Uncommon residents of the rural edges of the town.

Yellowhammers were one of Britain’s commonest birds in the nineteenth century, and there were major immigrations of them in the winter. They declined in numbers in the late 1950s and early 1960s, particularly in south east England, due to the use of organochlorine seed dressings. They have also suffered from the massive loss of hedgerows in arable regions.

Yellowhammers nested in Meadway, Symonds Green in 1949.

They were confirmed as breeding from six of Stevenage’s tetrads in the 1973 Breeding Atlas, from 10 in the 1992 Atlas and, from three in the 2012 Atlas.

At Watery Grove the Common Bird Census recorded a single breeding territory being held in 1975, and their presence during the 1974 and 1977 breeding seasons.

The 2012 Winter Atlas confirmed their presence from six of the tetrads covering Stevenage.

The following large numbers have been recorded: 50 at Box Wood on 30 January and, 16 October 1965; 47 by Hangbois Wood (Great Ashby) on 24 November 1974; 50 coming to roost at Aston End on 6 January 1977 in a mixed flock with Corn and Reed Buntings; a roost of 100 to 150 birds at Box Wood between November 1979 and January 1980; 75 at Norton Green on 5 January 1986; 20 to 30 on various dates at Aston End in 2006; 20 on farmland near Chells Manor on 26 December 2007, which remained until the following new year; 25 at Aston End on 5 November 2010; 20 at the back of Great Ashby on 27 November 2011; 40 at Norton Green Tip on 15 March 2015; 20 at Chesfield Park on 4 January 2018; 35 plus at Chells Manor on 15 October 2021; 50 near Stevenage on 19 October 2024.

A bird ringed at Box Wood on 12 January 1980 was killed at Guilden Morden, Cambridgeshire on 7 May 1980. 135 were ringed in Box Wood in 1979 and 249 were ringed during 1981.

A former very rare winter visitor.

In the late nineteenth century Cirl Buntings were quite widespread in southern England. Crossman (1902) considered them to be, “sparsely distributed along the hills of the north of the County.” From the beginning of the twentieth century their breeding range began to retract towards the south. This decline continued steadily until the late 1960s when the British population collapsed.

Foster (1914) recorded that they were, “occasionally seen in the neighbourhood of Stevenage”. Mr S. Maples described them at Stevenage as, “an occasional visitor not readily distinguishable from the Yellow Bunting (Yellowhammer)” adding, “I noticed several of these birds near Fairlands Farm on 10 March 1907.” In winter small flocks were known to wander to places where they did not breed, and hayricks were favoured feeding sites.

Uncommon resident and winter visitor which has formerly bred. 

Reed Buntings are mainly wetland birds, when their population levels were high in the late 1960s and early 1970s they were also found nesting in dry farmland, and they also colonised newly planted Conifer plantations. Their numbers subsequently declined between the mid-1970s and early 1980s.

They are vulnerable during cold winters and were badly affected by the winter of 1962/63 and the severe winters of the early 1980s. During the winter they roost communally, the largest such roost in the County was of 150 birds at Box Wood in 1979.

The earliest record for Stevenage is of the 10 noted at the old sewage works, Roaring Meg on 21 June 1966.

In the 1970’s they were recorded from: Aston, Aston End (where 30 came into roost with a mixed flock of Yellowhammers and Corn Buntings on 6 January 1977); Astonbury (where 15 were seen on 15 January 1979); Box Wood (where 100 roosted during January 1979); Fairlands Valley (where 16 were seen on 11 February 1973 and, 20 in January 1976); Martins Way (where 30 plus were seen by the former Dixons Warehouse on 23 March 1974); Norton Green (where up to 12 were seen in November 1977).

During the 1980’s and 1990’s they were recorded from: Box Wood; Lords Farm, Aston; Norton Green Tip (where a pair bred in 1983); Ridlins Mire; Stevenage Brook (along which 10 and 15 were counted on 14 June 1981) Watery Grove (where a mixed flock of 50-60 Reed Buntings and Yellowhammers (Emberzia citrinella) were seen on 20 January 1981).

