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.

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Latest news

What to look for in....SEPTEMBER

If August was a good month to get out birding, then September is more of the same but better!  Better perhaps for two reasons: firstly, the sheer volume of birds on the move means that encountering good numbers of any species is far more likely.  Perhaps instead of a single Wheatear or Whinchat you might find a whole party of them – maybe strung along a fence wire or dotted atop weeds in a field.

Secondly, towards the end of September, the first winter visitors begin to arrive so there is a fair chance of an early Redwing or Fieldfare.  The month also sees the arrival of huge numbers of Meadow Pipits, many of which will stay for the winter.  They become standard fayre for ‘vismiggers’ and on some mornings hundreds can be counted flying over, usually headed in a south-westerly direction.

As the month goes on,

Hertfordshire Swift Nests 2024 - end of season update

Update 28th August - we now have records of a fantastic 780 Swift nests in Hertfordshire this year! The highest numbers are from the East Herts area where 353 have been found.  If you have Swifts nesting, please don't assume that we have the record and do get in touch

Swifts have returned and the Herts Bird Club and Hertfordshire Swift groups are asking for all nest records to be submitted in order to better understand the population of this species in the county. 

In 2023 just under 400 nests were found, including 23 in Swift boxes. This year we hope to improve on this figure and find as many nests as possible.

What to look for in....AUGUST

After the usual summer lull of June and July, expectations can be rightly raised as August sees the autumn movement of birds get into full swing.  It is one of the best times of year to be working a local patch – whether it’s a bird ‘hotspot’ or simply your own garden - as almost anything can turn up.

From the second week of August, migrating passerines should be moving south in good numbers so if a bird catches your eye, flitting in and out of a bush, give it a second look – it might be a Common Redstart, Spotted or even Pied Flycatcher.  With them comes an increase in Chiffchaffs and then the lovely lemony-yellow young Willow Warblers along with Blackcaps, Garden Warblers, Whitethroats and the odd Lesser Whitethroat.

It's also that time of year when

What to look for in…JULY

This month sees the return movement of many birds begin in earnest and notably with the waders.  Wetland sites should expect to see an increase in Lapwing, Little Ringed Plover & Green Sandpiper numbers while a variety of other wader species are possible.  Redshank, Greenshank, Common Sandpiper, and Black-tailed Godwit are likely drop-ins with a chance of something rarer.

Our duck populations’ annual moult is already underway,

Latest Hertfordshire Bird Report

The Hertfordshire Bird Report 2022

The Hertfordshire Bird Report 2022 was published and circulated to HNHS / Herts Bird Club members in November 2023. Transactions of the Hertfordshire Natural History Society, Vol 55 (2) pp. 65-144.

Read more

Latest HNHS publication

 

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.