Local Wildlife Sightings April 2025

 Following (apparently) the sunniest March on record (and also the driest March on record in my garden), the sunshine continued off and (mainly) on throughout April - what a change from last spring! This spring's weather reminds me strongly of the sunny spring days that we saw during the Covid lockdown year of 2020. Of course, all types of weather, with the possible exception of warm sunshine mixed with heavy showers, bring problems for wildlife, and the rock hard ground will not help ground feeders, such as Blackbirds and Song Thrushes, find food. One issue for 'local patch' bird watchers is that passage migrants will head straight through to their breeding grounds, rather than pausing en route. There was a noticeable lack of Wheatear sightings in Hertfordshire in the early spring and it was no surprise for me to find no sign of these attractive birds locally, throughout the month.

One passage migrant that has been seen in big numbers in the south east this spring is Little Gull. I managed to catch up with a couple (an adult and a first summer bird) at Dernford Farm Reservoir, near Stapleford, on the 4th. This small reservoir (you can walk around it in 15-20 minutes) is a magnet for migratory gulls and terns in what is otherwise a dry area, and wild Ruddy Shelducks are occasionally attracted here from time to time by the farmer's menagerie of captive wildfowl, which includes Ruddy Shelducks.

Record Shot of Two Little Gulls (foreground) with a much larger Black-headed Gull, Dernford Farm Reservoir, 4 April

Two Swallows were feeding over Phillup's Lake when I paid a visit on the 6th, but Chiffchaffs (lots) and a few Blackcaps remained the only other summer visitors seen on my local patch by the end of the first week. However, a visit to the compost heaps north of Ashwell on the Eyeworth road on the 7th proved productive, with at least nine Yellow Wagtails, two White Wagtails (the European, nominate race of our Pied Wagtail - a spring passage migrant) and a male Reed Bunting (my first Hertfordshire sighting of the year) all feeding on the flies that are attracted to this very smelly 'hill'.

Male Reed Bunting, Ashwell, 7 April

Yellow Wagtail, Ashwell, 7 April

The warm, sunny days (albeit followed by cold nights) brought out the insects. My first Speckled Wood, Orange Tip and (by now a local rarity) Small Tortoiseshell were seen on a walk with my partner up the Icknield Way to the 'Fox and Duck' in Therfield on the afternoon of the 5th. Orange Tip and Speckled Wood butterflies were also seen along the main ride at Scales Park on the 7th (where I again failed to record any Marsh Tits), two Holly Blues were seen near the Ivy in my front garden on the same day and a Large White was seen near the Ashwell compost heap, again on the 7th. Bee Flies were seen everywhere, as were small numbers of hoverflies. I will definitely have to bring my macro lens out of hibernation!

Male Orange Tip Butterfly, Scales Park, 7 April

Small Tortoiseshell, Therfield, 5 April

Speckled Wood, Scales Park, 7 April

I was away for five days in the middle of April and again for three days late in the month. This, coupled with a hectic schedule that always occurs at this time of year, meant that my local walks were sporadic. Common Whitethroats arrived in big numbers during the second and third weeks, and by the end of the month I reckon that about 15 males were singing across The Heath. Lesser Whitethroats arrived later and in smaller numbers, but unusually I saw two of this very skulking species (out of three recorded) on a walk up to Hatchpen Farm on the 30th. Yellow Wagtails arrived back earlier than usual at Hatchpen (I don't normally see them here until May), with two recorded on the 18th and three on the 30th. On the first date a male White Wagtail was also seen here. A House Martin was seen over Phillup's Lake on the 23rd and Swallows were seen at most of the local farms by the end of the month. A Willow Warbler was singing in scrub and trees off the Old Rifle Range on the 17th and his beautiful song was heard there until the month's end, raising hopes that he might stay to nest if a suitable female arrives. Amongst the resident birds, my best sighting was of a pair of Little Owls at the private site to the south of Royston. Perhaps they might breed this year (there has been no sign of breeding since 2023)? A Tawny Owl was heard on a few occasions close to the house, with two calling on the evening of the 21st. A pair of Grey Partridge were seen on the Old Rifle Range on the 28th. Once again, there was no sign of Ring Ouzels, although a 'short-stayer' may well have passed through without me being in the right place at the right time to see it. Phillup's Lake was quiet, with Little Grebes still present (heard more often than seen). A pair of Tufted Ducks were present here on the 23rd.

