Lee Evans: Hertfordshire Life List BOU, All records Record(s) 1 to 270 of 270 total. Seq. Species Scientific Name Rare? Date Location Comments 1 Brent Goose Branta bernicla Wilstone Reservoir Have only seen Dark-bellied Brent Goose in Herts but numerous singletons and flocks over the years 2 Canada Goose Branta canadensis Startop's End Reservoir 3 Barnacle Goose Branta leucopsis Wilstone Reservoir Seen numerous flocks, most of unknown origin. 4 Greylag Goose Anser anser Wilstone Reservoir 5 Pink-footed Goose Anser brachyrhynchus Wilstone Reservoir Seen numerous escapes but some genuine juveniles in winter months 6 Tundra Bean Goose Anser serrirostris Wilstone Reservoir Only Tundra Bean Goose seen 7 White-fronted Goose Anser albifrons Wilstone Reservoir, East Hyde and other sites Seen some large flocks - 38 being the highest 8 Mute Swan Cygnus olor Grand Union Canal, Tring 9 Bewick's Swan Cygnus columbianus Wilstone Reservoir 10 Whooper Swan Cygnus cygnus Wilstone Reservoir 11 Egyptian Goose Alopochen aegyptiaca Wilstone Reservoir My first two were in September 1974 12 Shelduck Tadorna tadorna Wilstone Reservoir 13 Mandarin Duck Aix galericulata Tring Sewage Farm 14 Garganey Spatula querquedula Wilstone Reservoir/Tring Sewage Farm First noted in March 1974 15 Blue-winged Teal Spatula discors Yes 04/04/1978 Wilstone Reservoir Also saw a female at Stockers Lake subsequently 16 Shoveler Spatula clypeata Wilstone Reservoir 17 Gadwall Mareca strepera Tringford Reservoir 18 Wigeon Mareca penelope Wilstone Reservoir 19 American Wigeon Mareca americana Tringford Reservoir A drake that remained from 12 October 1986 to 5 April 1987 20 Mallard Anas platyrhynchos Marsworth Reservoir 21 Pintail Anas acuta Wilstone Reservoir First drake seen in September 1969 22 Teal Anas crecca Wilstone Reservoir 23 Red-crested Pochard Netta rufina Wilstone Reservoir 24 Pochard Aythya ferina Wilstone Reservoir 25 Ferruginous Duck Aythya nyroca Yes Wilstone Reservoir A drake in October 1993 26 Ring-necked Duck Aythya collaris Wilstone Reservoir Seen several in Herts but my first was a drake at Wilstone in April 1977 27 Tufted Duck Aythya fuligula Marsworth Reservoir 28 Scaup Aythya marila Wilstone Reservoir 29 Lesser Scaup Aythya affinis 08/04/1986 Tyttenhanger GP Adult drake seen several times followed by a first-winter female at Wilstone 30 Velvet Scoter Melanitta fusca Startop's End Reservoir immature female on 23-24 October 1991 31 Common Scoter Melanitta nigra Wilstone Reservoir 32 Long-tailed Duck Clangula hyemalis Wilstone Reservoir A female on 2 January 1980 33 Goldeneye Bucephala clangula Wilstone Reservoir 34 Smew Mergellus albellus Aldenham Reservoir First seen in January 1974 35 Goosander Mergus merganser Wilstone Reservoir 36 Red-breasted Merganser Mergus serrator Wilstone Reservoir 37 Ruddy Duck Oxyura jamaicensis Wilstone Reservoir 5 January 1972 38 Grey Partridge Perdix perdix Lilley Bottom 39 Lady Amherst's Pheasant Chrysolophus amherstiae Ashridge Forest (Herts section) Calling male of unknown origin in March 1980 40 Pheasant Phasianus colchicus Hitchin 41 Quail Coturnix coturnix Tring Station June 1976 42 Red-legged Partridge Alectoris rufa Hexton 43 Nightjar Caprimulgus europaeus Broxbourne Woods 3 churring males in June 1974 44 Alpine Swift Tachymarptis melba Aldenham Reservoir 2008 (date to be added) 45 Swift Apus apus Lilley May 1969 46 Cuckoo Cuculus canorus Hitchin/Lilley April 1972 47 Rock Dove (Feral Pigeon) Columba livia Hitchin January 1969; Feral Pigeon - not counted on my UK400 Club list 48 Stock Dove Columba oenas Tringford Reservoir January 1974 49 Woodpigeon Columba palumbus Lilley Bottom September 1968 50 Turtle Dove Streptopelia turtur Oughtonhead Common May 1975 51 Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto Hitchin January 1969 52 Water Rail Rallus aquaticus Wilstone Reservoir 53 Spotted Crake Porzana porzana Startop's End Reservoir My first was a long-staying adult in reeds by the overflow from mid August to November 1973 54 Moorhen Gallinula chloropus Lemsford Springs 55 Coot Fulica atra