Occasional winter visitor and passage migrant.

Prior to 1850 when they were introduced into Norfolk, Gadwall were only visitors in small numbers to Britain. They were not recorded in Hertfordshire until 1925 and, were first recorded in North Hertfordshire in 1954 when a female was at Radwell Lake near Baldock during February and March.

Occasional visitors to Fairlands Valley Lakes between August and April, from where they were first recorded on 1 November 1993, when a drake was seen. There were three further records in the 1990s.

Six records between 2000 and 2009 and a further six records between 2010 to 2019.

The most seen together are, five (three drakes, two females) on 20 October 1997.

Since 2020 there have been 15 records, the latest record is of one seen on 28 April 2024.