Since 1995 I have spent each New Year’s Day (NYD) trying to see as many species as possible within 10 km of home, which for the past three years has been the Bedfordshire village of Henlow. This area stretches from the chalk downland of the Chilterns, rising to 183 m at Telegraph Hill in the south across the flood plain of the River Ivel and its tributary the Hiz to the greensand ridge in the north from which Sandy, HQ of the RSPB takes its name. The A6 trunk road between Luton and Bedford forms the western boundary while the eastern border is a line on the map passing through the village of Ashwell. Three towns, Hitchin, Letchworth and Baldock, all in Hertfordshire, occupy the south-eastern quadrant while the smaller towns of Stotfold and Biggleswade lie on the route of the A1 which runs north-south across the area. The larger towns of Luton and Bedford lie outside this area, to the SW and NW respectively. The aim for 2006 was to beat the 65 species recorded in 2005 while driving fewer miles.
At 05:30 on NYD, I was questioning my sanity as I headed out into a mild, breezy, showery and very dark morning after less than five hours sleep. Not surprisingly, I seemed to be the only one up and about, but I told myself that this earliest ever start in the UK would give me more time to find any owls that might be about. So, I was more than a little chuffed when the first bird of the day was a ghostly Barn Owl (seen at 05:41), perched in a roadside tree near Clifton cricket ground. It did not hang around and soon disappeared over the fields towards Cliftonbury Farm. Buoyed by this early success, I drove past Stanford plantation, Keeper’s Warren and Old Rowney Lane, sites where Tawny Owls have been heard calling on previous nocturnal excursions – but not today. It was a frustrating hour. Wood Pigeons were silhouetted in roadside roosts, rabbits were numerous on the verge, quacking Mallards were heard near Southill and a Muntjac crossed Old Rowney Lane, but no owls. Pheasants were grumbling noisily in anticipation of the new day as I made a second circuit of Keeper’s Warren and Old Rowney Lane. A Little Owl was seen briefly in the headlights but the regular Tawnies were ominously quiet. With dawn approaching I made my way towards Swiss Gardens, seeing the silhouettes of Jackdaws perched on thatched rooves in the picturesque village of Old Warden.
In the overcast and drizzly conditions, it was taking a while to get light. As last year, I had decided to spend the first hour of daylight in the mixed woodland of Swiss Gardens. While waiting for the light to improve, I heard Blackbird, Greylag Goose, Robin and Carrion Crow. By this time I had just about given up hope of any further owls when a Tawny Owl hooted from the direction of the gardens. I was a bit worried this might have been a bird from the Shuttleworth bird of prey collection, so was very pleased to hear an answering too-whit-too-whoo from the direction of Ickwell village – the first time I had recorded three species of owl on a NYD bird watch. A yapping call over the woods flummoxed me for a while until I made out the flying silhouette of two small ducks and realised they were Mandarins. Coot, Moorhen and Heron were also heard but the smaller birds were noticeably quiet. It was still dark in the woods and little seemed to be moving. The white flanks of two male Tufted Ducks made them easy to pick out on the pond but I was still hearing more than I was seeing; the thin whistle of Redwing, harsh churr of a Wren, noisy chattering of a mixed flock of Rooks and Jackdaws and the weak song of a Dunnock (20th species at 07:57, some 20 minutes later than last year despite the earlier start). As the light slowly improved two Cormorants and a pair of Shoveler were noted at the far end of the pond and a Magpie flew over. Little was seen on a circuit through the woods, it was still a bit gloomy under the trees but Great Tit and Green Woodpecker were heard. Back at the pond 5 Mandarin Ducks (3 males and two females) swam out from under some overhanging branches and two Muntjac were disturbed from the track. In pond side trees a Goldcrest was heard and then watched from less than two metres as it foraged among some ivy growing up an oak tree. Also heard were a flock of Siskins in a stand of alders and Chaffinches called from the wood. The ringing call of a Nuthatch was heard from the far side of the wood and while trying to track it down I saw my first Grey Squirrel of the day. A second circuit of the wood was mostly unproductive until I was nearly back at the car when a winter-plumaged Black-headed Gull drifted over and a flock of Blue Tits foraged along the roadside hedge.
The weather had still not improved when I left Swiss Gardens at 08:55 with 32 species; it was mild but overcast and drizzly as I retraced my earlier owling route. Near the few houses known as Warden Street a mixed flock of thrushes included Fieldfare while nearby a pale-phased Buzzard perched in an oak. Just down the road at Warden Abbey a large flock of Wood Pigeons included a few Stock Doves. Along Old Rowney Lane a covey of 10 Red-legged Partridges raced for the cover of the hedge as I came round the corner and a flock of Reed Buntings flew regularly between the roadside hedge and a maize crop while my second Buzzard of the day flew over the fields to the east. At the south end of the lane two Jays foraged on the roadside verge and another Buzzard flew over the woods of Keepers Warren.
