• 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 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)

May 31st
Lea Farm Lake – Little-ringed Plover in East marsh (Steve Clarke); Garden Warbler behind feeders at Ron’s hide, Sedge Warbler on the branches behind the feeders at Ron’s hide (Jon Jackson)

May 30th
Lea Farm Lake – 7 Mute Swan two adults and 5 cygnets, 10 Black-headed Gull with four nesting on the other raft and 6+ on raised shingle island, 8 Common Tern nesting on raft, 2 Swift zipping over lake drinking, 11 Lapwing including 2 sitting birds, Shoveler male, 22 House Martin good numbers gathering mud and drinking this year (FJC); Kingfisher just flew in front of Ron’s hide left to right (Pete Lunn)
Lavell’s Lake – Garden Warbler on the path between the car park and Bitten hide (Mark Oppenheim)
Black Swan Lake – Grey Wagtail on the jetty in front of the Activity Centre (Philip Giles)

May 29th
Lea Farm Lake – 16+ Common Tern, Shoveler male, Little-ringed Plover, 2 Lapwing still sitting, Oystercatcher heard, 4 Rook all juveniles on East Marsh, Black-headed Gull juvenile in the south west corner (FJC)
Lavell’s Lake – 3 Gadwall, Shoveler (FJC); Barn Owl with prey left to right over the lake (John Wolff)
White Swan Lake – Mandarin Duck male on the Loddon west of the lake (Alan Jackman)

May 28th
Lavell’s Lake – 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker adult with a juvenile seen from Bittern hide (Gladys Perrier)

May 27th
Lea Farm Lake – 3 Oystercatcher, Shoveler male, 10 Lapwing including 2 sitting birds, 2 Little-ringed Plover, 13 Common Tern with ten on the raft plus 3 flying around, Whitethroat, Garden Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Cuckoo calling from Lavell’s, 25+ House Martin, Gadwall male in the south west corner, 7 Black-headed Gull sitting on the shingle island (FJC)
Lavell’s Lake – Cuckoo heard from Teal Hide again (Pete Jeffery)

May 26th
Black Swan Lake – 10+ Swallow over the Activity Centre (Philip Giles)
Mortimer’s Meadow – 2 Bullfinch male and female in the central hedge, Peregrine on pylon by Bader Way (Dave Rimes)

May 25th
Lea Farm Lake – 20+ House Martin collecting mud from the north east corner, 3 Gadwall, Lapwing still sitting, Sedge Warbler showing well (FJC); Oystercatcher sitting on the left hand end of the shingle island (Sarah Cook); 5 Sand Martin in and out of the wall one stayed in for several minutes (Keith Boseley); 2 Oystercatcher, Buzzard overhead, 2 Sedge Warbler, Garden Warbler singing, 4 Swift, 20 House Martin, 5 Sand Martin, Swallow, 2 Lapwing sitting (Brian Crathorne)
Lavell’s Lake – Cuckoo on the top of the large Poplar (Philip Giles); 5 Gadwall, Shoveler male, Little Egret (FJC)
Black Swan Lake – Swallow over low seen from the Activity Centre (FJC)

May 24th
Lea Farm Lake – 2 Little-ringed Plover in the south west corner, Snipe flew up from the north east corner, 2 Lapwing both sitting, 11 Black-headed Gull with 4 pairs and 3 sitting on nests, 2 Sand Martin entering wall about middle of 2nd row from top, 2 House Martin circling bay, Reed Warbler singing at the Loddon junction, Whitethroat in bramble on the opposite side, Garden Warbler singing, Kingfisher flew by, Chiffchaff, Green Woodpecker (FJC); Greater-blacked Gull directly opposite Ron’s hide (Lorna Akers-Douglas)
Lavell’s Lake – Kingfisher twice near Mill could be a family around, Shoveler male, 5 Coot chicks on old island (FJC)

May 23rd
Lea Farm Lake – Little-ringed Plover came out on the main island briefly, 2 Oystercatcher, 2 Sand Martin, 10 House Martin, 2 Swift, 10 Common Tern, Lapwing, Reed Warbler serenading us, 2 Sedge Warbler backwards and forwards under Ron’s hide (Simon Huggins)
Lavell’s Lake – Shoveler male on bund (Philip Giles)

May 22nd
Lea Farm Lake – Kingfisher flew upstream at the Green bridge, 2 Little-ringed Plover, 4 Lapwing with 2 still on nests in between fending off Jackdaws, 2 Gadwall in the south west bay, Cuckoo calling then flew across lake over Lodge Wood, 2 Swift, Swallow, Sand Martin observed, 12 House Martin, 7 Common Tern sitting on their raft, Reed Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Whitethroat, 2 Oystercatcher, Little Egret over lake (Michael Hubbard)

May 21st
Lavell’s Lake – 2 Reed Bunting both male in front of Bittern hide (Philip Giles)

