To find out what birds have been seen recently in the county of Hertfordshire, visit the Herts Bird Club website. What follows relates to my own "local patch" wildlife sightings for 2007.

December 2007

The highlight of a walk across the Heath on the afternoon of the 7th was my first local Barn Owl of the year, seen hunting at dusk near Duckpuddle. Grey Partridge were very visible and lots of Kestrels were about. One or more Buzzards have taken up residence in the region of Fox Covert: I have seen a bird in the area on every visit in the last few months. A Tawny Owl has also been seen here recently, though not by me. An 8-mile walk on December 13th produced 41 species (a winter record for me) including a flock of 25 Golden Plover between Royston and Therfield, 5 Buzzards, 95 Yellowhammers (with more heard) and 2 Corn Buntings. Large numbers of men with guns were also seen, presumably trying to reduce the numbers of Wood Pigeons and Red-legged Partridge by a few and have something for the Christmas table (at least I hope that's all they were doing.....). The final total of bird species seen within a 2 mile (ca 3km) radius of my house was 69, exactly the same as for 2006: the list is below.

2007 Year List (Birds seen within a 2 mile radius of my home): 

Blackbird, Blackcap, Bullfinch, Corn Bunting, Reed Bunting, Buzzard, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Carrion Crow, Collared Dove, Stock Dove, Turtle Dove, Dunnock, Fieldfare, Firecrest, Spotted Flycatcher, Goldcrest, Goldfinch, Canada Goose, Greenfinch, Black-headed Gull, Common Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Marsh Harrier, Grey Heron, Jackdaw, Jay, Kestrel, Red Kite, Lapwing, Skylark, Linnet, Magpie, Mallard, House Martin, Sand Martin, Barn Owl, Little Owl, Grey Partridge, Red-legged Partridge, Pheasant, Feral Pigeon, Meadow Pipit, Golden Plover, Redstart, Redwing, Robin, Rook, House Sparrow, Sparrowhawk, Starling, Swallow, Swift, Mistle Thrush, Song Thrush, Blue Tit, Coal Tit, Great Tit, Long-tailed Tit, Pied Wagtail, Willow Warbler, Wheatear, Whitethroat, Lesser Whitethroat, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Green Woodpecker, Woodpigeon, Wren, Yellowhammer (69 spp.). Heard Only: Cuckoo, Tawny Owl.

November 2007

Warm weather at the start of the month was evidenced by sightings of Red Admiral butterflies on Church Hill and impressive numbers of Harlequin Ladybirds (a recent "invader" from the continent I believe: see Photo Gallery) on the edge of Fox Covert. Redwings were present in Therfield and large numbers of Goldcrests heard (these seem to be mainly a winter visitor in this region). A walk on the 9th produced 32 species including both Fieldfares and Redwings, but the star bird of the day (and possibly of the year) was a beautiful Red Kite, which was seen first over Church Hill and later near Therfield (see Photo Gallery). This was my first sighting of Red Kite in the area, although the species has been seen by others. On the 16th I did my first winter tetrad count for the 2007-11 BTO Hertfordshire/UK bird atlas and found 32 species during the 2 hour count, including 32 Grey Partridge, an impressive 52 Blackbirds and (surprise, surprise) 130 Wood Pigeons. Later in the month noticeable winter flocks of Fieldfares and Skylarks were noted and 3 Reed Buntings (my highest count so far!) were seen near Hatchpen.

October 2007
October tends to be a quiet month for birdwatching in the Royston area, with summer visitors having departed, little visible migration and winter visitors refuelling along the coast before heading inland later in the year. A walk on the 10th produced a good total (33) of resident birds including several of the now ubiquitous Common Buzzards and a flock of 48 Lapwings. Southern Hawker and Common Darter dragonflies patrolled a local pond, whilst the effects of Myxomatosis were much in evidence, with several dead or dying Rabbits being seen at various points en route. The Starling roost at Tesco supermarket was building up nicely towards the middle of the month and would doubtless be of interest to the local Sparrowhawks! A Chiffchaff was seen on the 17th in Therfield and a mystery large raptor with a dark grey back was sighted briefly near Church Hill: this bird has been sighted by others but has not yet been identified! More easily identifiable are the local buzzards: I am currently trying to photograph their underparts (see Photo Gallery for an example) to work out how many are in the area (each bird has distinctly different underpart markings, but I'll have to be quick as these will change with time). An impressive 28 Grey Partridge were seen at dusk on the 24th in three fields just south of the Heath. Stonechats were sighted by others on Therfield Heath in the second half of the month (after an absence of 3 years). The first Redwings were seen locally towards the end of the month. 

