😂 I think I get Spring Migrant Anxiety from about early Feb! Agree, Wheatears are great.

Great to pickup 2 White Storks this morning over Stanborough GPs. Drifted NE & I wonder if the same 2 that were seen along the N Norfolk coast this afternoon? Distant views by the time I had the camera out. #hertsbirds @norfolkbirds.bsky.social

Slowly but surely...Spring migrants arrive I'd like to say that it's been a manic few weeks trying to keep up with all the arriving Spring migrants but the opposite is true!  Instead, in the face of high pressure weather systems, at time...

My latest sightings blog from Stanborough GPs #hertsbirds www.rupertevershed.com/stanborough-...

Finally some Spring action this morning with Little Ringed Plovers back at 2 sites locally. Also a Rock Pipit typically arriving in early March misty, damp weather. More to come in the weeks ahead! #hertsbirds

Fantastic birds!

Pre-Spring Update A whole month has gone past since my last update with no real excitement in the intervening period.  However, Spring is in the air and most noticeably in the form of returning wildfowl to the site....

A quiet past month at Stanborough GPs but the stage is set for Spring arrivals. 81 species recorded on site so far this year. Check out the latest sightings here: www.rupertevershed.com/stanborough-... #hertsbirds

At last! The Snow Goose at Bourne, Lincs that gave me the run around a couple of weeks ago gave itself up! Distant but unmistakable views (eliminating farmyard goose!) with accompanying Whoopers. @lincsbirding.bsky.social @birdergirl.bsky.social

Great find!

Likewise!

5 year ticks today & 1 lifer in the form of @birdergirl.bsky.social on a visit to Cambs & Lincs. Sadly dipped the Snow Goose which had hidden away even more successfully than the Long-eared Owls & Glossy Ibises. A good day nonetheless!

Amazing!

Black-winged Kite

Snow Bunting

Crane

Bewick’s Swan

A fantastic day in Norfolk today! Star bird the Black-winged Kite at Hickling Broad but plenty else to see inc Snow Buntings, Cranes & Bewick’s Swans. Finished with the Ring-necked Duck at Filby Broad in company with 3 Scaup. #norfolkbirds

A New Year begins... Rather than write a lengthy review of 2025 I thought I'd simply summarise in a paragraph or two... Despite misgivings about the future of the site at the start of the year, 2025 proved to be one of,.....

My latest sightings blog includes brief summary of 2025 at Stanborough GPs but already 2026 is underway! So far it’s been all about the gulls… www.rupertevershed.com/stanborough-... #hertsbirds

A long-awaited lifer in Cornwall today in the form of a Pallas’ Warbler at Loe Pool. Gave great views & grateful to the finder Joe Jones. @cbwps.org.uk

Black Redstart brightens things up! This morning a Black Redstart was found feeding along the track, up and down off the posts along with a pair of Stonechats. The 134th species recorded at the site this year and making it a 2-redstart....

A Black Redstart today at Stanborough GPs was #134 for the site this year. Latest sightings updated here: www.rupertevershed.com/stanborough-... #hertsbirds

Male Goldeneye at Tyttenhanger GPs this morning- the first since 2022 & #156 for my record-breaking 5-miles from home year list! #hertsbirds

@rarebirder.bsky.social @birdguides.bsky.social #gowerbirds

Well. My son happens to live 6 mins from this - the SCOPS OWL in Swansea. So he twitched it on my behalf this evening 😂 Feel a mixture of immense pride and being gutted at not actually being there ☺️😭

Got excited today with thoughts of Blue-winged Teal as I picked this bird out from the Teal but in flight revealed itself to be an eclipse male Garganey. Nevertheless, a great late record for Tyttenhanger GPs. #hertsbirds

A perfect afternoon of local patch birding with 9 Whooper Swans seen to drop into Tyttenhanger GPs & then a Cattle Egret was found amongst the gulls. Breaks my previous local year record taking me to 154 species this year seen within 5 miles of home! #hertsbirds #londonbirds

An excellent 40 minutes at #TyttenhangerGP’s this evening. @rupertevershed.bsky.social had found 9 Whooper Swans & while watching them a single Cattle Egret dropped in. Both species are scarce in Hertfordshire #hertsbirds #londonbirds @hertsbirds.bsky.social @hertswildlifetrust.bsky.social

It's been a slow but steady few months on the patch near St Albans. At the weekend, a Wigeon was new for the year. But today, I found a #patchgold Dartford Warbler. Patch tick (29 years!) & Herts rarity. Thanks to @rupertevershed.bsky.social for the warbler pic. #PWC2025 @patchbirding.bsky.social

A bit of vismiging this morning with @rupertevershed.bsky.social at North Mymms Park with the highlights being 2 groups of Crossbills (11 & 6) & a single Brambling #birds #hertsbirds #londonbirds #vismig #ukbirds #ukbirding @hertsbirds.bsky.social @btoengland.bsky.social @britishbirds.bsky.social

October continues to deliver... The number of small birds on site has been increasing rapidly over the last few weeks with the arrival of many Meadow Pipits, Linnets and Skylarks.  This must all be enticing to birds of prey and...

Another good week at Stanborough GPs! #hertsbirds www.rupertevershed.com/stanborough-...

Stanborough Gravel Pits - Recent Sightings While the search for the recent Pectoral Sandpiper proved predictably fruitless it did however yield some nice autumn birds.  I'll take these as consolation prizes and proof that it's worth keeping...

Recent sightings at Stanborough GPs - including the big one I missed 😭 Thanks Mike Illett & Rose Newbold for photos. www.rupertevershed.com/stanborough-... #hertsbirds

Spotted Redshank at Devoran this afternoon. @cbwps.org.uk

@markgolley.bsky.social interesting comparison of 2 Black-tailed Godwits at Coursers GPs, #hertsbirds this evening. Both appeared very different - notably bill length. Possibly 2 subspecies??

Really sad to have to announce that Steve Blake @blakey9.bsky.social passed away last night after a long battle with illness. He will be greatly missed, not least as a good friend to many, a great birder and the man behind Herts Bird News @hertsbirds #hertsbirds #londonbirds 😢

This is what Spring is all about - bumping into a couple of Whimbrel in the fields near home! Sorry @johnpritchard.bsky.social for pilfering your patch! 😂 @hertsbirds.bsky.social #Hertsbirds

Recent sightings at Stanborough GPs updated! Highlights include the recent but all too brief PURPLE HERON & Garganey. @hertsbirds.bsky.social #hertsbirds rupertevershed.com/stanborough-gr…