The 2011 Herts Bird Report is nearing the layout stage, so if any photographers have good quality shots of birds taken in Hertfordshire during that year (that you have not already submitted) please send them to Jack Fearnside for possible inclusion in the report.
Welcome to the Herts Bird Club website. We promote the study and recording of birds in Hertfordshire and encourage a wider interest in natural history including the conservation of wildlife habitats.
2012 Bird Records: please send in your Herts bird records for 2012 – either through the website or by using our data entry sheet so that the records are in a format to go straight into the database – details
Herts Bird Club subscriptions for 2013 are now due – subs are only £12 per year – so please support the work of the Club and contribute towards the costs. You can pay on-line
Diary of events – field trips, walks, meetings – organised by local groups – details here.
The Hertfordshire Bird Report 2010 is now available. As ever it is full of information and photographs of our Herts birds. For more details or to buy a copy details here. You can now order and pay with your debit/credit card on line via PayPal.
Please send us your Herts bird sightings through the records submission page. The latest sightings of interest will be listed automatically on the right hand side of this page, once they have been checked by a moderator. After a few days records transfer to the sightings archive.
The Herts Gazeteer lists site names and grid references for bird recording.
See the news pages for the latest happenings in the county and stories behind the bird sightings. If you have a news story, let Alan Gardiner know by email.
Buy a book, most HNHS books are now for sale at half price or less.
The success of the site depends on you, the users, entering your records and sending in interesting information, not only sightings which can be entered online but also reports on trips and additional site guides. We also welcome feedback on what you would like to see on the site, email.
The Herts Bird Club is part of the Hertfordshire Natural History Society and our websites are integrated. We hope this will encourage those of you who have not investigated other aspects of wildlife in Hertfordshire to have a look around the HNHS website, discover what is available. Please submit your records of other wildlife, including mammals, amphibians, reptiles and dragonflies through the HNHS website.
Please send us your Herts bird photos for display in our photo gallery and Facebook page, Please email them to with a note of where and when they were taken. A selection will be added to the gallery. We may also use some on this page and to illustrate the annual Herts Bird Report. Many more photographs, in our gallery.
Blackcap at Bury Green on 16 May 2013, photograph by Jono Forgham.
One of six Hobbies feeding over the River Mimram near Poplars Green on 12 May 2013, photograph by Tim Hill.
Wood Duck at Hertford on 12 May 2013, photograph by Ron Baber.
Barn Owl near Little Hadham on 10 May, photograph by Jono Forgham.
Mistle Thrush at Park Street on 10 May 2013, photograph by Steve Shand.
Whitethroat at Heartwood Forest on 6 May 2013, photograph by Andrew Steele.
Nesting Great Tits at Harpenden on 8 May 2013, photograph by Ann Doubleday.
Little Tern and Little Ringed Plover at Amwell NR on 8 May 2013, photograph by Barry Reed.
Diving duck – A Tufted Duck in action at Rye Meads on 7 May 2013, photograph by Alan Reynolds.
Interesting recent records submitted through the website are listed here,
older records are in the sightings archive.
18TH MAY: Amwell NR - Great Hardmead Lake, Wood Sandpiper, from watch point (Jay Ward)
