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.
Atlas fieldwork in Herts has been extended until July 2012 as we do not yet have enough evidence of breeding for some areas. Please submit records to fill gaps. Go to the Herts Atlas website for details of what records are needed and the full results gathered so far.
Bird records
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.
Taken a good photograph?
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.
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.
Yahoo Herts Birding group: keep up to date with the latest news from the group at Hertsbirding.
See the publications pages for the latest information on The Hertfordshire Bird Reportand all the books published by HNHS and how to buy copies. Most HNHS books 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.
Yellowhammer at Tea Green on 19 May 2012, photograph by Ben Hartmann.
Dunnock at the Watercress LNR, St Albans on 19 May 2012, photograph by Chris Hinton.
Mandarin at Sutton Farm Gravel Pit on 19 May 2012, photograph by Robin Pearson.
Little Ringed Plover at Startop’s End Reservoir on 18 May 2012, photograph by Chris Hinton.
Garganey at Amwell NR on 19 May 2012, photograph by Simon Knott.
Grey Wagtails at Hitchin on 19 May 2012, photograph by Robert Chapman.
Sparrowhawk at Corner Hall, Hemel Hempstead on 9 May 2012, photograph by Dan Forder.
A family of Blackcaps at Stocker’s Lake on 16 May 2012, photograph by Jeff Chapman.
A grounded Hobby at Woodcock Hill/Coopers Green Lane on 17 May 2012, photograph by Derrick Davies.
Ring-necked Parakeet at Maple Lodge LNR on 13 May 2012, photograph by Steve Carter. Red Kite at Comb’s Wood, Benington on 13 May 2012, photograph by Christopher Hughes. Little Owl at Tea Green on 12 May 2012, photograph by Ben Hartmann. Fledgling Kingfisher at Batford Springs LNR on 13 May 2012, photograph by Paul Hackett. Yellow Wagtail at Ashwell on 13 May 2012, photograph by Mike Ilett. Spotted Flycatcher at Radwell Meadows on 12 May 2012, photograph by Mark Reynolds. Dunlin at Amwell NR on 11 May 2012, photograph by Alan Reynolds. Robin at Batford Springs LNR on 6 May 2012, photograph by David Lyons. Juvenile Great Tit at Hitchin on 10 May 2012, photograph by Robert Chapman. Cetti’s Warbler at Amwell NR on 8 May 2012, photograph by Alan Reynolds. Wren at Stocker’s Lake on 7 May 2012, photograph by Chris Hinton. Juvenile Long-tailed Tit at Royston on 8 May 2012, photograph by Martin Johnson. Yellowhammer behind Wilstone Reservoir on 7 May 2012, photograph by John Foster. House and Sand Martins at Kings Meads on 6 May 2012, photograph by Simon Knott. Cuckoo at Hatfield Aerodrome on 7 May 2012, photograph by Yves Gisseleire.
For more photographs of Hertfordshire birds, visit the galleries page.
Latest sightings
Interesting recent records submitted through the website are listed here,
older records are in the sightings archive.
