Mostly occasional autumn and winter visitors, which may have formerly bred.

Foster (1914) stated that they had been reported from near Stevenage. Around that, time they had been seen at the pond in Whitney Wood. 

They are frequent autumn visitors to Fairlands Valley Lakes, from where they were first recorded on 11 September 1974, with seven summer records of single birds on 2 June and, 7 July 2017, 29 July 2020, between 13 and 31 August 2021, 8 June 2022, 19 and 20 June 2022 and between 28 July and 27 August 2022 (with two seen on 22 and 27 August). A pair was seen on 9 November 2012 and a long staying female was seen between 20 September 2020 and 26 February 2021. The most recent record is of one on 19 November 2023.

Other records are: one at Astonbury House Pond from 22 to 29 February 1968; one seen leaving a hole at the back of Lower Pond, Astonbury on 6 and 8 August 1969 and, one feeding regularly there in September; one at Astonbury on 28 July 1970; one on the railings of the pond at the Town Centre Gardens on 24 and 26 October 1974; one at the Town Centre Gardens on 7 August 1975; one at Lanterns Lane, Aston End on 8 January 1977; one hunting Sticklebacks in the Stevenage Brook by Astonbury Wood on 24 September 1978; one at the, “lake”, Astonbury Wood on 16 October 1978; one hunting from the bridge over the pond behind Astonbury House on 4  March 1979; one at Box Wood on 27 August 1979; seen during July and August 1980 at Astonbury; Aston End September 1980; a pair during the 1982 breeding season along the River Beane at Aston; two at Astonbury Wood on 6 January 1985; one at Astonbury on 26 March 1989; one at Astonbury Wood on 15 and 16 July 1990; one at Bragbury End on 12 January 1991; one at Ridlins End on 18 September 1999; one at Goddard End on 22 January 2005; one between Stevenage, and Little Wymondley on 31 August 2007; one at Stevenge Brook, Berkeley Close on 20 December 2010; one at the Stevenage Brook, Ashdown Road on 12 January 2011; one at Stevenage Brook on 17 October 2011 and 20 January 2012; one at the Aston Brook, Goddard End on 29 December 2013; one at the River Beane, Aston End on 12 and 16 September and 29 December 2014; two at the River Beane, Aston End on 9 August 2015; one at the Aston Brook, Goddard End on 14 October 2016; one flying over Aston Allotments on 10 October 2017; one at Burleigh Close on 12 October 2022; one at the, “lake” Astonbury Wood on 8 September 2023.

The 1973 and 1992 Breeding Atlases considered breeding as probable from the tetrad covering Bragbury End and, the 1992 Atlas considered breeding as possible from the tetrad covering Aston. The 2012 Atlas did not consider breeding as possible.  

The 2012 Winter Atlas confirmed their presence from the tetrads covering Pin Green and, Knebworth.