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Sightings archive

January 2022

January 31st
Lea Farm Lake – Tawny Owl showing well (Roger Stansfield)
Lavell’s Lake – Bittern showing from Teal hide (Roger Stansfield)

January 30th
Lea Farm Lake – 18 White-fronted Geese in the south west corner (Brian Bennett)
Lavell’s Lake – 1+ Linnet over south heard call and saw a group of finches flying away, 2 Kingfisher under small Oak half way between the Green bridge and ditch moving upstream (FJC); 10+ White-fronted Geese on the Landfill field viewed from over the stile at the bottom of the Car Park field (Andrew Kitching); Bittern showing in the island reeds from Teal hide (Roger Stansfield)
Mortimer’s Meadow – Peregrine on pylon eating breakfast (Dave Rimes)

January 29th
Lea Farm Lake – 9 Little Egret just flew in distributed across the lake edges now, 18 White-fronted Geese (FJC); Tawny Owl outside the top hole before being disturbed by Jackdaws and dropping below bottom hole (Richard Marsh)

January 28th
Lea Farm Lake – 6 Little Egret over, Great White Egret, Brambling heard only above gate to Ron’s (FJC); 2 Linnet on “Kingfisher stick” right in front of hide, 18 White-fronted Geese on the Landfill (Trevor Guyatt)

January 27th
Lea Farm Lake – Cetti’s Warbler good views at Ron’s hide (Richard Sajdak); 2 Little Egret, Brambling male visited feeder area briefly (Peter Scudamore); Tawny Owl seen out of it’s hole (Alan Jackman)
Lavell’s Lake – 18 White-fronted Geese seen from Bittern hide (Nick Kightley); Bittern seen from Teal hide in reeds to the right (Eddie Napper)
Black Swan Lake – Chiffchaff in trees by Coot’s Bay (Jack Jones)


Tawny Owl out of it’s hole at Lea Farm Lake – Alan Jackman

January 26th
Lea Farm Lake – Water Rail under the feeders by Ron’s hide (Adam McTiernan)
Lavell’s Lake – Great Spotted Woodpecker seen drumming on a bare tree halfway between Bittern and Teal hide’s (Andrew Kitchen)
Mortimer’s Meadow – Peregrine on pylon before flying towards White Swan (Dave Rimes)

January 25th
Lea Farm Lake – 3 Mandarins two females and a male flushed from the drainage channel (Peter Scudamore); Green Sandpiper dropped into the north east corner but later flew off south (FJC); Tawny Owl showing well in tree opposite the Green Bridge (Paul Wilks)
Sandford Lake – 60+ Siskin in trees near the Yellow Gate (Anne Cronin)
Black Swan Lake – 18 White-fronted Geese (Jack Jones); Goldeneye drake off island from duck feeding area (Michael Hubbard)

January 24th
Lea Farm Lake – Kingfisher near the Green Bridge, Great White Egret, 3 Little Egret all in the north east corner (John Mcgovan)
Lavell’s Lake – Bittern seen from the Teal hide (Rick Dawson)
Sandford Lake – Great White Egret flying south over then heading back towards Lavell’s (Dave Rimes)
Black Swan Lake – 18 White-fronted Geese seen near the Activity Centre (Steve Clarke)

January 23rd
Lavell’s Lake – Bullfinch male in the Car Park field (Anne Cronin); Reed Bunting male on the Bittern feeders (Ben Knowles); Bittern seen from the Teal hide (Araba McMillan)
Sandford Lake – Snipe on island, Kingfisher (Andrew Merrick)
Middle March – Chiffchaff, Cetti’s Warbler seen from stile, Bullfinch heard (Andrew Merrick)
Black Swan Lake – 18 White-fronted Geese flew in with big flock of Greylag Geese near the Activity Centre corner of the lake (James Carson); Goldeneye male seen from the duck feeding area (John Mcgovan); 3 Goldeneye male and two females between the islands, Chiffchaff, Kingfisher (Andrew Merrick)
White Swan Lake – Bittern briefly in flight before dropping out of view (Andrew Merrick)

January 22nd
Lea Farm Lake – Stonechat, Little Egret (FJC)
Lavell’s Lake – Lesser Redpoll along Loddon with a flock of Siskin by Teal hide (Jack Jones); 3 Lesser Redpoll minimum in Alders behind reeds seen from Teal hide (FJC)
Black Swan Lake – 18 White-fronted Geese just flew in from the east and landed between the Activity Centre and Goat Island, Caspian Gull a presumed first winter was seen for 5 mins between the islands (Trevor Guyatt); Goldeneye male seen from the feeding area (Jack Jones)