Amwell NR - Great Hardmead Lake, 2 Shelduck (Jane Free)
Amwell NR - Great Hardmead Lake, Greenshank (Jane Free)
Croxley Common Moor, Cuckoo (Geoff Lapworth)
17TH MAY: Bengeo (Hertford), Hobby, River Beane (Simon Knott)
Coopers Green GP nr St Albans, 3 Mandarin, Sutton Farm GP - males (David Wheatcroft)
Coopers Green GP nr St Albans, 2 Hobby, Sutton Farm GP (David Wheatcroft)
Gosmore Hill nr Hitchin, 70 Corn Bunting, large flock settled in bushes at Madencroft Manor before flying off south. (Clive Harding)
Hatfield Aerodrome (disused), Mandarin, Male (David Wheatcroft)
Hatfield Aerodrome (disused), Cuckoo (David Wheatcroft)
Jersey Farm (St Albans), c20 Swift (Jenny Sherwen)
Panshanger Aerodrome, Little Owl (Keith Smith)
Park Street nr St Albans, Cuckoo (Steve Shand)
Rye Meads nr Hoddesdon, Hobby (Maureen Lead)
Stocker's Farm, Little Owl (Paul Lewis)
Stocker's Lake, 2 Hobby (Geoff Lapworth)
Stocker's Lake, 2 Oystercatcher (Geoff Lapworth)
Stocker's Lake, 2 Red-crested Pochard, pair with 3 young (Geoff Lapworth)
Stocker's Lake, Cetti's Warbler, singing (Paul Lewis)
Tyttenhanger Farm (Tyttenhanger area), Hobby (Alan Gardiner)
Tyttenhanger GPs - Willows Farm Lake, 2 Oystercatcher, on fishing lake (Ernest Leahy)
Waterend nr Wheathampstead, Osprey, perched near path 300m west of ford, at TL 199140 (Clifford Smout)
Waterend nr Wheathampstead, Spotted Flycatcher, by Osprey location (Darin Stanley)
Waterend nr Wheathampstead, Osprey, present again 19:45 to 20:40 then flew SW. Wearing dark blue darvic ring inscribed FW (D Booth / L Flower)
Wilstone Res (Tring Reservoirs), 6 Hobby (Jeff Bailey)
16TH MAY: Amwell NR - Great Hardmead Lake, 3 Hobby, feeding over the lake (Terry Smith)
Amwell NR - Great Hardmead Lake, Common Sandpiper (Terry Smith)
Amwell NR - Great Hardmead Lake, Red Kite (Terry Smith)
Bygrave, 5 Corn Bunting (Lee G R Evans)
Bygrave, 8 Yellow Wagtail (Lee G R Evans)
Coopers Green Lane nr St Albans, 3 Mandarin, Sutton Farm GP (Alan Gardiner)
Coopers Green Lane nr St Albans, Hobby, Sutton Farm GP (Alan Gardiner)
Fairlands Valley Park (Stevenage), c20 Swift (Tom Speller)
Fir & Pond Woods nr Potters Bar, Spotted Flycatcher (Robert Callf)
Hampermill Lake nr Watford, Kingfisher (Joan Thompson)
Hampermill Lake nr Watford, Grey Wagtail (Joan Thompson)
Hilfield Park Reservoir, 2 Red Kite (Derek Turner)
Hilfield Park Reservoir, Hobby (Derek Turner)
Hilfield Park Reservoir, c200 Swift, over high (Derek Turner)
Hilfield Park Reservoir, Water Rail (Derek Turner)
Hitchin, c15 Swift, over Ashbrook Farm (Callum Peel)
Jersey Farm (St Albans), Cuckoo, Heard only (Anthony Townsend)
Marsworth Res (Tring Reservoirs), Cuckoo, calling from the far side of the resevoir to the causeway. (Richard Czapski)
Rye Meads nr Hoddesdon, 9 Hobby, feeding together over meadows (Toby Spall)
Stocker's Farm, Little Ringed Plover (Mark Skelton)
Thorley Wash nr Bishop's Stortford, Cuckoo, heard only (Jenny Sherwen)
Tring, Peregrine Falcon, male flying through back garden (J Taylor)
Wilstone Res (Tring Reservoirs), 6 Hobby, over reed-beds (Chris Hoggan)
Wilstone Res (Tring Reservoirs), Oystercatcher (Chris Hoggan)
15TH MAY: Amwell NR - Great Hardmead Lake, Marsh Harrier, female type flew south at 5pm (Ron Cousins)
Benington, Barn Owl (Kathy Sharman)
Bovingdon, Red Kite (Lee G R Evans)
East Hyde, 100+ Swift, over mill. (Robin Pearson)
Flamstead village, 2 Siskin, male and female on niger seed feeders. (Connor and David McGrath)
Hilfield Park Reservoir, Hobby (Derek Turner)
Hilfield Park Reservoir, c400 Swift (Derek Turner)
Hitchin, 2+ Swift (Chris Woodham)
Hitchin, Red Kite (Chris Woodham)
Marsworth Res (Tring Reservoirs), Cetti's Warbler (Lee G R Evans)
Marsworth Res (Tring Reservoirs), Cetti's Warbler, singing. (Mike Wallen)
