Herts Bird Club – making the most of local birdwatching
The sometimes elusive Firecrest seen on the Beds/Herts border at East Hyde on 14 March 2010, photograph by Derek Girvan.
More photographs of recent Herts birds can be found below.
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.
Our members share an interest in birdwatching. We get real value from your observations by co-ordinating and compiling everyone’s records to build up a comprehensive picture. This helps us understand how the county’s birds are changing over time in response to the pressures of modern life and climate change. It also lets us all share in the excitement of birdwatching.
Herts Bird Club/BTO
Annual half-day conference - this Saturday
Ringing the changes: an afternoon of talks marking 50 years of bird ringing in Hertfordshire
Saturday 20 March, 2-6pm
Rothamsted Research, Harpenden
Tickets £8 (reduction available for those in full-time education, etc). You can book and pay for tickets on line. See News page for programme and full details.
Submit your bird sightings on 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.
See the news page for the latest happenings in the county and stories behind the bird sightings. If you have a news story, inform
Keep up to date with the latest news from the Yahoo Herts Birding group at Hertsbirding.
See the publications page for the latest information on The Hertfordshire Bird Report and other books and how to buy copies.
The success of the site will depend 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.
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 and you will soon be able to submit your records of other wildlife, such as dragonflies.
A drake Mandarin displaying at Aldenham Reservoir on 13 March 2010, photograph by Steve Kitchen.
A drake Common Pochard photographed during the RSPB ‘date with nature’ watch on the nesting Grey Herons in Verulamium Park, St Albans on 11 March 2010. Photograph by Murray Brown.
One of the Jack Snipes at East Hyde on 8 March 2010, photograph by Ben Andrew.
Jack Snipe at Tewinbury on 7 March 2010, photograph by Keith Smith. Red-crested Pochards at Stocker’s Lake on 4 March 2010, photograph by Steve Blake. A record shot of the pair of Garganeys at Amwell Nature Reserve on 4 March 2010, photograph by Simon West. A Red Kite carrying a fish, photographed at East Hyde by Catherine Mackenzie-Davies on 1 March 2010. A Marsh Tit at Amwell Nature Reserve on 25 February 2010, photograph by Derek Girvan. One of three Hawfinches seen in Danemead Wood, Broxbourne on 20 February 2010, photograph by Jan Hein van Steenis.
Latest sightings
Interesting recent records submitted through the website are listed here,
older records are in the sightings archive.
15TH MAR: Amwell NR - Great Hardmead Lake, 4 Little Egret (Ray Murdoch)
Ashridge Forest, 2 Crossbill, pair on Monument Drive (Lee G R Evans)
Ashridge Forest, 2 Mandarin, pair on pond by monument (Lee G R Evans)
Bell Bar nr Brookmans Park, 2 Red Kite (Simon Cummings)
Colney Heath, 2 Tree Sparrow, in hedge alongside horse paddocks (David Booth)
Gorhambury Estate nr St Albans, Red Kite (Jeff Bailey)
Hay Street nr Puckeridge, 4 Red Kite, towards A10 (Paula Moore)
King's Meads nr Hertford, Water Rail, Bird Mead (Simon Knott)
King's Meads nr Hertford, Kingfisher, New River (Simon Knott)
King's Meads nr Hertford, Shelduck, West pool (Simon Knott)
Lynsters Farm nr Maple Cross, Green Sandpiper (G Lapworth)
Lynsters Farm nr Maple Cross, Egyptian Goose (G Lapworth)
Scotsbridge Mill Watercress Beds nr Rickmansworth, Little Egret (G Lapworth)
Scotsbridge Mill Watercress Beds nr Rickmansworth, 2 Water Rail, One seen by G Lapworth earlier (Paul Lewis, Steve Carter and G Lapworth)
Scotsbridge Mill Watercress Beds nr Rickmansworth, Kingfisher (Paul Lewis & Steve Carter)
Stocker's Farm, Little Owl (A. Marett, J, Gunderson, J.Staines)