January 21st
Lea Farm Lake – Tawny Owl calling from inside the three hole tree opposite the Green Bridge, Mixed flock of 100+ Redwing and Fieldfare feeding on the Landfill, Redpoll, 30+ Siskin both seen in Alder tree by Ron’s hide (Brian Bennett)
Lavell’s Lake – 3 Bullfinch two females and one male (Mary Jacobs); Coal Tit on feeders across the Loddon (Brian Bennett)
Sandford Lake – Kingfisher flew along the stream towards the parking end, 10+ Siskin above the stream in tree (John Mcgovan); 6 Snipe on an Island (Alan Jackman)
Black Swan Lake – Goldeneye male seen in the south east bay (Tim James); 20+ Siskin in tall Alders in the Fisherman’s carpark across the Loddon (John Mcgovan); Treecreeper towards the southern end (Paul Francis)
Mortimer’s Meadow – Peregrine on pylon before flying southwest (Dave Rimes)

January 20th
Lea Farm Lake – Water Rail under the feeders (John Mcgovan); Reed Bunting on the feeders (Geoff Emmett)
Sandford Lake – Chiffchaff seen from the hide (John Mcgovan); 10+ Snipe on the islands seen from the northern side, 30+ Siskin near the road (Anne Cronin)

January 19th
Lea Farm Lake – Kestrel hovering over the Landfill (John Mcgovan)

January 18th
Lavell’s Lake – White-fronted Goose on the landfill visible from the top of the Car Park field (David Hampton)
Black Swan Lake – Goosander in Coots Bay (Alan Jackman); 2 Goldeneye both male (Nia Wyn-Jones’ Son)
Mortimer’s Meadow – Kestrel on pylon (Dave Rimes)


2 Male Goldeneye at Black Swan Lake – Nia Wyn-Jones’ Son

January 17th
Lea Farm Lake – Tawny Owl looking out of top hole in tree opposite the Green Bridge (Steve Clarke)
Lavell’s Lake – Bittern visible at front of island reeds seen from Bittern hide now (Nick Kightley); Green Woodpecker in the Car Park field at the back on the right (Adam McTiernan)
White Swan Lake – Bittern in the reeds in the top corner (Steve Clarke)

January 16th
Lea Farm Lake – Tawny Owl looking out of top hole in tree opposite the Green Bridge (Peter Scudamore)
Lavell’s Lake – Grey Wagtail feeding and moving upstream, Little Egret on the Tern Scrape (FJC); Kingfisher flying along the Loddon heading Sandford Mill direction (Rebecca Rees); Barn Owl showed for 5 minutes in the Bittern Hide box (Paul Mattingly)
Sandford Lake – Little Egret (Marek Walford)

January 15th
Lea Farm Lake – Water Rail under the feeder (Mike Kirby); Shelduck in the south west corner, 49 Wigeon 11 over, 55+ Teal, 5 Little Egret all heading downstream sticking to the Loddon flight path (FJC); 6 Little Egret sighted along the Loddon (Suren Akkaraju)
Lavell’s Lake – Peregrine in tall Poplar tree (Jack Jones)

January 14th
Lea Farm Lake – Greenfinch, Water Rail, Chaffinch near Ron’s hide, 4 Nuthatch two checking out the large bird box on right of Green Bridge (Lee Tilley)
Lavell’s Lake – Kingfisher by Teal hide along the Loddon near to the rope bridge, (Lee Tilley); 6 White-fronted Geese are visible from Bittern hide as just landed on the lake (Linda Miller); Peregrine in tall Poplar tree (Michael Hubbard); Peregrine hunting Starlings unsuccessfully, Bittern showing in reeds to right of Teal hide (Matt Joyce); 2 Woodcock low over path to Bittern hide (Brian Bennett)
Landfill – 18 White-fronted Geese seen from top of the Car Park field (FJC)
Black Swan Lake – Goosander flew to the north east end seen from the Activity Centre (Paul Bright-Thomas); 10+ White-fronted Geese have just flown in and landed in the water about 150 metres south of the Activity Centre (Matt Joyce); 18 White-fronted Geese all have just flown further south but we couldn’t see where they landed (Katherine Plank)

January 13th
Lavell’s Lake – Barn Owl in a tree near it’s Box (Hilton Hurst); 30+ Siskin in Alders along Loddon near Tufty’s Corner (Dave Rimes); Barn Owl showing again in it’s box (Roger Stansfield)
Landfill – 18 White-fronted Geese seen from top of the Car Park field (FJC)


