May 31st
Lea Farm Lake – 6 Mandarin female + 5 young on the Loddon 30 metres north of Green Bridge, Cuckoo flying north over the lake, Whitethroat singing near the hide, 6 Swift over the lake (Richard Marsh)
Lavell’s Lake – 5 Oystercatcher on the bund the family group (Eddie Napper); Cuckoo in distant tree, Little Egret (Caroline Moore); Reed Warbler (Steve Rogers)
Reed Warbler at Lavell’s Lake – Steve Rogers
May 29th
Lea Farm Lake – 2 White Wagtail in the north east corner, Reed Warbler heard, Nuthatch (Heather Mahoney)
May 28th
Lea Farm Lake – Pochard, Shoveler male (FJC)
May 27th
Lea Farm Lake – Raven over being mobbed by Jackdaws (Nick Kightley)
Lavell’s Lake – Barn Owl just flown to the nest box in the Wet Meadow (Geoff Emmett); 5 Oystercatcher on the bund (Alan Rymer); Kingfisher (Nick Kightley)
Sandford Lake – Goldcrest singing near Sandford Bridge (Nick Kightley)
Oystercatcher Family at Lavell’s Lake – Geoff Emmett
May 26th
Lea Farm Lake – 13 Common Tern sitting on territories on the southern raft (Geoff Emmett)
Lavell’s Lake – 2 Barn Owl just flown from nest box in the Wet Meadow hunting over the meadow and above reeds (Lee Ellams)
Mungell’s Pond – Grey Wagtail male (Brian Bennett) * First ever sighting from here! *
May 25th
Lavell’s Lake – Barn Owl active near the Owl Box in the Wet Meadow (Adam McTiernan)
Mortimer’s Meadow – 5+ House Sparrow alongside Bader Way 100m north of Bridge over Loddon nice to know that there is a second small stronghold on the park other than the DP main centre (FJC)
May 23rd
Lea Farm Lake – Oystercatcher, Cetti’s Warbler heard (Heather Mahoney)
Lavell’s Lake – Hobby just flew past at speed and low (Peter Scudamore)
May 22nd
Lea Farm Lake – 2 Little Ringed Plover, 2 Cuckoo flying around lake, 2 Gadwall over male and female, 12 Common Tern 6 pairs jostling on the raft with Black-headed Gulls, 40 Sand Martin lots around the wall as well, 2 Oystercatcher over, 5 House Martin, 30 Starling mostly young birds along new fencing (FJC); 2 Treecreeper along side Loddon near fishing post 19 (Rebecca Rees)
Lavell’s Lake – Barn Owl chased by Jackdaws flew into the Owl Box (Alan Rymer)
May 20th
Lea Farm Lake – 2 Cuckoo over calling, 5 Gadwall a pair and 3 males, 5+ Common Tern squeezing themselves on the raft with Black-headed Gulls as all shingle islands under water, Common Sandpiper heard (FJC)
May 16th
Lea Farm Lake – Lapwing (Suren Akkaraju)
Lavell’s Lake – Cetti’s Warbler, Garden Warbler, Reed Warbler all heard near Bittern hide (Heather Mahoney)
May 15th
Lea Farm Lake – 22+ Common Tern on Shingle Island and around raft (FJC); Mediterranean Gull calling and seen low over the lake (Paul Bright-Thomas)
Lavell’s Lake – Hobby perched in Ash Tree along Loddon opposite small wooden bridge, Cuckoo singing around the lake (Paul Bright-Thomas)
May 14th
Lea Farm Lake – Yellow Wagtail male on the east shore then it flew into grass behind fence (Brian Bennett); 18 Swallow on fence (Paul Bright-Thomas)
Black Swan Lake – 2 Oystercatcher over the Old Golf course (Barbara Stephenson)
May 13th
Lea Farm Lake – Wheatear male in the north east corner, White Wagtail male on the east shore (Brian Bennett); 2 Shelduck male and female just flew in from Dinton direction, 10 Common Tern 5 pairs on raft that was put out yesterday (FJC)
May 12th
Lea Farm Lake – 2 Little Ringed Plover on one of the new island, 2 Common Tern in front of the hide (Geoff Emmett); Yellow Wagtail male on the east shore (Brian Bennett)
