• Sightings in bold are marked as such to note either rarity, a high number counted, or an unusual date
• For a complete Excel spreadsheet list of the 131 species seen so far in 2024 click 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

January 23rd
Lea Farm Lake – 2 Goosander male and female close to the east bank (Tim James)
Lavell’s Lake – Bittern flew from reeds near Teal hide heading towards Bittern hide, Cetti’s Warbler calling, Sparrowhawk following the Starling’s murmuration (Eddie Napper)

January 22nd
Black Swan Lake – Kestrel, 2+ Redwing all on the Old Golf Course (Alan Jackman)
Mortimer’s Meadow – Peregrine on a pylon, Kestrel, 3 Chiffchaff (Alan Jackman)

January 21st
Lea Farm Lake – Great White Egret on the north east shore (Alan Jackman); 2 Shelduck on the shingle island (Peter Scudamore)
Lavell’s Lake – Great White Egret on the far bank from Bittern hide, 3 Goldcrest by the Wooden gate next to the lay by (Alan Jackman); Bittern sat on the edge of the reeds for 5 minutes (Tim James)
Sandford Lake – Great White Egret on the north side (Alan Jackman)
Mortimer’s Meadow – Peregrine on a pylon (Alan Jackman); 2 Chiffchaff male and female, Goldcrest in bushes by the Wooden bridge, Grey Wagtail near the Loddon, Nuthatch seen and heard (Rebecca Rees)

January 20th
Lea Farm Lake – 65 Lapwing, 2 Chaffinch opposite Ron’s hide (Brian Crathorne)
Lavell’s Lake – Buzzard behind Bittern hide (Brian Crathorne)
Sandford Lake – Goldcrest near the hide (Brian Crathorne)

January 19th
Lea Farm Lake – 2 Goosander just flew off, 2 Stonechat male and female in the long grass (FJC)
Lavell’s Lake – 3 Chiffchaff in a small willow on the opposite bank, Great White Egret flew over towards Sandford (FJC); Barn Owl flew past Teal hide (Alan Jackman)
Sandford Lake – Peregrine over towards the Activity Centre, Great White Egret out of the reed bed near the Loddon, 15+ Goldfinch heading towards the Loddon (FJC)
Black Swan Lake – 4 Goldeneye two males and two females seen from Tweddle’s bench (Martin Friend)

January 18th
Lea Farm Lake – 2 Goosander just flew in (Roger Stansfield)
Lavell’s Lake – Bittern flew out of reeds from Teal hide, Sparrowhawk sat in tree (John MacGoven); Great White Egret, Chiffchaff near the door of Teal hide (Steve Clarke); 2000+ Starling into roost near Teal hide (FJC)
Sandford Lake – Great White Egret flying west over the lake (John MacGoven)
Mortimer’s Meadow – Peregrine on the pylon with prey, 20+ Siskin along the Loddon behind White Swan lake (Dave Rimes)

January 17th
Lavell’s Lake – 8 Snipe at the end of the Bund, Little Grebe in front of Teal hide (Alan Jackman); Great White Egret flew over heading towards Lea Farm (Colin Holmes)
Sandford Lake – Goosander female on an island, Great White Egret on the west bank (Colin Holmes)
Black Swan Lake – 3 Goldeneye male and two females, Kestrel over the Old Golf Course (Alan Jackman)
White Swan Lake – 4 Chiffchaff, Redwing near the Wooden bridge over the Loddon (Alan Jackman)

January 16th
Lavell’s Lake – Coal Tit calling from Jack’s garden, 5000+ Starling coming to roost in reeds to the left of Teal hide (Roger Stansfield)
Sandford Lake – Goosander female back on an island (Dave Rimes); 3 Snipe (Rick Dawson)
Black Swan Lake – 4 Goldeneye two males and two females (Dave Rimes); Barnacle Goose heading north east from the Activity Centre (Simon Huggins)

January 14th
Lea Farm Lake – 2 Stonechat, Shelduck, Snipe (Nick Kightley); Great White Egret on the Loddon between the Green bridge and Ron’s hide, Dartford Warbler on a fence post (Trevor Guyatt)
Lavell’s Lake – Great Spotted Woodpecker on the feeder’s, 2 Dunnock male and female, 2 Chaffinch male and female, Nuthatch all on or below the feeder’s (Lorna Akers-Douglas)