September 2007

Settled weather at last! A walk on the 4th brought no surprises but much variety, with Common Shrew, Marbled Carpet Moth, Southern Hawker Dragonfly and 3 Buzzards together being amongst the animals seen. Gull sightings (Lesser Black-backed and Black-headed) were becoming more common towards the middle of the month and a very vocal male Tawny Owl could be heard near my house on a number of nights. Most of the swallows had departed by the 3rd week, when only a few hardy butterflies remained. A walk on the 18th produced a flock of ca 50 Lapwings and 200 Starlings near Therfield, a couple of singing Chiffchaffs, a family of Stoats and 4 Buzzards together, but the star sightings were of a juvenile Grey Heron (quite rare around these parts due to lack of water or marshy habitat) and a juvenile Turtle Dove, making it my latest ever sighting of the latter species. A small flock of Meadow Pipits was seen, but the commonest birds were Red-legged Partridges after (presumably) another big release.

August 2007

At last some warm, sunny weather arrived at the start of the month. Highlights of a long walk around my "patch" on the 6th were a family of Sparrowhawks taking flying lessons and a "menage a trois" of Emperor Dragonflies at a village pond, with one male chasing another away before mating with the solitary female! Other dragonflies seen were Migrant Hawker (in several locations, including my back garden), Common Darter and Common Blue Damselfly. Another count of 13 Butterfly species included my first "local" Small Copper. A few Grasshoppers were sighted (see Photo Gallery). Birds were generally thin on the ground, as expected at this time of year: however, sightings of two Whitethroat families suggest that this warbler at least has had a decent breeding year despite the rain. Most of the Swifts departed for Africa on the weekend of the Kite Festival! Unfortunately poor land management by the conservators led to the loss of one of the two main colonies of Chalkhill Blue butterflies on the Heath (at Church Hill), whilst numbers at the other colony numbered maybe 100-150 at most: changes need to be made to the management of Therfield Heath if we are not to lose these beautiful butterflies alltogether. The wind and rain returned in the second half of the month. The Bank Holiday brought better weather and a walk on the 27th produced 4 species of raptor around Therfield, including a female Marsh Harrier (my first in the area for over a year) and 4 Buzzards. Good numbers of young finches, buntings and tits were observed, suggesting that this summer has not been a bad breeding season for our resident songbirds despite the poor weather, and Migrant Hawker dragonflies were everywhere! Butterfly numbers were low, with no evidence for the second brood of Small Heath and no Skippers seen on the walk. A Nuthatch was heard in Therfield.

July 2007

Regular lashings of rain continued to drench the countryside in this wettest of summers, making patrolling my "patch" a leg-muscle wrenching experience. Not surprisingly butterflies were in short supply, although good numbers of Meadow Browns and smaller numbers of Ringlets and Large Skippers added to the variety in the early days of the month. Some warbler breeding success was noted despite the difficult conditions and I noted an incredible 9 Spotted Flycatchers at at least 3 (possibly 4) nest sites on the 5th: is Royston the Spotted Flycatcher capital of Hertfordshire?! Two Turtle Doves were heard purring near Therfield on the 3rd: a traditional "sound of summer" on what was definitely not a summer's day! By mid-month, bird activity was quietening but a walk on the 17th produced good numbers of butterflies with an impressive list of 13 species, including the first Small Skipper of the year, but no sign yet of Chalkhill Blues on the Heath. A couple of Stoats were seen crossing local roads. The first Common Darter dragonfly was seen. Changeable weather continued until near the month's end, by which time small numbers of Chalkhill Blue butterflies were starting to emerge on Therfield Heath.

June 2007

With migration over (although a female wheatear was seen locally on May 31st) it was time to reflect on successes and failures during the spring period. On the plus side, good numbers of summer visitors returned safely from Africa and early nesters seemed to have a decent breeding season. However, the appalling weather over the whitsun bank holiday weekend probably washed out many of the nests of warblers and late nesters. As expected, birdsong decreased noticeably in early June. Butterflies were in short supply, with little sunshine to tempt them out in the first half of the month, although Painted Ladies, a long distance migrant from North Africa, were already here by the first week. A local walk on the 15th, on a sunny morning following heavy rain the previous evening, produced the first Meadow Brown of the year and a gorgeous male Broad-bodied Chaser Dragonfly taking on all-comers at a village pond. The best sighting however was of a pair of Spotted Flycatchers returned to a traditional site just a couple of hundred yards from my house. It is amazing that these tiny birds find their way back from deepest Africa to the same tiny patch of land where they were (presumably) born! There was no sign of Yellow Wagtails on my "patch", but a singing Reed Bunting seen (appropriately!) near Reed suggests possible breeding of a bird that I had previously assumed was just a winter visitor to the area. I had good views of Little Owls at a traditional nest site on the outskirts of Royston towards the end of the month.

