- In bold type are sightings that are uncommon either by rarity, date or number seen.
- Click on photos for a larger version.
November 30th
Lea Farm GP – Little Egret (FJC)
Lavell’s Lake – 2 Jack Snipe, 2 Snipe, m. Bullfinch, Common Gull, 2 Reed Bunting (R Marsh)
Black Swan Lake – f. Goldeneye (R Marsh)
Sandford Lake – Snipe (R Marsh)
White Swan Lake – 2 Common Gull (R Marsh)
* Fraser has a photo and a short video of one of the Jack Snipe bobbing on his blog here
Common Gull @ Lavell’s, R Marsh
November 29th
Lea Farm GP – Green Sandpiper, Little Egret, 2 Water Rail (FJC)
Lavell’s Lake – Jack Snipe, 15 Snipe (FJC)
Snipe with Jack Snipe in front, G Emmett
November 28th
Lea Farm GP – Coal Tit on feeders, 700+ Black-headed Gull, f. Sparrowhawk, f. Kestrel (G Emmett)
Lavell’s Lake – Jack Snipe (FJC); Kingfisher (M Kettell); 12 Snipe, 2 Little Grebe (L Garner-Langham)
Sandford Lake – 108 Pochard, 1 m. & 3 f. Goldeneye (FJC)
Redwood Lake – Goldcrest, Herring Gull (R Marsh)
November 27th
Lavell’s Lake – 4 Pintail flew north over DP, 12 Snipe (R Marsh)
Sandford Lake – 1 m. & 3 f. Goldeneye (R Marsh)
Middle Marsh – Ferruginous Duck seen to have ring on left leg, confirming it’s the same bird as last winter (M Walford)
November 26th
Lea Farm GP – 70+ Pintail flew north over DP & LFGP. A brilliant record on all counts! (J Jones)
Lavell’s Lake – Jack Snipe at the back of the scrape at Bittern hide, 120+ Shoveler, 45 Pochard, 80+ Wigeon flew over from the south in 2 groups, heading towards LFGP (FJC); 21 Snipe (G Emmett); pair Reed Bunting (R Marsh)
Sandford Lake – 1 m. & 2 f. Goldeneye (R Marsh) 3 f. Goldeneye, 37 Pochard (FJC)
Middle Marsh – Ferruginous Duck found at mid-day. One observer is suggesting this may be last winter’s bird returning and of course opinion was divided on the authenticity of that one due to the leg ring displayed. (S Day et al)
November 25th
Lea Farm GP – Nuthatch, pair Reed Bunting (R Marsh)
Lavell’s Lake – 151+ Shoveler – a new park record, 2 Little Grebe, 37 Pochard, 2 male Kestrel (FJC); 11 Snipe, Cetti’s Warbler, Kingfisher (L Garner-Langham)
Black Swan Lake – 8 Fieldfare over (FJC)
Sandford Lake – 1 m. & 2 f. Goldeneye, 50 Pochard (FJC)
White Swan Lake – 2 Common Gull (R Marsh)
Reed Bunting @ Lea Farm GP, R Marsh
November 24th
Lea Farm GP – 2 Black Swans seen c9.15 a.m. They later flew to Lavell’s Lake mid morning but were back at LFGP early p.m. (S Bartlam et al); 3 Common Gull, Nuthatch, Goldcrest along the Loddon (R Marsh); Great Black-backed Gull (FJC)
Lavell’s Lake – 2 Water Rail seen in feeding area at Bittern hide, with 3rd bird heard only at the same time (M Hunt); 116 Shoveler (FJC); 7 Snipe (R Marsh)
Sandford Lake – 1 m. & 3 f. Goldeneye (Bob Bennett); 130+ Tufted Duck (FJC)
Black Swans @ Lavell’s Lake, R Marsh
November 23rd
Lavell’s Lake – Great Black-backed Gull over (FJC)
With so few sightings reported today it seemed the ideal opportunity to share some information about a colour ringed Black-headed Gull seen last month at Lavell’s Lake. Fraser recorded the details from this ringed bird seen at Bittern hide and has just received a reply from the North Thames Gull Group, which can be seen here.
