Local Sightings, December 2025

 After November, which was easily the wettest month of the year in Royston, December produced a mixed bag of weather, but with the wind direction mainly coming from the west the unsettled weather continued, with appreciable rain on five consecutive days from the 4th, but some pleasant, sunny days as well and temperatures generally above normal. I had a lot on in the first half of the month, including a hospital operation, so opportunities for bird watching were pretty limited. However, I did get out for a few local walks. A visit to the Church Hill area on the 3rd included a walk on the track that leads between Jubilee Wood and Thrift Farm. The head of a Barn Owl could be seen in the one remaining nest box there, whilst two Stonechats (possibly the same pair that had been previously seen near the Therfield Road) were feeding in the Thrift Farm Beet (?) field nearby.

The head of a Barn Owl in a nest box, Jubilee Wood, 3 December (it did move about in the box, honest!)

There has been a big influx of Crossbills from the Continent into the UK this autumn and winter, and I made another visit to Scales Park (Meesden) to see whether the Crossbills, first seen there on 16 October, were still present. They were, and after much effort and running around I managed to get a distant photo of a male, sitting on top of one of the many pine trees on which they were feeding. Will they stay to  nest in the early part of 2026? Also seen here were two Marsh Tits in different parts of the woodland, seven Redwings and a Raven (Ravens nest in these woods).

Male Crossbill, Scales Park, 5 December

A covey of six Grey Partridges was seen near Royston Hospital at dusk on the 11th and two more males were heard calling (singing?) nearby. A Tawny Owl was hooting, again from near the hospital, slightly later in the evening. I felt fit enough to walk round the villages of Reed and Therfield on the 17th, recording 43 species (37 seen). A flock of 32 Golden Plovers was seen in flight over Greys Farm. A Chiffchaff was seen near Phillup's Lake, where seven Tufted Ducks, nine Canada Geese and two Coot were swimming. A loose flock of 25 Fieldfares was seen around Therfield.

Golden Plovers over Greys Farm, 17 December

More Stonechats were seen on the 22nd as I walked along the track that runs from the bottom of Church Hill south through Thrift Farm towards the Therfield Road. At least two pairs, as well as a single male, were seen on fence posts and/or in the fields of Sugar Beet on either side of the track. A Raven was also seen. The woods themselves were quiet. Other local walks produced no notable sightings.

Male Stonechat, Thrift Farm, 22 December

The weather became much colder - more like winter - in the last week of the year. Family commitments over the Christmas period prevented any local bird watching until the final afternoon of the year, when I decided to visit Bramfield and Bramfield Woods (near Hertford) to look for Woodcock, a bird that I hadn't seen this year, as well as Hawfinches in the churchyard. I failed on both counts, but on my way back from the woods I came across a flock of nine Crossbills in trees near the village hall car park. These birds were close enough to get some more detailed photos. Typically, the males were posing on or near the tops of trees whilst the females were lower and hard to see. One of the males was singing. I took photos of three males (males 1, 2 and 3 in the images below). Their bills appeared to be chunkier than those of other males that I have seen in the UK. Examination of text books indicates that continental (Scandinavian) Crossbills do have chunky bills (but not as chunky as those of Parrot Crossbills), suggesting that these birds were part of the autumn influx from the Continent. The bills look uncommonly like those of the purported 'Scottish' Crossbills! However, I wouldn't dare to suggest that 'Scottish' Crossbills could be found in England. Take a look, particularly at male 2.

Crossbill Male 1, Bramfield, 31 December

Crossbill Male 2, Bramfield, 31 December

Crossbill Male 3 (the Singing Bird), Bramfield, 31 December

The slightly above average rainfall for November and December took the annual rainfall total in the back garden to 17.9 inches (450mm), making this the driest year since 2011, following on from the wettest year since I began recording in 1992. Such are the vagaries of the weather!

My 'Local Patch' year list, at just 75 species, was the lowest since 2009. Perhaps Treecreeper was the biggest 'miss'. My declining health and declining powers of observation, no doubt being accompanied by being in the wrong places at the wrong time, were contributory factors, but I do feel that numbers of birds are steadily declining locally. Here is hoping for a better 2026!