May 2007

Following the driest April in Royston since records began (just 1.6mm recorded by the Iceni weather station), rain returned with a vengeance from May 5th, and what had previously been cracks in baked mud became puddles by the middle of the month. An excellent passage of Ring Ouzels on the Heath (at least 5 on the Rifle Range and 2 on Church Hill) was finished by the 2nd, although Wheatear numbers were down on last year. All the expected summer visitors bar Spotted Flycatcher (which is always last to arrive) had returned by the end of the first week and there was the added bonus of a gorgeous Firecrest gracing the HMWT reserve, on the same day that 18 Willow Warblers were heard singing on the Heath. Pipistrelle Bats were active at dusk but, regrettably, Badger casualties on the A10 near the "Silver Ball"were again high. Three Corn Buntings were singing near Hatchpen on the 13th, but there was no sign of Yellow Wagtails in the area...yet. A Sand Martin passing overhead on the 11th was a "first" for me on my local patch. A "Greenland" race Wheatear was on Church Hill on the 18th. A long walk on the 22nd covering the whole of the Heath, Therfield and Reed resulted in an impressive 48 species being recorded, including Turtle Dove (heard purring in Therfield) and Spotted Flycatcher (on the HMWT reserve on the Heath). However, the wet weather returned with a vengeance towards the end of the month, making this the wettest month since I started keeping records and the wettest month in Royston since 1958! 

April 2007

Warm sunshine and cold nights in the first week of the month encouraged many of our resident birds to start singing, displaying and nest-building, with corvids being particularly active at gathering nesting material. This is an excellent time of year for estimating numbers of some of our commoner resident birds. For example Coal Tits, which for most of the year can be very hard to detect, sing loudly at this time. It is clear that they are widespread throughout the Royston area, favouring sites with (often ornamental) conifers in the town and surrounding villages but not in open country. Yellowhammers and Linnets are found in many hedgerows, but by far the commonest hedgerow bird is the Chaffinch, which seems to be reaching almost plague proportions!

By Easter a good show of Pasque Flowers could be seen on the Heath (see the Photo Gallery): these gorgeous little blooms attract visitors from far and wide and are well worth a visit if you get the chance.

By the middle of the month migrant birds were coming through in good numbers. Once again, the "Rifle Range" area on the Heath has proved an irresistible lure for Ring Ouzels on passage, with at least 4 birds passing through in the 3rd week and others noted nearby. A female Redstart in the same area was a Royston "first" for me on April 19th. Wheatear passage was not so noticeable this year as last, and Lesser Whitethroats arrived before Common Whitethroats started to appear late in the month. A Cuckoo was heard briefly on the Heath on the 21st and 4 Summer-plumaged Golden Plovers passed over on the same day.

Butterflies on the wing by month's end included Holly Blue, Speckled Wood, Large, Small and Green-veined Whites and Orange Tip, with its beautiful underwings (see photo gallery).

March 2007

With our apology for a winter slipping away, warm southerly winds and settled, sunny weather, it was no surprise to find returning chiffchaffs in both Royston and Reed on the 12th, a few days earlier than normal and several days earlier than last year, when March was far more wintry! Also seen were several butterflies, including my first Brimstone of the year and a Comma. Remarkably, a Painted Lady butterfly was recently seen: it is most unusual for this continental migrant to survive even a mild winter. Green woodpeckers and Sparrowhawks were everywhere, the latter displaying along with Kestrels and Buzzards. A pair of Bullfinches was sighted near Therfield. Later in the month, with the wind now coming from the North, migration ground to a halt and it was only in the last week that significant numbers of Chiffchaffs were establishing territories, with no other summer visitors detected. Flocks of Fieldfare were still present in the area, and Lapwings were displaying in several places along the ridge between Barkway and Therfield by the month's end.

February 2007

February continued to be mild, but a brief cold snap brought snow on the 8th. A walk round my "local patch" the following day revealed lots of bird activity and 38 species were seen (a good number for this time of year) including Golden Plover, Corn Bunting, Reed Bunting and 4 Buzzards. Sparrowhawk sightings were again high. Lapwing numbers increased in the second half of the month as they started to establish territories and Yellowhammers were starting to disperse to their breeding sites. Bees were already active, coming to winter-flowering heather. 

2006 Year List (Birds seen within a 2 mile radius of my home): 

Blackbird, Blackcap, Bullfinch, Corn Bunting, Reed Bunting, Buzzard, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Carrion Crow, Collared Dove, Stock Dove, Dunnock, Fieldfare, Spotted Flycatcher, Goldcrest, Goldfinch, Canada Goose, Greylag Goose, Greenfinch, Black-headed Gull, Common Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Marsh Harrier, Hobby, Jackdaw, Jay, Kestrel, Lapwing, Skylark, Linnet, Magpie, Mallard, House Martin, Moorhen, Ring Ouzel, Barn Owl, Little Owl, Short-eared Owl, Grey Partridge, Red-legged Partridge, Pheasant, Feral Pigeon, Meadow Pipit, Golden Plover, Redwing, Robin, Rook, House Sparrow, Sparrowhawk, Starling, Swallow, Swift, Mistle Thrush, Song Thrush, Blue Tit, Coal Tit, Great Tit, Long-tailed Tit, Pied Wagtail, Yellow Wagtail, Willow Warbler, Wheatear, Whitethroat, Lesser Whitethroat, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Green Woodpecker, Woodpigeon, Wren, Yellowhammer (69 spp.). Heard Only: Cuckoo, Tawny Owl.