- Sightings in bold are marked as such to note either rarity, a high number counted, or an unusual date
- A complete Excel spreadsheet list of the 118 species seen so far in 2026 is here.
- Bird Sightings, including your pictures, can be reported to this page using the LWT WhatsApp group, LWT Facebook page or via berksbirds.co.uk
- Click on photos for a larger version.
- FOR OLDER SIGHTINGS GO TO THE ARCHIVE HERE
July 22nd
Lea Farm Lake – 3 Green Sandpiper, Little Ringed Plover juvenile, Grey Wagtail all from Renton’s screen (Philip Giles); Common Sandpiper (Paul Bright-Thomas)
Lavell’s Lake – Little Grebe by bend on the bund (Philip Giles)
July 21st
Lea Farm Lake – Common Sandpiper in the north east corner, 2 Green Sandpiper flying around, Little Ringed Plover juvenile at Renton’s screen (FJC)
July 20th
Lea Farm Lake – Common Sandpiper, Green Sandpiper both in front of Renton’s screen (Philip Giles); 4 Green Sandpiper, 2 Lapwing, 2 Stock Dove all seen from Renton’s screen (Brian Crathorne)
Lavell’s Lake – Little Grebe seen from Bittern hide (Philip Giles)
Sandford Lake – 4 Tufted Duck ducklings (Philip Giles)
July 19th
Lea Farm Lake – Green Sandpiper near Renton’s screen, 2 Little Ringed Plover both juveniles seen from Renton’s screen (Michael Hubbard)
July 18th
Lea Farm Lake – 5 Skylark on far landfill, Kingfisher in front of Ron’s hide, Common Sandpiper on the north spit islands, 3 Green Sandpiper either side of Ron’s hide, Little Ringed Plover in the north east corner, Little Grebe flew into north west corner (FJC); Grey Wagtail in front of Renton’s screen, 2 Common Sandpiper between Renton’s screen and Ron’s hide (Pete Lunn)
Lavell’s Lake – 14 Gadwall, Wigeon a male in eclipse (FJC)
Landfill Viewing Point – 10+ Goldfinch on a Hawthorn in front of the old Oak (FJC)
Sandford Lake – 34 Gadwall, Shoveler, 5 Tufted Duck duckling (FJC)
July 16th
Lea Farm Lake – 3 Green Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, Little Egret, Rook (Nick Kightley); Sedge Warbler (Kevin Starley)
Sedge Warbler at Lea Farm Lake – Kevin Starley
July 15th
Lea Farm Lake – Shoveler male in the south west corner (Philip Giles)
July 14th
Black Swan Lake – Kestrel female over the Activity Centre (Philip Giles)
July 13th
Lea Farm Lake – 3 Green Sandpiper towards Ron’s hide, Oystercatcher in front of Renton’s screen (Philip Giles)
July 12th
Lea Farm Lake – Kingfisher flew around the lake a few times, 2 Sedge Warbler adult and juvenile, Oystercatcher, Little Egret, 2 Kingfisher adult and juvenile, 3 Green Sandpiper seen from Renton’s screen (Steve Clarke); Common Sandpiper seen from Renton’s screen, 2 Green Woodpecker adult with a juvenile along the Loddon (Tim James)
Lavell’s Lake – 2 Little Grebe an adult and fully grown juvenile near Great Crested Grebe nest (Peter Scudamore)
July 11th
Lea Farm Lake – Green Sandpiper between Renton’s screen and Ron’s hide, Common Sandpiper on the south east shoreline (Pete Lunn)
Lavell’s Lake – Kingfisher male, Green Sandpiper, Wigeon drake in eclipse (Dave Rimes); Treecreeper, Nuthatch both seen on the path between Teal hide and Bittern hide in the tree opposite the gate, Reed Bunting in the reeds to the right of the scrape (Pete Lunn)
Kingfisher at Lavell’s Lake – Dave Rimes
July 10th
Lea Farm Lake – 2 Swallow over the north east corner, 5 Little Egret 3 adults and 2 juveniles, Common Sandpiper on the East Marsh, 5 Teal on the East Marsh first since May, Green Sandpiper flew towards Ron’s screen (FJC)
Lavell’s Lake – 3 Green Sandpiper (Steve Robertson); 2 Little Ringed Plover, 2 Lapwing on Bittern scrape (Laura Goodall)
Sandford Lake – 40+ Gadwall (FJC)
July 9th
Lea Farm Lake – 6 Little Egret (David ONeill); 2 Yellow Wagtail both juveniles on east fence towards the right hand end of long grass section (FJC); 9 Common Tern chicks 6 still on the shingle island plus 3 on the raft (Nick Kightley)
