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, 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.
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. Wheatear at Hatfield Aerodrome on 7 May 2012, photograph by Drew Lyness. Common Sandpiper at East Hyde on 5 May 2012, photograph by David Lyons. Bar-tailed Godwit at Tyttenhanger GPs on 5 May 2012, photograph by Steve Blake. Bar-tailed Godwits at Startop’s End Reservoir on 4 May 2012, photograph by Chris Hinton. Whitethroat at Croxley Common Moor on 4 May 2012, photograph by Steve Carter. Cuckoo at Kings Meads on 3 May 2012, photograph by Simon Knott. Black Tern at Amwell NR on 2 May 2012, photograph by Alan Reynolds. Common Tern at Tyttenhanger GPs on 2 May 2012, photograph by Steve Shand. Red Kite at Watton-at-Stone in April 2012, photograph by Steve Lane.
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.
17TH MAY: Ashwell, Wheatear, female on dungheap by Eyeworth Road (Steve Akrill)
Bengeo (Hertford), Little Egret, River Rib (Simon Knott)
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, driving north A5183 to Redbourn flew low across road west to east towards Batchwood GC at 1315 today-may still be in the area (Jim Terry)
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, Peregrine Falcon, in our garden eating a pigeon
(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, 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)
Hitchin, Hobby, over Kingshot school grounds (Callum Peel/Chris Woodham)
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, Marsh Harrier, female over the meadow (Vicky Buckel)
Rye Meads nr Hoddesdon, 2 Little Ringed Plover (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, Red Kite (Kevin Cheadle/Steve Blake)
Tyttenhanger GPs - main GP, Little Ringed Plover (Kevin Cheadle/Steve Blake)
Tyttenhanger GPs - main GP, 3 Redshank (K Cheadle/S Blake)
15TH MAY: Ashwell, Wheatear (Kevin Taylor)
Ashwell, 4 Yellow Wagtail (Kevin Taylor)
Batford, 2 Grey Partridge, pair in weedy field (Darin Stanley)
Bygrave, 2 Turtle Dove, Bygrave to Ashwell rd opposite "The Knoll" (Mike Ilett)
Hilfield Park Reservoir, Hobby (Derek Turner)
Hitchin, 6 House Martin (Callum Peel)
Hitchin, 4 Swift (Callum Peel)
Maple Lodge, Oystercatcher, feeding at Lynsters Farm (S Carter / P Lewis)
Maple Lodge, Hobby (S Carter / P Lewis)
Maple Lodge, Red Kite (S Carter / P Lewis)
Sherrardspark Wood nr WGC, 3 Mandarin (Tony O'Leary)
Stanstead Abbotts, 3 Little Egret, flying north (Jane Free)
Stocker's Lake, 100+ Swallow, minimum (Joan Thompson)
Stocker's Lake, 3 Little Egret (Joan Thompson)
Stocker's Lake, Cetti's Warbler, seen singing (Joan Thompson)
Stocker's Lake, 500 Swift, minimum (Joan Thompson)
Tyttenhanger GPs - main GP, Kittiwake, adult 10:35 - 12:28 (Steve Blake et al.)
Verulamium Park, c40 Swallow (Errnest Leahy)
14TH MAY: Brookmans Park, Black Kite, over A1000 near junction with Swanley Bar Lane at 6.15pm
Hatfield Park, Red Kite (Kathy Sharman)
Lilley Bottom, Wheatear (A Thurman)
Southern Green nr Buntingford, Hobby (John Dingemans)
Stocker's Lake, Oystercatcher (Anna Marett)
Tea Green nr Luton, Little Owl (Ben Hartmann)
Tyttenhanger GPs - main GP, 2 Wheatear, m & f (Pete Jenkins)
13TH MAY: Amwell NR - Great Hardmead Lake, Little Ringed Plover (Jay Ward)
Amwell NR - Great Hardmead Lake, Grasshopper Warbler (Jay Ward)
Amwell NR - Great Hardmead Lake, 2 Hobby (Jay Ward)
Amwell NR - Great Hardmead Lake, 2 Red Kite (Jay Ward)
Amwell NR - Great Hardmead Lake, Ringed Plover (Jay Ward)
Amwell NR - Hollycross Lake, Spotted Flycatcher (Jan Swan)
