- In bold type are sightings that are uncommon either by rarity, date or number seen.
- Click on photos for a larger version.
Saturday 30th April
Black Swan Lake – Peregrine over (MFW). This was the 108th species for April and new third highest species count in April.
Friday 29th April
Lea Farm GP – Common Sandpiper, 3 Common Tern, 3 Lesser Black-backed Gull, 2 Oystercatcher briefly but only 1 stayed, Sparrowhawk over Loddon > north end of lake (R Marsh)
Lavell’s Lake – Oystercatcher (R Marsh); Garden Warbler singing by path to Bittern hide, Lesser Whitethroat singing in left hand corner of car park field (E Napper)
Sandford Lake – 2 Common Tern, 2 Oystercatcher (R Marsh)
Thursday 28th April
Lea Farm GP – 2 Arctic Tern briefly before being chased off by corvids, 2 Snipe, 2 Oystercatcher, 4 Common Tern, 2 Common Sandpiper, pair Shelduck (R Marsh)
Lavell’s Lake – 2 Reed Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Garden Warbler, Blackcap, Willow Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat in car park field (FJC); pair Shelduck seen 9 a.m. (RM) before moving on to LFGP, then mid afternoon along with 2 Oystercatcher (R Price)
Black Swan Lake – pair Mandarin Duck in front of DAC, 3 Swift (R Marsh); Nightingale, 3 Common Tern (R Dawson)
Sandford Lake – Oystercatcher partially hidden in vegetation on most westerly island (R Marsh)
Shelducks on bund at Bittern hide, R Marsh
Wednesday 27th April
Lavell’s Lake – 2 Swift (FJC); Hobby over green bridge SE (Brian Bennett)
Tuesday 26th April
Lea Farm GP – Snipe, Oystercatcher, Shoveler, Reed Warbler (FJC); pair Blackcap near feeders, m. Gadwall, 4 Sand Martin, 3 Lesser Black-backed Gull, m. Reed Bunting (R Marsh); Sparrowhawk grabbed prey off feeder (A Rymer)
Lavell’s Lake – 2 Green Woodpecker, Mandarin Duck over (FJC); m. Bullfinch, Garden Warbler, Swift over car park, Oystercatcher on bund at Bittern hide (R Marsh)
Black Swan Lake – Common Sandpiper on raft, pair Mistle Thrush foraging on the old golf course (R Marsh)
Sandford Lake – Oystercatcher foraging around islands (R Marsh)
Mistle Thrush, D Hampton
Reed Bunting, D Hampton
Oystercatcher at Lavell’s, R Marsh
Monday 25th April
Lea Farm GP – pair Teal, pair Shoveler, Common Sandpiper (M Walford)
Lavell’s Lake – 2 Reed Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Cetti’s Warbler, Shoveler, Mistle Thrush, Kestrel (FJC)
Black Swan Lake – 3 Common Sandpiper on beach in front of activity centre early a.m. (FJC)
Sunday 24th April
Lea Farm GP – pair Teal, 2 Little Egret, c120 House Martin, 9 m. Gadwall, Common Sandpiper (FJC); m. Mandarin Duck flew from lake > Lodge Wood, 2 Common Tern, Cetti’s Warbler singing in reeds to left of hide, Cuckoo calling from Lodge Wood vicinity, 2 m. 1f. Shoveler, Sparrowhawk, 2 Sand Martin, 5 Lesser Black-backed Gull, Nuthatch (R Marsh); pair Shelducks (M Walford)
Lavell’s Lake – Reed Warbler, Sedge Warbler (P Foulds)
Black Swan Lake – Arctic Tern flew on to yellow buoy, resting for 18 minutes before flying off east, 2 Common Sandpiper (FJC); 2 Swift (M Walford)
Sandford Lake – Oystercatcher on shingle island, 2 House Martin, 5 Swallow, 3 Sand Martin (R Marsh)
Saturday 23rd April
Lavell’s Lake – Cuckoo seen on island, Kestrel, Snipe (R Marsh); Lesser Whitethroat calling at the bottom of the car park field (FJC)
Friday 22nd April
Lea Farm GP – 2 Linnet over, 5 House Martin, 30 Sand Martin, 2 Whitethroat singing at opposite ends of lake, Cuckoo heard (FJC)
Thursday 21st April
Lea Farm GP – Grey Wagtail, Whitethroat, Swift (A Rymer); 2 Little Egret, 2 Lesser Black-backed Gull, Herring Gull, 2 Swallow over (G Emmett)
Wednesday 20th April
