Birdwatching In Hertfordshire (1 Viewer)

Hello,

Are there any birding hotspots in Hertfordshire specifically near Hertford?

You are well placed for a couple of Herts best birding locations.

Amwell Nature Reserve - 3 miles from centre of Hertford. Among Herts best sites, 3 hides, great for waders, wildfowl, incl bitterns, also warblers in summer incl Cetti's
http://www.hertswildlifetrust.org.uk/reserves/amwell

Kings Meads, 2.5 miles, betw Hertford and Ware. Snipe, waders, etc
http://www.hertswildlifetrust.org.uk/reserves/kings-meads

RSPB Rye Meads nr Hoddesdon, less than 5 miles. Superb site, knowledgeable staff, 8 hides, excellent for Kingfishers, waders, wildfowl plus a variety of passerines and raptors
https://www.rspb.org.uk/reserves-and-events/find-a-reserve/reserves-a-z/reserves-by-name/r/ryemeads/about.aspx

Finally Herts Bird Club updates several times a day with sightings from all around the county that often include a grid reference:
http://www.hnhs.org/herts-bird-club/recordviewarchive

As Wotcha said you've got the Lea Valley very close by and the three sites mentioned are all great wetland birding locations.

For woodland birding you could also try Balls Wood close to Hertford town. Details will be in the Herts wildlife trust website. Probably better for birds in the winter when there is less foliage on the trees but excellent for butterflies and dragonflies in the summer.

Thanks for the detailed descriptions, they helped greatly.

I will be living in the area, so when is the best time to go bird-watching during the day and what time(s) of year has the best chance of spotting birds; I know that the majority of the places mentioned cannot be visited at dawn or dusk/in the evening, so is it worth looking for crepuscular and nocturnal species in residential areas (most likely, my neighborhood)?

Many thanks in advance

animalszoos said:

Thanks for the detailed descriptions, they helped greatly.

I will be living in the area, so when is the best time to go bird-watching; I know that the majority of the places mentioned cannot be visited at dawn or dusk/in the evening, so is it worth looking for crepuscular and nocturnal species in residential areas (most likely, my neighborhood)?

Many thanks in advance

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I'm reliably informed by keen birders who go birding in the county that the best time to go birdwatching in Hertfordshire is "never" or "as rarely as possible". However if that doesn't put you off, I think frequent early morning visits to Amwell to help with the local Coot counts are highly recommended.

cheers, alan

lewis20126 said:

I'm reliably informed by keen birders who go birding in the county that the best time to go birdwatching in Hertfordshire is "never" or "as rarely as possible". However if that doesn't put you off, I think frequent early morning visits to Amwell to help with the local Coot counts are highly recommended.

cheers, alan

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Strange, why have people said bird-watching be severely limited in Hertfordshire?

I am assuming the best times to visit are winter and spring, but do you know what birds can be expected in summer?

There is plenty of good birding in the Lea valley all year round. It is typical of most inland wetland birding sites in South East England. At the main viewpoint at Amwell you will often find local birders who will be happy to give you information on birds to be found on the reserve. You could also go to the visitors centre at RSPB Rye Meads and talk to the staff there.

Early morning and evenings are always more productive but birds can be seen throughout the day. Grey Herons and Little Egrets are always seen at Amwell and Rye Meads. Plenty of wildfowl too. The kingfishers at Rye Meads are currently on their third brood. Green Sandpipers pass through the valley at this time of year and are easy to see at Rye Meads. A Bittern has been hanging around Amwell recently. A Barn Owl has been seen hunting in the evenings. There are always Buzzards, Kestrels and Sparrowhawks around and there was a Peregrine hunting over Rye Meads on tuesday.

All these keep us busy when we've finished counting the coots.

Rye Meads is open between 9am and 5pm only but the other places can be visited at any time.