Wilstone Reservoir 56 Crane Grus grus Kinsbourne Green, Harpenden A flock of 5 birds in Bedfordshire stubble fields 3-11 March 2003 only seen in flight in Herts airspace; additionally saw 3 birds one evening at Willows Farm, Tyttenhanger 57 Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis Hitchin 58 Red-necked Grebe Podiceps grisegena Hilfield Park Reservoir November 1979 59 Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus Marsworth Reservoir 60 Slavonian Grebe Podiceps auritus Stockers Lake March 1974 61 Black-necked Grebe Podiceps nigricollis Wilstone Reservoir 5 September 1977 62 Stone-curlew Burhinus oedicnemus Royston and Therfield Areas In 1975 and 1976, this species was present in relatively good numbers on the hills and breeding. From thenon though, they became much scarcer 63 Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus Wilstone Reservoir January 1973 - my first in Herts 64 Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus 27/05/1998 Radlett Lee Marshall and I saw an adult on a small pool east of Radlett on 27-28 May 1998 65 Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta Tyttenhanger GP 2 in May 1988 were my first 66 Grey Plover Pluvialis squatarola Wilstone Reservoir 24 May 1976 - a nice breeding-plumaged adult 67 Golden Plover Pluvialis apricaria Pegsdon Hills 68 Dotterel Eudromias morinellus Ashwell Area (Pepper's Farm) An annual event from April 1979 when trips of Dotterels, often containing flocks of up to 38 birds, seen annually in pea fields 69 Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula Wilstone Reservoir 70 Little Ringed Plover Charadrius dubius Wilstone Reservoir 71 Lapwing Vanellus vanellus Hitchin 72 Kentish Plover Anarhynchus alexandrinus Wilstone Reservoir Adrian Bonds, Meharben Singh and I found a pair at the outfall end of Wilstone on the extensive mud there on 22 April 1976, both staying until 24 April 73 Eurasian Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus Wilstone Reservoir My first in the county were a party of 15 that flew east on 5 April 1974 74 Curlew Numenius arquata Wilstone Reservoir 6 September 1973 75 Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica Wilstone Reservoir 2 flew east on 13 May 1973 76 Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa Wilstone Reservoir July 1974 77 Long-billed Dowitcher Limnodromus scolopaceus Yes 22/10/1977 Startop's End Reservoir Relocated from Staines Reservoir. I saw this bird many times during its protracted stay from 22 October to 12 November 1977 78 Jack Snipe Lymnocryptes minimus Lemsford Springs 79 Woodcock Scolopax rusticola Ashridge Monument Drive June 1974 80 Great Snipe Gallinago media Yes 01/10/1996 Rye Meads Enjoyed at least 7 flight views as a large crowd of us walked slowly in a line across the meadow 81 Snipe Gallinago gallinago Lemsford Springs 82 Grey Phalarope Phalaropus fulicarius Wilstone Reservoir 12 November 1982 83 Red-necked Phalarope Phalaropus lobatus Wilstone Reservoir A female watched from the jetty on 2 May 1982 remained for a week ! 84 Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos Startop's End Reservoir September 1969 85 Green Sandpiper Tringa ochropus Wilstone Cress Beds January 1970 86 Solitary Sandpiper Tringa solitaria Yes 14/09/2002 Rye Meads NR A juvenile was seen from one of the hides feeding with Green Sandpipers 87 Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola Amwell GP 1 September 1984 88 Redshank Tringa totanus Hitchin 89 Lesser Yellowlegs Tringa flavipes Yes 19/10/2002 Amwell Nature Reserve A juvenile which remained present from 18-28 October 90 Spotted Redshank Tringa erythropus Wilstone Reservoir 2 different birds in September 1973 91 Greenshank Tringa nebularia Wilstone Reservoir September 1973 92 Turnstone Arenaria interpres Wilstone Reservoir 20 May 1973 93 Knot Calidris canutus Wilstone Reservoir 5 March 1976 94 Ruff Calidris pugnax Wilstone Reservoir September 1974 (at least 11 individuals) 95 Curlew Sandpiper Calidris ferruginea Wilstone Reservoir 2 Juveniles on 4 September 1976 96 Temminck's Stint