3 White-fronted Geese at Lavell’s Lake – Alan Jackman


Barn Owl looking out of it’s Box at Lavell’s Lake – Alan Jackman


White-fronted Goose at Lavell’s Lake – Alan Jackman

January 12th
Lea Farm Lake – 2 Goldcrest along the River Loddon (John Mcgovan); Great White Egret, Water Rail, Stonechat (Nick Kightley); Reed Bunting female (Paul Strong)
Lavell’s Lake – Barn Owl in it’s box (Rebecca Rees); 2 Water Rail swimming in reeds on the right of the scrape another squealing to the right of the hide, Little Grebe calling (FJC)


Female Reed Bunting at Lea Farm Lake – Paul Strong

January 11th
Lea Farm Lake – Great White Egret (Simon Proddrow); Reed Bunting male, Ring-necked Parakeet, Water Rail under the feeders (Mike Kirby)

January 10th
Lea Farm Lake – Great White Egret, Little Egret, Shelduck male, Water Rail, 3 Common Gull, Chiffchaff (Nick Kightley); Tawny Owl on show in ‘holey’ tree opposite the Green Bridge (John Mcgovan); Goldcrest along the River Loddon (Alan Jackman)
Lavell’s Lake – Little Egret, Cetti’s Warbler, 2 Little Grebe, Great White Egret over (Nick Kightley); Great White Egret (Anne Cronin); Sparrowhawk with supper (Phil Sigley)
Sandford Lake – 3 Snipe (Nick Kightley)
Black Swan Lake – Goosander seen from the Activity Centre (Nick Kightley)


Goldcrest along the Loddon at Lea Farm Lake – Alan Jackman

January 9th
Lea Farm Lake – Great White Egret in the south east corner, Little Egret in the south east corner, Shelduck male in the south west corner (Peter Scudamore); 3 Rook perched in the ‘Antler Tree’ at the far east end of landfill (FJC); 2 Tawny Owl in ‘holey’ tree opposite the Green Bridge (Andy Dearing); Water Rail foraging under the bird feeders by the hide (Matt Joyce); Goldcrest, Chiffchaff, Treecreeper all in Alder across from the Green Bridge (Trevor Guyatt)
Lavell’s Lake – 35+ Siskin in Alders 100m before Green Bridge, Cetti’s Warbler right below viewing flaps offering stunning views from the left side of the hide (FJC); Woodcock flew over the Bittern hide path (Jack Jones)
Sandford Lake – 9 Snipe on the left hand side of island viewed from Lin Singer’s bench (Roger Stansfield)
White Swan Lake – Bittern flew along the back of reeds (Finley Hutchinson)


Tawny Owl opposite the Green Bridge at Lea Farm Lake – Andy Hurley

January 8th
Lea Farm Lake – Great White Egret dropped in to the north east corner before flying to the south west corner 10 mins later, Shelduck male in the south west corner, 3 Little Egret over towards Dinton Pastures (FJC)
Black Swan Lake – Goosander just by feeding area on a branch lying on the water, 2 Goldeneye male and female took off from lake heading for either Sandford or Lea Farm (Tim James)

January 7th
Lea Farm Lake – Great White Egret, Reed Bunting, Water Rail, Shelduck male in the south west corner, 2 Common Gull, Green Woodpecker, 3 Herring Gull two adult and one juvenile, 2 Nuthatch (Richard Marsh)
Sandford Lake – 2 Snipe (Richard Marsh)
White Swan Lake – Bittern (Paul Brant)


Male Shelduck at Lea Farm Lake – Roger Stansfield


Water Rail at Lea Farm Lake – Richard Marsh

January 6th
Lea Farm Lake – Stonechat on the east shore fencing (Jack Jones)
Lavell’s Lake – Great Spotted Woodpecker on the feeders behind Bittern hide, Green Woodpecker in the Car Park field, Goldcrest alongside Loddon (Rebecca Rees)
Black Swan Lake – Goosander seen from the viewing point, Grey Wagtail on the Activity Centre pier (Andrew Curd); Mistle Thrush, Song Thrush, 6 Fieldfare all at cafe end of Old Golf course (Bruce Irvine)
White Swan Lake – Great White Egret flew out of the reeds (Rebecca Rees)

January 5th
Lea Farm Lake – Great White Egret on the northern bank, Water Rail under the feeders (Tim James)
Lavell’s Lake – Woodcock seen with FJC flying below treetop height over the reed bed alongside the path to Bittern hide (Trevor Guyatt)
Black Swan Lake – Goosander male on east bank 1/2 way between the Activity Centre and the duck feeding area (Tim James)
White Swan Lake – Bittern showed reasonably well for a short period in the reeds near the front before flying over the reeds towards the back (Andy Tomczynski)


