- In bold type are sightings that are uncommon either by rarity, date or number seen.
- Click on photos for a larger version.
December 31st
Lea Farm GP – f. Shelduck in sw corner, Little Egret (R Marsh); 29+ Snipe (FJC)
Lavell’s Lake – Water Rail to right of Bittern hide, 2 Goldcrest & a Treecreeper in trees beside the Loddon (R Marsh); Coal Tit & 2 Nuthatch calling near feeders closest to Mill (FJC); Water Rail seen from Teal hide (J Morgan)
December 30th
Lea Farm GP – Water Rail calling from ditch in front of hide (P Scudamore)
Lavell’s Lake – Chiffchaff feeding near yellow gate, Water Rail calling from reeds around the frozen over Teal scrape (P Scudamore)
Sandford Lake – At least 2 Goldeneye, difficult to tell in foggy conditions (P Scudamore)
December 29th
Lavell’s Lake – Over 50% frozen, 100+ Redwing in to roost, 100+ Starling roosting in main island reeds (FJC)
Lea Farm GP – We have details back from the North Thames Gull Group on the ringed Herring Gull ‘S5MT’ seen 23rd, first ringed 7th Feb 2015 at Pitsea Landfill, Essex. Details at http://www.ntgg.org.uk/cgi-bin/map.cgi?p=recmap&t=r&r=GV15678
December 27th
White Swan Lake – Bittern showed well at dusk, close to newly cut reed, before flying right to in line with pale tree trunk, 2 Water Rail and a Cetti’s Warbler heard, Little Egret flew over (FJC)
December 24th
Lea Farm GP – Peregrine over (D Rimes)
Lavell’s Lake – f. Bullfinch by Jerry’s bench (D Rimes)
December 23rd
Lea Farm GP – Jack Snipe, Kestrel, 20-30 Siskin flew south up Loddon (FJC); 15 Snipe, Little Egret (R Marsh); Water Rail under feeders (P Scudamore)
Lavell’s Lake – Sparrowhawk, 20 Snipe, 6 Siskin flew over Loddon towards mill (R Marsh); 2m. & 4f. Bullfinch near Bittern hide (T James)
Sandford Lake – pair Goldeneye, 5 Snipe (R Marsh)
Heron’s Water – m. Ferruginous Duck, Treecreeper (R Marsh)
December 22nd
Lavell’s Lake – Sparrowhawk (J O’Brien)
Sandford Lake – pair Goldeneye (J O’Brien)
December 21st
Lavell’s Lake – 40 Snipe around scrape at Bittern hide (FJC)
December 20th
Lea Farm GP – 7 Snipe, 1st winter Great Black-backed Gull, 2 Nuthatch, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Little Egret, 12 Common Gull, 3 Reed Bunting (R Marsh)
Lavell’s Lake – 34 Snipe, 68 Shovler (R Marsh)
Sandford Lake – 3 Snipe, m. Goldeneye, 76 Pochard (R Marsh); 2m. & 2f. Bullfinch feeding together (L Garner-Langham)
1st winter Gt Black-backed Gull, D Hampton
December 18th
Lea Farm GP – 33 Snipe, 59 Herring Gull (R Righelato)
Lavell’s Lake – 130+ Teal, 70+ Shoveler (FJC)
Black Swan Lake – m. Goldeneye (R Righelato)
Heron’s Water – m. Ferruginous Duck (R Righelato)
December 17th
Lavell’s Lake – Barn Owl in box (FJC)
December 16th
Lavell’s Lake – Coal Tit on feeder across Loddon, 31 Snipe, 120+ Teal (FJC)
December 15th
Lea Farm GP – 2 Little Egret, 4 Snipe, Water Rail, 6 Herring Gull, 7 Common Gull (R Marsh)
Lavell’s Lake – 33 Snipe, Water Rail, 4 Reed Bunting, Ring-necked Parakeet, Little Egret (R Marsh); Kingfisher (G Emmett); Sparrowhawk (D Hampton)
Sandford Lake – 2 Snipe, Goldcrest, Chiffchaff (R Marsh)
December 14th
Lavell’s Lake – 41 Snipe from Bittern hide (FJC); Buzzard on the bund (T Jones)
December 13th
Lea Farm GP – 2 Little Egret, 9 Herring Gull, 19 Common Gull, 13 Snipe (FJC)
Lavell’s Lake – 33 Snipe from Bittern hide, Chiffchaff near yellow gate to Sandford Lane (FJC)
Sandford Lake – Cetti’s Warbler in front of hide, 3 Snipe, Treecreeper (R Marsh)