Calidris temminckii Wilstone Reservoir 24 May 1977 97 Sanderling Calidris alba Wilstone Reservoir 11-13 May 1976 (flock of 7) 98 Dunlin Calidris alpina Wilstone Reservoir September 1969 99 Little Stint Calidris minuta 5 different juveniles seen in September 1976 100 Least Sandpiper Calidris minutilla Yes 05/08/2003 Startop's End Reservoir An adult I saw virtually daily from 5-12 August 2003 - a memorable find by Bill Pegrum 101 Pectoral Sandpiper Calidris melanotos Wilstone and Startop's End Reservoirs My first ever rarity - a juvenile seen with my Uncle Tony in October 1969 102 Little Tern Sternula albifrons Tyttenhanger GP 17 June 1988 103 Black Tern Chlidonias niger Tring Reservoirs Recorded annually in the county since 1973 104 White-winged Black Tern Chlidonias leucopterus Wilstone Reservoir Four different juveniles seen on Wilstone, the first in September 1994 105 Arctic Tern Sterna paradisaea Wilstone Reservoir April 1974 106 Common Tern Sterna hirundo Wilstone Reservoir May 1973 107 Roseate Tern Sterna dougallii 12/05/2015 Amwell Great hardmead Lake A ringed adult showing very well from Amwell's watchpoint from 4.30pm until dark - my first in the county 108 Sandwich Tern Thalasseus sandvicensis Wilstone Reservoir 109 Little Gull Hydrocoloeus minutus Tring Reservoirs Seen birds (flocks) annually since spring 1973 110 Kittiwake Rissa tridactyla Wilstone Reservoir 111 Sabine's Gull Xema sabini Startop's End Reservoir June 2012 112 Bonaparte's Gull Chroicocephalus philadelphia Yes 08/01/2016 Wilstone Reservoir (Tring) Arrived at pre-roost 1545 and remained with Black-headed Gulls until 1600 when flew to roost at College Lake. Seen on numerous occasions on 9th, commuting most of the day between Wilstone Reservoir and fields just N and NE of Miswell Farm. Seen until dark 113 Black-headed Gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus Hitchin 114 Mediterranean Gull Ichthyaetus melanocephalus Croxley Green An adult from November 1986, with a first-winter at the same location in December; now seen annually at Wilstone 115 Common Gull Larus canus Wilstone Reservoir January 1973 116 Caspian Gull Larus cachinnans Tyttenhanger GP An adult seen with other observers roosting on the main pit on 29 January 2006 117 Herring Gull Larus argentatus Tring Reservoirs 118 Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis Amwell GP 119 Great Black-backed Gull Larus marinus Wilstone Reservoir January 1973 120 Glaucous Gull Larus hyperboreus Stanstead Abbotts GP A juvenile roosting in January 1980 121 Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus Tring Reservoirs 122 Iceland Gull Larus glaucoides Westmill Quarry, Ware Tip A juvenile seen in February 1987 123 Long-tailed Skua Stercorarius longicaudus Wilstone Reservoir I have seen two dark morph juveniles at Wilstone - on 1 September 1985 and on 14 September 1988 124 Little Auk Alle alle Hilfield Park Reservoir 2 November 1995 125 Red-throated Diver Gavia stellata Wilstone Reservoir 28 April 1975 126 Black-throated Diver Gavia arctica Wilstone Reservoir 13 November 1976 127 Great Northern Diver Gavia immer Wilstone Reservoir My first county record was in December 1974 128 Leach's Petrel Hydrobates leucorhous Startop's End Reservoir 129 Fulmar Fulmarus glacialis 05/04/2012 Wilstone Reservoir, Tring Saw it on both 5 & 6 April; Allan Stewart and I captured it on 6th and Allan drove it to St Twiggywinkles where it sadly died 130 Manx Shearwater Puffinus puffinus Wilstone Reservoir 8 September 1985 131 White Stork Ciconia ciconia Wigginton I watched the first-summer that had been at Dundridge Manor, Buckland Common, on 28-30 May 1996 fly into Hertfordshire drifting continuously high nNE towards Pitstone on 30 May; latterly, saw two juveniles by Tring Station in 2008 132 Gannet Morus bassanus 26/09/2014 Wilstone Reservoir (Tring) a 4th winter or older showing very well from 1150 to 1500 hours; photographed; seen with Dave Bilcock (finder) and 28 others 133 Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo Wilstone Reservoir 134 Shag Gulosus aristotelis