Herts Bird Club – making the most of local birdwatching

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.

Avian Flu advice

Latest news

Embankment strengthening works at Wilstone Reservoir

A 15 month program to strengthen the embankment at Wilstone Reservoir is underway. Further details can be found in the links below but key impacts are:

- no access around the bank; pedestrians will be diverted through the field next to the reservoir

- car park is fully closed for several months from September

- the road alongside the car park (B489) is closed for several weeks from September between the junctions for Drayton Beauchamp and Wilstone.

- the hide remains fully open

Alternative parking options are limited but include the Mead's Farmhouse during business hours, or Startop's End Reservoir and walking along the dry canal.

Wilstone Embankment Work

Wilstone works Q&A

The Breeding Birds of Tyttenhanger Gravel Pits 1967-2023

A new report, The Breeding Birds of Tyttenhanger Gravel Pits 1967 to 2023 is now available - download a copy here

Since the first breeding-bird survey of Tyttenhanger Gravel Pits (GPs)  in the late 1960’s around one hundred bird species have bred on-site. The development of the gravel pits in the late 1970’s and their evolution over the next 45 years has seen breeding species come and go as the habitat has changed.

Latest Hertfordshire Bird Report

The Hertfordshire Bird Report, 2023

The Hertfordshire Bird Report 2023 was published and circulated to HNHS / Herts Bird Club members in November 2024. Transactions of the Hertfordshire Natural History Society, Vol 56 (1) pp. 1-84.

The report is sent free of charge to subscribing members. Copies can also be purchased, price £11 (inc. p&p).

Contents –  Review of the Year (Clifford Smout)

Systematic List

Canada Goose to Egyptian Goose (Vicky Buckel)
Shelduck to Teal (Graeme Bowd))
Red-crested Pochard to Ruddy Duck (Graham White)

Read more

Latest HNHS publication

 

Herts Invertebrate Project

Read here about how to join this new recording initiative.

Herts Atlas of Mammals, Amphibians and Reptiles

Please submit sightings and field signs of mammals, amphibians and reptiles to our countywide survey, full details at the Herts MARA website.

Hertfordshire Bird Atlas

All the results from the most recent Atlas (2007-12) and both previous atlas surveys available here.

Bird records

Please send us your Herts bird sightings through the records submission page. Use the Breeding status dropdown where applicable and Comment field to add notes of interest.

Latest sightings of interest are published on the right hand side of this page, once they have been checked by a moderator. Search for older published records by month/site/species in Sightings Archive. 

 

See details of some great places to visit in Hertfordshire at this time of year.

Take part in our  projects and surveys.

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 birdweb@hnhs.org

Injured or orphan birds ? advice here.

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.

Who's who in the Herts Bird Club.