SKYLARK N over Margaret Lloyd Park, Grovehill

Local MUTE SWAN colour-ringed black 054 on orange at River Gade, Corner Hall.

KESTREL at E Boxmoor

LITTLE EGRET left Boxmoor SE to roost at 15.30

RED KITE over Corner Hall

LITTLE EGRET at E Boxmoor

MISTLE THRUSH singing at St. John's Church, Boxmoor.

SKYLARK over Valley Green, Woodhall Farm this morning.

GREYLAG GOOSE at Water Gardens, Town Centre

3rd Winter HERRING GULL at Corner Hall

HEMEL MEGA: 2nd Winter MEDITERRANEAN GULL in Kings Langley, found & photographed by Samuel Perfect.

Samuel Perfect found & photographed a 2nd Winter MEDITERRANEAN GULL at fields behing the Rudolph Steiner Scool, Kings Langley, near the A41.

Details on Samuels brilliant blog 'Samuel Birding' > HERE <.

Tweet

MISTLE THRUSH at Valley Green, Woodhall Farm

BARN OWL heard calling near Nettleden Road, Water End.

BARN OWL calling once after dark near W end of Nettleden Road, Water End - heard whilst stood near horse paddock

Tweet

14 MEADOW PIPITS & 14 PIED WAGTAILS in horse paddock W Nettleden Road, Water End.

6 MISTLE THRUSHES & RED KITE at Gadebridge Park.

KESTREL & STOCK DOVE at Gadebridge Park around car park.

RED KITE at Leverstock Green

RED KITE at Valley Green, Woodhall Farm

RED KITE over Town Centre

LITTLE EGRET flew S from Piccotts End, landing at Gadebridge Park nr carpark.

COMMON GULL at N Gadebridge Park

COMMON GULL at Pennine Way sports fields

BUZZARD mobbed by 2 CARRION CROWS over Corner Hall.

Male BULLFINCH at Margaret Lloyd Park, Grovehill.

Adult HERRING GULL at Corner Hall offices.

Same 3rd Winter HERRING GULL at Corner Hall offices again.

3 BUZZARDS at Great Gaddesden

GREEN WOODPECKER, & SONG THRUSHES singing at Water End & Great Gaddesden.

Confiding Female KINGFISHER at Great Gaddesden / Water End.

Female KINGFISHER between Water End & Great Gaddesden.

Tweet

3 RED KITES & a few COMMON GULLS, MEADOW PIPITS, REDWINGS & FIELDFARES at Water End.

13 LESSER REDPOLLS around private fishing pools at Water End.

13 LESSER REDPOLLS around private fishing pools at Water End, moved through S - my highest count in Hemel.

Tweet

LITTLE GREBE on stream S of Hemel Garden Centre, Great Gaddesden.

BUZZARD perched by reed bed at Hemel Garden Centre, Great Gaddesden.

2 SNIPE at Great Gaddesden

2 LITTLE EGRETS, GREY WAGTAIL, YELLOWHAMMER, 2 RED KITES, & some REDWINGS & FIELDFARES, at Great Gaddesden.

C.90 TEAL at Great Gaddesden! - by far the highest count here, doubling previous counts.

2 BUZZARDS sat in horse paddock at W Nettleden Road, Water End.

16 CANADA GEESE in field & Adult COMMON GULL through, at Nettleden Road, Water End.

Adult COMMON GULL at Water Gardens, Town Centre.

3 RAVENS E over Corner Hall offices - from Boxmoor, heading towards Bennett's End / Leverstock Green.

3 RAVENS over Boxmoor / Corner Hall / Bennetts End - equals highest count for Hemel.

Tweet

ROBIN carrying something longish & bright green into hedgerow at Cupid Green Lane, Grovehill - Courtship gift? Nesting material? Feeding young?

C.2 YELLOWHAMMERS in hedge behind Valley Green, Woodhalll Farm.

TREECREEPER at Valley Green, Woodhall Farm

LITTLE EGRET S over Corner Hall offices, 16.02

COMMON GULL & flock of PIED WAGTAILS at horse field by Link Road E of Piccotts End.

