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)