Lavell’s Lake – 2 Green Sandpiper (David ONeill)
July 8th
Lea Farm Lake – Oystercatcher, 2 Little Egret, Common Sandpiper (FJC); Greenfinch calling in trees over river behind Renton’s screen (Alan Jackman); Little Grebe off to the right of the black-headed Gull raft heading towards Renton’s screen (Gethin Craig)
Lavell’s Lake – 3 Green Sandpiper, Little Egret, Wigeon male (FJC)
Black Swan Lake – 3 Grey Wagtail adult with 2 juvenile (FJC)
July 7th
Lavell’s Lake – 3 Green Sandpiper on the scrape, Snipe (Philip Giles); 2 Lapwing, Little Egret (Peter Scudamore)
Snipe at Lavell’s Lake – Philip Giles
July 6th
Lea Farm Lake – 2 Oystercatcher near Renton’s screen, 8 Common Tern juveniles 6 fledged onto shingle island and 2 still visible on raft (Alan Jackman)
Lavell’s Lake – 2 Green Sandpiper, 4 Swallow (Philip Giles); Hobby flying around island in front of Bittern hide (Alan Jackman)
Black Swan Lake – Common Sandpiper on jetty at the Activity Centre (Philip Giles); Coal tit by the Activity Centre (Alan Jackman)
Mortimer’s Meadow – Bullfinch heard (Alan Jackman)
Common Sandpiper at Black Swan Lake – Philip Giles
July 5th
Lavell’s Lake – Kingfisher flew right to left past hide (Lorna Akers-Douglas); Green Sandpiper on the scrape (Philip Giles); 2 Little Egret, Little Ringed Plover, Kingfisher (Don Broadbridge)
Landfill Viewing Point – 2 Goldfinch, Greenfinch both over the landfill, 2 Skylark up and over the far Landfill (FJC)
July 4th
Lea Farm Lake – 4 Skylark on the far landfill suggesting a successful breeding before they cut the grass a few days ago, Mandarin Duck flew across the south west corner, 3 Oystercatcher flying around calling, 26 Lapwing, 6 Little Egret, 2 Green Sandpiper flew behind the Oak beyond the Sand Martin wall, 9 Common Tern chicks (FJC); Kingfisher flew down the Loddon by the Green bridge (Steve Clarke); 2 Grey Wagtail male and female in the south east corner (Pete Lunn)
Lavell’s Lake – Wigeon male summering bird now moulting into eclipse, Kingfisher flew past hide, Water Rail adult in the right hand corner of the scrape from Bittern hide (FJC); Mediterranean Gull with Black-headed Gulls for a few minutes then everything flushed by a Carrion Crow flying towards Sandford (John McGowan); 2 Green Sandpiper on the scrape, 2 Little Ringed Plover on the scrape (Philip Giles); Kingfisher just flew right to left in front of the hide (Pete Lunn)
July 3rd
Lavell’s Lake – 2 Green Sandpiper on the scrape, Kingfisher briefly in front of Bittern hide (Philip Giles); 4 Little Egret on the bund (Trevor Guyatt); Water Rail at back of Tern scape seen with Trevor Guyatt (Elaine Charlson)
Black Swan Lake – 45+ Swift seen near the Activity Centre, Kingfisher flew by towards the Old Golf Course (FJC); 3 Grey Wagtail on the jetty near the Activity Centre (Philip Giles)
July 2nd
Lavell’s Lake – 7 Mute Swan adult with 6 cygnets at Bittern hide (Lorna Akers-Douglas)
July 1st
Lea Farm Lake – 3 Green Woodpecker male and female with a juvenile on Loddon bank opposite Green bridge, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Oystercatcher on east shore (Lorna Akers-Douglas); Cuckoo flew down the Loddon behind Renton’s (Alan Jackman)
June 30th
Lea Farm Lake – 2 Common Sandpiper, Little Egret, Sparrowhawk, Greenfinch calling near the feeder’s at Ron’s hide (Nick Kightley)
Lavell’s Lake – Great Spotted Woodpecker on Bittern hide feeder’s (Philip Giles); 2 Green Woodpecker close to the Loddon near lay-by, 2 Blackcap male and female near the Loddon with both carrying food (Lorna Akers-Douglas)
Sandford Lake – Kingfisher flying left to right seen from the hide (Philip Giles)
June 29th