GREY WAGTAIL over Valley Green, Woodhall Farm

LITTLE EGRET at Great Gaddesden & LITTLE EGRET at Water End at river near Red Lion pub.

14 CANADA GEESE feeding in field at Nettleden Road, Water End.

4 RED KITES at Nettleden Road, Water End

3 MISTLE THRUSHES (1 singing & 2 over S) & 2 RED KITES at W Nettleden Road, Water End.

C.21 MEADOW PIPITS, 3 PIED WAGTAILS, 3+ SKYLARKS, YELLOWHAMMER, & good numbers of REDWINGS in hedgerows, around horse paddock at W Nettleden Road, Water End.

30 CANADA GEESE feeding in field N of Nettleden Road, Water End.

LITTLE EGRET S over Corner Hall offices - going to roost.

3rd Winter HERRING GULL still around Corner Hall area.

SISKIN at Gadebridge Park still around car park.

C.2 SISKINS, RED KITE, & MISTLE THRUSH singing, at Gadebridge Park.

YELLOWHAMMER over Valley Green, Woodhall Farm

1+ LITTLE OWL around horse field at Piccotts End Pools.

TAWNY OWL calling at Valley Green, Woodhall Farm

LITTLE EGRET at Gadebridge Park

2+ NUTHATCHES calling / singing, COAL TIT, & 2 MISTLE THRUSHES over, at Margaret Lloyd Park, Grovehill

SISKIN, 4 Adult COMMON GULLS, & MISTLE THRUSH singing, at N Gadebridge Park.

Possible BLACK REDSTART called at Corner Hall offices around Travis Perkins - area viewable from B&Q car park.

LITTLE EGRET at Gadebridge Park near car park.

2 SKYLARKS low W over Woodhall Farm.

KESTREL at N Gadebridge Park

REDPOLL Species low S over N Gadebridge Park - appeared whitish in flight (MEALY?).

LITTLE EGRET S over Corner Hall - going to roost.

LITTLE EGRET SE into Two Waters

Single SNIPE Species flew low over road (A4146) from flood meadows at Great Gaddesden this morning - looked pretty small, didn't notice long bill & flying directly rather than zig-zag so could have been the Jack Snipe seen there recently.

Tweet

Possibly 5 LITTLE EGRETS along Gade Valley between Piccotts End & Great Gaddesden now - highest previous count is 4.

I scoured the Gade valley from Piccotts End to Great Gaddesden again this morning in case the Great White Egret was still around, but no luck. Also checked the area N or Great Gaddesden across Dagnall Road that I mentioned previously as a possible area worth checking due to the habitat, but on getting there noticed it wasn't as ideal as I'd thought, with much less vegetation on the flood meadow & a much narrower, more concentrated stream than I'd seen there in the past.

On the other hand, it seems there may be another LITTLE EGRET in the area, in addition to the usual 4 found along the Gade. I first saw one at Great Gaddesden, N of Hemel Garden Centre on the flood meadow, then a second here stood in the hedge literally at the back of the garden centre where the stream disappears through the fence. When driving back I saw one at the river at Water End, between the 'S-bend' bridge & the Red Lion pub. Then at Piccotts End Pools there were 2 Little Egrets, one around the sheep field & one at the back of the pools, later roosting in the trees there.

Small flocks of REDWINGS on the move today & coming down to land in drizzle at Piccotts End & Great Gaddesden.

2 LITTLE EGRETS, C.20 TEAL, & Flock of FIELDFARE over S at Great Gaddesden.

LITTLE EGRET at Water End b-w 'S-bend' bridge & Red Lion pub.

Male TEAL, 2 LITTLE EGRETS, 5 CORMORANTS & NUTHATCH at Piccotts End Pools

GREEN SANDPIPER at Piccotts End Pools

Herts Bird Club: Chris Williams reported a BARN OWL on a fencepost along Nettleden Road, Water End at 10.30pm last night - I was only recently thinking that the fields S of the horse paddock at the W end of this stretch look ideal at the moment for Barn Owl.