Benington, Red Kite, over Coombes Wood (Christopher Hughes)
Benington, Hobby, near Coombes Wood (Christopher Hughes)
Bowyers Water (Cheshunt GPs), Grasshopper Warbler, reeling in Hawthorn scrub area south ease of the lake (Ian Edwards)
Bowyers Water (Cheshunt GPs), Barn Owl (Ian Edwards)
Clothall Common, 2 Corn Bunting, Singing from overhead wires (Steve Akrill)
Coopers Green Lane nr St Albans, 7 Hobby, Sutton Farm GP (David Booth)
Coopers Green Lane nr St Albans, 4 Mandarin, 3 males, 1 female. Sutton Farm GP (David Booth)
Frogmore Lakes nr Radlett, Cuckoo, Flying over Branch Road gardens
Garston nr Watford, Red Kite (Steve Kitchen)
Hatfield Aerodrome (disused), Cuckoo (Paul Unwin)
Hertford, 2 Raven, Circling high over Hertford (Steve Rad)
Hitchin, Spotted Flycatcher, Oughtenhead Common (A.Beale)
Oughtonhead nr Hitchin, Spotted Flycatcher (Peter Chapman)
Redhill nr Wallington, 2 Yellow Wagtail (Martin Johnson)
Sandon, Quail, singing in crops SE of Notley Lane (Icknield Way) at 13:00 (Martin Johnson)
Shaw Green nr Baldock, Whinchat, female (Steve Austin)
Shaw Green nr Baldock, Wheatear, female (Steve Austin)
Shenleybury, Red Kite, cruising over the M25 (Martin Bailey-Wood)
Symondshyde Farm nr St Albans, Cuckoo (Anthony Dorman)
Wallington, 2 Spotted Flycatcher, pair displaying in garden opposite "The Street" in wallington (Mike Ilett)
Waterford Heath GP, Cuckoo (Simon Knott)
Wilstone Res (Tring Reservoirs), Grey Partridge (Nick Goss)
Wilstone Res (Tring Reservoirs), Cuckoo, 1 Calling (Nick Goss)
12TH MAY: Amwell NR - Great Hardmead Lake, Hobby (Oliver Marshall)
Cole Green Tip, 3 Wheatear (Kevin Hornby)
Cole Green Tip, 2 Grey Partridge (Kevin Hornby)
Coopers Green Lane nr St Albans, 4 Hobby, small pit off Woodcock Hill (Robin Pearson)
Coopers Green Lane nr St Albans, 4 Mandarin, all males, small pit off Woodcock Hill (Robin Pearson)
Hatfield Aerodrome (disused), 3 Wheatear (Drew Lyness)
Hatfield Aerodrome (disused), 3 Cuckoo (Drew Lyness)
Hertford, Raven, over Sele farm at 7.10am (Barry Reed)
Hitchin, Yellow Wagtail, near to Ashbrook Farm (Callum Peel)
Norton Green nr Stevenage, 5 Wheatear, 3 Males (Alan Ford)
Panshanger Aerodrome, 50 Swift (Roger Jones)
Plashes Wood nr Standon, Cuckoo (Lesley Sharp)
Radwell nr Baldock, Spotted Flycatcher (Mark Reynolds)
Redbournbury, 5 Yellow Wagtail, cattle field north of Veolia
Redbournbury, Tawny Owl, chased by Blackbirds at 19:00 and still being mobbed at 19:45
Redbournbury, Little Egret
St Albans, Ring-necked Parakeet, on bird feeder near Bernard's Heath
St Ippollitts nr Hitchin, Yellow Wagtail, at the sewage station (Callum Peel)
St Ippollitts nr Hitchin, c25 Swift (Callum Peel)
St Ippollitts nr Hitchin, c30 House Martin, over the sewage station (Callum Peel)
St Ippollitts nr Hitchin, c25 Swallow, over the sewage station (Callum Peel)
Stanstead Abbotts, Red Kite (Jane Free)
Stanstead Abbotts, Hobby (Jane Free)
Stocker's Lake, 2 Hobby (Stephen Younger)
Stocker's Lake, 2 Red Kite, over Mill End (Stephen Younger)
Stocker's Lake, Goldeneye, flew onto Stocker's Lake (Stephen Younger)
Stocker's Lake, Cetti's Warbler, on causeway (Stephen Younger)
Therfield Heath, Wheatear (Roger Buxton)
Twyford Bury Farm nr Bishop's Stortford, White Stork, between 1235 and 1245 - riding thermals over Twyford Fields and photographed (David Sampson)
Twyford Bury Farm nr Bishop's Stortford, Turtle Dove, at 0830 hrs - opposite Twyfordbury farm, then in garden nearby (David Sampson)
Tyttenhanger GPs (exact GP not specified), Cuckoo, calling (Steve Blake)
Tyttenhanger GPs (exact GP not specified), Osprey (R Flesher/S Blake et al.)