Male White Wagtail, Hatchpen Farm, 18 April

Common Whitethroat, Therfield Heath, 22 April

On the evening that I saw the Little Owls I also saw a Badger trundling down a nearby path. Badger setts are common in the Royston area, but despite my often being out at dusk I rarely see their occupants. Fallow and Muntjac Deer were seen out in the fields to the south of Royston.

The weather got hotter and hotter towards the end of the month. A good selection of butterfly species were seen, with Orange Tip and (particularly) Green-veined White prominent. Another Small Tortoiseshell was seen along the Greenwich Meridian (GM) trail on the 30th. Two Small Heath butterflies were seen on The Heath on the 29th, a day earlier than my first sighting last year. With Brown Argus and Common Blue butterflies being seen elsewhere in Hertfordshire, it should not be long before they (and possibly Adonis Blue) are seen on The Heath too. A colony of small mining bees (species unknown) was establishing itself along the GM path leading south out of Hatchpen Farm, close to where there used to be a colony of Hairy-footed Flower Bees before the diggers got to work. A few of my invertebrate images are shown below.

Dark-edged Bee Fly, Fox Covert, 22 April

Green-veined White on Bluebell, Fox Covert, 22 April

Small Mining Bee on the Path, Hatchpen Farm, 30 April

 

UK Wildlife Sightings, April 2025

 With the weather continuing sunny and settled, I decided to make my now annual (I used to go there more regularly) visit to RSPB Bempton Cliffs in Yorkshire on the 2nd, for my first sightings of Gannets, Kittiwakes and Auks. Puffins are always the last of the auks to arrive, and I only saw a handful on the cliffs, with small numbers also on the sea. However, many hundreds (possibly thousands) of Guillemots and Razorbills were present, with huge rafts on the sea and plenty on the cliffs. Guillemots tend to nest lower down the cliffs whereas Razorbills sit higher up, sometimes at the top of the cliffs, and these birds turned out to be the stars of this particular show. One pair, in particular, proved to be very photogenic as they engaged in bill touching, yawning and mutual preening (a few of the many images that I took are shown below). The high contrast between the very dark heads and 'whiter than white' breasts makes it very challenging to photograph these birds in bright sunlight without getting 'blown highlights' or faces so dark that the eyes aren't visible, so some careful post-processing was necessary - these images are far from perfect, but they will have to do!

Razorbill Pair 1, RSPB Bempton Cliffs, 2 April

Razorbill Pair 2, Mutual Preening, RSPB Bempton Cliffs, 2 April

Razorbill Pair 3, RSPB Bempton Cliffs, 2 April

I had expected to take lots of photos of Gannets at their only English coastal breeding site, but I ended up with only a few although many hundreds of birds (which start arriving back at the nest sites in January to grab the best positions) were present. The Gannets were flying, carrying beakfuls of grass back to their nests and occasionally there was a little bit of aggression between nearby birds. Kittiwakes and Fulmars were very active, but I didn't see any Shags on this visit and Tree Sparrow numbers seem to have declined here. Bempton is a wonderful place to visit in the spring and summer months: I can strongly recommend it.

Gannet Dispute? RSPB Bempton Cliffs, 2 April

The birds in London's parks are habituated to people and often allow closer approaches than they would in 'the wild'. With this in mind, I visited Regent's Park and Hyde Park on the 8th, with camera in hand, not knowing what to expect at this time of year but hoping for Coots fighting, Great Crested Grebes weed dancing, etc. I saw neither of the above, but did manage a few interesting shots including some of Red-crested Pochards and Egyptian Geese, two species that are now well established in London's parks.

Egyptian Goose Chase, Regent's Park, 8 April

Jay in Hyde Park, 8 April

Male Red-crested Pochard, Regent's Park, 8 April

In the middle of April my partner and I went on a short break to Paris. This certainly wasn't a bird watching trip, although as always I kept a list of species recorded (which included the first House Martins that I've seen this year, a Firecrest and a few singing Black Redstarts). I was surprised with the lack of variety of water birds seen on the lakes of two parks (Bois de Vincennes and Bois de Boulogne) that we visited - Canada Goose, Mute Swan, Grey Heron, Mallard, Coot and Moorhen only - but was not surprised to find a pair of Peregrines at La Defence, the high rise equivalent of the City of London, which seems ideally suited for this species.