Startop's End Reservoir January 1975 135 Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus 05/11/2013 Rye Meads RSPB A juvenile feeding in the recently flooded field north of the car park and Lapwing Hide (the Konik Pony field) (photographed - see my Herts blog) (seen with Mike Ilett, Bill Last, Barry Reed, Graham White - the finder, Alan & Sarah Harris, Alan Reynolds, 136 Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia Wilstone Reservoir A juvenile remained in Cemetery Corner and along the southern muddy edge on 25-27 November 2003, my first in the county 137 Bittern Botaurus stellaris Marsworth Reservoir Reedbed 17 January 1975 138 Little Bittern Ixobrychus minutus Yes 17/05/1997 Rye Meads Sewage Farm An adult male seen very well, both perched and in flight, on one of the pans 139 Night-heron Nycticorax nycticorax Lemsford Springs Nature Reserve A roosting and feeding juvenile on the cress beds 8 December 1971 - my first ever in Britain and only my second ever rarity 140 Little Egret Egretta garzetta Wilstone Reservoir 13 May 1989; my highest count was of 31 birds at Wilstone in August 2011 141 Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis 03/05/1992 Maple Cross A flock of 8 birds feeding in meadows at Woodoaks Farm 142 Great White Egret Ardea alba Wilstone Reservoir 10 August 2003 143 Grey Heron Ardea cinerea Hitchin 144 Purple Heron Ardea purpurea Amwell Gravel Pits Excellent views of a juvenile on the pit NW of the railway line on 5-6 August 1989 145 Osprey Pandion haliaetus Wilstone Reservoir 24 May 1977; numerous others since but not quite annually 146 Honey-buzzard Pernis apivorus Pitstone Hill 11 on 22 September 2000, 3 on 24th, 7 on 27th 147 Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus Hexton 148 Goshawk Accipiter gentilis Undisclosed localities Breeding pairs from time to time but none since 2005 149 Marsh Harrier Circus aeruginosus Wilstone Reservoir 20 May 1975 150 Hen Harrier Circus cyaneus Stockers Lake 10 November 1996; seen about 5 subsequently 151 Pallid Harrier Circus macrourus Yes 20/09/2018 Therfield Heath A juvenile showing well 0700-0840 hours in field east of Mill Lane - a county first for me (photographed) 152 Montagu's Harrier Circus pygargus Wilstone Reservoir 13 May 1978; subsequently found a pair breeding at Kelshall 153 Red Kite Milvus milvus Wilstone Reservoir 154 Rough-legged Buzzard Buteo lagopus Pegsdon Hills/Hoo Wood/Reed The Reed immature was the first seen in undoubted Hertfordshire airspace 155 Buzzard Buteo buteo Pegsdon Hills 156 Barn Owl Tyto alba Tring Sewage Farm January 1974 157 Little Owl Athene noctua Hexton and Lilley Area January 1972 158 Long-eared Owl Asio otus Broxbourne Woods Breeding pair in July 1977 159 Short-eared Owl Asio flammeus Hatfield Aerodrome April 1978 160 Tawny Owl Strix aluco Hexton Woods October 1969 161 Hoopoe Upupa epops Ashridge Forest May-June 1977 (calling male) 162 Kingfisher Alcedo atthis Tring Reservoirs October 1972 163 Bee-eater Merops apiaster 17/08/2017 Bayford hamlet, SW of Hertford A family party of 7 birds, previously present in Notts & Leics where they made a nesting attempt, showed well in fields adjacent to the village before flying off strongly NE at 1407 hours 164 Wryneck Jynx torquilla Ashridge Forest I found a pair nesting at Ringshall Coppice in mid May 1977, with 5 young fledging in July and the last bird noted on 16 August 165 Lesser Spotted Woodpecker Dryobates minor Ashridge Forest February 1973 166 Great Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos major Hitchin January 1969 167 Green Woodpecker Picus viridis Hexton Manor September 1969 168 Kestrel Falco tinnunculus Hitchin 169 Red-footed Falcon Falco vespertinus 70 Acre Lake My first record was that long-staying individual occasionally traversing the county border at 70 Acres Lake; later saw two different birds at Wilstone Reservoir 170 Merlin Falco columbarius Pegsdon Hills 10 January 1975 171 Hobby Falco subbuteo Hitchin 172 Peregrine Falco peregrinus Sandon Area 173 Ring-necked Parakeet Psittacula krameri 174 Golden