January 13th
Lea Farm Lake – 2 Stonechat, Dartford Warbler both on the fence line (Colin Holmes); Grey Wagtail on the opposite side of the Loddon, Reed Bunting female on the feeder’s (Chris Conry); 2 Shelduck, Great White Egret on the Loddon (FJC); Chiffchaff near the Green bridge, 3 Reed Bunting all females on the feeder’s, Little Egret on the banks of the Loddon (Keith Seymour)
Lavell’s Lake – 7 Snipe on the Bund (Alan Jackman); Water Rail under feeder’s (Colin Holmes); 3 Chaffinch two males and a female under the Bittern hide feeder’s (Trevor Guyatt); 2400+ Starling landed in a Poplar (FJC); Great Spotted Woodpecker female on the feeder’s, Water Rail, Reed Bunting female (Angela Gunn)
Black Swan Lake – 22+ Redwing on the Old Golf Course and near the old Cafe (Alan Jackman); 5 Fieldfare on the Old Golf Course (Colin Holmes)
Mortimer’s Meadow – Treecreeper near the wooden bridge, Peregrine on a pylon (Alan Jackman)

Female Reed Bunting at Lavell’s Lake – Kev Colbran

January 12th
Lea Farm Lake – 2 Stonechat, 2 Goosander male and female on the Loddon near Ron’s hide, 2 Great White Egret both together on the bank of the Loddon near Ron’s hide, 3 Common Gull, 220 Teal, Dartford Warbler with the Stonechats as usual, Lesser Black-backed Gull (FJC); Firecrest on the path to Ron’s hide north of the Green bridge (Brian Crathorne); 2 Reed Bunting on the feeder’s by Ron’s hide (Adam Wigley); Grey Wagtail, Chiffchaff, Greenfinch all near Ron’s hide (Peter Scudamore)
Lavell’s Lake – Firecrest south of the Green bridge, Water Rail under the Bittern hide feeder’s (Adam Wigley); 5+ Siskin in the Alder’s in Jack Garden (FJC)
Heron’s Water – Siskin with a Tit flock (Peter Scudamore)
Black Swan Lake – 2 Mistle Thrush on the Old Golf Course, Kestrel on the Old Golf Course, Kingfisher flying across the lake (Peter Scudamore)

January 11th
Lea Farm Lake – 2 Stonechat, Great White Egret, 3 Snipe, 270 Teal (Marek Walford); Meadow Pipit, Dartford Warbler (FJC); 4 Curlew on the waters edge in the north east corner (Michael Hubbard); Kingfisher between Ron’s and Renton’s screen (Lorna Akers-Douglas)
Lavell’s Lake – Tawny Owl calling opposite the Green bridge, Grey Wagtail feeding south of the Green bridge (FJC); 2 Redwing on the path to Teal hide (Lorna Akers-Douglas)
Lavell’s Viewing Point – Great Black-back Gull (FJC)
Black Swan Lake – Coal Tit heard near the Activity Centre, 1000+ Black-headed Gull, 10+ Common Gull, 2 Lesser Black-backed Gull, Snipe over (FJC)

January 10th
Lea Farm Lake – Redwing behind Ron’s hide, Snipe on the western bank (Alan Jackman)
Lavell’s Lake – 7 Snipe beyond the frozen Bund (Marion Davies)
Black Swan Lake – 4 Goldeneye male and three females, 40+ Egyptian Geese leaving their roost on Goat island (Dave Rimes)
White Swan Lake – Chiffchaff towards the south end, Siskin calling (Dave Rimes)
Mortimer’s Meadow – Chiffchaff by the Loddon near the Peregrine pylon, Siskin calling (Dave Rimes)

January 9th
Lavell’s Lake – Little Grebe from Teal hide (Adam Wigley)
Black Swan Lake – Coal Tit singing at the entrance to the Activity Centre before flying off (Nick Kightley)

January 5th
Lea Farm Lake – 2 Shelduck in the south west corner (Steve Clarke)
Black Swan Lake – Mistle Thrush on the old Golf Course (Steve Clarke)
White Swan Lake – 2 Chiffchaff with a flock of Long-tailed Tits (Brian Crathorne)

