Alan Gardiner
@alang64.bsky.social
Hertfordshire birder, Weather station owner, retired chartered engineer
This is first day I've seen 3 different species of Egrets in the UK at one place - at Tyttenhanger Gravel Pits near St Albans. a sure result of a warming world. #ukbirds #hertsbirds
December 13, 2025 at 2:42 PM
This is first day I've seen 3 different species of Egrets in the UK at one place - at Tyttenhanger Gravel Pits near St Albans. a sure result of a warming world. #ukbirds #hertsbirds
I got a compact super zoom camera mainly for bird watching, it could provide usual evidence if I find something rare that needs authenticating. None of them are rare (Alt text gives details) but I'm happy with the reasonable quality. Photos have been cropped and the brightness increased.
November 27, 2025 at 8:57 AM
I got a compact super zoom camera mainly for bird watching, it could provide usual evidence if I find something rare that needs authenticating. None of them are rare (Alt text gives details) but I'm happy with the reasonable quality. Photos have been cropped and the brightness increased.
I'm cat sitting for a few days, this is one of the duo. Since I've fed them they now seem to like me. This one is Orion, he's the one with brains. The floor is heated #ukcats
November 20, 2025 at 8:00 PM
I'm cat sitting for a few days, this is one of the duo. Since I've fed them they now seem to like me. This one is Orion, he's the one with brains. The floor is heated #ukcats
There has been aa significant irruption of Crossbills to the UK, this bird was one of a small flock of 12 near Hatfield, Hertfordshire. Not a great photo but the bird was 40m away. There is a large wood nearby with a mixture of conifers and deciduous trees where they can feed. #ukbirds #hertsbirds
November 6, 2025 at 9:38 AM
There has been aa significant irruption of Crossbills to the UK, this bird was one of a small flock of 12 near Hatfield, Hertfordshire. Not a great photo but the bird was 40m away. There is a large wood nearby with a mixture of conifers and deciduous trees where they can feed. #ukbirds #hertsbirds
I didn't expect a Pectoral Sandpiper to turn up almost on my doorstep, the UK gets about 100 records a year of this species. The photo was taken with my phone via my telescope so the quality is poor. I've now seen 4 in the UK, two were in the early 1970's #birds #ukbirds #hertsbirds
October 3, 2025 at 7:49 AM
I didn't expect a Pectoral Sandpiper to turn up almost on my doorstep, the UK gets about 100 records a year of this species. The photo was taken with my phone via my telescope so the quality is poor. I've now seen 4 in the UK, two were in the early 1970's #birds #ukbirds #hertsbirds
June 26, 2025 at 11:37 AM
A White Admiral butterfly at Bricket Wood Common this afternoon. It flew off after a few seconds.
June 24, 2025 at 3:43 PM
A White Admiral butterfly at Bricket Wood Common this afternoon. It flew off after a few seconds.
This is a Heath Spotted-orchid at Bricket Wood Common between Watford and St Albans on 10/06. It's very local in Hertfordshire as acid heathland is scarce. It's dry there at the moment but it can get quite boggy.
June 24, 2025 at 8:51 AM
This is a Heath Spotted-orchid at Bricket Wood Common between Watford and St Albans on 10/06. It's very local in Hertfordshire as acid heathland is scarce. It's dry there at the moment but it can get quite boggy.
The Heath Spotted-Orchids are giving a fine display locally at the moment.
June 11, 2025 at 7:11 AM
The Heath Spotted-Orchids are giving a fine display locally at the moment.
I had a walk around my local patch at Tyttenhanger GPs which is a mosaic habitat of scrub, rough grassland, gravel pits with reeds, woodland and arable crops. A total of 50 species including Common Tern, Little Egret, Cetti's Warbler, large numbers of Swifts and Sand Martins and a calling Cuckoo
June 8, 2025 at 2:16 PM
I had a walk around my local patch at Tyttenhanger GPs which is a mosaic habitat of scrub, rough grassland, gravel pits with reeds, woodland and arable crops. A total of 50 species including Common Tern, Little Egret, Cetti's Warbler, large numbers of Swifts and Sand Martins and a calling Cuckoo
Plenty of Kidney Vetch in Greenwood Park, Chiswell Green, it's been created to attract the Small Blue butterfly. They aren't that far away and this is its food plant so with luck the numbers should increase.
