March 30th
Lavell’s Lake – 3 Blackcap on the path from Bittern hide (Dave Rimes); Willow Warbler in the copse in the Car Park field (Roger Stansfield)
Black Swan Lake – Sand Martin, Swallow, 3 Oystercatcher a pair with a single (Dave Rimes)
March 29th
Lea Farm Lake – 13 Common Gull, 26 Wigeon, 15 Shoveler, 10+ Teal, Snipe (FJC)
Sandford Lake – Willow Warbler singing by the Sandford Mill cottage at top of lane to museum car park (Dave Rimes)
Black Swan Lake – 2 House Martin briefly, 20 Sand Martin moving through rather than lingering (Dave Rimes); 30 Sand Martin, Swallow, 1+ House Martin over west side very mobile, 100+ Sand Martin over main island and west side (FJC)
March 28th
Lea Farm Lake – Reed Bunting on feeders then flew into reeds at side of hide, Egyptian Geese family male and female with a brood of four goslings (Andrew Curd)
March 27th
Sandford Lake – 2 Oystercatcher on an island seen from the bench (Adam McTiernan); 10+ Sand Martin over the lake (Peter Scudamore)
March 25th
Lea Farm Lake – 25 Sand Martin many at the artificial wall, 23 Common Gull with all ages on the east shore, 2 Shelduck a pair over north then flying back south 3 mins later, 2 Little-ringed Plover in the north east bay on track 100m right of right hand gate (FJC)
Lavell’s Lake – Blackcap plus other singles along Loddon and on the point opposite the Activity Centre at Black Swan, Mandarin Duck over low towards Sandford the first this year (FJC); Song Thrush serenading me on path from the Car park, Kingfisher flew from ditch over road towards Sandford lake (Simon Huggins)
March 24th
Lavell’s Lake – Garganey asleep on the Bittern hide Bund (Tim James); 2 Buzzard possibly nesting at the top of the Oak Tree across lake from Teal hide could be using an old Crow’s nest (Keith Boseley)
March 23rd
Lavell’s Lake – Garganey sleeping on Bittern hide Bund (Alan Rymer); Little Grebe preening in front of Teal hide (Rebecca Rees)
March 22nd
Lea Farm Lake – 11+ Sand Martin over the lake with at least 5 entering the nesting wall, Nuthatch on the feeder, 3 Chiffchaff (Ralph Watts); Green Sandpiper on the east shore, Water Rail under the feeder, 2 Ring-necked Parakeet on the feeder, Song Thrush just off the path to Ron’s hide, 40+ Wigeon mostly on the east shore, 8+ Shoveler around the lake (Bob Bennett); 20+ Sand Martin around the wall (Steve Clarke)
Lavell’s Lake – Shoveler (Alan Rymer)
March 21st
Lea Farm Lake – 20+ Sand Martin visiting the nesting wall (Nick Kightley)
Lavell’s Lake – Garganey asleep at the back of the Bund, 2 Little Grebe (John MacGovan)
March 20th
Lea Farm Lake – Garganey male asleep on east shore (Alan Jackman)
Lavell’s Lake – Garganey asleep on the far side of the Bund, Teal, Barn Owl popping head out of box (Peter Scudamore)
Sandford Lake – 2 Oystercatcher (Alan Jackman)
March 19th
Lea Farm Lake – Garganey male asleep on east shore approximately 100m right of old shingle island, 3 Sand Martin flying around wall (FJC)
Lavell’s Lake – Garganey male from Bittern hide (Gray Burfoot)
Sandford Lake – Little Grebe, 8+ Teal (Ralph Watts)
Heron’s Water – Garganey (William Dunn)
March 18th
Lea Farm Lake – Little-ringed Plover on the east shore roughly in line with distant ‘Twin Pines’, Green Sandpiper in the north east corner, 30+ Meadow Pipit dropped either side of reedy ditch near taller bushes, 35 Wigeon on the lake, Lapwing. 2 Little-ringed Plover flew up from the north east corner then lost above Lodge Wood (FJC)
Lavell’s Lake – Chiffchaff at the back of Teal scrape, 2 Oystercatcher flew towards Lea Farm Lake, Bittern showed well at Teal scrape (FJC); 3 Snipe on the bund (Alan Rymer); Garganey male opposite Bittern hide (Dave Rimes); Garganey male asleep on the Bund at dusk, Green Sandpiper, Sparrowhawk in the large Poplar before flying off (Roger Stansfield)
Sandford Lake – Chiffchaff near gorse bush in the north west corner (FJC)
Black Swan Lake – Garganey drake just landed in front of the Activity Centre (Dave Rimes)
Bittern from Teal hide on Lavell’s Lake – FJC
Garganey from Bittern hide on Lavell’s Lake – Dave Rimes
March 17th
Lea Farm Lake – Green Sandpiper on the western shore (Alan Jackman)
Sandford Lake – 2 Oystercatcher (Alan Jackman)
Mortimer’s Meadow – Raven on a pylon (Dave Rimes)
March 16th
Lea Farm Lake – 2 Sand Martin flying above lake (Tim James); Green Sandpiper, 3 Sand Martin over the south west corner (FJC)