Between 2000 and 2010 they were recorded from: New Park Lane, Aston; Norton Green Tip; River Beane Aston; un-recorded Stevenage Gardens (where four were seen on 27 January 2007 and, two on 23 March 2008).

Since 2010 they have been recorded from: Fairlands Valley Lakes, Norton Green Tip, Potters Spring, Upper Kitching Spring and, River Beane, Aston and, Aston End. The most recent record is three at Fairlands Valley Lakes on 24 April 2025.

They were confirmed as breeding from two of Stevenage’s tetrads in 1973 Breeding Atlas, three in the 1992 Atlas but, from none in the 2012 Atlas.

At Watery Grove the Common Bird Census recorded a single breeding territory being held in 1978, and their presence during the 1989 breeding season.

The 2012 Winter Atlas confirmed their presence from four of the tetrads covering Stevenage.

Uncommon resident.

Since 1970 Corn Buntings have declined in Britain by 90% as a result of the lack of winter stubble fields, autumn-sown Barley and use of pesticides.

They were reported from Stevenage in 1908, and Foster (1914) described them as, “common in the Stevenage district”.

The records from the 1960s and 1970s are: present during the 1961 breeding season at Aston; six singing males recorded from a field adjacent to Box Wood during the 1964 breeding season; seven at Mobbsbury Farm on 25 October 1965; one singing at Box Wood on 17 May 1966; one at Chesfield 15 April 1967; seen at the Hertford Road on 21 and 28 May 1967; seen along the Stevenage to Walkern Road 1 June 1967; two at Astonbury on 15 April 1970; seen at Box Wood on 13 February 1970; recorded from Astonbury, Aston End and Box Wood in 1973; recorded from Aston End, Brookfield Lane (Aston) and, Hertford Road 1973; three seen along the Hertford Road in 1975; 50 seen coming into roost at Aston End on 6 January 1977 in a mixed flock of Yellowhammers and Reed Buntings.

During the 1980s and 1990s the records are: near Aston 1980; singing males all summer between Bragbury End and Datchworth in 1981; four at Aston June 1981; seen in Blenheim Way in June 1981; six at Aston on 13 July 1986; recorded from Bragbury End In 1987; one at Norton Green Tip on 22 April 1991.

Between 2000 and 2019 the records are: 11 at Norton Green Tip on 17 June 2008; two calling and displaying in fields near New Park Lane, Aston between 24 June and, 20 July 2014; one at Potters Spring on 21 July 2014; one at Potters Spring on 6 June 2015; one heard east of Chells Manor on 19 June 2015; two at Potters Spring on 9 April 2016; one at Potters Spring on 16 July 2016; up to two birds at Potters Spring on various dates from April to July 2017; one at Norton Green Tip on 13 May 2018; four at Potters Spring on 1 June 2018.

The latest records are: one at Norton Green Tip on 1 and 6 May 2020; one at Aston End between 26 May and, 24 June 2020; one at Potters Spring on 31 May 2020; two at Aston End on 11 July 2020; one near Norton Green on 15 April 2021; two at Potters Spring on 19 June 2021; three plus near Potters Spring on 27 May 2021; two plus near Potters Spring on 20 June 2022; one at Potters Spring on 3 July 2022; c.5 Watton Road, Bragbury End on 31 January 2023; two at Potters Spring on 27 June 2023; one at Potters Spring on 1 and 8 April 2024 and two there on 14 April 2024; c.15 at Aston End on 10 November 2024.    

The 1973 Breeding Atlas confirmed breeding from one of Stevenage’s tetrads, the 1992 Breeding Atlas from three but, from none in the 2012 Atlas. 

The 2012 Winter Atlas confirmed their presence from the tetrad covering Stevenage Old Town.