Stocker's Lake, 2 Water Rail (A. Marett, J, Gunderson, J.Staines)
Tyttenhanger GPs (exact GP not specified), Common Snipe (Lee G R Evans)
Tyttenhanger GPs (exact GP not specified), 2 Tree Sparrow, by feeding station (Lee G R Evans)
Tyttenhanger GPs (exact GP not specified), Ruddy Duck, female Ruddy Shelduck on main pit (Lee G R Evans)
Tyttenhanger GPs - fishing lake, Oystercatcher (David Booth)
Tyttenhanger GPs - main GP, Ringed Plover (David Booth / Steve Blake)
Tyttenhanger GPs - main GP, 2 Shelduck (David Booth / Steve Blake)
Tyttenhanger GPs - main GP, 2 Common Snipe (David Booth/Steve Blake)
Whitwell, 2 Little Egret, In trees beside cress beds (Nicola Knott)
14TH MAR: Amwell GP/NR (exact water not specified), Bittern (Simon Priestnall/Anthony Cooper)
Amwell NR - Great Hardmead Lake, 2 Bittern, 1 pale, 1 dark (Jan Hein van Steenis)
Amwell NR - Great Hardmead Lake, Ringed Plover, (4 on Saturday) (Jan Hein van Steenis)
Amwell NR - Great Hardmead Lake, 2 Smew, redheads (Jan Hein van Steenis)
Amwell NR - Great Hardmead Lake, 9 Little Egret, roost (Jan Hein van Steenis)
Ashridge Forest, Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, Male seen well by ponds (per DB) (Lee G R Evans)
Brookmans Park, Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, Queenswood
East Hyde, Firecrest (Simon Priestnall/Anthony Cooper)
East Hyde, Jack Snipe (Simon Priestnall/Anthony Cooper)
Hertford, Red Kite, over Oak Grove at 15.40 (Chris Knott)
Hertford, Red Kite, over B1000 (Simon Priestnall/Anthony Cooper)
King's Meads nr Hertford, 2 Redshank (Simon Knott)
King's Meads nr Hertford, Blackcap, Chalk Bank male (Simon Knott)
King's Walden, 3 Red Kite (Robert Pedder)
Leavesden Green nr Watford, Red Kite, over studio site (M. Burden)
Lemsford, Little Egret (Anthony Dorman)
Lilley Bottom, 3 Red Kite (Nicola Knott)
Lynsters Farm nr Maple Cross, Green Sandpiper (G Lapworth)
Lynsters Farm nr Maple Cross, Egyptian Goose (G Lapworth)
Maple Cross, Barn Owl, one flying over A412 from Wood Oaks farm at 18.40 on Sunday night (Paul Ward)
North Mymms Park, 3 Woodcock
North Mymms Park, 4 Lesser Redpoll
Panshanger (Welwyn Garden City), Lesser Redpoll, on garden feeder (Kevin Hornby)
Panshanger (Welwyn Garden City), Siskin (Kevin Hornby)
Scotsbridge Mill Watercress Beds nr Rickmansworth, 4 Common Snipe (G Lapworth)
Scotsbridge Mill Watercress Beds nr Rickmansworth, 2 Kingfisher, pair (G Lapworth)
Tewinbury Reserve, Common Snipe, from hide (Drew Lyness)
Tewinbury Reserve, Water Rail, water meadow (Drew Lyness)
Tyttenhanger GPs - main GP, Other, Ruddy Shelduck
Tyttenhanger GPs - main GP, 3 Shelduck
Welwyn Garden City, Blackcap, male visiting garden. (Anthony Dorman)
Whitwell, 2 Little Egret, In cress beds (Nicola Knott)
Woodoaks Farm nr Maple Cross, Little Owl (G Lapworth)
13TH MAR: Abbots Langley, 2 Red Kite (M J Smith)
Aldenham Reservoir & Country Park, 2 Mandarin, drakes (Steve Kitchen)
Batchworth Lake nr Rickmansworth, 2 Goosander, pair (G Lapworth)
Batford, Siskin, lone female by the mill (Mike Russell)
Bury Lake nr Rickmansworth, 11 Goldeneye, incl 3 males (G Lapworth)
East Hyde, Firecrest, male still present (Mike Russell)
East Hyde, 2 Common Snipe (Joan Thompson)
East Hyde, 4 Jack Snipe, possibly 5 (Joan Thompson/Mike Russell)
East Hyde, Water Rail (Joan Thompson)
East Hyde, Firecrest (Andrew Steele)
East Hyde, 100 Yellowhammer, 100-200 with a few Chaffinches and Reed Bunting (Andrew Steele)
East Hyde, Chiffchaff, in song (Mike Russell)
East Hyde, Little Egret (Mike Russell)
East Hyde, Little Owl, in usual tree (Mike Russell)
East Hyde, Green Sandpiper (Joan Thompson / Mike Russell)
Fairlands Valley Park (Stevenage), Goosander, Drake on lake between 7.30 and 8.00am, and again at 5.15pm (Simon West/Ray Hooper)
Garston nr Watford, Red Kite, TL 10 01 at 1615 hrs (C. M. Everett)
Hampermill Lake nr Watford, Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, female calling (Joan Thompson)