Oriole Oriolus oriolus Ashridge Forest Elusive First-summer male singing in Birches on Northchurch Common in May 1977 175 Great Grey Shrike Lanius excubitor Tring Sewage Farm January 1974 176 Red-backed Shrike Lanius collurio Wilstone Reservoir Juvenile 23-30 August 1977 177 Jay Garrulus glandarius Hitchin September 1968 178 Magpie Pica pica 179 Jackdaw Coloeus monedula 180 Rook Corvus frugilegus 181 Carrion Crow Corvus corone 182 Hooded Crow Corvus cornix Tring Sewage Farm and Marsworth Reservoir In Poplars on 22 November 1975; presumably same bird seen again in March 1976 183 Raven Corvus corax Dagnall Breeding pair first seen entering Herts airspace in 2000; subsequently recorded every year with numbers increasing year on year 184 Waxwing Bombycilla garrulus Cheshunt A party of 4 birds in January 1991 185 Coal Tit Periparus ater 186 Marsh Tit Poecile palustris Watery Grove November 1973 187 Willow Tit Poecile montanus Tringford Reservoir May 1973 188 Blue Tit Cyanistes caeruleus 189 Great Tit Parus major 190 Penduline Tit Remiz pendulinus 16/04/2018 Tyttenhanger GP Calling until dusk (8.15pm) in Willows & Phragmites on edge of east side of pit. Interestingly, the very same ringed male that had overwintered at Plock Court in Longford (Glos) and had been originally trapped & ringed on Alderney (Channel Islands) in Oct 191 Bearded Tit Panurus biarmicus Marsworth Reservoir Party of 8 birds November 1973 192 Woodlark Lullula arborea Wigginton, near Tring A pair was present at a young conifer plantation from March-June 2007 and successfully fledged at least one brood 193 Skylark Alauda arvensis Hitchin April 1968 194 Short-toed Lark Calandrella brachydactyla Tyttenhanger GP 7-10 May 1991 195 Sand Martin Riparia riparia Wilstone Reservoir March 1972 196 Swallow Hirundo rustica Lilley Area April 1968 197 House Martin Delichon urbicum Lilley May 1969 198 Red-rumped Swallow Cecropis daurica Hilfield Park Reservoir My first of 3 county records was at Hilfield on 27-29 May 2000; I then saw one from the canal bridge at Stocker's Farm on 11 April 2007 and more recently one at Wilstone Reservoir 199 Cetti's Warbler Cettia cetti Stanborough Reedmarsh 8 May 1976 Now fairly common in the county 200 Long-tailed Tit Aegithalos caudatus 201 Wood Warbler Phylloscopus sibilatrix Ashridge Forest 12 May 1973 202 Yellow-browed Warbler Phylloscopus inornatus Long Marston Churchyard 2nd and 3rd October 1988 - the first record for the county 203 Willow Warbler Phylloscopus trochilus 204 Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita 205 Great Reed Warbler Acrocephalus arundinaceus Yes 20/05/2008 Amwell Nature Reserve Seen well from the two-tier hide 206 Sedge Warbler Acrocephalus schoenobaenus Marsworth Reservoir 207 Reed Warbler Acrocephalus scirpaceus Marsworth Reservoir 208 Marsh Warbler Acrocephalus palustris Amwell Heard my first singing males in the county in June 1988 and May 1984 but did not actually see one until much later 209 Savi's Warbler Locustella luscinioides Yes 25/04/1979 Stanstead Abbotts GP Further reeling birds noted at 70 Acre Lake on 21 May 1981 210 Grasshopper Warbler Locustella naevia Broxbourne Woods May 1974 211 Blackcap Sylvia atricapilla 212 Garden Warbler Sylvia borin Oughtonhead Common, Hitchin May 1973 213 Lesser Whitethroat Curruca curruca Oughtonhead Common, Hitchin May 1973 214 Whitethroat Curruca communis 215 Dartford Warbler Curruca undata Essendon Golf Course (two birds) November 2005 216 Firecrest Regulus ignicapilla Lemsford Springs December 1973 217 Goldcrest Regulus regulus 218 Wren Troglodytes troglodytes Hexton October 1969 219 Nuthatch Sitta europaea Ashridge Forest January 1973 220 Treecreeper Certhia familiaris Ashridge Forest January 1973 221 Starling Sturnus vulgaris 222 Grey-cheeked Thrush Catharus minimus Yes 14/11/2005 Northaw Great Wood A great find and a superb twitch; it stayed from 13-25 November and I saw it several times on subsequent visits 223 Song Thrush Turdus philomelos 224 Mistle Thrush Turdus viscivorus 225 Redwing Turdus iliacus Oughtonhead Common, Hitchin 226 