Lavell’s Lake – Garden Warbler near the Twin Pylons, Hobby with ring over (Geoff Emmett); Garden Warbler in the copse in the Car Park field (Anne Cronin); Cuckoo calling heard from Teal hide coming from direction of Ron’s hide (Sally Bryson-Bond)
Garden Warbler at Lavell’s Lake – Geoff Emmett
May 11th
Lea Farm Lake – White Wagtail male on the east shore, 2 Ringed Plover on the new northern spit, 12+ Common Tern most involved in courtship displays, 4 Lesser Black-backed Gull in the south west corner (Bob Bennett)
Lavell’s Lake – 2 Garden Warbler in the Car Park field, 2 Reed Bunting both males one in the Car Park field collecting blossom from the centre copse the other near Bittern hide, Hobby over the lake, Ring-necked Parakeet over the Car Park field (Bob Bennett)
Sandford Lake – Hobby over the lake flew from Bittern hide (Peter Scudamore)
3 Common Terns in feeding display at Lea Farm Lake – Adam McTiernan
May 10th
Lea Farm Lake – Hooded Crow flew back in and landed on boundary post then dropped to waters edge then quickly off west over hide, Shelduck male, Common Sandpiper (FJC); White Wagtail male, Oystercatcher (Brian Bennett); Kingfisher flying up the Loddon towards the hide (Finley Hutchinson)
Lavell’s Lake – Garden Warbler in the central copse in the Car Park field (Anne Cronin); Hobby overhead being mobbed by 2 Crows above Bittern hide (Steve Molloy); Snipe on the Bund (Finley Hutchinson); Cuckoo seen from Bittern hide (Geoff Emmett)
Black Swan Lake – Mandarin Duck male (Mark Hasler); 3 Oystercatcher on Goat Island one chased off by resident pair (Anne Cronin)
Cuckoo at Lavell’s Lake – Geoff Emmett
May 9th
Lea Farm Lake – 2 Ringed Plover on east shore, Hooded Crow on the landfill (FJC); Hobby, White Wagtail male in front of the hide, 2 Common Sandpiper (Marek Walford)
Lavell’s Lake – Willow Warbler half way between hides (FJC); Cuckoo perched in trees adjacent to Bittern hide sang once then flew off (Finley Hutchinson)
Sandford Lake – Sedge Warbler in the hedgerow near the south west corner (Finley Hutchinson)
Hooded Crow on the Landfill at Lea Farm Lake – FJC
2 Ringed Plover on the east shore at Lea Farm Lake – FJC
May 8th
Lavell’s Lake – Nightingale on the island singing in loud bursts despite quite heavy rain, 2 Gadwall male and female on scrape, Snipe on Bund (FJC)
Black Swan Lake – 4 Oystercatcher adult with three chicks on Goat island, 20 Swift off Activity Centre beach, Grey Wagtail (Tim James); Blackcap female (Alan Jackman)
Female Blackcap at Lavell’s Lake – Alan Jackman
May 7th
Lea Farm Lake – 2 Common Sandpiper in the north east corner, Yellow Wagtail in front of the hide, White Wagtail male (Brian Bennett); Hobby over the lake, 3 Oystercatcher flying around (FJC); Garden Warbler singing from both sides of the Loddon south of the hide (Paul Bright-Thomas)
Lavell’s Lake – Hobby perched on tall leafless tree on the island, Nightingale singing but not visible from the double pylon (Bruce Irvine); Cuckoo seen from the Teal Hide (David White)
May 6th
Lea Farm Lake – 2 Common Sandpiper, 2 Grey Plover heard the calls first then got on to them late flying downstream above the Loddon at about 200ft ran back to Lea Farm Lake but no sign – only 6th confirmed record, Cuckoo (FJC); White Wagtail male, Yellow Wagtail male (Brian Bennett); Little Ringed Plover on the east shore (Geoff Emmett)
Lavell’s Lake – Common Sandpiper on the Bund (Geoff Emmett); Garden Warbler in the thicket near the yellow Gate (Bob Bennett)
Male White Wagtail at Lea Farm Lake – Geoff Emmett