January 4th
Lea Farm Lake – Dartford Warbler, Stonechat female, 2 Shelduck, Barnacle Goose (Marek Walford); Green Woodpecker over towards Lodge Wood (Steve Clarke); 2 Shelduck sleep on the island, 2 Goosander male and female (Peter Scudamore)
Lavell’s Lake – Bittern from Teal hide, Water Rail, Cetti’s Warbler (Marek Walford); 7 Snipe on the Bund (Steve Clarke); Raven over the path to Bittern hide (Martin Friend)
Sandford Lake – Little Egret, Goosander red head (Marek Walford); Herring Gull, Common Gull (Roger Stansfield); Kingfisher along the stream to the west of the lake (Paul Etherton)
Black Swan Lake – 15 Redwing, 4 Fieldfare all under the trees in the overflow car park (Tim James); Common Gull near the jetty (Martin Friend)
Mortimer’s Meadow – Peregrine on a pylon (Dave Rimes); Kestrel hovering (Paul Etherton)

January 3rd
Lea Farm Lake – Great White Egret in the south west corner (Roger Stansfield); Dartford Warbler, 2 Stonechat male and female (Trevor Guyatt); 2 Shelduck in the south west corner (FJC); Water Rail showing well in front of Ron’s hide (Brian Bennett)
Lavell’s Lake – 10 Snipe on a frozen Bund, Water Rail in the left hand corner, Cetti’s Warbler also in the left hand corner, Great White Egret in flight near Teal hide landed by the hide (Dave Rimes); Water Rail calling alongside the path to the hide (Lorna Akers-Douglas)
Black Swan Lake – Barnacle Goose by the Activity Centre Jetty (Paul Mattingly); 5 Goldeneye 2 males and 3 females (Dave Rimes); Pied Wagtail on the Activity Centre beach (John McGovan); 30+ Redwing, Mistle Thrush, Song Thrush all feeding in the horse field on the east side (Brian Bennett)
White Swan Lake – 6 Siskin in Alder’s in the south west corner, Chiffchaff, Treecreeper (Dave Rimes)

January 2nd
Lea Farm Lake – 2 Goosander male and female in the south west corner, Dartford Warbler, Stonechat, Meadow Pipit, 2 Little Egret (FJC); Chiffchaff near the Green bridge, Redwing flew across the Loddon (John McGovan); Sparrowhawk near Renton’s screen (Adam Wigley); Little Grebe towards the north end, Great White Egret in the south west corner (Brian Bennett)
Lavell’s Lake – Bittern showing well from Teal hide (Lorna Akers-Douglas); Little Grebe, Siskin calling behind Teal hide (Dave Rimes); Chiffchaff calling near Mill House (Paul Bright-Thomas)
Sandford Lake – Goosander female (Adam Wigley); Kingfisher in the south west corner (Dave Rimes)
Black Swan Lake – 3 Goldeneye male and two females seen from the View-point (Tim James); 6 Goldeneye 2 males and 4 females near Goat Island (Dave Rimes)

Bittern near Teal hide at Lavell’s Lake – FJC

January 1st
Lea Farm Lake – Great White Egret, Goldeneye female (Rick Dawson); 20 Snipe, Dartford Warbler on the Landfill fence, 2 Stonechat male and female, Meadow Pipit (Marek Walford)
Lavell’s Lake – Treecreeper on the Bittern hide feeder’s (Eddie Napper); Kingfisher near footbridge by the Car Park, Little Egret near the Teal hide (Brian Crathorne); 14 Snipe, Little Egret (Marek Walford)
Lavell’s Viewing point – Raven beyond the old Oak (FJC)
Sandford Lake – Goosander female (FJC)
Black Swan Lake – 2 Goldeneye two females (FJC); 4 Goldeneye two males and two females (Marek Walford)

December 31st
Lea Farm Lake – Peregrine over once chasing Parakeet’s, Dartford Warbler to the right hand end of the long grass, 2 Stonechat male and female FJC); 10 Snipe (Jim Reid)
Sandford Lake – Goosander male in front of the hide (Alan Jackman)
Mortimer’s Meadow – Peregrine on a pylon, Kestrel on the pylon for a short time, (Alan Jackman)

December 30th
Lea Farm Lake – 2 Goosander male and female on the Loddon between Ron’s hide and the Green bridge, Stonechat still present (Kevin Shea)
Lavell’s Lake – Little Grebe, Water Rail, Cetti’s Warbler (Dave Rimes); Bittern near the solar panels (Alan Rymer)
Sandford Lake – Goosander male near the hide (Dave Rimes)
Black Swan Lake – 3 Goldeneye male and two females off the Trig point, Chiffchaff towards the southern end (Dave Rimes)
Mortimer’s Meadow – Peregrine with prey, Chiffchaff near the Loddon (Dave Rimes)