Blackbird Turdus merula 227 Fieldfare Turdus pilaris Oughtonhead Common, Hitchin 228 Ring Ouzel Turdus torquatus Tring Museum, September 1981 Seen fairly regularly since, perhaps one every two years 229 Spotted Flycatcher Muscicapa striata Ashridge Forest May 1973 230 Robin Erithacus rubecula Lilley September 1968 231 Nightingale Luscinia megarhynchos Watery Grove May 1974 232 Bluethroat Luscinia svecica 13/04/2015 Great Hardmead Lake, Amwell GP A cracking white-spotted male frequenting the fragmented reedbeds directly in front of the observation area, showing about once every 50 minutes on average. Only the 6th record for Hertfordshire and my first in the county - number 266 - following singles 233 Red-breasted Flycatcher Ficedula parva Blackbridge Landfill This first-winter in December 1996 was found by one of my best birding buddies of the time - the great Lee Marshall 234 Pied Flycatcher Ficedula hypoleuca Marsworth Wood 26 September 1985 235 Black Redstart Phoenicurus ochruros Stevenage A female in May 1977 236 Redstart Phoenicurus phoenicurus Ashridge Forest Singing males from spring 1974 onwards where a breeding population survived for many years 237 Whinchat Saxicola rubetra Flamstead 20 September 1975 238 Stonechat Saxicola rubicola Tring Reservoirs January 1974 239 Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe Wilstone Reservoir April 1974 240 Dipper Cinclus cinclus Lemsford Springs A Black-bellied Dipper seen on numerous occasions in February and March 1981 - my first of several in the county, all remarkably at this same locality 241 Tree Sparrow Passer montanus Tring Area January 1973 - a common farmland bird way back then 242 House Sparrow Passer domesticus 243 Dunnock Prunella modularis Hitchin January 1969 244 Yellow Wagtail Motacilla flava Wilstone Reservoir April 1974 245 Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea Grand Union Canal, Bulbourne January 1972 246 Pied Wagtail Motacilla alba Lilley September 1968; my first White Wagtails were at Tring Reservoirs in April 1973 247 Meadow Pipit Anthus pratensis Tring Reservoirs January 1972 248 Tree Pipit Anthus trivialis Ashridge Forest May 1972; formerly a common breeding bird with a peak of 37 singing males in the 1970's 249 Water Pipit Anthus spinoletta Cassiobury Park Cress Beds January 1974 250 Rock Pipit Anthus petrosus Wilstone Reservoir My first Littoralis in October 1974 251 Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs 252 Brambling Fringilla montifringilla Ashridge Forest January 1973 253 Hawfinch Coccothraustes coccothraustes Broxbourne Woods 9 in January 1975; noted regularly in Ashridge Forest from 1977 254 Bullfinch Pyrrhula pyrrhula Oughtonhead Common, Hitchin 255 Common Rosefinch Carpodacus erythrinus Abbott's Langley A first-winter visiting a garden peanut feeder from December 1986 - saw it three times 256 Greenfinch Chloris chloris 257 Linnet Linaria cannabina Oughtonhead Common, Hitchin 258 Common Redpoll Acanthis flammea Tringford Reservoir 2 males with Lesser Redpoll flock in Alders in February 1989 259 Lesser Redpoll Acanthis cabaret Oughtonhead Common, Hitchin 260 Arctic Redpoll Acanthis hornemanni Broxbourne Woods In my view I was not happy that the bird (or birds) were not very pale well-marked Mealy Redpolls but BBRC accepted the record 261 Parrot Crossbill Loxia pytyopsittacus 19/12/2017 Broxbourne Woods Already nesting; quite a few seen at usual site 262 Common Crossbill Loxia curvirostra Broxbourne Woods 263 Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis 264 Serin Serinus serinus Stanstead Abbott's GP January 1991 265 Siskin Spinus spinus Ashridge Forest January 1973 266 Snow Bunting Plectrophenax nivalis Tyttenhanger GP 29-30 November 1996; again found by the phenomenon that was Lee Marshall 267 Corn Bunting Emberiza calandra Marsworth and Wilstone Reservoir roosts 268 Yellowhammer Emberiza citrinella Oughtonhead Common, Hitchin 269 Little Bunting Emberiza pusilla Amwell Nature Reserve A long-staying bird in February 2007 270 Reed Bunting Emberiza schoeniclus Marsworth Reservoir