Four hundred years ago King James 1 and his entourage could have been seen hunting on the Heath for Wild Boar and Great Bustards. Sadly the Bustards have long since gone, as have the Corncrakes, Stone Curlews and Red-backed Shrikes and Hooded Crows that were once common (Hooded Crows gave rise to a derogatory description of us Roystoners and are still referred to in the name of a local paper, the “Royston Crow”).

Nevertheless, Royston and its surrounds still support a wide variety of birdlife. Farmland birds, such as Yellowhammers and Linnets, are doing well here and the rapidly-declining Corn Bunting still has a foothold in the farmland to the south of the town, as do summer visitors such as Yellow Wagtail and Lesser Whitethroat. Sensitive countryside management, in particular at Greys Farm to the south-west of the town, has also led to a big increase in Grey Partridge numbers. The grain which the Partridges (Grey and Red-legged) and Pheasants feed on also attracts mice and voles, which in turn encourages raptors such as Kestrels, Owls and Buzzards (Buzzard numbers in particular have soared in the last few years). Small numbers of Lapwings breed on the ridge between Barkway and Weston.

Not surprisingly, water birds are in short supply here. However, the Heath is an important habitat for breeding warblers, with Willow Warbler in particular doing well. The occasional Cuckoo summers here and Wheatear and Ring Ouzel are seen on migration. For recent sightings and a list of the birds that I have seen within a 2 mile (3 km) radius of my home in south Royston, see “What’s About?”.