Local Wildlife Sightings March 2021

 After a fortnight of high pressure, but increasing amounts of dull weather, the weather gradually broke down during the first week of March with heavy rain on the 3rd and 4th. There was no sign of any starling murmuration (or starlings) when I visited Hatchpen Farm in the late afternoon of the 3rd, although goldfinches (100+) and linnets were preparing to roost there. Redwings and fieldfares were still present in large numbers and, on a number of occasions, I noticed small groups of redwings gathering in trees and chirping away quite merrily. One or two gave brief snatches of song. Apart from small passages of lesser black-backed gulls the numbers of larger gulls in the area reduced considerably, although large flocks of common and black-headed gulls could be seen 'following the plough', usually being accompanied by the now ubiquitous red kites.

Common and Black-headed Gulls Following the Plough, Therfield, 8 March

The relatively cold winter retarded the appearance of wild flowers, but I noted a clump of violets near the hospital on the 8th and more violets on The Heath on the 12th. I had to work hard to find pasque flowers on Church Hill, seeing half a dozen, of which two were flowering. Following mild winters, pasque flowers sometimes appear in February!

Violets (Early Dog-violet sp?), near Royston Hospital, 8 March

I have seen unusually low numbers of birds using my garden feeders this winter. In particular, goldfinch visits have been very occasional. I don't know why this should be, but quite a few people have told me that their garden bird numbers have also been much lower than expected. However, there were signs of an improvement in numbers in early March and I was fortunate to have regular visits from a pair of greenfinches, as well as male and female great spotted woodpeckers.

Male Great Spotted Woodpecker in my Garden, 3 March

Short-eared owls were still being seen along the Wallington to Baldock road. As usual, I had no luck when I made early evening visits on the 2nd and the 9th. However, on both occasions I had good views of a hunting barn owl there and on the second occasion another barn owl was seen between Sandon and Kelshall on my way home. A further barn owl was seen near Sandon on the 13th, when I was out for an afternoon walk with my partner. No fewer than 13 red kites were also seen circling near Sandon Green End - possibly the start of a 'pre-roost' in the area. A long walk on the 15th produced a distant flock of some 500 golden plover, in flight to the north west of Therfield village. A much smaller flock of some 50 individuals flew over my head near Reed End. Later in the day I drove to see a little ringed plover (present since the 6th, so a very early summer visitor) in a flooded field near Meldreth, some seven miles from my home. All my best local sightings this year seem to have been in South Cambridgeshire, with nothing of note having been seen in North Herts.

Little Ringed Plover, near Meldreth, 15 March

Early spring wild flowers seen locally in bloom in mid-March included spurge laurel, sweet violet, dog violet, red dead-nettle and germander speedwell, as well as the ubiquitous daisies and a few dandelions. I had another look at the pasque flowers during a long walk right across The Heath on the 22nd. Several were now showing. Skylarks, meadow pipits and mistle thrushes were in full voice. An estimated 40-50 pied wagtails were following the sheep around on Thrift Farm, at the far west end of The Heath, no doubt looking for invertebrates that were being disturbed. No chiffchaffs were heard: I had to wait until the 24th before I saw one close to my house. This was the first summer visitor that I have recorded this year on my local patch - hopefully things will improve in April!

Mistle Thrush Singing, Therfield Heath, 22 March

Pasque Flowers, Church Hill, 22 March

Pied Wagtail with Sheep, Thrift Farm, 22 March

Butterflies eluded me locally in the first half of March, despite several species being seen on the wing elsewhere in Hertfordshire. However, I did see a few moths and also found an unusual insect sitting on the front door frame on the 22nd. The image is below: many thanks to Andy Symes for identifying it as a flightless female micro-moth, probably the common species Diurnia fagella.

Flightless Female Moth, Probably Diurnea fagella, Royston, 22 March

Following a day of heavy showers I walked up the Icknield Way on the evening of the 24th, hoping to see a barn owl. No owls were present, but I did note three lapwings displaying at Greys Farm at dusk. On my way home I saw two common toads in different places, presumably having recently emerged from hibernation. I occasionally see toads in my garden and have often wondered whether they spawn in Royston. My own pond was occupied by very noisy common frogs on the same evening and, after two barren springs in 2019 and 2020, I was pleased to see two clumps of frogspawn the following morning (a third clump appeared later). Whilst listening to the frogs late on the 24th I experienced one of my more bizarre bird records as at least one redshank flew over the garden, calling. Needless to say, this was a garden and local patch 'first'!

By the 27th the weather was warming up and summer visitors and passage migrants were streaming into the country, with wheatears (in particular) being recorded in several places - including Therfield Heath. Needless to say, by the time I got out there on the 27th the birds had gone, presumably looking for a quieter place to feed as hundreds of feet trod across all parts of The Heath. However, I did manage to persuade my partner to go on a walk with me which passed Baldock (model) airfield, where I saw at least four of the (up to eight) reported birds. Coming back along the Wallington Road, corn buntings were singing from nearly every bush along the way and I managed to get a few ok photos of them.

'Record Shot' of a Male Wheatear, Baldock Airfield, 27 March

Corn Bunting, near Wallington, 27 March

A mini-heatwave at the end of March encouraged me to get out and about. I heard two blackcaps singing and recorded 11 chiffchaffs on a walk through the villages of Reed and Therfield on the 29th, but was unable to find any wheatears. It appeared that winter visitors had taken advantage of the warm weather to head north, because I was unable to find any redwings, fieldfares or gulls on my walk despite recording 46 species. However, somewhat surprisingly, the flock of 500+ golden plover was still present and I was able to photograph them in flight, as they showed varying stages of moult into their summer plumage. Hairy-footed flower (mining) bees were digging burrows in the chalk at Hatchpen Farm and I finally saw some local butterflies (peacocks, small tortoiseshells and lots of brimstones). Meanwhile, later on the same day, I found how to access the newly created Stanborough gravel pit near Hatfield, where I saw my first Hertfordshire avocet as well as swallow, black-tailed godwit and ringed and little ringed plovers.

Golden Plovers in Flight, Therfield, 29 March

On the morning of the 30th I saw two male blackcaps and heard another on a short walk across the east side of The Heath.