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.

Covid-19: Stay safe and observe Government rules 

Please read HNHS Statement on Covid-19

Latest news

Herts 24-hr Garden Winter Watch - Winner

St Albans’ Gardens Do it Again!

Following yesterday’s Herts 24-hr Garden Bird Watch we are pleased to announce the winner as John Pritchard of Shafford Farm, St Albans.  Congratulations to John who wins a personalised notebook.

John scored an impressive 115 points with 56 species recorded from his garden over the 24 hour period.  Hot on his heels was Rupert Evershed with 100 points and 51 species and Chris Ruis with 99 points and 48 species, both from gardens in St Albans.

The competition proved very popular with 20 observers recording their

Tyttenhanger GPs Bird Report 2019

The Tyttenhanger Gravel Pits Bird Report for 2019 is now available.

Edited and produced by Ricky Flesher and Peter Christian the excellent 70 page report includes a review of the year, accounts for all of the 133 species recorded at Tyttenhanger in 2019, many photos, tables and graphs, and finders' accounts for the three new birds added to the Tyttenhanger list that year: Yellow-browed Warbler, Common Crane and Cattle Egret.

Download a copy HERE, it's well woth a read.

Go to Tyttenhanger Site Guide to download reports back to 2011.

Herts Winter Garden Count

Please use the Winter Count Googlesheet to enter your counts.  

The count runs from 1 December 2020 to 28 February 2021 and all birds seen or heard whilst you are within the boundary of your property can be counted. You can record birds on any and as many days as you wish or are able to.

If you need any help please email

Photo: Siskin at a Welwyn Garden City garden, Jan-21 © Huw Lewis

Latest Hertfordshire Bird Report

Hertfordshire Bird Report 2019

The Hertfordshire Bird Report 2019 was published and circulated to HNHS/Bird Club members in November 2020 (Transactions of the Hertfordshire Natural History Society, Vol. 52 (2), pp. 89-176.)

The report reviews each of the 198 species recorded in Hertfordshire in 2019 (up five from 2018) including Little Bittern, White-tailed Eagle, Melodious Warbler and Richard's Pipit. There is also news of a belatedly accepted 'first' for the county: a Falcated Duck seen at Wilstone Reservoir in 1999. 

Read more

Latest HNHS publication

2021 subscriptions due now

Please renew your membership of HNHS and Herts Bird Club, details here.

Birds of Hertfordshire

 

Our new avifauna - Birds of Hertfordshire by Ken Smith, Chris Dee, Jack Fearnside and Mike Ilett was published on 24 February 2015.
Read the review in British Birds, here. Buy now direct from Herts Bird Club for only £34 (or £39 by post).

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.