (and for most of the year). They feed on Freshwater Shrimps that live here in the River Lea, only leaving for around three months in the summer to nest in Scandinavia. Jack Snipe had been reported here in the week leading up to my visit on the 10th, so the hides were almost full when I arrived. I was lucky to see Jack Snipe from both hides and was able to photograph one as it bobbed up and down on the edge of the river, feeding. Snipe were also present and one showed very well in front of a hide. By the 10th I had therefore seen two wader species (Woodcock and Jack Snipe) that I didn't see at all in 2025!

Jack Snipe, Lemsford Springs, 10 January

Common Snipe, Lemsford Springs, 10 January

Green Sandpiper, Lemsford Springs, 10 January

Closer to home, things were pretty quiet although I did see a pair of Stonechats along the track that curves south-east from the bottom of Church Hill, also on the 10th. I returned to Roe Green on the afternoon of the 12th and, standing by the side of the road (as I should have done on my earlier visit), I did this time see three Short-eared Owls at dusk (it was too dark for photography by the time that they appeared) on and over the Sandon Rewilding Farm fields.

Male Stonechat, Therfield Heath, 10 January

On the 16th I made a return visit to St Albans, this time visiting the Watersmeet Nature Reserve. Lots of Siskins were feeding in the Alder Trees, but there was no sign of Redpolls on this occasion. I caught up with a Peregrine on the cathedral, but there was again no sign of the Mediterranean Gull in Verulamium Park during my visit, although it was reported both beforehand and afterwards. Other gulls (Black-headed, Common and Lesser Black-backed) allowed a close approach: I've attached an image of a first winter Common Gull below.

First Winter Common Gull, Verulamium Park, St Albans, 16 January

Peregrine, St Albans Cathedral, 16 January

'Record Shot' of a Female Siskin, Watersmeet LNR, St Albans, 16 January

Atrocious weather during the following week further restricted my local activities, although on the afternoon of the 19th I did see my first local Peregrine for two years, which took off from the mast at the eastern end of Newmarket Road (close to the junction of the A505), soared and then headed east. A visit to Amwell on the 24th produced a Great Black-backed Gull (a minor rarity for Hertfordshire), seen from the Great Hardmead Lake viewpoint.

Great Black-backed Gull, Amwell, 24 January

The final week of January was very wet, with regular bands of rain heading up from the south west to provide saturated ground and a soggy end to the month. We were lucky - there was extensive flooding in Devon, Somerset and Dorset. There were breaks in the weather, and the 26th saw me return to Bramfield (last visited on 31 December), hoping to see a Hawfinch or two in the churchyard. However, sightings of this species have been scarce this winter and I was unlucky again. One species that has, in contrast, been relatively widespread and common has been the Crossbill. A visit to nearby Bramfield Park Wood provided me with sightings of males and females close to a woodland pond where they would no doubt have drunk and bathed once I moved on. For a change, the image below features a female bird. On the same afternoon I visited Phillup's Lake (36 Canada Geese now grazing nearby - a record count) and the area of Reed End where I had previously seen hundreds of Yellowhammers, Corn Buntings and Linnets. Bird activity was much reduced on this occasion, but I did see a large flock of Linnets and several Corn Buntings and Yellowhammers.

Female Crossbil, Bramfield Park Wood, 26 January

Corn Buntings at Reed End (Therfield), 26 January

On the 30th I made my first visit of the year to Tyttenhanger Gravel Pits. One of two Great White Egrets was seen and two Chiffchaffs were showing well in bushes close to paddocks that are situated close to the main lake. However, I had been particularly encouraged to visit by a report of a Caspian Gull on the main lake (Rupert Evershed). I found around 250 gulls, mainly Black-headed, present as well as Common, Lesser Black-backed and maybe 8-10 'Herring-type' Gulls. I managed to take a few photos before the gulls flew off and then (typically) spent hours poring over the images, trying to work out whether Caspian Gulls were present and, if so, how many! It seems that, no matter how hard I try, my identification skills do not improve - or perhaps the variability of these species is too great for anyone other than the most hardened gull expert to identify. Anyway, here are a couple of cropped images, with comments below them.

Lesser Black-backed Gull (left) with possible Caspian Gull, Tyttenhanger, 30 January. Note the clean white head and neck, dark eye and upright stance of the Herring-type Gull. However, the legs are not visible and the bill is not as long as might be expected for the 'classic' bird.

Two Adult or near adult Herring-type Gulls, Tyttenhanger, 30 January. The bird on the left (behind the Moorhen) is a good bet for Caspian Gull, with longish straight bill, red spot only on the lower mandible and a 'gimlet', apparently black eye. I am guessing that the bird on the right is a Herring Gull, of the sub-species argentatus, a northern species that has a darker mantle than that of 'our' Herring Gull, sub-species argenteus. The colour of the legs rules out another possibility, Yellow-legged Gull (none of the adult Herring-type Gulls that I photographed had Yellow Legs). Make of that what you will!

One other point of interest was that I noticed a Common Gull with a surprisingly dark back (when compared to other Common Gulls present). This (image below) may be an example of the Russian breeding sub-species heinei, which has a darker back than our breeding birds, Larus canus. I don't know how common the Russian birds are in the UK in winter.

Common Gull, possible sub-species heinei, Tyttenhanger, 30 January