May 20th
Lea Farm Lake – 2 Little-ringed Plover in the south west corner, 2 Oystercatcher, Common Sandpiper, 2 Lapwing nesting, Gadwall male, 10 Common Tern on the raft, Mute Swans have 7 cygnets now (FJC)
Lavell’s Lake – 6 Wren in a family group adults with 3-4 juveniles opposite side path from John’s bench (FJC); Common Sandpiper on the bund (Philip Giles)
Sandford Lake – 2 Oystercatcher on gravel island (Philip Giles)
Black Swan Lake – Common Tern, Green Woodpecker, Goldfinch both in the Activity Centre picnic area (Philip Giles)

May 17th
Lea Farm Lake – Hobby through heading towards Lavell’s, 2 Little-ringed Plover, Oystercatcher, Garden Warbler by Ron’s hide, Sedge Warbler, Cuckoo (Brian Crathorne)

May 16th
Lea Farm Lake – 3 Common Sandpiper, 2 Dunlin on the east shore, Little-ringed Plover, Oystercatcher, 7 Lapwing one sitting in the south west corner with 6 more around lake, 19 Egyptian Geese (FJC); Mandarin Duck between Renton’s screen and Ron’s hide (Pete Lunn)
Lavell’s Lake – 4 Raven over towards west, Cuckoo calling from the large Poplar tree (Dave Rimes)
Sandford Lake – 20+ Swift, 3 House Martin (Dave Rimes)

May 15th
Lea Farm Lake – Little-ringed Plover on the island with a upturned tree root, Oystercatcher, 2 Common Sandpiper, Reed Warbler serenading us in the hide, 2 Dunlin almost straight out from hide on the right hand end of a small island (Simon Huggins); Grey Wagtail, Reed Bunting singing in the reeds (Nick Kightley)
Lavell’s Lake – Cuckoo calling from Lavell’s lake direction (Simon Huggins)

May 14th
Lea Farm Lake – 2 Dunlin in summer plumage on the east shore, Little-ringed Plover, Common Sandpiper, 4 Lapwing (Dave Rimes)

May 13th
Lea Farm Lake – 10 House Martin buzzing around Ron’s hide (Alan Jackman)

May 12th
Lea Farm Lake – Reed Bunting male singing at Ron’s hide, Canada Geese with 22 goslings on the Loddon (Nick Kightley); Oystercatcher on the centre island, 2 Common Sandpiper on Shelduck island, Pied Wagtail in the south east corner (Pete Lunn)
Lavell’s Lake – 4 Little Egret on the bund (Philip Giles)
Sandford Lake – 10 Swift, 2 House Martin (Dave Rimes); Common Sandpiper on the island in front of Lin Singer bench (Philip Giles)
Black Swan Lake – Common Tern (Simon Bartlam)

May 11th
Lea Farm Lake – 2 Common Sandpiper, Oystercatcher all in the south west corner, Little Egret flying over heading north (Philip Giles); Rook bathing, Mandarin Duck in the north east corner (Alan Jackman)
Sandford Lake – Swift over (Paul Bright-Thomas)

May 10th
Lea Farm Lake – Dunlin partial summer on East Marsh then old shingle island, Little-ringed Plover, 3 Common Sandpiper, 12 Common Tern, Oystercatcher, 7 Lapwing increase in birds with more displays, 3 House Martin, Cuckoo over towards Lavell’s (FJC); 9 Mute Swan adult with 8 cygnets (Philip Giles); 4 Swift flying around together, Little Egret in the south west bay, Whitethroat, Reed Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Cetti’s Warbler, Garden Warbler all singing from front and north west reeds (Michael Hubbard)

May 9th
Lea Farm Lake – 3 House Martin passing through (Steve Clarke); Oystercatcher, 6 House Martin landing on one of the islands, Common Sandpiper all in the south west corner (Simon Huggins); Whitethroat in bushes to the right of Ron’s hide (Alan Jackman); Nightingale singing with a lot of energy on Loddon Country Park north of Lea Farm (Steven Hallissey)
Black Swan Lake – Garden Warbler in the trees between Black Swan and Heron’s Water (Pete Lunn)

May 8th
Lea Farm Lake – Ringed Plover on the East Marsh, 3 Lapwing, 5 Gadwall pair with 3 males, 4 Swift, 2 Common Sandpiper, 2 Little-ringed Plover, Many Common Terns activity on the raft (FJC)
Lavell’s Lake – Wigeon male, 2 Lapwing, 4+ Reed Warbler, 4 Swift overhead (FJC); 2 Hobby hawking over lake, Oystercatcher over (John Wolff)

