Observations

A Wealth of Warblers but Few Finches

A summary of the birds of November and December 2025

Winter wildfowl numbers were unusually low due perhaps to the mild conditions early on, including 144 Gadwalls, 73 Teal, 36 Tufted Ducks and 135 Coot, all a bit below average. The exception was the Mallard flock of 79 which had congregated to feed over the cuttings on the Scrape as waters rose. Nine Pochard toward the end of December included a male – the breeding females return first.

The escaped female Shelduck remained throughout; naturally our regular drake has not reappeared this winter! Typical.

On the raptor front all was as usual but with no Peregrines during the period and Kestrels scarce. A ‘cream cap’ Marsh Harrier put in an appearance.

Snipe and Jack Snipe were scarce with peaks in the period of only 12 and six respectively, but two sightings of a single Woodcock were welcome. The winter Lapwing flock stabilised at around the 200-250 mark until a massive 565 in late December, in what appears to be a cold weather continental influx.

Avid followers of the gull movements will be enthralled to learn that roost flightline counts continued to entertain: in one November count, 580 Black-headed Gulls, a whopping 888 Common Gulls, 68 Herring Gulls and 18 Lessers passed south. By December, most gull roost traffic seemed to have stalled at Amwell where a reduction in big gulls roosting now seems to be attracting the smaller species to roost there.

A first-winter Yellow-legged Gull was swimming around on No. 3 Lagoon one November day, and an adult Great Black-backed Gull was loafing on No. 1 Lagoon – something of a Herts rarity these days.

In pigeon posts a good count of 93 Stock Doves gathered ahead of a roost on the Works, and Feral Pigeon numbers continue to slide with only six in December (is this why the Peregrines are missing?).

Ring-necked Parakeets get ever commoner it seems, the 40 flying south-west to roost in November is yet another record count. Jackdaws were also counted on roost flights with small numbers apart from one count of 68, whilst roosting Magpies clocked in at 37. Two Ravens were the first since July.

Long-tailed Tits seemed unusually conspicuous with several counts of 20-25 including an adventurous group who bounded across the expanse of the meadows in December.

Chiffchaffs were omnipresent throughout following the bumper autumn with single figure counts until December, when numbers steadily increased up to an unprecedented 33 (22 of which were ringed). We used to get a gap between summer and wintering birds, but not anymore.  Although one to four Blackcaps were seen during the period, ringing confirmed equally unprecedented numbers wintering with seven ringed and three still unringed, giving a minimum of ten in December. Even more unexpectedly a Lesser Whitethroat was seen at the Sluice in December, only the second midwinter record following one in December 2022. Goldcrests were regularly logged with one to four per visit but probably under-recorded. No Treecreepers were noted; worryingly, there have been only two records this year.

Starling roosts started with 11 at the beginning of November, then swelled suddenly to 1,600 birds. As is usual the roost size quickly reduced as birds moved on, so that numbers fell to a lower baseline of 40-60 through December.

Winter thrush numbers began with unremarkable numbers – a maximum of 12 Blackbirds and just five Fieldfares. However, with a great berry crop, Redwings built up to 75 by the end of November and good numbers (40-55) lingered to the year’s end. Song Thrushes were scarcely recorded until singing resumed in mid-December with a maximum of five males. Probably they were here all along.

Up to three Stonechats continued to be seen over the period, two of which were caught and ringed.

A Water Pipit found in November may have been present since late October, and has remained elusive but present in the meadows throughout. Meadow Pipits are enjoying a good winter with up to 40 roosting. Most come in from the north and may be utilising fallow farmland earmarked for development up the Stort valley.

Amongst the finches and buntings, Yellowhammers have been a rare ray of sunshine with good numbers coming into roost, culminating in 71 – the highest count since the winter of 1988-89. The rest were virtually non-existent: no more than five Chaffinches, seven Greenfinches (apart from a late afternoon group of 18 passing over), one Redpoll, two Siskins, 18 Goldfinches and just three Reed Buntings. That’s all folks…