Peregrine high up on the Deloitte Building in the Defence Financial District of Paris, 13 April

My partner was invited to a wedding (her best friend's nephew) in Sussex on the 25th and would be away for two nights, so I took the opportunity to go to the other end of the country and spend 48 hours bird watching in Northumberland. On the evening of the 24th I visited Amble, being rewarded with excellent views of a Whimbrel on the estuary of the River Coquet. Amongst several other wader species seen here were a Spotted Redshank and a distant, unidentified wader which looked like a Purple Sandpiper, but with very obvious white supercilia. I'm still trying to work out what this species might be - I took some very poor quality photos (not included below). Sandwich Terns were heard but only one was seen. Other tern species had not yet arrived.

Whimbrel on the Coquet Estuary, Amble, 24 April

Heron about to Strike, Amble Shoreline, 24 April

I was lucky to be able to spend an hour on Inner Farne island on the morning of the 25th, as part of a 'Billy Shiels' three hour boat trip from Seahouses harbour. The Arctic Terns had, disappointingly, not arrived (well, I suppose that they have a long way to come) so there was no need for a protective hat. However, there were thousands of Puffins and Guillemots on and around the islands, as well as smaller numbers of Razorbills, Shags, Fulmars, Kittiwakes and Herring, Lesser Black-backed (one pair on Inner Farne) and Black-headed Gulls. A Rock Pipit was seen on Inner Farne and Eider Ducks were everywhere.

Puffins, Inner Farne, 25 April

Kittiwake, Inner Farne, 25 April

Whilst I was in the Amble area I visited the nearby Hauxley nature reserve, a lovely little reserve that I can strongly recommend if you are in the area. Cetti's Warblers have reached Hauxley, but the star bird of my visit was a Grasshopper Warbler, which I saw as it was reeling in the middle of the day (Grasshopper Warblers are normally skulking, crepuscular birds). Walks around the Warkworth area (where I stayed) produced a male Goosander and seven warbler species. Give me bird watching over weddings any day!

Male Goosander on the River Coquet, Warkworth, 26 April

 The day after my return from Northumberland I was on an RSPB trip to Pagham Harbour in Sussex. The weather was glorious and between us we recorded 83 bird species (including those only seen 'en route'). Highlights were seeing over 20 Whimbrel in the harbour (perhaps one or two of these were birds that I saw in The Gambia back in November 2024??!) and watching the display flights of Whitethroats, Sedge Warblers and (best of all) a Redshank.

Linnet, Pagham Harbour, 27 April

Upon hearing news of the return of a Great Reed Warbler to RSPB Ouse Fen, near Earith, I popped over to see it on the evening of the 29th. This year the bird (which I assume was the same vagrant that came here in 2024) was closer, in reeds near the river, and very noisy! However, he was always between me and the rows of reeds in his favoured reed bed, so I was unable to get a clear view or image. Nevertheless, it was great to hear him: I hope that he finds a partner (unlikely though it seems). Also seen and heard here were Reed, Sedge and Cetti's Warblers, whilst a Cuckoo and one or more Bitterns were heard only.

Great Reed Warbler, RSPB Ouse Fen, 29 April

Male Reed Bunting, RSPB Ouse Fen, 29 April

Local Wildlife Sightings March 2025

 Plenty of warm, sunny weather greeted the start of the month, with temperatures peaking in Royston at around 16C. March has, on average, been the driest month of the year over the last 30+ years in Royston, and there was no appreciable rainfall here until well into the second week, when a cool, showery period set in. I saw my first local butterfly of the year (a male Brimstone) on the 9th and a few bumble bees were also recorded, but early March is generally a quiet period for birds, with winter visitors gradually dispersing and summer visitors yet to arrive. The dull, cool months of January and February had left plant development somewhat behind schedule, and there was no sign of Pasque Flowers emerging when I visited Church Hill on the 6th. Birds were still active around the garden feeders, with up to seven Chaffinches seen on some days. The regular Stock Dove was joined by a second bird, making it more difficult for the Woodpigeons to shoo them away, and a colourful variety of Feral Pigeons were also visiting regularly. Blackbirds were very active, with males developing their breeding plumage and starting to sing. A Mistle Thrush was heard singing nearby on a few dates. A Coal Tit was seen on the feeders on one occasion.

