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.

The Local Patch Big Weekend 2024 held on Sat 27th & Sun 28th April

This year’s Local Patch Big Weekend was challenging in more ways than one.  Eleven teams faced the task of finding as many different birds on their local patches over the 48-hour period as possible.  Many of them started bright and early on the Saturday morning only to find that while it was early, it was far from bright!  Instead, heavy rain greeted them and did on and off throughout the weekend.

Conditions at some points were miserable and particular credit must go to those 3 teams who carried out the challenge on foot!  The Harpo No-hoper, The Ver Dippers and the Park Street Part-timer all earned their bonus 20 points for their low carbon, if not muddy, footprint.

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.

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