Tyttenhanger GPs (exact GP not specified), White Stork, in flight 0912 - 0935 (R Flesher/S Blake et al.)
Tyttenhanger GPs - main GP, Common Sandpiper (R Flesher/S Blake et al.)
Tyttenhanger GPs - main GP, Little Ringed Plover (R Flesher/S Blake et al.)
Ware, Little Owl, rough ground near Priors Wood (Ian Edwards)
11TH MAY: Amwell NR - Great Hardmead Lake, Ringed Plover (Alan Reynolds)
Amwell NR - Great Hardmead Lake, Osprey, drifted North at 6:55pm (Jay ward)
Amwell NR - Great Hardmead Lake, Hobby (Alan Reynolds)
Amwell NR - Great Hardmead Lake, Dunlin (Alan Reynolds)
Amwell NR - Great Hardmead Lake, Redshank (Alan Reynolds)
Amwell NR - Great Hardmead Lake, Oystercatcher, with young (Alan Reynolds)
Chapmore End nr Ware, 2 Wheatear, in the old quarry workings. (Steve Rad)
Chiswell Green nr St Albans, 4 Swift, at nesting site (Alan Gardiner)
Coopers Green Lane nr St Albans, 4+ Hobby, over small pit by Symondshyde Lane. (Robin Pearson)
Croxley Common Moor, Wheatear (G Lapworth)
Gorhambury Estate nr St Albans, 2 Spotted Flycatcher (Errnest Leahy)
Gorhambury Estate nr St Albans, c60 Swift (Errnest Leahy)
Hatfield Aerodrome (disused), 2 Wheatear (David Wheatcroft)
Hatfield Aerodrome (disused), Cuckoo, calling (David Wheatcroft)
Hatfield Aerodrome (disused), Mandarin, pair in flooded field (David Wheatcroft)
Hatfield Aerodrome (disused), Garden Warbler, in song (David Wheatcroft)
Heartwood Forest - exact location not specified, Cuckoo, calling (Peter Cutler)
Hitchin, Swift (Chris Woodham)
Hitchin, 2+ Yellow Wagtail (Chris Woodham)
Hitchin, 2 Grey Partridge (Chris Woodham)
Hitchin, 20+ Swallow (Chris Woodham)
Hitchin, 20+ House Martin (Chris Woodham)
North Mymms Park, 2 Spotted Flycatcher, church
North Mymms Park, Red Kite
North Mymms Park, Garden Warbler
Norton Green nr Stevenage, 10 Wheatear (Darrel Bryant)
Redbournbury, Lesser Whitethroat, S of Veolia (Errnest Leahy)
Rothamsted Experimental Station, Cuckoo (Peter Cutler)
Tyttenhanger GPs - fishing lake, Wheatear, behind bailiff's caravans (Nigel Taylor)
Tyttenhanger GPs - main GP, Garden Warbler, pylon corner (Nigel Taylor)
Verulamium Park, 50 Swift, At dusk (Patty Briggs)
Woodoaks Farm nr Maple Cross, 2 Wheatear (G Lapworth)
Woodoaks Farm nr Maple Cross, 100 Swift (G Lapworth)
Woodside nr Hatfield, Cuckoo (Ken and Linda Smith)
10TH MAY: Chorleywood Common, Spotted Flycatcher (Anna Marett/Joan Thompson)
Cole Green Tip, 5 Wheatear (Chris Beach)
Norton Green nr Stevenage, 9 Wheatear (Darrel Bryant)
Royston, Short-eared Owl, Ivy Farm, 6pm (Richard Gregory)
Symondshyde Great Wood, 2 Hobby (Anthony Dorman)
Symondshyde Great Wood, 2 Mandarin, Males (Anthony Dorman)
Symondshyde Great Wood, Garden Warbler (Anthony Dorman)
Symondshyde Great Wood, Ring-necked Parakeet (Anthony Dorman)
Symondshyde Great Wood, Cuckoo (Anthony Dorman)
Welwyn Garden City, 5 Swift
Wilstone Res (Tring Reservoirs), 500 Swift (Jeff Bailey)
Wilstone Res (Tring Reservoirs), Hobby, seen to catch a Swift (Jeff Bailey)
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.