Lavell’s Lake – 500+ Starling in the large Poplar this evening (Roger Stansfield)
Black Swan Lake – Goldeneye drake to the east of Goat Island (Tim James)
March 15th
Lea Farm Lake – Goldcrest in trees on Loddon path near the Green Bridge, 4 Reed Bunting two males and 2 females on the feeder’s and in the reeds, Water Rail flew around the reeds on the left of Ron’s hide, Coal Tit on the feeder’s, 20+ Wigeon, 4 Teal, 2 Little Egret one on each side of the lake, Sparrowhawk female over Ron’s hide as I left the hide (Bob Bennett); Green Sandpiper, 2 Egyptian Geese male and female with five chicks on bank towards the Waitrose hide, Snipe on bank to the right of the Sand Martin wall (Tim James)
Lavell’s Lake – Redwing in the Car Park field (Alan Jackman); Little Grebe seen from Teal hide (Bob Bennett)
Sandford Lake – 2 Oystercatcher on one of the islands (Alan Jackman)
March 14th
Lea Farm Lake – Goldcrest in trees on Loddon path beside Ron’s Hide (Adam McTiernan)
March 13th
Sandford Lake – 2 Oystercatcher on the islands (Alan Jackman)
March 12th
Lea Farm Lake – 80 Chaffinch assumed to be this species heading north in a very strung out flock, Water Rail heard from Ron’s hide, 5 Chiffchaff all along Loddon from Ron’s hide to just short of Waitrose viewing screen with 3 singing, Stonechat male 30-40m beyond Ron’s hide feeders only visible for 5 minutes (FJC); 3 Reed Bunting female on feeder’s by Ron’s hide with 2 males under the feeder’s, 2 Greenfinch on the feeder’s male and female, Water Rail under the feeder’s, Nuthatch, Great Spotted Woodpecker (Rebecca Rees)
Lavell’s Lake – 2 Chiffchaff near Jerry’s Bench both thought to be spring migrants with one singing (FJC)
Sandford Lake – 4+ Siskin at ditch junction on the south west corner then flew towards Sandford Mill (FJC)
Black Swan Lake – Firecrest on the peninsular by fishing peg 16 (Simon Bartlam)
March 11th
Black Swan Lake – 2 Raven north over towards Sandford Lake, 2 Oystercatcher on Goat Island (Dave Rimes)
March 10th
Lavell’s Lake – 2 Barn Owl showing at the entrance of their Box (Sally Bryson-Bond); Bittern showed at dusk flapped out from right side of pool then straight to it’s roost position high up in reeds at back of pool, 2 Water Rail, Cetti’s Warbler (Paul Bright-Thomas)
Sandford Lake – 2 Kingfisher flying low over the lake (Mark Lauri)
March 7th
Lavell’s Lake – Bittern showing on the far right side of the island reed bed, 2 Barn Owls at the entrance of the Box (Michael Hubbard)
White Swan Lake – Bittern flying over eastern reed bed (Simon Bartlam)
March 6th
Lea Farm Lake – Green Sandpiper on the north west shore, Snipe in front of Ron’s hide (Alan Jackman)
Lavell’s Lake – Bittern showing on the right side of the island reed bed from Bittern hide, Bittern seen from Teal hide (Roger Stqnsfield); Great Black-backed Gull over the Car Park field, Kingfisher over the lake (John MacGovan); 2 Little Grebe the male of which flew directly at a female Teal, 6 Teal, Cetti’s Warbler calling (Michael Hubbard)
Sandford Lake – Kingfisher, Chiffchaff, 3 Treecreeper actively calling Loddon side of path (Michael Hubbard)
Mortimer’s Meadow – Peregrine on a pylon (Eddie Napper)
Bittern from Teal hide on Lavell’s Lake – Roger Stansfield
March 5th
Lavell’s Lake – Bittern preening and fidgeting viewed from the Bittern hide (Paul Mattingly)
Black Swan Lake – 12+ Common Gull mixed ages, 2 Oystercatcher on the raft (FJC)
March 4th
Lea Farm Lake – Green Sandpiper, 2 Snipe (FJC)
Lavell’s Lake – Bittern showing in the island reed bed at Bittern hide (Tim James); 2 Barn Owl out and about (Colin Holmes); Bittern showed late viewable from Teal hide where it did a partial display/dance in reeds to right (FJC)
March 3rd
Lea Farm Lake – Goldcrest, Tree Creeper, Chiffchaff all behind Ron’s hide along the Loddon, 10 Redwing further along the Loddon (Alan Jackman)
Lavell’s Lake – Little Egret, Redwing near the Emm Brook along Sandford Lane (Mike Watt); 2 Barn Owl by Bittern hide (Steve Clarke)
March 2nd
Lavell’s Lake – Bittern showing well in reeds on the island (Tim James); 2 Goosander flew low toward Lea Farm at dusk, Barn Owl hunting beyond Teal scrape, Woodcock seen very briefly behind Teal scrape flying towards the Green Bridge (FJC)
March 1st
Mortimer’s Meadow – Peregrine adult male on a pylon (Dave Rimes)