Male Blackbird on the Garden Fence, Royston, 11 March

One of many Feral Pigeons to visit the Garden, Royston, 11 March

Local walks were generally quiet, particularly in the first (sunny) week, when a single Lapwing at Greys Farm on the 3rd and a (the?) Little Owl, seen at dusk on Newsells Stud Farm, were the highlights. On the 11th a Raven was briefly seen displaying over a nearby wood before flying away to the east with another bird (its partner?). A flock of around 250 gulls on the ground at Hatchpen Farm was comprised mainly of Common Gulls (200+). A visit to Phillup's Lake on the same day produced a summer-plumaged Little Grebe and my first local Chiffchaff of the year (heard calling, not singing - could this have been an over-wintering bird?).

Some of the 250+ Gulls (mainly Common Gulls) seen at Hatchpen Farm on 11 March

I made two more visits to Amwell in the first half of the month, looking for the Red-necked Grebe that had taken up residence on a private lake surrounded by trees, which made viewing very difficult. I had no joy on my first attempt (on the 3rd) but did see a Common Snipe on the main lake. My second attempt, on the 12th, was successful although my views were restricted as the bird kept disappearing behind trees. This was my first ever Hertfordshire Red-necked Grebe and the first I have seen anywhere since 2023. Whilst at Amwell I saw the female Smew again and managed a few 'record shot' photos (one below).

Poor 'Record Shot' of the female Smew at Amwell (Great Hardmead Lake), 12 March

I went on from Amwell to Coopers Green gravel pits, near Welwyn Garden City. With extraction finished, the pits are now gradually being returned to farmland, with just a couple of lakes remaining, but there should still be some interesting birds turning up there, particularly on migration. Things were pretty quiet on my visit, although I did count eight Mandarin Ducks on one pit.

Four Mandarin Ducks at Coopers Green Gravel Pits, 12 March

Once again, the garden pond was blessed with some very noisy (in a good way) frogs. The first clump of spawn appeared on the morning of the 11th and two more clumps arrived on the 21st, after which things quietened down, although several frogs remained in the pond until the end of the month.

Frog and Frogspawn, my Garden Pond, 21 March

More warm weather in the second half of the month prompted hibernating butterflies to make an appearance, with Red Admiral, Brimstone, Peacock and Comma all being seen. A modest number of Pasque Flowers had made an appearance when I visited Church Hill on the 21st. A 'round the villages' walk on the 18th produced 40 bird species (36 seen), including several Chiffchaffs, a flock of 25 Chaffinches at Hatchpen Farm, a pair of Little Grebes at Phillup's Lake, eight Corn Buntings and 40 Yellowhammers between Reed End and Therfield, and the now inevitable Raven.

Comma Butterfly, near Royston, 18 March

Pasque Flowers, Therfield Heath (Church Hill), 21 March

Corn Bunting near Reed End, 18 March

Whilst other local walks provided little of interest, a second, early evening visit to Coopers Green gravel pits on the 19th was more successful, producing a Dunlin, a Little Ringed Plover (my first of the year), a Black-necked Grebe and seven Pintail.

A very dry month (just 4mm of rain) concluded with more warm, sunny days and cold, starry nights. I heard my first Blackcap on the 27th and recorded three more on the east side of The Heath on the 31st, but there was nothing else of interest to report.

 

UK Wildlife Sightings, March 2025

 The first ten days of March brought the longest, most settled period of sunny weather for well over a year, and with it the chance to get out and about. With my health restored, I visited WWT Welney, from where Common Cranes had been reported on previous days, on the 4th. I couldn't find the Cranes, with the Lady Fen trail being closed, but did manage to see my first (distant) Spoonbills of the year and, as an added bonus, saw a Cetti's Warbler at the edge of the main car park just before I left. Huge numbers of Whooper Swans could be seen from the visitor centre and seven Bewick's Swans were seen (and heard) in flight over the reserve.

More warm, sunny weather on the 5th encouraged me to visit the Goshawk viewpoint near Cockley Cley (Norfolk). Calm, sunny weather in March is ideal for seeing displaying Goshawks and I wasn't disappointed, seeing at least four birds during a 40 minute stay. I moved on from there to Cley on the North Norfolk coast. I walked right round the reserve, seeing two more Spoonbills (close enough to photograph, unlike the Welney birds) and lots of wader species including Ruff. My target bird, however, was Twite, a flock of which had been reported between Cley and Salthouse. These were duly tracked down with the help of another bird watcher: the photos (against the light, into the wind and with a fairly distant flock of small birds - my excuses) aren't great but I've included one for your interest.