Lea Farm Lake – Green Sandpiper in front of Renton’s screen (Alan Jackman); Green Woodpecker between Renton’s screen and Ron’s hide (Philip Giles)
June 28th
Lea Farm Lake – 2 Oystercatcher feeding on the mud to the right of Renton’s screen (Philip Giles); 4 Little Egret, Heron all to the right of Ron’s hide (Phil Sigley)
Sandford Lake – 8 Coot adult with 7 young chicks near hide, 2 Lesser Black-backed Gull adult with small juvenile on island nearest to hide first time they have bred here (FJC)
June 27th
Lea Farm Lake – Kingfisher along the Loddon by the Green bridge (Steve Clarke)
Lavell’s Lake – Great Spotted Woodpecker around the feeder’s, Kingfisher just flew around in front of Bittern hide, 4 Oystercatcher flew over towards Sandford Lake (Pete Lunn)
June 26th
Sandford Lake – 3 Great Crested Grebe adult with two chick’s, third egg showing (Alan Jackman)
June 25th
Sandford Lake – 2 Great Crested Grebe adult with chick (Philip Giles)
June 24th
Black Swan Lake – Coal Tit near the climbing wall, 2 Goldfinch, 2 Goldcrest all seen near the Activity Centre (Philip Giles)
June 23rd
Lea Farm Lake – 3 Little-ringed Plover male and female in the south west corner with a fully grown juvenile in the East Marsh, 3 Oystercatcher all adults, 10 Lapwing (FJC)
Lavell’s Lake – 7 Gadwall, Wigeon male, Kingfisher flew past Bittern hide twice, Grey Wagtail singing at bridge by lay-by in the west end (FJC)
Sandford Lake – 50+ Gadwall, Pochard juvenile (FJC); Kingfisher flying around lake (Philip Giles)
June 21st
Lea Farm Lake – Green Sandpiper in north west corner (Steve Clarke); 2 Oystercatcher, 6 Swift, 4 Sand Martin, Sedge Warbler singing briefly (Brian Crathorne)
June 20th
Lea Farm Lake – Green Sandpiper in the East Marsh at the north end, 2 Little-ringed Plover, Oystercatcher, 7 Common Tern chicks, sadly only 1 Mute Swan cygnet, 10+ Lapwing, 2 Black-headed Gulls both juveniles, 2 Common Tern male and female starting to nest on shingle island, 2 Little Egret briefly in the south west corner (FJC); 2 Oystercatcher male and female (Dave Rimes); Mandarin Duck flew past (Steve Clarke)
Lavell’s Lake – Green Sandpiper, Kingfisher (Steve Clarke); Green Woodpecker seen from Teal hide (Sam Marchant)
Sandford Lake – 23 Gadwall (FJC); 4 Oystercatcher on gravel island seen from the hide (Philip Giles)
Black Swan Lake – 25+ Swift, 75+ Egyptian Geese (FJC)
June 19th
Lavell’s Lake – Wigeon male on the bund, 3 Lapwing including one juvenile with head just bobbing over the vegetation, Reeds Bunting, Reed Warbler singing from the reed bed (Michael Hubbard)
June 18th
Lavell’s Lake – Wigeon male on the bund, Kingfisher adult male on the bund seen from Bittern hide (Alan Rymer)
Black Swan Lake – Coal Tit near the climbing wall at the Activity Centre (Philip Giles)
June 17th
Lea Farm Lake – Kingfisher male between Renton’s screen and Ron’s hide seen from Renton’s screen perched briefly (Philip Giles)
June 16th
Lea Farm Lake – Coal Tit calling opposite the Green bridge, Curlew wading left of Ron’s hide (Nick Kightley)
Lavell’s Lake – 2 Grey Wagtail flitting back and forth near Sandford Lane road bridge (Cathy Stillman-Lowe)
Curlew at Lea Farm Lake – Nick Kightley
June 15th
Lavell’s Lake – Hobby flew left to right low, Sparrowhawk circling high up both seen from the Bittern hide (Keith Seymour)
June 14th
Lea Farm Lake – 7+ Common Tern chicks on right raft, 2 Black-headed Gull chicks on left raft (Peter Scudamore)
Lavell’s Lake – Cuckoo being chased by Jackdaw down the Emm Brook (Peter Scudamore)
Sandford Lake – 2 Oystercatcher nesting on little island they nested on last year (Peter Scudamore)
June 13th
Black Swan Lake – Grey Wagtail on the Activity Centre beach (Philip Giles)
Grey Wagtail at Black Swan Lake – Philip Giles
June 12th
Lavell’s Lake – 2 Grey Wagtail, Cuckoo, Kingfisher (Ian Young)