Lea Farm GP – 2 Teal, 5 Gadwall, Shoveler over North, Lapwing (FJC); Redshank, pair Greylag Geese + 3 goslings, Swallow, Buzzard swooped low over lake (G Emmett)
Lavell’s Lake – Mistle Thrush in car park, Willow Warbler by DAC entrance, Garden Warbler on right just by left bend of tarmac path (FJC); Little Egret, 3 Snipe, 2 m. Bullfinch, Fox raiding unguarded Mute Swan nest, then chased off by returning Swan, 2 Swallow, Sedge Warbler, Reed Warbler, an early Orange Tip butterfly (R Marsh), Common Tern (G Emmett)
Sandford Lake – 2 Oystercatcher high over lake chasing off Red Kite, Little Grebe, 2 m. & 1f. Gadwall (R Marsh)
Buzzard over LFGP, G Emmett
Redshank at LFGP, G Emmett
Tuesday 19th April
Lea Farm GP – 2 Common Sandpiper, Cuckoo heading toward Lavell’s, Little Egret in summer plumage, 4 Teal, 2 Common Tern (FJC)
Black Swan Lake – Common Sandpiper (FJC)
Monday 18th April
Landfill – Swift over North (Brian Bennett)
Sunday 17th April
Lea Farm GP – Oystercatcher, 3 Swallow & 2 Sand Martin circling the lake (R Marsh); Common Sandpiper, Redshank (G Emmett)
Lavell’s Lake – Lesser Whitethroat in centre compound of car park field, Snipe, Cuckoo heard then seen in trees at north side of lake, Coal Tit on feeder across Loddon (R Marsh); 1 Mistle Thrush in car park, 2 more on landfill (FJC & Bob Bennett); pair Kestrel by Barn Owl box (M Youngman)
Black Swan Lake – Whitethroat, 10+ Swallow, 2 House Martin, Sand Martin, Common Tern (FJC & dawn chorus group)
Sandford Lake – 2 Oystercatcher (R Marsh)
Saturday 16th April
Lavell’s Lake – Lesser Whitethroat around back of car park field (Brian Bennett); Snipe on Tern scrape, Mistle Thrush in car park field (R Marsh); 4 Brambling over > west (FJC)
White Swan Lake – Arctic Tern feeding, Little Gull over (T Guyatt); Cetti’s Warbler singing & showed in reeds (P Bright-Thomas)
Dinton Pastures – Coal Tit in oaks on east of old golf course (FJC)
Landfill – Lesser Whitethroat calling near farm buildings (FJC)
Friday 15th April
Lea Farm GP – 2 Oystercatcher, Common Sandpiper (M Walford); female Shelduck inspecting new nest box on Sand Martin wall with male on lake close by, 2 Sand Martins inspecting wall itself (Brian Bennett); pair Shelducks & pair Canada Geese squabbling over nest box, Cuckoo calling (G Emmett)
Lavell’s Lake – Lesser Redpoll over > south (M Walford); Sedge Warbler around Bittern hide scrape, 2m. & 1f. Shoveler on scrape (P Scudamore)
Black Swan Lake – Common Sandpiper on sailing club beach (M Walford); Nightingale (S Day); Swallow (P Scudamore)
Shelduck inspecting nest box, G Emmett
Thursday 14th April
Lea Farm GP – 2 Oystercatcher (M Walford)
Lavell’s Lake – Lesser Whitethroat singing middle compound of car park field 06:45, Sedge Warbler near Bittern hide (FJC)
Black Swan Lake – Male Redstart in hedgerow between BSL & WSL (J C Morgan); 2 Nightingale, 1 near base of view point, 1 on southern island (FJC)
Wednesday 13th April
Lea Farm GP – Adult Little Gull in front of hide 07:30, Common Sandpiper, 2 Oystercatcher (M Walford), moved around lost and then returned around 08:00 (FJC & Brian Bennett); Common Gull (FJC); Reed Warbler, 2 Sand Martin checking wall, 2 Lapwing (P Scudamore)
Sandford Lake – 2 Oystercatcher (M Walford)
Lavell’s Lake – Lesser Whitethroat singing bottom of car park field 06:30, m. Mandarin Duck flew up the Loddon > south (M Walford), late morning a 1st Winter Ring Ouzel at the bottom of the car park field and near the stile (Brian Bennett et al); Sedge Warbler near Bittern hide (T Harden); Ring-necked Parakeet in car park field, Cuckoo heard in vicinity of Teal hide (T Guyatt)
Black Swan Lake – Common Sandpiper on sailing club beach, Common Tern (M Walford); Nightingale base of view point (FJC), another singing on island later (Brian Bennett).
