Herts at Heart (28th March)

My first day back in Herts and despite only getting to bed at 2am, I decided to join my sister bright and early the next morning on a short trip to Berkhamstead.  I spent the 3 and a half hours I had by the canal and wandered around the local farmland whilst my sister went for her haircut. Her obsession gave me long enough to have a good wander along the canal where I bumped into a Kingfisher, 2 Grey Wagtails and my main focus, 3 Chiffchaffs near the Waitrose car park which I watched for nearly an hour!

the first and probably the last snow I'll see this winter in Herts

Next, a casual walk towards Ashridge where I found a couple Siskin, including some stunning males coming to feed from the puddles on the pathway.  A surprise Muntjac also leapt out from the undergrowth and took me by surprise whilst back on the farmland a stunning male Sparrowhawk came pelting towards me before veering off into some nearby gardens. I also picked out a repoll sp. flying overhead calling (most likely a Lesser) and a female Green Woodpecker on the school playing field. Only a little further down the lane were 34+ Fallow Deer grazing in the sheep field (including 33 dark and one white morph). I had another hour to spare when I returned which I decided to spend once again at the Chiffchaff site. I ended up staring blankly at a small flock of Black-headed Gulls (most of which were nearing their full summer plumage) when a distinctive trilling call jerked me back to reality and sure enough 10+ WAXWING came flying up and over the Bowls Club! They followed the tree line parallel to the railway, in the direction of the town before disappearing behind some more trees and flats. A rather pleasing first day back in Herts!

Now off to Germany!