Black Swan Lake – Common Tern (Ian Young); Kingfisher flew right to left along the Emm Brook (Philip Giles)
June 11th
Lavell’s Lake – Wigeon male, Shoveler both still present (Peter Scudamore)
June 10th
Sandford Lake – Shoveler male (Philip Giles)
Black Swan Lake – 50+ Swift over and around the Activity Centre (Philip Giles)
June 9th
Lea Farm Lake – 11+ Common Tern with three pairs with five chicks maybe more (Peter Scudamore)
June 8th
Lavell’s Lake – Wigeon on the bund (Tim James)
Sandford Lake – 6 Swift flying over (Alan Jackman)
Black Swan Lake – 6 Swift viewable from the Activity Centre (Tim James)
June 7th
Lea Farm Lake – 5 Skylark, 30 Swift over low, 2 Oystercatcher flying around, 7 Lapwing, 12 Gadwall includes two pairs, Mallard family with 5 tiny ducklings, 3 Grey Wagtail female plus 2 juvenile in the south west corner, Cuckoo just began calling, Little-ringed Plover in the north east corner, 24 Black-headed Gull 8 pairs on the raft plus 8 on the shingle island (FJC); Kingfisher flew towards lodge wood (Steve Clarke)
Black Swan Lake – 90+ Swift spread across boundary of Sandford and the Old Golf Course, Grey Wagtail (FJC)
June 6th
Lea Farm Lake – 3 Cuckoo one singing to the south near Teal hide whilst two chasing each other probably male chasing female in sky over Lodge wood, Reed Warbler (Andy Tomczynski); 8 Common Tern all sitting, 2 Gadwall, Oystercatcher flying around, 2 Garden Warbler near Ron’s hide. Little-ringed Plover (FJC)
Lavell’s Lake – Garden Warbler between the Yellow gate and the Green bridge (FJC)
Sandford Lake – 5 Gadwall, Cuckoo west side of the lake (FJC)
Black Swan Lake – 25 Swift spread out over high trees on boundary of Sandford Lake, 4 Grey Wagtail with two juveniles all on the Activity Centre beach (FJC)
Reed Warbler at Lea Farm Lake – Andy Tomczynski
June 5th
Lea Farm Lake – Sand Martin checking out a number of holes in the wall (Pete Jeffery)
Lavell’s Lake – Cuckoo male singing and seen (Dave Rimes); Cuckoo just flew over Bittern hide (Mark Lauri); Reed Bunting, Reed Warbler, Cetti’s Warbler, Cuckoo regularly calling, Kingfisher calling, Little Egret hunting along edge of reeds (Jo Slevin)
Sandford Lake – Cuckoo male singing and seen around the south west side of the lake towards Heron’s Water (Dave Rimes); Red-crested Pochard male (Don Broadbridge)
Black Swan Lake – Greenfinch in Activity Centre car park (Anne Butcher)
Male Red-crested Pochard at Sandford Lake – Don Broadbridge
June 4th
Lea Farm Lake – Oystercatcher, 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker female and juvenile on the feeder’s, Grey Wagtail, A number of House Martin’s flying close to Ron’s hide (Pete Jeffery)
June 3rd
Lea Farm Lake – 3 Oystercatcher behind the Common Tern raft on the left (Gethin Craig)
Sandford Lake – Many Swift’s feeding low over the lake (Philip Giles)
June 2nd
Lea Farm Lake – Little-ringed Plover on East marsh (Dave Rimes)
Lavell’s Lake – Cuckoo calling from tall Poplar (Gray Burfoot)
Black Swan Lake – 2 Swallow flying through under the deck at the Activity Centre, 2 Grey Wagtail on the jetty in front of the Activity Centre (Philip Giles)
June 1st
Lea Farm Lake – 2 Garden Warbler one behind Ron’s hide the other further down the Loddon, 5 Sand Martin, Reed Warbler, Sedge Warbler (Brian Crathorne); 6 Heron on island where Lapwing’s were nesting (Alan Jackman); 2 Kingfisher one in the south west flew towards Loddon also one flew upstream near Jack’s garden earlier, 21 Lapwing counted around lake, 30+ House Martin, 4 Swallow, Shoveler in the south west bay (Michael Hubbard)
Lavell’s Lake – Cuckoo, 2 Little Egret (Brian Crathorne); Cuckoo seen in tree left of Bittern hide, 2+ Goldfinch in fir trees south of the Activity Centre (Alan Jackman)
FOR OLDER SIGHTINGS GO TO THE ARCHIVE HERE