Bittern at Lavell’s Lake – Alan Rymer

December 29th
Lea Farm Lake – 2 Goosander male and female on the Loddon near Ron’s hide (Adam Wigley)
Sandford Lake – Goosander on one of the small islands (Peter Scudamore)
Black Swan Lake – 2 Goldeneye male and female between the islands (Peter Scudamore)

December 28th
Lea Farm Lake – Dartford Warbler still present, 10+ Snipe spread across the north spit island (FJC); 2 Shelduck in the south west bay, Great White Egret in front of Renton Screen (Michael Hubbard); 2 Goosander male and female (John Foy)
Lavell’s Lake – Kingfisher crossed the lake from Teal hide, Water Rail calling from reed bed, 18 Gadwall, 4 Teal, 2 Wigeon, 2 Pochard, Shoveler female, Song Thrush in full song from nearby Poplars all seen from Teal hide, Sparrowhawk, 100+ Black-headed Gull spooked by the Sparrowhawk, 17 Teal, 55 Wigeon, 26 Shoveler, 23 Gadwall, Water Rail calling, Treecreeper in the feeder area, 4 Chaffinch all from Bittern hide (Michael Hubbard)
Lavell’s Lake Car Park Field – 60+ Redwing flying in various direction across the field, 2 Fieldfare (Michael Hubbard)
White Swan Lake – Kingfisher flew across the lake, 64 Wigeon, 50+ Redwing in multiple flocks heading north, Water Rail calling (Michael Hubbard)

December 27th
Lea Farm Lake – 2 Stonechat male and female, Dartford Warbler still present perched on a fence post for a while, Meadow Pipit, 2 Shelduck in the south west corner, 11+ Snipe on the north spit island, 3 Common Gull (FJC); Great White Egret in front of Renton Screen, Little Egret in front of Renton Screen, 9 Common Gull in the south west corner (Nick Kightley)
Lavell’s Lake – Snipe, Little Grebe, Bullfinch, Cetti’s Warbler (Dave Rimes); Great White Egret in front of Teal hide (Alan Jackman)
Black Swan Lake – Kingfisher along the Emm Brook to the south of the Activity Centre (Dave Rimes)
White Swan Lake – Chiffchaff in the south east corner (Dave Rimes)

December 26th
Lea Farm Lake – 2 Shelduck, 2 Little Egret one on the lake the other on the Loddon (Brian Crathorne)
Lavell’s Lake – 6 Snipe on the Bund (Brian Crathorne)
Black Swan Lake – 2 Fieldfare near the entrance to the Activity Centre (Alan Rymer)

December 24th
Lea Farm Lake – 3 Shelduck on the shingle island, Dartford Warbler still present (FJC)
Lavell’s Lake – Siskin along the Loddon south of the Green bridge (Dave Rimes)

December 23rd
Lea Farm Lake – 3 Shelduck in the south west corner, 2 Stonechat male and female in the long grass near the north shore, 14 Snipe hiding on the north spit island with some flying around the lake, Dartford Warbler in the long grass and on the fence (FJC); Great White Egret flew over heading south (Marek Walford)
Black Swan Lake – 3 Goldeneye male and two females (Dave Rimes)

December 22nd
Lea Farm Lake – 3 Shelduck in the south west bay, 2 Stonechat male and female on the fence line, 5 Goldeneye two males and three females in the north bay (Steve Clarke); Goosander to the right of the Ron’s hide (Kevin Shea); Goldcrest, Treecreeper both ner the overflow pipe into the Loddon (Adam Wigley); Great White Egret (Lisa Rogan)
Lavell’s Lake – Siskin along the Loddon near path to the hide (Steve Clarke)
Sandford Lake – Great White Egret (Steve Clarke); 2 Goldcrest the first near the Yellow Gate the second near the hide (Adam McTiernan)

Great White Egret in flight at Lea Farm Lake – Lisa Rogan

December 21st
Lea Farm Lake – 5 Common Gull, 3 Shelduck on the island, 3 Herring Gull, 300+ Black-headed Gull (Peter Scudamore)
Lavell’s Lake – 54 Wigeon, 82 Gadwall, 10+ Teal, 8 Shoveler, Pochard, Barnacle Goose (FJC)