November 22nd
Lavell’s Lake – 16 Snipe, Chiffchaff, Little Grebe (R Marsh)
Sandford Lake – 3 f. & 1m. Goldeneye (R Marsh)
Little Grebe @ Lavell’s Lake, R Marsh
November 21st
White Swan Lake – Bittern flew up from reeds at 11.30, circled then landed back in reedbed. Photo seems to confirm it’s not the Lavell’s bird – see here (S Day)
November 20th
White Swan Lake – Bittern appeared at 16.20 (FJC)
November 19th
Lea Farm GP – 4 Little Egret, 2 Common Gull, Herring Gull, Nuthatch, 2 Snipe (R Marsh); 350-400 Golden Plover distant over landfill before c40 broke away and flew over to the east of Lea Farm (FJC)
Lavell’s Lake – 25 Snipe, 128 Shoveler – 2nd highest count ever, Jack Snipe between cut reed piles at dusk before leaving with 12+ Snipe in near dark (FJC); Bullfinch, Sparrowhawk, 24 Pochard, 2 Buzzard (R Marsh)
Buzzard @ Lavell’s Lake, R Marsh
November 18th
Lea Farm GP – Water Rail, Little Egret (A Rymer)
Lavell’s Lake – Bittern from Teal hide, flew from sand martin wall to reedbed behind Teal scrape – the only sighting reported in Berks. so far this winter. To see a photo click here (S Day); 7 Snipe, Little Grebe, 9 Pochard, pair Bullfinch, Little Egret (R Marsh)
Sandford Lake – 2 f. Goldeneye (S Day)
White Swan Lake – m. Goldeneye (S Day)
Redwood Lake – f. Bullfinch (R Marsh)
November 17th
Lavell’s Lake – 19 Snipe, Little Grebe, 9 Pochard (R Marsh); 3 Goldcrest (FJC); Redwing (S Day)
Black Swan Lake – 4 Goldcrest (FJC)
Sandford Lake – Chiffchaff on west side, 3 Goldcrest (FJC)
White Swan Lake – 3 Goldcrest (FJC)
November 16th
Lea Farm GP – Jack Snipe, 3 Snipe, Water Rail, Raven, Bar-headed Goose (G Emmett)
Lavell’s Lake – 35 Snipe, Little Grebe (R Marsh); Little Egret, 50 Teal, Water Rail heard, Coal Tit near car park bridge (FJC)
Black Swan Lake – male Goldeneye (R Marsh)
Sandford Lake – male Goldeneye (R Marsh); 31 Pochard (FJC)
November 15th
Lea Farm GP – 2 Snipe, 4 Common Gull, Reed Bunting, Nuthatch (R Marsh)
Lavell’s Lake – 25 Snipe, Little Grebe, 3 Bullfinch, 2 Reed Bunting (R Marsh); Jack Snipe (FJC)
Sandford Lake – 1 male & 3 female Goldeneye (FJC)
November 14th
Lea Farm GP – Jack Snipe, 7 Snipe, 3 Lesser Black-backed Gull, 2 Common Gull, 2 Herring Gull (R Marsh)
Lavell’s Lake – 28 Snipe at Bittern hide + 4 Goldcrest in feeder area, Kingfisher up the Loddon, Chiffchaff near green bridge, 2 Little Grebe at Teal hide (R Marsh)
Sandford Lake – f. Goldeneye, Grey Wagtail, 36 Pochard (R Marsh); m. Bullfinch (L Garner-Langham)
Female Goldeneye @ Sandford Lake, R Marsh
November 13th
Lea Farm GP – 232 Lapwing, 30 Gadwall, c40 Wigeon, c30 Teal, Nuthatch, Water Rail (FJC & FOLL bird walk); Green Sandpiper, Jack Snipe, 48 Cormorant, 10 Snipe, 375 Lapwing (R Righelato)
Lavell’s Lake – Jack Snipe on Bittern hide bund, 102 Shoveler (FJC & FOLL bird walk); 2 Water Rail (R Righelato)
Sandford Lake – 135 Tufted Duck, 30 Pochard, 2 male & 1 female Goldeneye a.m. (FJC & FOLL bird walk); 3 male Goldeneye p.m. (R Righelato)