Tweet

TREECREEPER at S Gadebridge Park

Adult HERRING GULL low over Corner Hall offices

NUTHATCH singing, C.2 TREECREEPERS & some REDWINGS at Margaret Lloyd Park, Grovehill.

LITTLE EGRET S over Corner Hall offices - going off to roost.

No sign of Great White Egret today despite scouring the Gade valley between Great Gaddesden & Gadebridge Park, including Water End & Piccotts End - though there is suitable habitat N of Gt. Gaddesden, parrallell to the A4146, that I did not check.

SISKIN, REED BUNTING, 2 LITTLE EGRETS, KESTREL & RED KITE at Piccotts End Pools.

2 RAVENS circling over field W of Piccotts End Pools then heading W over pools towards Potton End.

2 RAVENS - pair(?) seen in this area in previous Winters.

Tweet

LITTLE EGRET at Water End b-w 'S-bend' bridge & Red Lion pub.

LITTLE EGRET, REED BUNTING & C.20 TEAL at Great Gaddesden.

3 LITTLE EGRETS S over Corner Hall offices

HEMEL MEGA: GREAT WHITE EGRET touring Water End, Great Gaddesden & Piccotts End Pools!

GREAT WHITE EGRET at Water End / Great Gaddesden / Piccotts End Pools.

GREAT WHITE EGRET at Great Gaddesden flood meadows, N of Hemel Garden Centre.

Record shot of GREAT WHITE EGRET at Great Gaddesden flood meadows, N of Hemel Garden Centre
- with LITTLE EGRET & GREY HERON in background, showing the habitat & how I found the bird at this location.

More images below...


UPDATE (extract from quick email):

Hi all,
sorry for lack of updates, battery went after trying to get news out, typical!

Basically I only went out early in case the Redbournbury GREAT WHITE EGRET had popped over to the ideal, if a bit disturbed, habitat at Piccotts End / Water End / Great Gaddesden with all the Little Egrets - well just as well I did!

First seen whilst I was stood at Water End flood meadows on N side of Nettleden Road walking S to go home! - At 9.06 I saw a huge pale bird flying N from over Heizdin's Wood, Water End with another bird that appeared a similar size & colour at distance, but that one went down towards the Red Lion Pub area of Water End.

As it neared I could see that amazingly it was the GREAT WHITE EGRET!

RAVEN low S over Great Gaddesden

RAVEN low over Great Gaddesden, heading S towards Water End.

Tweet

C.25 TEAL, 2 LITTLE EGRETS, 3 GREY WAGTAILS & MEADOW PIPIT at Great Gaddesden.

HEMEL MEGA: JACK SNIPE & 7 COMMON SNIPE at Great Gaddesden! - at flood meadow N of Hemel Garden Centre.

JACK SNIPE & 7 COMMON SNIPE at flood meadows N or Hemel Garden Centre, Great Gaddesden - in main flood area where stream widens on N side of wooden bridge.

Tweet

Adult Winter COMMON GULL at Water Gardens, Town Centre.

PEREGRINE FALCON low over Corner Hall offices - heading towards town centre.

PEREGRINE FALCON - appeared to be Female due to large size, possibly returning Winter roosting bird, though not at roost on BT building when checked about 5 mins later.

Tweet

4 LITTLE EGRETS, 2 KINGFISHERS, 5 CORMORANTS, 2 TEAL, GREY WAGTAIL, GREEN WOODPECKER, KESTREL & RED KITE at Piccotts End Pools.

2 BUZZARDS at Howe Grove, Highfield

REED BUNTING at Piccotts End Pools

LITTLE EGRET at Great Gaddesden

3 BUZZARDS, 2 RED KITES & SKYLARK at Nettleden Road, Water End.

Female CHAFFINCH with Viral Papilloma on both feet & legs at Valley Green, Woodhall Farm.

Female CHAFFINCH with Viral Papilloma on both feet & legs looking like its wearing white boots due to the thick coating, at Valley Green, Woodhall Farm - thankfully the bird seems unfazed by its condition, which is only lightly contagious in close contact & supposedly usually only through open wounds.

Tweet

2nd Winter COMMON GULL at Water Gardens, Town Centre