Patch summary for 2025
Despite being reportedly the sunniest year on record, 2025 could not match our patch species count of the previous twelve months. The unusual sighting of a group of 5 Pintails , overhead in late December brought the final total to 99, four short of the figure for 2024. As usual, all patch lists along with bar charts and other statistics can be found at our ebird ‘hotspot’ via this link and there is a map of the patch on the first post on this site. The drier weather and lower water levels at Setley Pond may have contributed to a general lack of wildfowl over recent months, with no Greylag Geese, Wigeon or Shoveler, although we did manage to add Teal to the patch list back in January. This year’s only other Patch ‘lifer’, a Common Sandpiper in May, was also a new bird for Setley, and brings our overall total to 120 species. Additional pond highlights for 2025 included an obliging group of up to five Kingfishers in late summer and a regular Little Egret during the autu...