December 12th
Lea Farm GP – Little Egret, pair Goldeneye (P Scudamore)
Lavell’s Lake – 14 Snipe from Bittern hide, Water Rail flew across Teal scrape (P Scudamore)
December 11th
Lavell’s Lake – 150+ Shoveler, 130+ Teal, 21 Snipe (FJC), Cetti’s Warbler at Teal hide (J McGowan)
Sandford Lake – drake Scaup, m. & f. Goldeneye (J McGowan)
December 10th
Lavell’s Lake – 140+ Teal, 19 Snipe, 3 Reed Bunting (R Marsh)
December 9th
Lavell’s Lake – drake Scaup in front of Bittern hide, Jack Snipe, Grey Wagtail (FJC) 11 Snipe, Redwing, 11 Fieldfare over car park, Sparrowhawk (R Marsh)
Sandford Lake – f. Bullfinch, 2 Cetti’s Warbler heard (P Bright-Thomas)
Drake Scaup @ Lavell’s, G Emmett
Mistle Thrush @ Lavell’s, G Emmett
December 8th
Lea Farm GP – 2 Snipe, 9 Common Gull, 3 Herring Gull, Water Rail under feeders (R Marsh)
Lavell’s Lake – 6 Snipe (R Marsh)
Black Swan Lake – Grey Wagtail in car park (R Marsh)
Sandford Lake – drake Scaup still present, Cetti’s Warbler (R Marsh)
Drake Scaup close to Sandford hide, R Marsh
December 7th
Lea Farm GP – Jack Snipe, Little Egret (FJC)
Lavell’s Lake – Fieldfare (FJC)
Sandford Lake – drake Scaup – first record since 4/8/09 (I Paine)
December 6th
Lavell’s Lake – Buzzard, Reed Bunting (G Emmett)
December 5th
Lea Farm GP – 4 Snipe over hide > landfill, Water Rail under feeders, 4 Reed Bunting, 2 Little Egret (R Marsh); Little Owl in usual oak on landfill again (FJC); 3 Black Swan flew in p.m. (R Righelato)
Lavell’s Lake – 2 Water Rail, 2 Bullfinch (G Emmett)
Black Swan Lake – 20 Common Gull (FJC)
Sandford Lake – 3 Black Swan, 1 m. & 3 f. Goldeneye (R Marsh)
Drake & 3 female Goldeneye, R Marsh
December 4th
Lea Farm GP – 3 Raven over landfill east of Lea Farm, Little Owl in usual oak on landfill (FJC); 25 Herring Gull, 3 Snipe, 2 Little Egret, Water Rail (G Emmett)
Lavell’s Lake – Meadow Pipit on wires in car park field, 600+ Black-headed Gull, 6 Common Gull (FJC)
Black Swan Lake – 12 Common Gull, 1000+ Black-headed Gull (FJC)
December 3rd
Lea Farm GP – 10+ Meadow Pipit on landfill, 2 Mistle Thrush, 3 Fieldfare, 60+ Redwing, 3 Little Grebe on the Loddon at the green bridge, 3+ Ring-necked Parakeet, Song Thrush (FJC); Snipe, Water Rail heard (R Marsh)
Lavell’s Lake – 25+ Golden Plover circling beyond landfill towards Borough Marsh, 110 Shoveler (FJC); Jack Snipe (J Bishop); Snipe (R Marsh)
Black Swan Lake – 2 Chiffchaff (FJC)
White Swan Lake – Bittern centre of reedbed at dusk (FJC)
Sandford Lake – 1 m. & 3 f. Goldeneye (R Marsh); Cetti’s Warbler, Water Rail heard (J Bishop)
December 2nd
Lea Farm GP – 2 Little Egret, 4 Common Gull, female Pintail flew off North, 2 Raven over SE, 1 Siskin with Goldfinch flock in Alder just beyond Loddon river junction (FJC)
Lavell’s Lake – 2 Blackcap in Willow nearest to lay-by, then flew over backwater (FJC)
Sandford Lake – 1 m. & 3 f. Goldeneye (J Vaughan)
December 1st
Lea Farm GP – Little Egret, 6 Snipe, 4 Reed Bunting, 2 Nuthatch, 4 Common Gull, Herring Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull (R Marsh)
Lavell’s Lake – Jack Snipe, Common Gull (R Marsh); 91 Teal, 116 Shoveler (FJC)
Sandford Lake – 1 m. & 2 f. Goldeneye (R Marsh); Chiffchaff, 30+ Shoveler (FJC)
White Swan Lake – pair Mandarin Duck (FJC); Little Grebe (R Marsh)
* Today Fraser has received info from the North Thames Gull Group of another ringed Black-headed Gull (2FKF) recorded at Bittern hide on 30/11/16, details can be seen here.