November 12th
Lea Farm GP – 28 Gadwall, 46 Wigeon, 51 Teal, 18 Mallard, 2 Shoveler (FJC)
November 11th
Lea Farm GP – 2 Meadow Pipit & 2 Skylark on landfill (FJC); Water Rail, 3 Common Gull, 2 Herring Gull, Raven over landfill, 2 Nuthatch, 2 Reed Bunting (R Marsh)
Lavell’s Lake – 1 Water Rail seen at Teal hide and 2nd heard only, 3rd Water Rail showing well at Bittern hide, Chiffchaff near Teal hide, Kingfisher (R Marsh); 26 Snipe, 93 Shoveler, 40 Fieldfare over (FJC)
Sandford Lake – Water Rail calling in reeds along west side, Goldcrest (R Marsh)
Water Rail @ Bittern hide, R Marsh
Shoveler @ Lavell’s Lake, R Marsh
November 9th
Lea Farm GP – 1 Jack Snipe on east shore behind r/h raft, 8 Fieldfare, 20+ Redwing over, Ring-necked Parakeet over the Loddon (FJC)
Lavell’s Lake – Water Rail calling (FJC)
Sandford Lake – f. Goldeneye, 4 Pochard, 102 Tufted Duck (FJC)
November 8th
Lavell’s Lake – 2 Snipe, Pochard, 3 Fieldfare & 20+ Redwing over (FJC)
Black Swan Lake – 7 Pochard, Grey Wagtail (FJC)
Sandford Lake – 5 Pochard (FJC)
November 7th
Lavell’s Lake – 8 Snipe, 62 Shoveler (R Marsh); 5 Little Grebe together near Teal hide (P Scudamore); Green Woodpecker (L Garner-Langham)
Sandford Lake – 9 Pochard, Common Gull (R Marsh); m. Goldeneye, Goldcrest (L Garner-Langham)
White Swan Lake – 33 Wigeon (R Marsh)
November 6th
Lea Farm GP – 2 Snipe, 2 Little Egret, Meadow Pipit (FJC); Water Rail, Sparrowhawk (G Emmett); 7 Common Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull (R Marsh)
Lavell’s Lake – 16 Snipe, 3 Little Grebe, Common Gull, 67 Shoveler, 3 Goldcrest (R Marsh); 400 Wood Pigeon over (FJC)
Black Swan Lake – 14 Pochard (FJC)
Sandford Lake – f. Goldeneye (FJC); m. Goldeneye (R Marsh)
November 5th
Lea Farm GP – 20 Snipe (J Jones); Little Egret (FJC)
Lavell’s Lake – 9 Snipe, Little Grebe, 2 Bullfinch (R Marsh)
Sandford Lake – male & female Goldeneye (S Doel)
Snipe @ Lavell’s Lake, G Emmett
November 4th
Sandford Lake – male & female Goldeneye (S Day)
November 3rd
Lea Farm GP – 7 Snipe, pair Gt Crested Grebes mating (R Bryant); 2 Jack Snipe, Little Egret, Grey Wagtail, Common Gull (R Marsh)
Lavell’s Lake – 23 Snipe, m. Pochard, 3 Little Grebe, m. Bullfinch (R Marsh)
Sandford Lake – m. Goldeneye, 4f. & 1m. Pochard, Snipe (R Marsh)
Drake Goldeneye, R Marsh
November 2nd
Lea Farm GP – 2 Jack Snipe (G Emmett)
Lavell’s Lake – 2 Pintail inc. 1 male over from BSL direction early a.m. then 2 female types seen from Bittern hide early p.m. confirming 3 present today, 38 Snipe, 4 Siskin over, 2 Cetti’s Warbler, Mistle Thrush, 2 Bullfinch, 100 Wood Pigeon over (FJC)
Black Swan Lake – 4 Pochard (FJC)
November 1st
Lea Farm GP – 2 Jack Snipe, Grey Wagtail, Little Egret, 5 Common Gull, 2 Water Rail heard, 5 Snipe (R Marsh)
Lavell’s Lake – Brambling calling from edge of car park, 2 Water Rail heard at Bittern hide, 20 Redwing (FJC); 20 Snipe, Pintail, 3 Little Grebe, f. Pochard (R Marsh)
Common Gull, R Marsh