Little Gull, (FJC)
Ring Ouzel (FJC)
Tuesday 12th April
Lea Farm GP – 2 Shelduck, 10 Teal, pair Mandarin flew down the Loddon, 1 Nuthatch singing, Common Tern flew in briefly 06:45 then toward DP, 3 Skylark on landfill (FJC)
Lavell’s Lake – 2 Siskin over SE, Willow Warbler, Cuckoo 10:00 (A Rymer); pair Kestrel copulating in tree near Owl box, Reed Warbler, Mistle Thrush in car park field (S Hughes)
Black Swan Lake – 4 Swallow, Common Tern, pair Mandarin Duck *photos of Tern & Mandarins here (FJC); Whitethroat (S Hughes)
Sandford Lake – 2 Oystercatcher (FJC)
Landfill – 25+ Swallow over > north, Little Owl in oak tree (FJC);
Sunday 11th April
Lea Farm GP – 2 Shelduck, 12 Teal (M Walford)
Sandford Lake – 2 Oystercatcher, m. Wigeon (M Walford)
Sunday 10th April
Lea Farm GP – Oystercatcher, 3 Snipe (R Marsh)
Lavell’s Lake – Grey Wagtail over Loddon > mill, 2 Snipe, Mistle Thrush in car park (R Marsh)
Black Swan Lake – Whitethroat, 2m.& 1f. Bullfinch, 2 Goldcrest, Treecreeper (R Marsh)
Sandford Lake – 2 Oystercatcher (R Marsh)
Saturday 9th April
Lea Farm GP – Little Egret, Grey Wagtail, 6 Teal, 2 Swallow, 10 Sand Martin (M Walford)
Lavell’s Lake – 6 Willow Warbler from road to Ron’s hide, 2 Oystercatcher, 6 Teal lingering still, Snipe (FJC)
Black Swan Lake – Whitethroat in hedgerow between BSL and WSL still (FJC)
Sandford Lake – Sedge Warbler in Phragmites on West side, Snipe (FJC)
Friday 8th April
Lavell’s Lake – Reed Warbler at Tern scrape (J McGowan)
Black Swan Lake – Whitethroat in hedgerow between BSL and WSL (R Dawson)
Thursday 7th April
Lea Farm GP – 2 Shelduck, Snipe, 8 Teal, m. Shoveler, 2 Swallow (M Walford)
Black Swan Lake – m. & f. Wigeon (M Walford)
Sandford Lake – 2 m. Wigeon (M Walford)
Wednesday 6th April
Lea Farm GP – 4 Little Egret, 2 Shelduck, 2 Snipe (M Walford); Barn Owl in alder tree where Loddon splits (FJC)
Lavell’s Lake – Mistle Thrush in car park (R Marsh)
Black Swan Lake – 2 Oystercatcher on main island, 2 Chiffchaff (R Marsh)
Sandford Lake – Snipe flew onto island (R Marsh)
Shelducks at Lea Farm, L Garner-Langham
Tuesday 5th April
Lea Farm GP – Little Egret (M Walford); pair Shelduck still present, 4 Snipe (R Marsh)
Lavell’s Lake – Little-ringed Plover on bund and photographed by Mick Vogel, see his photo here; Yellow Wagtail north over landfill, pair of Kestrel around Barn Owl box (FJC); Mistle Thrush in car park field, 2 Snipe around Bittern hide scrape (R Marsh)
Lea Farm GP – Little Egret (M Walford); pair Shelduck still present, 4 Snipe (R Marsh)
Sandford Lake – pair Oystercatcher (R Marsh)
Monday 4th April
Lea Farm GP – 40 Wigeon, 15 Teal, Swallow, 2 Little Egret (M Walford); 2 Shelduck present, 2 Sand Martin over > north (Bob Bennett)
Sandford Lake – pair Oystercatcher (M Walford)
Black Swan Lake – Swallow, House Martin (M Walford)
Sunday 3rd April
Lea Farm GP – 2 Shelduck over > north, Green Sandpiper, Snipe, Sand Martin over (FJC); male Wheatear on landfill, 2 Shelduck present, Redshank (M Walford) * see Marek’s photo’s here
Lavell’s Lake – 2 m. Blackcap in bushes between Jerry’s bench & Sandford Lane, 2 Ring-necked Parakeet from car park field, Mistle Thrush in car park (R Marsh); 2 Blackcap along Loddon, 2 Willow Warble by path to Bittern hide, House Martin flew south along Loddon (FJC), Great Black-backed Gull East over landfill (FJC)
Saturday 2nd April
Lea Farm GP – 2 Shelduck (A Rymer), pair Bullfinch near feeders (J Cox)
Lavell’s Lake – 3 Blackcap in bushes between Jerry’s bench & Sandford Lane (J Cox); pair Mandarin Duck on the Loddon at the green bridge, 3 Green Woodpecker squabbling in garden opposite bridge (R Marsh); 2 Raven over near Bittern hide, Mistle Thrush (J McGowan)
Sandford Lake – pair Oystercatcher (R Marsh)
Friday 1st April
Lea Farm GP – pair Mandarin Duck flew along the Loddon past the hide, 3 Oystercatcher for about 1 minute before flying north > DP (R Marsh)
Lavell’s Lake – male Bullfinch near John’s bench, 4 Snipe, Water Rail, at least 2 Cetti’s Warbler heard, 2 Song Thrush (R Marsh)
Sandford Lake – Snipe, 16 Gadwall, 2 Lesser Black-backed Gull, 4 Herring Gull, Redshank over > north (R Marsh)
Mortimer’s Meadow – Willow Warbler & 2 Chiffchaff singing in trees near the Loddon (R Marsh)
Pair Mandarin Ducks, R Marsh
- FOR OLDER SIGHTINGS GO TO THE ARCHIVE HERE