December 20th
Lea Farm Lake – Common Gull, 2 Little Egret, 6 Teal, 6 Great Crested Grebe (Michael Hubbard); 3 Shelduck, Goosander male all on the shingle island (FJC)
Lavell’s Lake – 18 Wigeon, 8 Gadwall, 5 Teal, 4 Tufted Duck all from Teal hide, 2 Water Rail one under the feeder the other calling from the Bund area, 84 Wigeon, 22 Tufted Duck, 27 Teal, 18 Shoveler, 6 Great Crested Grebe, 6 Chaffinch on the ground around the feeder area (Michael Hubbard)
Sandford Lake – Goosander female (Alan Jackman); 47 Tufted Duck, 12 Pochard, 7 Great Crested Grebe (Michael Hubbard)

December 18th
Lavell’s Lake – Barnacle Goose in front of Bittern hide, Great White Egret in front of Teal hide (Alan Jackman)
Sandford Lake – Great White Egret near hide (Alan Jackman)

December 17th
Lea Farm Lake – 3 Shelduck on the island, 10 Lapwing on the island, 3 Goosander two males and a female in the south west corner, 2 Goldeneye both females along the east shore behind the island (Peter Scudamore)
Lavell’s Lake – Great White Egret (Alan Rymer)

Great White Egret in flight at Lavell’s Lake – Keith Seymour

December 16th
Lea Farm Lake – Great White Egret, Goosander male (Brian Crathorne)
Lavell’s Lake – Great White Egret in front of Teal hide, Little Grebe to the left of the Teal hide (Alan Jackman); Barnacle Goose in front of Bittern hide (Brian Crathorne)
Black Swan Lake – Barnacle Goose opposite the Activity Centre (Dave Rimes); Goldeneye male in the Southern bay (Tim James)
Mortimer’s Meadow – 2+ Siskin in Alder copse by Wooden bridge to White Swan (Dave Rimes)

December 15th
Lea Farm Lake – 2 Stonechat male and female on the fence line, Kingfisher (Steve Clarke)
Lavell’s Lake – 2 Bullfinch near Betty’s bench, 4 Redwing, Goldcrest (Steve Clarke); 2 Snipe in reeds seen from Bittern hide (Elaine Charlson)
Black Swan Lake – Barnacle Goose opposite the Activity Centre (Elaine Charlson)

December 14th
Lea Farm Lake – 30+ Teal, 5 Lapwing, Snipe, Chiffchaff under Ron’s hide (FJC)
Lavell’s Lake – 2 Goosander flying low away from Teal hide (FJC); 2 Chaffinch male and female near Bittern hide (Paul Etherton)
Sandford Lake – Treecreeper towards Black Swan (Paul Etherton)

December 13th
Lea Farm Lake – Snipe, Chiffchaff near the Green Bridge, Little Egret, 2 Goosander male and female (Marek Walford)
Black Swan Lake – 2 Goldeneye male and female both seen from the viewpoint (Tim James)

2 Goosander male and female at Lea Farm Lake – Marek Walford

December 12th
Lea Farm Lake – 6 Lapwing, 4 Common Gull, 4 Herring Gull, 20+ Black headed Gull, 2 Great Crested Grebe, Little Egret, 2 Goldeneye both females near the east shore (Peter Scudamore)

December 11th
Lavell’s Lake – Raven very low heading west and calling (FJC)
Black Swan Lake – 4 Goldeneye 2 females in the south bay and 2 males seen from the viewpoint (Tim James)

December 7th
Lavell’s Lake – Bittern seen flying over the reeds towards the end of the Bund (Tim James)

December 6th
Lea Farm Lake – Common Gull, Herring Gull, 6 Lapwing, 40+ Black headed Gull (Steve Clarke)
Lavell’s Lake – 2 Snipe on the Bund, 22 Teal, 30 Shoveler, 20 Wigeon, 40 Gadwall (Steve Clarke)
Sandford Lake – 20 Pochard (Steve Clarke)
Mortimer’s Meadow – Peregrine on it’s usual pylon (Dave Rimes)

December 4th
Lavell’s Lake – Water Rail under the feeder’s (Tim James)
Lavell’s Lake Car Park Field – Redwing flock (Alan Jackman)
Sandford Lake – Great White Egret in front of the hide (Tim James)
Mortimer’s Meadow – Peregrine on it’s usual pylon (Dave Rimes)

December 2nd
Lea Farm Lake – 7 Common Gull, 2 Wigeon male and female, 3 Tufted Duck, 25 Coot, 7 Moorhen, 2 Great Crested Grebe (Peter Scudamore)
Lavell’s Lake – Goldcrest near the gate by the Sandford Lane lay-by, Kingfisher by the Green Bridge (Alan Jackman)

FOR OLDER SIGHTINGS GO TO THE ARCHIVE HERE