Herts Peregrine nests - Watch the action at TWO sites

Peregrine Falcons are an established breeding species in Hertfordshire with several pairs around the county now raising young each year.

This year not one but two of regular sites have live webcams allowing close views of the nests as they progress.

St Albans

For the second year running a webcam is positioned at the nest at St Albans Cathedral. Watch the action live HERE.

Three eggs were laid between 30th March and early April. Go to HMWT St Albans Peregrines to find out more.

Watford

Launched 10 April 2024 there is now a webcam following the pair at One YMCA in Watford.

Breeding was first confirmed at the site in 2017 and this year the pair are sitting on four eggs. 

Go to OneYMCA Peregrines to access the webcam and find out more.

Request for Rookery counts - 2024

It is the time of year that rookeries are at their most active, and once again we are asking for nest counts to be submitted to the website.  Rookeries have been surveyed for a number of years in Hertfordshire, and last year, 4628 nests were recorded from 209 rookeries.  Although this was a partial survey, in areas where all known nests were counted, numbers were healthy, most showing an increase from the full county survey undertaken in 2021.

Focus on......Bar-tailed Godwit

The sighting of a Bar-tailed Godwit flying around over Stanborough Gravel Pits near St Albans on Sunday 10th March 2024 was quite a surprise.  Part of the surprise was in that it was accompanied by several species of wader – Ringed Plover, Dunlin and Redshank but the real surprise was in its early arrival.

Typically, this species appears in Herts in late April with most records falling in either the last week of April or the first week of May.  There are just three previous records of March Bar-tailed Godwits in 1990, 2013 and 2018.  While most records are from the spring period, Bar-tailed Godwits are also recorded in autumn and indeed have occurred in all months save June.

Since 2000 there have been around 150 sightings of Bar-tailed Godwits in Herts,

Stocker's Lake Heron nest Livestream

Friends of Stocker’s Lake (FoSL) is currently streaming live pictures from an active heron nest at Stocker’s Lake which hosts the largest heronry in Herts. Three eggs were laid in early February and these started to hatch on March 9th. To view the stream and for more information visit www.fosl.org.uk/livestream. There you will also find information on how to access recordings from earlier in the season.

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