Observations

The return of the murmurations

A summary of the birds of November-December 2024

There has been some significant habitat management by the RSPB in the north, namely the dredging of the Toll house stream, some much needed tree felling on No.1 triangle, and a good amount of rotational reedcutting. In the south, Thames Water were busy clearing the westside stream and pollarding a number of trees there, and also clearing the Tollhouse Stream –all works that look quite horrific now, but should bring benefits eventually. The weather was in the main grey and dull, not particularly wet or cold and interspersed with a few late autumn gales.

Goose and swan numbers were very low with maxima of 18 Canada Geese, 18 Mute Swans and no Greylags. The returning male Shelduck arrived in November and was finally seen with a mate in late December, following the usual pattern. Duck numbers were generally low, occasional highlights were a male Pintail twice, and up to six Wigeon dropped in on four dates. A female Goosander flying south was a good bird; they are not annual at Rye Meads. To round up the duck oddities 16 Pochard flew over, an unusually high number for December these days. Not a hard weather movement though, more likely someone from Stanstead Abbotts sailing club having a post Christmas cruise around the nearby pit where over 45 Pochard were themselves cruising aimlessly on Christmas Eve.

High counts of Little Egret, including a site record 16, were the results of a roost flight line count and a drop in water levels on No 1 lagoon.

The dull weather resulted in a poor showing for most raptors, but two Marsh Harriers (a 2nd calendar year male and then a ‘cream cap’) in December would have been greeted with incredulity just a few years ago, now they seem to be wintering regularly in Herts!

Lapwing numbers fluctuated in time with the water levels on No 1, with a peak of 327 in December. At least three Green Sandpipers are overwintering including a bird originally ringed in November 2020.

The unusually dry meadows (caused by ground pumping for a construction site at the Works) finally dampened up in mid-November, seemingly too late to attract newly arriving Snipe whose peak was a lamentable eleven, and ideal conditions in December have failed to recruit more.

Curiously Jack Snipe have reacted more flexibly. After just two sightings of up to three birds in November, December has seen wildly fluctuating numbers with a maximum of 16; but this disguises a possible turnover of birds: so far this winter 34 individuals have been trapped with exciting progress being made with year on year returning birds. There is no doubt that thermal imaging is revolutionising the study of this species.

Gulls are getting a bit more attention. The evening flight lines of the past to roosts south of Rye Meads appear to have declined. While Black-headed Gulls can regularly muster 200-330 on No.1 lagoon during the day, the maximum evening flight line count south was only 430. Common Gulls, of which only a handful are seen on site during the day saw sample counts of 300 go south in November and 185 in December. In the 2023-24 winter over 4,600 had roosted at Nazeing, mainly coming in from the north. How are they getting past us?

Few large gulls now go south to roosts, the landfill sites where they spent the day are long gone. Now large gulls (Herring and Lesser Black-backed Gulls) roost to the north of us at Amwell and we detect small numbers heading there in the evening, mainly coming from the Harlow direction. It seems likely that these are local, resident birds, with the Scandinavian and Russian populations no longer wintering in numbers in inland Herts. The increasingly scarce Great Black-backed Gull put in a creditable five appearances in November, and we recorded a single adult Mediterranean Gull.
It’s hard to get excited about introduced birds, but the Feral Pigeon population centred on the Castleview cottages appears to have taken a tumble, a reduction of food provision and the felling of their favoured tree may be reasons; and we had a record 26 Ring-necked Parakeets.

Raven was seen on two dates; and our October Bearded Tits were only evidenced by one heard in October.

One of the reasons to be cheerful this winter so far is the high numbers of Chiffchaffs, either overwintering or wandering through. As with the Jack Snipe, the ringing helps get the detail. The November maximum was 10, and in December there was a peak of 24. The ringing reveals at least 47 individuals so far, with, it seems, more unringed birds yet to catch, making it one of the best winters ever for overwintering Chiffs, and a handful of both Blackcaps and Goldcrests has spiced things up a little.

The spectacle of the period was the rapid formation of a huge Starling roost and the murmuration preamble that preceded it each night in early November. The peak in mid November was a massive 5,960! Starling roosts at Rye Meads rarely exceed 1,000 birds and the peaks are either post breeding local birds in June or July, or late autumn migrant birds as here, in October and November. These late autumn roosts often disappear as quickly as they form as birds presumably continue westward. This roost was the biggest count since 1968. Around 4,000 continued to roost until the intervention of Storm Bert, and by the end of November the roost was a very modest…..fifteen.

The winter thrushes have, by and large, deserted or skirted Rye Meads this winter, there being almost no berries. Maximum counts of Redwing in the period are 15, and 13 for Blackbird. Song Thrushes peaked at five, at least three had resumed singing by the end of December. And Fieldfares… Fieldfares… what Fieldfares?

Although rather erratic in their appearances it seems that two Stonechats are wintering this year, the first over-winterers for a fair while.

The late autumn saw an unexpected 60 Meadow Pipits roosting mid November, reducing to the more usual 20-30 a few days later, and then slightly lower than usual numbers thereafter with a mere six in December.

Finally the sorry numbers of seed-eaters continues. Maximum counts for finches were: Chaffinch nine, Greenfinch four, Goldfinch 12, Bullfinch and Linnet nil. Yellowhammers were a late kick off, reaching 12 by the end of December. Reed Buntings barely turned up at all, with a peak of just four, and none seen on roost watches.