Two Spoonbills on Arnold's Marsh, Cley, 5 March

Twite (Birds on the left and Front Right), Cley NWT, 5 March

Male Wigeon, Cley NWT, 5 March

It is all too rarely nowadays that I have the chance to see a 'lifer' in the UK, but one such bird is Richard's Pipit. This pipit breeds in Siberia, and is often seen on migration in the autumn along the east coast. I've tried to connect with it on at least three occasions and failed, so a (very rare) wintering bird at Newport Pagnall (near Milton Keynes in Buckinghamshire) was always going to be a target, and I went across to see it on the 7th. Various road closures meant that it took far longer than anticipated to get there and then a good half hour searching in a large expanse of open parkland ('Bury Field') to see it, but eventually I did and spent another hour following it as it moved around a large area of grassland, often coming close to the numerous resident Meadow Pipits. The larger size, upright stance and lack of flank markings (see images below) separated it from the Meadow Pipits, but the most obvious field character was its call as it took flight - a short, House Sparrow like 'cheep'.

Richard's Pipit, Newport Pagnall, 7 March

Richard's Pipit, Newport Pagnall, 7 March

After a short break, during which time most of my bird watching was done locally, I went on three trips in a week. A glorious, sunny day on the 20th encouraged me to visit North Norfolk again, firstly to RSPB Titchwell where bird photography was uppermost in my mind. As usual, Sanderlings on the beach were a main focus of attention, but I also had good views of a Little Ringed Plover (my second in two days) and Marsh Harriers. Some very noisy Common Frogs were having a good time in pools near the Visitor Centre, whilst nearby I counted seven male Common Toads (which spawn later than Common Frogs), quietly waiting for the much larger females to arrive at the pond. I moved on to Stiffkey Fen where, at the third time of asking, I finally connected with the wintering Glossy Ibis.

Male Common Toad, RSPB Titchwell Marsh, 20 March

Little Ringed Plover, RSPB Titchwell Marsh, 20 March

Marsh Harrier (a young Male??) in Flight, RSPB Titchwell Marsh, 20 March

Glossy Ibis, Stiffkey, 20 March

On the 23rd I joined my RSPB Local Group for a coach trip to Attenborough NNR, situated by the River Trent on the outskirts of Nottingham. Highlights here included lots of newly arrived Sand Martins, Goosanders and a wintering male Scaup. A few of us were lucky to observe a very early Sandwich Tern that passed through, as did a Kittiwake (we all missed this). Yet another Little Ringed Plover was also seen here, although I missed out on this one. Between us we recorded 74 species (71 seen).

Male Scaup, Attenborough NNR, Nottingham, 23 March

Great Crested Grebe courting pair, Attenborough NNR, 23 March

On the 26th I made my first visit for nearly a year to RSPB Minsmere and Dunwich Heath in Suffolk. Dunwich Heath holds a good population of Dartford Warblers and I was lucky to see two pairs and hear another male bird. Photographing them is never easy, but I managed to get a few 'record shots' including one of a female holding what appeared to be part of a spider's web - perhaps to be used in nest building? As I was walking up on to the heath a couple of Swallows flew past - my first of the year.

Female Dartford Warbler with (?) Nesting Material, Dunwich Heath, 26 March

Back at Minsmere I heard, but did not see a Sandwich Tern. Another Little Ringed Plover was on the scrapes, as were several feral Barnacle Geese. However, the stars of the show were the two Bitterns that wandered about in front of the Bittern Hide, showing quite well for at least half an hour. Neither seemed aware of the other's presence, although they were probably separated by less than 100 metres. One bird ('Bittern 1') was quite showy, whereas the other ('Bittern 2') was more circumspect and often disappeared into the reeds. This was one of the highlights of the year so far for me, and of course I took lots of photos. A third Bittern was later seen in flight near the Island Mere hide. Apparently 14 male Bitterns were 'booming' on the reserve when I visited, with the potential for more to arrive.

'Bittern 1', RSPB Minsmere, 26 March

'Bittern 2', RSPB Minsmere, 26 March

I spent the following weekend in Buxton with my partner, meeting up with my brother and his family for an enjoyable walk (and seeing my first Dipper of the year) on the Saturday. Early morning walks in the park adjacent to our B&B provided good views of Mandarin Duck (at least three males) and amazing views of one of many Treecreepers, which flew on to a tree adjacent to me, at eye level, and spent the next couple of minutes digging away at the bark. I didn't have my preferred camera with me, but did manage a few photos of this very obliging bird with a 'back up' camera, one of which is shown below.

Male Mandarin Duck, Buxton, 29 March

Treecreeper, Buxton, 29 March