Picotts End nr Hemel Hempstead, 2 Little Owl, calling to one another (Dan Forder)
Rye Meads nr Hoddesdon, Little Egret (Maureen Lead)
Startop's End Res (Tring Reservoirs), 4 Red-crested Pochard, 2 pairs (Mike Wallen)
Startop's End Res (Tring Reservoirs), 5 Hobby (Lee G R Evans)
Startop's End Res (Tring Reservoirs), 1000 Swift (Lee G R Evans)
Startop's End Res (Tring Reservoirs), 4 Yellow Wagtail, in paddocks (Jeff Bailey/ Lee Evans)
Startop's End Res (Tring Reservoirs), 2 Redshank (Mike Wallen)
Startop's End Res (Tring Reservoirs), Common Sandpiper (Mike Wallen)
Startop's End Res (Tring Reservoirs), Grey Wagtail (Lee G R Evans)
Stocker's Lake, Osprey (Tony Hulls)
Trims Green, Montagu's Harrier, flew SE at 17:23 today. Initially seen quartering, bird rose over Tharbie's and was not relocated (Mike Harris)
Wilstone Res (Tring Reservoirs), 55 Swift (Lee G R Evans)
Wilstone Res (Tring Reservoirs), Yellow Wagtail, male (Lee G R Evans)
14TH MAY: Amwell GP/NR (exact water not specified), Red Kite (Maureen Lead)
Baldwin's Wood/Flaunden Grove, Crossbill (Anna Marett/Joan Thompson)
Coursers Farm (Tyttenhanger area), 10+ Yellow Wagtail, in oil seed rape field between Coursers and Redwell Wood farms (Rupert Evershed)
Croxley Common Moor, 2 Kingfisher, Pair (Geoff Lapworth)
Hilfield Park Reservoir, c300 Swift (Derek Turner)
Hitchin, Swift (Chris Woodham)
Jersey Farm (St Albans), Siskin, on garden feeders (Anthony Townsend)
Leasey Bridge nr Wheathampstead, 7 Swift, over house inspecting nest site (Diane Unwin)
Redbournbury, Yellow Wagtail, near mill (Ernest Leahy)
Redwell Wood Farm nr South Mimms, Peregrine Falcon (Rupert Evershed)
Tyttenhanger GPs - fishing lake, Oystercatcher (Steve Blake)
Tyttenhanger GPs - main GP, 2 Yellow Wagtail, on ploughed area by Tree Sparrow hedge (Rupert Evershed)
Tyttenhanger GPs - main GP, Little Ringed Plover (Alan Gardiner)
Tyttenhanger GPs - main GP, Cuckoo (Alan Gardiner)
13TH MAY: Amwell NR - Great Hardmead Lake, Hobby (Jay Ward)
Amwell NR - Great Hardmead Lake, 5 Curlew, flew north high over viewpoint (Ron Cousins)
Amwell NR - Great Hardmead Lake, 2 Shelduck (Jay Ward)
Amwell NR - Great Hardmead Lake, Dunlin (Ron Cousins)
Amwell NR - Great Hardmead Lake, Wigeon (Jay Ward)
Hitch Wood nr St Paul's Walden, Red Kite (Ken & Linda Smith)
Hitchin, Swift (Chris Woodham)
Maple Cross, 7 Swift, Denham Way, near nest site (Steve Carter)
Tyttenhanger Farm (Tyttenhanger area), Red Kite (S Blake/S Pearce)
Tyttenhanger Farm (Tyttenhanger area), Yellow Wagtail, male (S Blake/S Pearce)
Tyttenhanger GPs - main GP, Ringed Plover (Steve Blake)
Tyttenhanger GPs - main GP, Little Ringed Plover (Steve Blake)
Welwyn Garden City, Wood Warbler, male heard calling in Sherrardspark Wood (Mike King)
12TH MAY: Amwell NR - Great Hardmead Lake, Dunlin (Jay Ward)
Amwell NR - Great Hardmead Lake, Hobby, feeding low over lake. (Alex Lewis/Thami Ndunge)
Chiswell Green nr St Albans, 2 Swift, at nest site (Alan Gardiner)
Hitch Wood nr St Paul's Walden, Red Kite (Ken & Linda Smith)
Kings Langley Lake, 5+ Swift, over the canal. (Ephraim Perfect)
Marsworth Res (Tring Reservoirs), Cuckoo, calling. (Mike Wallen/ Ted Wallen)
Marsworth Res (Tring Reservoirs), Cetti's Warbler, singing (Mike Wallen/ Ted Wallen)
Poplars Green nr Tewin, 6 Hobby, hawking over river at 1pm (Tim Hill)
Redbournbury, Yellow Wagtail, in cow field by mill (Francis Dowley)
Rye Meads nr Hoddesdon, Cuckoo (Maureen Lead)
Rye Meads nr Hoddesdon, Grey Wagtail, flew into sewage farm (Maureen Lead)
Startop's End Res (Tring Reservoirs), c500 Swift (Mike Wallen/ Ted Wallen)
Startop's End Res (Tring Reservoirs), 2 Red-crested Pochard, pair. (Mike Wallen/ Ted Wallen)
Startop's End Res (Tring Reservoirs), Hobby (Mike Wallen/ Ted Wallen)