Little Ringed Plover at Lea Farm Lake – Geoff Emmett
Sand Martin in Flight at Lea Farm Lake – Geoff Emmett
May 5th
Lea Farm Lake – 2 Common Sandpiper, White Wagtail male (Brian Bennett); 16 Gadwall including 6 pairs and 4 males, 2 Teal male and female, 100+ Sand Martin feeding over landfill, 10+ Swallow, 2 House Martin (FJC)
Lavell’s Lake – Nightingale singing on main island best heard near double pylon (FJC)
May 4th
Lea Farm Lake – 33 Common Tern, 2 Shelduck in the south west corner, 3 Common Sandpiper, White Wagtail mobile on the east shore, Sanderling adult flew around lake with a Dunlin for nearly a minute before landing on the old shingle island, 3 Dunlin one with the Sanderling 2 more in the north east corner (FJC); Little Ringed Plover on the east shore (Bob Bennett); Yellow Wagtail on the north west shore line, 2 Stock Dove (Mark Shaw)
Lavell’s Lake – 2 Common Sandpiper, 2 Blackcap male and female (Bob Bennett); Oystercatcher on the Bund (Keith Boseley); 2 Sedge Warbler in reed bed behind Bund, Reed Warbler, Cetti’s Warbler, Reed Bunting all singing this evening, Snipe on the Bund, 3 Reed Warbler in reed bed behind hide, Garden Warbler singing at Jerry’s bench, Cuckoo calling from the island, 2 Tawny Owl juveniles calling again along Bittern-Teal pathway, 3 Oystercatcher over towards Lea Farm calling loudly (Michael Hubbard)
Sandford Lake – Grey Wagtail on Sandford Bridge (Mark Shaw)
Black Swan Lake – 4 Mandarin Duck three males chasing a female on the main path round the lake (Adam McTiernan)
White Swan Lake – 3 Reed Warblers singing along reed bed, Sedge Warbler singing at junction with pathway to Black Swan (Michael Hubbard)
May 3rd
Lea Farm Lake – 15 Common Tern all resting on old shingle island, 2 Little Ringed Plovers, Cuckoo, 4 Common Sandpiper (FJC); Yellow Wagtail male in front of the hide, 2 Shelduck (Richard Marsh); White Wagtail adult male seen well with the male Yellow Wagtail just north of the hide, Great Black-backed Gull over (Trevor Guyatt); Whitethroat (Nick Kightley)
Lavell’s Lake – Common Sandpiper (FJC); Little Egret on the Bund (Richard Marsh)
Sandford Lake – Oystercatcher over heading south (Richard Marsh)
Black Swan Lake – Cuckoo, Common Sandpiper, Mandarin Duck male seen near the picnic area (FJC)
Male Yellow Wagtail at Lea Farm Lake – Richard Marsh
Male Yellow Wagtail at Lea Farm Lake – Richard Marsh
Male Mandarin Duck at Black Swan Lake – FJC
May 2nd
Lea Farm Lake – Greenshank heard calling (FJC) ; 2 Shelduck, 4 Common Sandpiper, 3 Common Tern, Sedge Warbler, Reed Warbler, Lapwing, Nuthatch, Ring-necked Parakeet, Great Spotted Woodpecker (Steven Doel)
Lavell’s Lake – Nightingale singing on main island (FJC), 1 Snipe Tern scrape; Cuckoo calling by Teal hide (Fiona Cummins); Grey Wagtail adult feeding 2 young (Patrick Crowley)
Black Swan Lake – 15 Blackcap, 11 Chiffchaff, 9 Song Thrush, 5 Cetti’s Warbler, 2 Treecreeper, 10 Reed Warbler, 6 Swift, 6 Swallow, 6 Sand Martin, 3 House Martin, Oystercatcher, 6 Common Tern, Kingfisher (Patrick Crowley)
May 1st
Lea Farm Lake – 3 Common Tern (Andy Dearing)
Lavell’s Lake – Snipe feeding on bund at Tern scrape, Sedge Warbler in reeds at back of scrape (Andy Cook); Cuckoo (Paul Doctor); Cetti’s Warbler, 2 Hobby, Cuckoo, Great Black-backed Gull over, Lesser Whitethroat heard only, 2 Common Sandpiper on Bund (Roger Stansfield)
Black Swan Lake – Mandarin Duck male, Kestrel, Common Sandpiper, 4 Oystercatcher adult with 3 chicks, Little Egret (Suren Akkaraju)
Mortimer’s Meadow – Nightingale singing (Suren Akkaraju)
