Focus on...Glossy Ibis

On 7 October this year a Glossy Ibis was found at Rye Meads. It was there the following day, again on 13-14 Oct and has since been located on a flooded field off Marsh Lane Stanstead Abbotts, still present as of 18 Oct.

Once a rare vagrant to the UK, numbers have increased significantly since the mid 2000s mirroring the increase in their breeding population in southwest Europe. It is still, however, a major rarity in Herts; this is just the fourth sighting since 1887! Excluding the three 19th historical records, the previous accepted Herts records are :

Swift Mapper records

With the welcome return of Swifts to our skies, once again we encourage you to enter your Swift nesting records on Swift Mapper rather than submit them to the bird club website  

Swift Mapper is a website and an app created by the RSPB and Swift conservation groups to map Swifts and their nesting sites.  Full details can be found on the website: Swift Mapper where the app can be downloaded and interactive maps can be found. 

The 2nd Herts Local Patch Big Weekend – Sat 29th Apr – Mon 1st May

Three whole days of local birding over the early May Bank Holiday weekend gave Herts birders the chance to focus intently on their patches and see what they could find.  Falling in the peak period of Spring migration the weekend proved largely dry with easterlies dominating Saturday and then a stronger southerly breeze on Sunday. 

Tyttenhanger Gravel Pits Bird Report 2021 published

The Tyttenhanger Gravel Pits Bird Report for 2021 is now available. Download a copy HERE

This 66 page report continues the tradition of detailed and well written reports about this site.  Edited and produced by Ricky Flesher and Peter Christian, it includes a review of the year; accounts for all 126 species recorded at Tyttenhanger in 2021; many photos; insightful data and graphics; a breeding birds summary; arrival and departure dates for migrants; species year lists back to 2004, and much more!

Go to Tyttenhanger Site Guide to download reports back to 2011

 

Volunteer bird surveyors wanted

The Redlist Revival/Life Map project organised by Edward Darling from Gray's Farm near Royston, is looking for bird surveyors to do 2x 1km transects within nine parishes in Hertfordshire. The nine parishes/areas are Wallington, Therfield, St Pauls Walden, Knebworth, Albury, Panshanger, Wareside, Much Hadham and St Albans.

If you are able to identify the birds that might be expected within the county by sight and sound, please contact Edward Darling edward.darling@redlistrevival.org directly who will put you in contact with the landowner.

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