Passage migrant and summer visitor that has bred.

The Hobby had declined in Britain by the end of the nineteenth century mainly due to persecution by gamekeepers, egg collecting and the loss of suitable habitat. They are now increasing again in southern England.

Prior to 1967 when they began breeding again in Hertfordshire the last known instance of breeding in the county came from Box Wood in 1884. The Hertfordshire Natural History Society’s Bird Notes of 1896 recorded that Mr Frank Latchmore of Hitchin had Hobby eggs taken some years before from Stevenage. Foster (1914) reported that the Hobby was well known by a ‘keeper to visit a locality near Stevenage but, that it had not been seen for a few years. One was reported as being shot at Box Wood in February 1932, this however seems an unlikely date as generally they do not arrive in Britain until April or May.

Although a possible bird was seen passing high over Fishers Green on 8 August 1980, the first definite modern record of a Hobby at Stevenage also fittingly came from Box Wood on 19 September 1981, when one was seen mobbing a Buzzard (Buteo buteo).

Mostly single birds are recorded almost annually during spring and autumn migration. The earliest of the spring was seen on 21 March 2021 at an unrecorded location and, the latest of the autumn was seen on 22 September 2006 at an unrecorded location.

Summer records have come from: Chells (5 June 2021); Coreys Mill (16 June 2003); Derby Way (18 June 2010); Fairlands Valley Park (19 June 2017 and 1 June 2022); Jackdaw Close (12 July 2005); Lonsdale Road (13 July 1994); Railway Station (20 June 1990); Stanley Road (8 June and 21 July 2021); Tilekiln Wood area ((12 July 2017).

Breeding was confirmed in 1982 when four birds, including two juveniles were seen daily from 25 August.

The 1973 Breeding Atlas confirmed breeding from the tetrad covering Broadwater and, Knebworth. The 1992 Atlas considered breeding as probable in two of Stevenage’s tetrads, and possible from one. The 2012 Atlas considered breeding as possible from the tetrad covering Norton Green.

The most recent record is of one at Fairlands Valley Lakes on 3 May 2024.