My next stop was Southill Park. The lake, as usual, seemed devoid of waterfowl save for a few Mallards and a single winter-plumaged Great Crested Grebe and there was no sign of the goose flock reported in recent days from the fields between the lake and the house. My fourth Buzzard of the day flew over the fields to the east of the lake (and road). On the edge of Southill village another maize crop was attracting a large finch flock consisting mostly of Chaffinches but including Yellow Hammer, and Goldfinch. While scanning the finch flock a Great Spotted Woodpecker was heard and then seen in a nearby spinney and a single Lesser Redpoll was watched feeding in a silver birch. En route to Broom, I passed through Southill village, recording Collared Dove and my first House Sparrows of the day (45th species at 10:21).
As I approached the gravel pits at Broom an adult Lesser Black-backed Gull headed south in the company of several Black-headed Gulls. Making my way towards the G&M pits, I flushed a Snipe from the pond beside the track (and later found another 10 around the pits) and heard a Skylark calling. There were several species of waterfowl on the G&M pits (those closest to the Caldecote – Biggleswade road), including Teal, Canada Goose (50th species at 10:37), Pochard and Little Grebe. A small flock of Meadow Pipits were busy around a pile of gravel and a flock of 18 Lapwings flew north. I added nothing new on my way through the moat house wood, but on Peacock’s Lake were Mute Swan, a single adult Great Black-backed Gull, dwarfing the other gulls, Common Gull and numerous Wigeon. As I made my way round to the south, Broom village, side of the pits, flock of 20 Golden Plover flew east and three Gadwall (60th species at 11:20) were located on the landscaped lake closest to Broom village. In the SW corner of the same lake, I found the pair of Stonechat that had been present for much of the winter (assuming all the Broom records refer to the same birds). They perched on the tall, dead stems of waterside sedges, flying down to feed on the shorter grass around the lake. As I made my way back to the car along the western side of the pits, a male Merlin dashed low across the fields, causing panic among a flock of Meadow Pipits and being briefly mobbed by a Carrion Crow before disappearing across the Caldecote – Shefford road. That was two species I had not previously recorded on a NYD birdwatch in the space of 10 minutes. Shortly after a flock of c. 300 Greylag Geese descended on Peacock’s Lake and among their number were single Barnacle and Pink-footed Geese, the provenance of both of which must be doubtful. The Barnacle Goose presumably originated from the expanding feral flock that winters at Willington but could the Pink-foot be a genuine wild bird? Linnets feeding on thistle heads were my last new birds at Broom.
Snow between Christmas and New Year had tempted Andrew and Matthew, my teenage sons, out for a snowball fight with their mates. They returned several hours later cold but happy and reporting a ‘large snipe’ flushed from woodland near Henlow Grange. It was New Year’s Eve before I could follow up their sighting and confirm that they had stumbled on a wintering Woodcock, a species I had not previously recorded on NYD in Bedfordshire. So after my wander round the gravel pits I headed back towards Henlow, picking up a few species along the way. A flock of Starlings over fields near Langford Lakes and a Greenfinch at a feeder in Broom village were surprisingly my first of each species for the day. Brief stops at both Holme (Jordan’s) and Langford Mills failed to conjure up a Grey Wagtail, a species that has so far eluded me on all my NYD bird-watches in Bedfordshire. A male Kestrel, hovering over fields beside the Langford – Henlow road was the only one I recorded all day while my first Pied Wagtail was on the Pyghtles, Henlow’s sports field. The Woodcock was in much the same area as seen on New Year’s Eve (thanks boys), but despite a careful approach was only seen when as it zig-zagged away low through the trees.
Flushed with success, I returned to the car and headed for Stanford plantation; on the edge of the woods a mixed flock of thrushes included a Mistle Thrush (70th species at 13:57) while among the conifers I found a Song Thrush and eventually a Coal Tit which had been elusive up until then. Little was seen in the remaining couple of hours of daylight: another Buzzard, my fourth of the day was seen over Ickwell and a flock of Long-tailed Tits was in the hedgerow along Old Rowney Lane.
With 73 species recorded (75 if the two dodgy geese can be counted) this was my best NYD in Bedfordshire so far. As last year I had recorded 60 species by late morning but had then only added a further 13 species during the afternoon. A better plan is still required. As in previous years I had stayed within Bedfordshire and as usual in the area mostly to the north and west of Henlow. I did drive fewer miles than last year (59 compared to 70) but would like to reduce it further. A NYD bird-watch on bike might be a better way to do it – I’ll have to get fitter!. As ever there were several species that I had hoped to see but missed including Rock Dove/Feral Pigeon. Having missed this species last year, I kept an eye open for it this year and still failed to record it – I think I must have a blind-spot for this species. Only eight species recorded on previous NYD bird-watches in Bedfordshire were not seen this year, these were Sparrowhawk, Rock Dove/Feral Pigeon, Tree Sparrow, Green Sandpiper, Shelduck, Treecreeper, Herring Gull and Grey Partridge. Four species, Merlin, Woodcock, Stonechat, Redpoll and Reed Bunting and Pink-footed Goose (if the latter can be counted) were recorded for the first time on a NYD big birdwatch in Bedfordshire. taking the NYD total to 81 species.
