
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

Little Gull at Startop's End Reservoir on 9th April 2021 © David Hutchinson
More photographs here, on our Flickr page, in our Photo Gallery and Facebook. Follow 'Herts Bird News' on Twitter.
When posting news on Twitter use the hashtag #hertsbirds so others can search for the latest news on Herts birds.
Latest news
48-hr Herts Spring Garden Bird Race - THIS WEEKEND!

9pm on day one of the first Herts 48hr Garden Bird Race and as the halfway point of the competition approaches 74 species have been recorded from Herts gardens including a Curlew, Cetti's Warbler, Raven and Mandarin Duck.
With a full day of the competition remaining tomorrow its not too late to join in. To take part simply record your sightings on the 48-hr Spring Garden Googlesheet which also includes the rules and latest leaderboard.
There are three prizes up for grabs: most points, best bird and most improved, and like the 24-hr Feb garden race there are bonus points to play for too!
Survey: Breeding Waders of Wet Meadows 2021 - volunteers needed!

It’s not too late to sign up!
This survey, last performed in 2002, aims to assess existing and new wet grassland and other breeding wader habitats. There are 24 Herts sites that have yet to be allocated to surveyors.
Go to Breeding Waders of Wet Meadows 2021 to view list of available sites, full details of the survey and how to sign up.
Hertfordshire Rookeries 2021
Rookeries have been surveyed in Hertfordshire for many years, and in 2021 the Bird Club has received records of over 4000 nests from more than 200 rookeries. This year a new interactive map has been produced to show the sites and nest counts, as well as known sites that have not yet been checked, and sites previously used but found to be abandoned this year.
It is not too late to contribute by checking the outstanding rookeries or submitting details of other unrecorded sites via the records submission page. Please include a nest count and grid reference where possible
The map can be found here
Any feedback or errors with the map can be sent to Graham Knight: gpk593@gmail.com
April Garden Bird Challenge 2021
April 2020 proved beyond doubt what a huge variety of birds visit and fly over our Hertfordshire gardens with 123 species being recorded from 113 gardens. While lockdown restrictions are easing and many will seek birds further afield, there remains the opportunity to continue recording what we see and hear from our garden this April.
We are therefore encouraging everyone to add their sightings to the Spring Herts Garden Watch Googlesheet during April – spending as much or as little time birding from your garden as you like. There’s lots of potential with Spring migrants arriving and, for the more intrepid, the possibility of “nocmig” records of birds migrating at night. Please email for any issues using the Googlesheet.
To add a further challenge, we are planning a 48-hr garden bird race on the weekend of 17th/18th April with bonus points and prizes up for grabs!
As with previous garden bird counts, any birds seen or heard from your garden or house can be counted. The only rule is that you must be present – so records from a recording device are not permitted. We’ll be posting a weekly “Garden Bird Report” to the website with highlights of each week’s sightings.
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.
Latest HNHS publication
Supplement to the Hertfordshire Naturalist 2020
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.
Taken a good photograph?
Please send us your Herts bird photos for display on the website, email them to the Bird Club photos team at Herts Bird Photos. with a note of where and when they were taken. A selection will be displayed on this page, added to the photo gallery and/or chosen to illustrate the annual Hertfordshire Bird Report.

Starling at a Harpenden garden on 9th April 2021 © Tim Hill

White Wagtail at Stanborough GPs on 8th April 2021 © Stuart Fox

Siskin at a Welwyn Garden City garden on 7th April 2021 © Huw Lewis

Siskin at Stocker's Lake on 1st April 2021 © Dale Ayres

Redstart at Weston on 8th April 2021 © Richard Pople

Ring Ouzel at Weston on 8th April 2021 © Alan Reynolds

Wren at a Welwyn Garden City garden on 6th April 2021 © Huw Lewis

Siskin at Ayot St Peter on 6th April 2021 © Ian Cunningham

Blackcap at Stocker's Lake on 6th April 2021 © Steve Carter

Marsh Harrier at Amwell NR on 5th April 2021 © Stuart Fox
Chiffchaff at Amwell NR on 5th April 2021 © Robert Kitchen
Little Ringed Plover at Amwell NR on 5th April 2021 © Robert Kitchen

Barn Owl at Amwell NR on 3rd April 2021 © Stuart Fox

Barn Owl at Amwell NR on 3rd April 2021 © Stuart Fox

Ring Ouzel at Coleman Green on 5th April 2021 © Simon West

Kingfisher at Stocker's Lake on 5th April 2021 © Steve Carter

Siskin at a Welwyn Garden City garden on 3rd April 2021 © Huw Lewis

White Wagtail at Ashwell on 2nd April 2021 © Michael Hooper

Yelllow Wagtail at Ashwell on 2nd April 2021 © Michael Hooper

Blackcap at Amwell NR on 1st April 2021 © Stuart Fox

Little Ringed Plover at Amwell NR on 1st April 2021 © Stuart Fox
Egyptian Geese at Ware Park on 1st April 2021 © Andrew Wood

Corn Bunting at Ashwell on 31st March 2021 © Stuart Fox
Mandarin at Tring on 30th March 2021 © Mark Rayment

Great White Egret at Amwell NR on 30th March 2021 © Ian Cunningham

Great White Egret at Amwell NR on 30th March 2021 © Ian Cunningham
Reeves's Pheasant at Ashwell on 30th March 2021 © Phil Rhodes

Great White Egret at Amwell NR on 30th March 2021 © Stuart Fox
For more photographs, visit the gallery.