Now that 2024 is here we thought it would be a good time to give a few reminders about submitting records to the website:

Anyone can submit records – you don’t need to be a member of the Herts Bird Club to submit a record.  We welcome records from anyone, whether experienced or new to birding.

All records are welcome – however we will only publish a selection on the website. 

We have a list of species that are normally published, and for more common species we will sometimes publish records of larger numbers, for example roosting flocks, but even if a record is not published, it is kept in our database for data analysis and use in the Hertfordshire Bird Report.

Birdtrack and eBird - we appreciate that many observers now use these methods for recording birds, and we upload records from each to our database at the end of each year, meaning that there is no need to use both of these to submit records, one or the other is fine. Nevertheless, the best way to submit records of interest to others and breeding records is directly to the website

Breeding status – this box is only required when you see some breeding related activity.  For most species this will occur during spring and summer, although a small number of species nest year-round, such as Woodpigeon and Feral Pigeon, whilst others are early starters and will be setting up territory now, such as Tawny Owl and woodpeckers.

We will be publishing more guidance on the use of breeding codes in the spring.

Grid references – these are very welcome as not only do they help others find a rare or scarce bird, but also go into our database which is forwarded to Herts Environmental Records Centre, who are consulted by planners and ecologists when planning applications are made.  The more accurate records are, the better protected a site can be in the future.

Record Submission page – the fields for site and species are defined lists from our databases, and so when you type the first few letters the options available will appear.  Please don’t try to type anything else in as you won’t be able to submit a record.  If you want to submit a record from a site not listed or are lucky enough to see a species not on the list, please use “other” and supply details in the comments box.

If you have any problems using the record submission page please email birdweb@hnhs.org