Hampermill Lake nr Watford, 2 Little Egret (Joan Thompson)
Hampermill Lake nr Watford, Ring-necked Parakeet (Joan Thompson)
King's Meads nr Hertford, Little Egret, 8.20am, west (Simon Knott)
Maple Cross, 2 Blackcap, male and female. (Nick Bessant)
Oylers Farm nr Cheshunt, 200+ Golden Plover (Mike Oakland)
Rye Meads nr Hoddesdon, 2 Bittern (Drew Lyness)
Rye Meads nr Hoddesdon, Green Sandpiper, gadwall hide (Drew Lyness)
Rye Meads nr Hoddesdon, 6 Shelduck, tern hide (Drew Lyness)
Rye Meads nr Hoddesdon, 2 Bittern (Vicky Buckel)
Rye Meads nr Hoddesdon, Peregrine Falcon (Vicky Buckel)
Rye Meads nr Hoddesdon, 2 Water Rail (Vicky Buckel)
Scotsbridge Mill Watercress Beds nr Rickmansworth, 3 Common Snipe (G Lapworth)
Scotsbridge Mill Watercress Beds nr Rickmansworth, Water Rail (G Lapworth)
St Albans, 2 Red Kite, over Camp school (Paul Moss)
St Albans, Red Kite, Bedmond Lane (Steve Kitchen)
St Albans, Blackcap, male in garden AL1 2PF (GJ Barnes)
St Albans, Lesser Redpoll (Paul Moss)
Stevenage, Red Kite, over Jackdaw Close (Alan Ford)
Stocker's Lake, 5 Red-crested Pochard, incl 2 males (G Lapworth)
Tyttenhanger GPs - main GP, Redshank (Steve Kitchen)
Verulamium Park, 3 Red Kite (Murray Brown)
Verulamium Park, Ruddy Duck, drake at south island (Murray Brown)
Verulamium Park, Grey Wagtail, near Fighting Cocks (Murray Brown)
Waterend nr Wheathampstead, Little Owl, on track between Wheathampstead & Waterend (David Wheatcroft)
Wilstone Res (Tring Reservoirs), 5 Goldeneye (Joan Thompson)
Wilstone Res (Tring Reservoirs), Red Kite (Joan Thompson)
Woodoaks Farm nr Maple Cross, 50 Linnet (G Lapworth)
Woodoaks Farm nr Maple Cross, Red Kite (G Lapworth)
Woodoaks Farm nr Maple Cross, Little Owl (G Lapworth)
12TH MAR: Ashridge Forest, Raven, over monument calling (Jeff Bailey)
Ashridge Forest, Marsh Tit (Jeff Bailey)
Bernards Heath (St Albans), Red Kite (David Waters)
East Hyde, Green Sandpiper (Lee Evans)
East Hyde, Firecrest, Male present at dusk, roosting in hedgerow (Lee Evans)
East Hyde, 5 Jack Snipe, 5 birds showing very well (Lee Evans)
East Hyde, Water Rail (Lee Evans)
Fairlands Valley Park (Stevenage), Goosander, drake on the Sailing Lake (Alan Ford)
Hertford Heath, White Stork, a very large white bird with black wings and orange bill seen at 10m range this morning by Hertford Heath JMI school. (Francesca Micheli)
King's Meads nr Hertford, Shelduck, West pool (Simon Knott)
King's Meads nr Hertford, 20 Common Snipe, Little Mead 1 Stockade Mead 4 Hollow Mead 15. (Simon Knott)
Lynsters Farm nr Maple Cross, Green Sandpiper (G Lapworth)
Lynsters Farm nr Maple Cross, Egyptian Goose (G Lapworth)
Maple Lodge, 2 Marsh Tit, in Alders near feeders hide. (Geoff Young)
Moor Lane nr Rickmansworth, 2 Kingfisher, Withey Beds LNR, calling in flight. (Anna Marett, Joan Thompson)
OTHER (give details in comments box), 2 Red Kite, Bunkers Lane, Hemel Hempstead (T Starkey)
Potters Bar, Red Kite (Janice Wathall)
St Albans, Blackcap, male in garden AL1 2PF (GJ Barnes)
Stevenage, Red Kite (Paul Lufkin)
Tyttenhanger GPs - fishing lake, Oystercatcher (S Blake/A Gardiner)
Tyttenhanger GPs - main GP, Oystercatcher (S Blake/A Gardiner)
Tyttenhanger GPs - main GP, 2 Shelduck (S Blake/A Gardiner)
Watton at Stone, 2 Red Kite, 200 yards apart (Ted Fletcher)
2007 Bird Report now available
The 2007 Bird Report was mailed to all members of the Herts Bird Club and Natural History Society on 28 September. Click here to buy a copy and see the contents list.
Why not join us?
Herts Bird Club membership is only £1 a month. Take a full part in the activities of the club, your yearly subscription entitles you to a free copy of the annual Herts Bird Report and also contributes to the costs of the Club's activities. How to join.
Ringing the changes: an afternoon of talks marking 50 years of bird ringing in Hertfordshire
2007 Bird Report now available