Startop's End Res (Tring Reservoirs), 2 Yellow Wagtail (Mike Walllen/ Ted Wallen)
Wilstone Res (Tring Reservoirs), Firecrest, adult female (J Taylor)
11TH MAY: Brookmans Park, Barn Owl, hunting at 8am at Barbers Lodge Farm
Brookmans Park, Red Kite, Barbers Lodge Farm
Cassiobury Park, Little Egret (Hilary Weston)
Coopers Green Lane nr St Albans, Mandarin, Sutton Farm GP (David Booth)
East Hyde, Little Egret (Roger Payne)
East Hyde, 20+ Swift, between East Hyde and Batford (Roger Payne)
East Hyde, 6 Swift (Francis Dowley)
Hampermill Lake nr Watford, 5 Ring-necked Parakeet (Joan Thompson)
Jersey Farm (St Albans), Siskin, on garden feeders (Anthony Townsend)
Latchford nr Standon, Cuckoo (Simon Knott)
Radwell nr Baldock, 2 Yellow Wagtail, in main (large) field (Mark Reynolds)
Radwell nr Baldock, 2 Grey Partridge (Mark Reynolds)
Tyttenhanger GPs - fishing lake, Grey Wagtail (Steve Blake)
Tyttenhanger GPs - main GP, Ringed Plover (Steve Blake)
Tyttenhanger GPs - main GP, 2 Yellow Wagtail, Pair on horse field by main pit. (Steven Pearce/David Booth)
Tyttenhanger GPs - main GP, Red Kite (Steve Blake)
Tyttenhanger GPs - main GP, 2 Little Ringed Plover (Steve Blake)
Wildhill nr Hatfield, Barnacle Goose, grazing with Canada Geese south of Wildhill
Wilstone Res (Tring Reservoirs), Whinchat, male on hedge near dry canal early morning moved into Bucks (Ian Williams)
10TH MAY: Batford, 2 Swift (Darin Stanley)
Coopers Green Lane nr St Albans, 2 Mandarin, Sutton Farm GP - males (David Wheatcroft)
Hatfield Aerodrome (disused), Cuckoo (David Wheatcroft)
Hertford, 2 Swift, over Tesco's (C Glanville)
Hilfield Park Reservoir, c350 Swift, including the symmetrically white-rumped presumed partial albino still (Derek Turner)
Hitchin, Grey Wagtail, town centre (Callum Peel/Chris Woodham)
Hitchin, Red Kite (Chris Woodham)
Picotts End nr Hemel Hempstead, Hobby (Dan Forder)
St Albans, Red Kite, Clarence park (Anthony Townsend)
Startop's End Res (Tring Reservoirs), 2 Hobby (Peter Brazier)
Stocker's Lake, 2 Common Sandpiper (Tony Hulls)
Stocker's Lake, Hobby (Tony Hulls)
Tyttenhanger Farm (Tyttenhanger area), Wheatear, single male (Neale Hider)
Tyttenhanger Farm (Tyttenhanger area), Yellow Wagtail, horse paddock (Neale Hider)
Tyttenhanger GPs - main GP, 3 Little Ringed Plover (Steve Blake)
Tyttenhanger GPs - main GP, Ringed Plover (Steve Blake)
Tyttenhanger GPs - main GP, Dunlin (Steve Blake)
Verulamium Park, 50+ Swift (Steve Shand)
2010 Hertfordshire Bird Report – now available
The 2010 Bird Report was mailed to all members of the Herts Bird Club and Natural History Society on 29 October 2012. Copies are available to buy for £10, post free, you can now order on line and pay with your debit or credit card. Click here to buy a copy and see the contents list.
Why not join us?
Herts Bird Club membership only costs £1 a month, less than buying a cup of coffee. Support the Bird Club and take a full part in our activities, your yearly subscription entitles you to a free copy of the annual Herts Bird Report and also contributes to the costs of running the website and the Club's activities. How to join.
Volunteers wanted for new Herts woodlands birds survey – 
2012 Bird Records: please send in your Herts bird records for 2012 – either through the website or by using our data entry sheet so that the records are in a format to go straight into the database – 
Herts Bird Club subscriptions for 2013 are now due – subs are only £12 per year – so please support the work of the Club and contribute towards the costs. 
The Hertfordshire Bird Report 2010 is now available. As ever it is full of information and photographs of our Herts birds. For more details or to buy a copy 