22ND MAY: Amwell NR - Great Hardmead Lake, 4 Common Scoter, adult male, 1st summer male & 2 females. Still present this evening (Barry Reed et.al)
Amwell NR - Great Hardmead Lake, Grasshopper Warbler (Barry Reed)
Ashwell, 2 Red Kite, over A505 at Odsey (Tony Cobb)
Maple Lodge, Little Egret (Steve Carter)
Norton Green nr Stevenage, White Stork, flying around over the A1(M)being mobbed by a crow. I watched for about ten minutes as it headed towards Norton Green. (Gary Player)
Stanborough Lakes nr WGC, Red Kite (Michael France)
Weston Park, Little Owl (Steve Akrill)
21ST MAY: Amwell NR - Great Hardmead Lake, 2 Dunlin (Barry Reed)
Amwell NR - Great Hardmead Lake, Ringed Plover (Barry Reed)
Amwell NR - Great Hardmead Lake, 150 Swallow (Barry Reed)
Amwell NR - Great Hardmead Lake, 150 House Martin (Barry Reed)
Amwell NR - Great Hardmead Lake, Shelduck (Barry Reed)
Hatfield, 2 Red Kite, over the Ryde Estate (Geoff Moore)
Hilfield Park Reservoir, Common Sandpiper (Derek Turner)
Rye Meads nr Hoddesdon, Garganey, Drapers hide (Andy Gardiner)
Wilstone Res (Tring Reservoirs), Savi's Warbler, heard singing in reedbed to the right of the hide. (Samuel Perfect)
Wilstone Res (Tring Reservoirs), Black Tern (Samuel Perfect)
20TH MAY: Amwell GP - Sheepcote Farm Lake, 3 Black Tern (Toby Austin)
Amwell GP - Sheepcote Farm Lake, 2 Dunlin (Toby Austin)
Amwell GP - Sheepcote Farm Lake, Oystercatcher (Toby Austin)
Amwell GP - Sheepcote Farm Lake, 2 Redshank (Toby Austin)
Amwell GP - Sheepcote Farm Lake, Ringed Plover (Toby Austin)
Amwell NR - Great Hardmead Lake, Ringed Plover (Simon Knott)
Amwell NR - Great Hardmead Lake, Redshank (Oliver Marshall)
Amwell NR - Great Hardmead Lake, 3 Black Tern (Barry Reed)
Amwell NR - Great Hardmead Lake, Common Sandpiper (Barry Reed)
Amwell NR - Great Hardmead Lake, 2 Egyptian Goose (Barry Reed)
Amwell NR - Great Hardmead Lake, 2 Dunlin (Simon Knott)
Buckland, 2 Yellow Wagtail (Toby Austin)
Hitchin, 4 Yellow Wagtail (Callum Peel)
Redbourn, 2 Little Owl (Peter Tallantire)
Rye Meads nr Hoddesdon, Garganey, male on scrape at 9am (Jan Swan)
Rye Meads nr Hoddesdon, 2 Little Ringed Plover (Jan Swan)
Watton at Stone, Red Kite, over garden at Blue Hill (Nigel Denison)
Wilstone Res (Tring Reservoirs), Black Tern (MikeWallen/Ted Wallen)
Wilstone Res (Tring Reservoirs), c200 Swift (Mike Wallen/Ted Wallen)
Wilstone Res (Tring Reservoirs), Savi's Warbler, male singing 6.45am to 8am intermittantly and distant and again from 8pm, Heard only from hide, faint most of the time and song often lost under reed and sedge warbler song.Best after 8.30 pm (Ian Williams)
19TH MAY: Amwell NR - Great Hardmead Lake, Garganey, male (Barry Reed)
Amwell NR - Great Hardmead Lake, Crossbill, flew south west at 07.33 (Barry Reed)
Ashwell, Wheatear, Ashwell to Eyeworth Road on dung heaps (Mike Ilett)
Braughing Meads, Hobby (Simon Knott)
Bygrave, Turtle Dove, Bygrave to Ashwell rd opp "The Knoll" (house) (Mike Ilett)
Coopers Green GP nr St Albans, 3 Mandarin, Males (David Wheatcroft)
Coopers Green GP nr St Albans, 2 Red Kite (Roger Jones)
Coopers Green Lane nr St Albans, 7+ Hobby, over Sutton Farm GP's. (Robin Pearson)
Coopers Green Lane nr St Albans, Shelduck, Sutton Farm GP's. (Robin Pearson)
Dowdell's Wood nr Welwyn, Tawny Owl, calling in Coneydate Spring at 3.15pm (Robin Hilton)
East Hyde, Little Egret (Mike Russell)
Gorhambury Estate nr St Albans, Spotted Flycatcher (Clifford Smout)
Hatfield Aerodrome (disused), 2 Mandarin (David Wheatcroft)
Hatfield Aerodrome (disused), 2 Redshank, in flight calling (David Wheatcroft)
Rusling End nr Langley, Red Kite (Julie Wise)