May 26, 2025 at 4:14 PM
Plenty of Kidney Vetch in Greenwood Park, Chiswell Green, it's been created to attract the Small Blue butterfly. They aren't that far away and this is its food plant so with luck the numbers should increase.
Renewable energy powering most of the UK at the moment as well as being exported to France and elsewhere.
May 25, 2025 at 1:45 PM
Renewable energy powering most of the UK at the moment as well as being exported to France and elsewhere.
This reminds me of this classic song by Tom Lehrer
May 24, 2025 at 12:11 PM
This reminds me of this classic song by Tom Lehrer
These two photos show what happens to an arable field that was sold off in lots as a redevelopment scam 20+ years ago. It's now a good mixture of Hawthorn, Ash, Oak and Field Maple although some of the Ash saplings have succumbed to Ash dieback, others look OK, no regimented planting needed. /1
May 24, 2025 at 10:42 AM
These two photos show what happens to an arable field that was sold off in lots as a redevelopment scam 20+ years ago. It's now a good mixture of Hawthorn, Ash, Oak and Field Maple although some of the Ash saplings have succumbed to Ash dieback, others look OK, no regimented planting needed. /1
A Kestrel perched in an Oak at Nomansland Common, Wheathampstead this morning. #hertsbirds #birds
May 12, 2025 at 7:39 PM
A Kestrel perched in an Oak at Nomansland Common, Wheathampstead this morning. #hertsbirds #birds
Verulamium Park, St Albans where the River Ver has reclaimed its floodplain forcing the building of a raised walkway. The bike is mine.
April 14, 2025 at 5:46 PM
Verulamium Park, St Albans where the River Ver has reclaimed its floodplain forcing the building of a raised walkway. The bike is mine.
Wod Anemones in my local piece of ancient woodland.
March 28, 2025 at 12:01 PM
Wod Anemones in my local piece of ancient woodland.
There's lots of this happening on very old landfilled gravel workings near me in Hertfordshire, it's scrub some of which is wet as the drainage is poor. It's to mitigate the effect of a huge warehousing complex nearby, if left it would become woodland eventually.
March 23, 2025 at 9:34 AM
There's lots of this happening on very old landfilled gravel workings near me in Hertfordshire, it's scrub some of which is wet as the drainage is poor. It's to mitigate the effect of a huge warehousing complex nearby, if left it would become woodland eventually.
This chunky chap was taking an interest in my kitchen this morning
March 3, 2025 at 9:23 AM
This chunky chap was taking an interest in my kitchen this morning
A young Grey Heron at the Watercress LNR in St Albans this morning, a very confiding bird and probably one of the young from the heronry in the nearby Verulamium Park #ukbirds #hertsbirds
December 15, 2024 at 5:26 PM
A young Grey Heron at the Watercress LNR in St Albans this morning, a very confiding bird and probably one of the young from the heronry in the nearby Verulamium Park #ukbirds #hertsbirds
Bank loans are money creation according to the BOE.
December 10, 2024 at 9:43 PM
Bank loans are money creation according to the BOE.
This is the Ebba map, I think it's correct to say the UK is at the west of its range. There are still possibly a few in Devon on the Culm measures according to the Devon wildlife trust, not for much longer though I fear.
December 2, 2024 at 10:07 PM
This is the Ebba map, I think it's correct to say the UK is at the west of its range. There are still possibly a few in Devon on the Culm measures according to the Devon wildlife trust, not for much longer though I fear.
A winter's morning rainbow in St Albans
December 2, 2024 at 9:00 AM
A winter's morning rainbow in St Albans
I spent about 10 minutes watching this Kingfisher fishing at Redbournbury. It's the best shot I could get given the plethora of twigs #birds #hertsbirds
November 28, 2024 at 4:11 PM
I spent about 10 minutes watching this Kingfisher fishing at Redbournbury. It's the best shot I could get given the plethora of twigs #birds #hertsbirds