Male Goosander on the beach at Black Swan Lake – Alan Jackman

January 4th
Lea Farm Lake – Stonechat female on fencing on the north east side, Great White Egret in the north east corner (Finley Hutchinson)
Lavell’s Lake – Great White Egret (John Mcgowan); Peregrine flew over Teal Hide towards the main part of the lake (Jack Jones)
Black Swan Lake – Goldeneye male seen from the Activity Centre (John Mcgowan); A flock of 40+ Redwing and Fieldfare on the Old Golf Course, Goosander male in Coot’s Corner (Colin Holmes); 2 Goldeneye a drake in the south west corner and a second in Coot’s Corner (Finley Hutchinson)

January 3rd
Lea Farm Lake – Water Rail under feeders, 2 Reed Bunting male and female (Andrew Cook); Mediterranean Gull adult near the Sand Martin Wall (Jack Jones)
Lavell’s Lake – Great White Egret, 2 Little Grebe seen from Teal Hide (John Mcgowan); 150+ Siskin along the Loddon river 150m above the bridge (Tim James); Bittern seen from Teal hide in reed beds on right hand side (Jack Jones); Woodcock flew over path to Bittern Hide (Suren Akkaraju)
Black Swan Lake – Mistle Thrush in large central tree on the Old Golf Course, Kestrel in the same tree on the Old Golf Course (Roger Stansfield); Goosander male near the duck feeding area (John Mcgowan)
White Swan Lake – Bittern in flight for couple of seconds (Suren Akkaraju)


Adult Mediterranean Gull at Lea Farm Lake – Alan Jackman

January 2nd
Lea Farm Lake – Great White Egret in the north east corner, Yellow-legged Gull first winter in the south west corner, Herring Gull, 100+ Common Gull, 2 Mediterranean Gull one was first winter with 1000 Black Headed Gulls in the south west corner the second was an Adult and it flew over and off over Lodge Wood (FJC); 2 Stonechat (Marek Walford)
Lavell’s Lake – Great White Egret (Anne Cronin); 10+ Siskin in Alders in Jack’s garden opposite Teal scrape (FJC)
Sandford Lake – 80+ Siskin in Alders 100m south of Sandford Lane (Brian Bennett)
Black Swan Lake – A mixed flock of Fieldfare and Redwing, Mistle Thrush singing, Kestrel on wires all seen on the Old Golf Course (Brian Bennett); Goosander standing under trees on the main “picnic” island (Trevor Guyatt)
White Swan Lake – Goldeneye male in front of the main reed bed (Anne Cronin)


First Winter Mediterranean Gull at Lea Farm Lake – FJC

January 1st
Lea Farm Lake – Great White Egret in the north east corner, 2 Stonechat on fence, Raven flying along far eastern boundary of landfill (FJC)
Lavell’s Lake – 2 Great White Egret flying one landing at back of scrape and the other kept going towards the Activity Centre direction, 15+ Siskin 100m upstream from wooden Bridge by Tufty’s corner in tall Alder on the west side of the river (FJC); Kestrel on the wires in the Car Park field (Brian Bennett); Peregrine with a recently caught Ring-necked Parakeet (Mark Lauri); 5 Redwing in the central copse (Anne Cronin); Woodcock over path to Tern hide (Roger Stansfield)
Landfill – 50+ Brent Geese flying around the Landfill seen from Lavell’s (FJC); 2 Rook (Roger Stansfield)
Sandford Lake – 2 Chiffchaff on the west side of the lake (Roger Stansfield); Water Rail, Cetti’s Warbler both seen on the west end of lake (Richard Marsh); Bullfinch male, Goldcrest seen at the entrance gate, 7 Common Gull (Suren Akkaraju); Blackcap male on the west side near the Old sluice, Kingfisher flew silently along the backwater (FJC)
Black Swan Lake – Goosander 100m from the feeding area (Mary Jacobs); 2 Chiffchaff (Suren Akkaraju); A mixed flock of about 40 Fieldfare and Redwing; plus Goldfinch (Roger Stansfield); Goosander between islands seen from golf course side, Kingfisher flew by (FJC); Mistle Thrush on the old Golf Course (Anne Cronin); Sparrowhawk over the main Centre (Tim James)
White Swan Lake – Goldeneye male in front of the main reed bed from dog walker’s bench (Anne Cronin); Bittern in view for 3-4 minutes then flew to back of the reeds (FJC)
Bader Way – Feral Pigeon under the bridge south end near A329 roundabout (FJC)


Peregrine with dinner at Lavell’s Lake – Mark Lauri