Tyttenhanger GPs - main GP, Dunlin (S Blake/R Flesher)
Tyttenhanger GPs - main GP, Little Ringed Plover (S Blake/R Flesher)
Wilstone Res (Tring Reservoirs), Black Tern (Wally Smith)
18TH MAY: Bury Lake nr Rickmansworth, Red-crested Pochard, male (G Lapworth)
Cheshunt Park, Ring-necked Parakeet (Ray Facer)
Croxley Common Moor, Little Egret (G Lapworth)
Green Tye nr Much Hadham, 4 Yellow Wagtail, 2 pairs about a mile apart (Mike Baverstock)
Hilfield Park Reservoir, Turnstone (Derek Turner)
Northchurch nr Berkhamsted, Tawny Owl, calling at 3am (Nick Goss)
Stocker's Lake, 6 Little Egret (G Lapworth)
Tea Green nr Luton, Little Owl (Ben Hartmann)
17TH MAY: Ashwell, Wheatear, female on dungheap by Eyeworth Road (Steve Akrill)
Bengeo (Hertford), Little Egret, River Rib (Simon Knott)
Oaklands nr Welwyn, White Stork, at 8.25 pm (Bill Rutherford)
Oughtonhead nr Hitchin, 2 Grey Partridge (Kevin Taylor)
Royston, Red Kite, over A1198/A505 roundabout (Alice Porter)
Sandon, Red Kite, soaring above cricket field (Steve Akrill)
St Albans, Hoopoe, A5183 to Redbourn flew low across road west to east towards Batchwood GC at 1315 (Jim Terry)
Stevenage, Hobby, over Rectory Lane in Old Town (Clive Brackenbury)
Therfield Heath, 2 Wheatear, Old Rifle Range (A.Beale)
Tyttenhanger GPs - main GP, 2 Common Sandpiper (A Gardiner/S Blake)
Tyttenhanger GPs - main GP, Little Ringed Plover (A Gardiner)
Watton at Stone, Sparrowhawk, in garden (Paul Rutter)
16TH MAY: Balls Wood nr Hertford Heath, Tawny Owl, possibly a second bird further down the footpath (Nicola Knott)
Barkway, Little Owl, Cokenach Estate., RHS main drive (Ted Fletcher)
Batford, Yellow Wagtail (Darin Stanley)
Buckland, Corn Bunting, Buckland end of Buckland - Barkway Road. (Ted Fletcher)
Coopers Green GP nr St Albans, 3 Hobby, Over old gravel pits at 10:40 am (Errnest Leahy)
Coopers Green Lane nr St Albans, Nightingale, Singing male, skulking in hedge at 1245 - turn left into Woodcock Hill, park opposite metal gate near 4th telegraph pole. (Gerry Smith)
Gorhambury Estate nr St Albans, 2 Raven, 1 soaring opposite Mayne's Farm + 1 calling near Gorhambury House (Pete Waldron)
Gorhambury Estate nr St Albans, 2 Spotted Flycatcher, between Maynes Farm house and the cream-coloured cottage beyond Devil's ditch (Pete Waldron)
Hitchin, Hobby, over Kingshot school grounds (Callum Peel/Chris Woodham)
Hitchin, c15 House Martin (Callum Peel/Chris Woodham)
Hitchin, 2 Yellow Wagtail, crop field beside Kingshot school (Callum Peel/Chris Woodham)
Hitchin, White Stork, circling over Hitchin at about 12.30 (Roger Millard)
Norton Green nr Stevenage, Whinchat, male in front of travellers site (Darrel Bryant)
Norton Green nr Stevenage, 4 Wheatear (Darrel Bryant)
Redbourn, Ring-necked Parakeet, female on feeder (Errnest Leahy)
Redbournbury, 2 Swallow, Pair gathering mud at Redbournbury Farm ! (Pete Waldron)
Redbournbury, ca40 Swift, over meadows S of Veolia plant (Pete Waldron)
Royston, 20 Swift, south of town. (Tony Cobb)
Rye Meads nr Hoddesdon, 2 Little Ringed Plover (Vicky Buckel)
Rye Meads nr Hoddesdon, Marsh Harrier, female over the meadow (Vicky Buckel)
South Mimms, Black Kite, a possible Black Kite heading South at 1:55 pm (T.Wood)
Stanstead Abbotts, 2 Little Egret, flying north (Jane Free)
Tyttenhanger GPs - main GP, 3 Redshank (K Cheadle/S Blake)
Tyttenhanger GPs - main GP, Red Kite (Kevin Cheadle/Steve Blake)
Tyttenhanger GPs - main GP, Little Ringed Plover (Kevin Cheadle/Steve Blake)
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.
The 2009 Bird Report was mailed to all members of the Herts Bird Club and Natural History Society on 14 November 2011.