Patch work

The main joy of being a birder that regularly checks an area, (patch working) is when you come across birds that, in the UK are common but on the patch are not often observed. Obviously the bronze standard is to find a new bird for the patch records whilst silver standard is to find a Herts rare on your patch. The gold standard is to find a UK rare or mega on patch. Clearly, these only come along once or twice a year in the case of a new record for the patch whilst a mega for Herts or UK is probably a once in a lifetime occurence. My hoopoe in Bishop's Stortford was one such example of an uncommon bird turning up in a strange place.
Today, I did my once fortnightly check around Hadham Hall and the irrigation lagoon towards Bloodhounds Wood. From a distance, I could see movement near the lagoon and a quick binocular check revealed 6 greylag geese. Only my 3rd parish record stretching back over 10 years. Good to see.

6 greylags heading south from the lagoon

 Upon the lagoon, 2 tufted duck, which are not common in the parish whilst in a tree, a reed bunting. Again, not an everyday bird for the village.

pair of distant tufted duck

Reed bunting

A red kite rose from trees next to Hadham Hall, an everyday sight these days! Upon the lawn at the Hall, a dead lapwing. This casualty of the cold weather is again, a bird I rarely see in the parish. Other species: great tits, mallards, blue tits, chaffinch, yellowhammer, corvid sp etc.

Who remembers Hilda Ogden's decorations in her house in Coronation Street. A pair of mallards head for Hadham Hall

Dead lapwing