May 7th
Lea Farm Lake – Hobby hunting high to the south (Jim Reid)
Lavell’s Lake – 2 Garganey male and female in front of Bittern hide (Lorna Akers-Douglas); Cuckoo at the top of the large Poplar tree (Philip Giles); 2 Lapwing displaying (Steve Clarke)
Sandford Lake – 2 Common Tern sitting on posts on the island (Lorna Akers-Douglas)
Black Swan Lake – Grey Wagtail on pontoon in front of the Activity Centre (Lorna Akers-Douglas)

Male Garganey at Lavell’s Lake – Alan Rymer

Male Garganey at Lavell’s Lake – Lorna Akers-Douglas

May 6th
Lea Farm Lake – Little-ringed Plover, 16 Common Tern on right hand raft, Cuckoo calling from Lavell’s, 3 Lapwing, 2 Oystercatcher at opposite ends of the lake, Little Egret over, 2 Swallow through, Common Sandpiper East Marsh (FJC)
Lavell’s Lake – 2 Garganey male and female seen from Bittern hide (Philip Giles); Hobby from Bittern Hide in tree across from hide (Ralph Watts)
Black Swan Lake – Coal Tit calling from nearby conifers heard from the Activity Centre, Arctic Tern possible through east (FJC); 10+ Swift (Philip Giles)

2 Garganey at Lavell’s Lake – Mark Lauri

May 5th
Lea Farm Lake – 3 Common Tern on the right side raft (Brian Bennett)

May 4th
Lea Farm Lake – Little-ringed Plover, 2 Gadwall both males, Lapwing, 14 Mallard adult with 13 ducklings (FJC); Common Sandpiper, 2+ Swift, Cuckoo (Nick Kightley); 2 Sedge Warbler they were flitting between reeds right in front of Ron’s hide (Sam Marchant); 12 Common Tern on the bouy’s and main spit, 4 Lapwing, 4 Lesser Black-backed Gull, 2 Garden Warbler singing at both south west and north east ends, 2 Reed Warbler heard and seen out front here to, 10 Swallow, 5 House Martin (Michael Hubbard)
Lavell’s Lake – Cuckoo seen from Teal hide (Ralph Watts); Hobby over wire by the Yellow gate (FJC); 2 Little Egret chasing each other around, Reed Warbler, Cetti’s Warbler both calling from the reed bed (Michael Hubbard)
Sandford Lake – 5 Common Tern on posts and the gravel island (Philip Giles); 50+ Swallow, Cuckoo (Nick Kightley)

Sedge Warbler at Lea Farm Lake – Sam Marchant

May 3rd
Lea Farm Lake – 4 Common Tern on the large shingle island, 2 Lapwing displaying, Little-ringed Plover on the far bank by the marsh, 2 Lapwings displaying, 2 Common Sandpiper on the marsh (Steve Clarke); Cuckoo just flew by calling heading towards Lavell’s, Peregrine over north (FJC)
Lavell’s Lake – 2 Pied Wagtail male and female on the bund, Common Sandpiper, Wigeon drake, 2 Lapwing a pair trying for yet another nest scrape, Hobby hunting very high above landfill (Trevor Guyatt); Grey Wagtail at the Loddon bridge on Sandford Lane (Marek Walford)
White Swan Lake – 3 Great Crested Grebe adult with two chicks (Philip Giles)

May 2nd
Lea Farm Lake – 2 Cuckoo with one behind Ron’s hide and one calling from Lavell’s, Kingfisher flew right past Ron’s hide, 3 Sedge Warbler, 10+ House Martin, 3 Sand Martin now low over lake with rain arriving (FJC); 2 Common Tern on the blue buoy (Simon Huggins); Lapwing, Common Tern both in the south west corner (Lorna Akers-Douglas); 15 Greylag Geese two adults with 13 tiny goslings (Trevor Guyatt)
Lavell’s Lake – 3 Swift overhead, Shoveler on the scrape (FJC); Cuckoo showing well in the Poplar tree (Dave Rimes); 2 Blackcap seen from the path next to Teal hide, Cetti’s Warbler calling on the left, 4 Canada Goose adult with 3 very young chick’s, Reed Bunting male, 2 Sedge Warbler to left in reeds, Whitethroat, Cetti’s Warbler on the Loddon path near the Green bridge (Lorna Akers-Douglas)
Black Swan Lake – Swift, Common Sandpiper both seen from the Activity Centre (Dave Rimes)
Mortimer’s Meadow – Peregrine on a pylon (Dave Rimes)

May 1st
Lea Farm Lake – Great White Egret over north, 5 Teal, Shoveler, Little-ringed Plover (FJC)
Lavell’s Lake – Reed Warbler male, Garden Warbler male (Stephen Abbot)
Sandford Lake – Oystercatcher on the most easterly island (Stephen Abbot)
Black Swan Lake – Common Tern in front of the Activity Centre, Mandarin Duck flying north past the Activity Centre (Philip Giles)

FOR OLDER SIGHTINGS GO TO THE ARCHIVE HERE