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Birds
Recording
Systematic bird recording
began in the Moor Green Lakes area in 1990. Strictly the area covered is
Eversley Gravel Pits which is defined as the area:
Ideally records should be
entered on the weekly log in Colebrook Hide or submitted directly to the
Bird Recorder.
Records should be submitted every 3-4 months (or more frequently) so that
the log can be kept as up to date as possible. Less frequent visitors may
wish to submit their records annually.
The
species list for the site includes
a Reporting Category in the left-hand column. This refers to the type of records
required for each species as follows:
1* = All records required. Please submit
notes on the sighting with the record. These notes should include details of
the diagnostic identification features which were observed at the time,
other species nearby, the duration and distance of the observation, weather
conditions, optical aids used and previous experience of the species. This
code applies to any species not on the current species list (i.e. new to the
reserve).
1 = All records required.
2 = Whole site counts, reserve area counts,
breeding summary (number of pairs and young, singing males), early / late
dates for summer and winter visitors, movements, unusual dates and
interesting behaviour.
3 = Breeding summary only.
4 = Only unusual records for the species e.g.
high counts, early breeding records.
 Records
should be sent to the Bird Recorder as indicated on the
Contacts page.
Sightings
of birds in category 1*, would be gratefully received by the Bird Recorder
(phone 01344 778412) or reported on one of the bird news services,
particularly if still present, to enable dissemination of information to
other interested observers.
A monthly report of bird
sightings is produced and is available on the notice board at the entrance
to the Reserve and
here. Reporting systems have developed to spread news of rare or interesting
records. At a local level
Berksbirds provides a facility to submit reports and to see what
has been reported within Berkshire. At a regional level,
Birdline South East
provides a phone in news service. There are a number of national services
operating on the internet or via pager, which concentrate more on rare birds. Jerry O'Brien, a local bird photographer has some excellent photos of
Moor Green birds on his
website.
What to Expect
These sections highlight
the changing scene throughout the year. More than 200 species of birds
have been recorded in the area of Moor Green Lakes since 1977.
Between 120 and 140 species are recorded annually, around 60 of these
breeding in the area. A half a day visit can provide more than 60 species
at any time of the year. The
species list indicates the resident or migratory status of each species.
The Monthly Reports highlight the scarcer and more interesting birds that
have been reported. The reporting log in Colebrook Hide should list
the more interesting sightings for the current and previous week.
Some peanut bird feeders
are maintained at the Reserve car park and on the trees by the path to the
Reserve. During the winter a ground feeder is maintained in the paddock by
the path, just before Colebrook Hide. There are 50 nest boxes around the
Reserve for Tits, Mandarin Ducks and Owls. These are monitored and
reported on in the MGLG Annual Report.
January to March:
Numbers of Geese and Ducks are at their maximum with several hundred Canada
Geese, up to 50 Greylag and 100 Egyptian Geese, also dwindling feral flocks of
20 Barnacle
Geese and 2 Snow Geese, which are the remnant of a larger flocks. Wigeon are the
most numerous duck with more than 500. The area supports 100 or more Gadwall,
Teal, Mallard, Shoveler, Tufted Duck and Coot. A handful of Goldeneye
and a few Pintail can usually be found on Grove Lake. Grove Lake also holds a winter
night-time roost of Goosander, for which the site is locally important. It
is the signature bird for the Reserve and is the Group logo. Up to 50
Goosander may be seen under favourable conditions at dusk as they congregate,
although recently 20 or so in the norm. The maximum count ever recorded was
184 on 12th January 1997.
 Little Egret are now
regular during this period. Lapwing can exceed 1000. Snipe are present, also
a few Water Rails and Green Sandpipers. Gull numbers are reducing
during this period, with a few hundred Black-headed and Lesser Black-backed,
up to 50 Common Gull and single figure numbers of Herring and Yellow-legged
Gulls in the over-night roost. Having finished off the berries, winter
Thrushes will be on the paddocks and open fields. A few Stonechats spend the
winter in the area and winter flocks of Linnets,
Meadow Pipits and Finches are in the open areas and Siskin and Redpolls in
the trees along the river. Bramblings and Reed Buntings will be visiting the
ground feeder.
April to June:
Canada and Egyptian Geese breed as do Mallard, Tufted Duck and a few
Gadwall. The other ducks depart elsewhere to breed. Mandarin Ducks occupy
several nest boxes along the north of the reserve to maintain a thriving
population in the area. Redshank and Little
Ringed Plovers arrive to breed and several species of wader pass through.
Black-headed Gulls and Common Terns take up residence on Tern Island to
breed in good numbers; the noise of these birds characterises this period.
Other Gulls and Terns pass through.
Hobby arrive and an Osprey
may pass through. Seven species of Warbler arrive to breed in the area and
House Martins, Sand Martins, Swallows and Swifts feed over the lakes.
Wheatear and Whinchat pass through.
July to September:
By now most of the breeding will be over, but some Geese, Tufted Duck and
Great Crested Grebe may still be on nests. The return passage of waders will
be under way and the first Green Sandpipers will arrive for the winter.
The autumn passage seems less urgent and passage birds may linger for a
few days. The numbers of birds that appeared for the summer are swelled by
the successful breeding. The noise of the breeding Gulls and Terns is
muted as the young disperse with their parents. Gulls gather on the new
workings during the afternoon and frequently include a Yellow-legged Gull or
two.
Teal, Wigeon and Shoveler
start arriving for the winter and overlap with the passage of warblers
heading south. The numbers of the resident ducks is supplemented by
migrants coming to stay for the winter.
October to December:
The number of Grebes increases with the chance of a rare species. Little
Egrets return. Goldeneye
and Goosander do not arrive until November and Pintail in December, but all
the other ducks and geese may be seen by the beginning of this period.
Gull numbers start to build up and peak in November with up to 1000 Lesser
Black-backed Gulls in the roost.
Osprey pass through, most
probably unseen. Stonechats arrive to winter in small numbers and the
finches and tits form feeding flocks on the grassland or in and trees along
the river. Thrushes feed on the hawthorns and blackthorns along the
path to the river. Goldcrests arrive from the nearby conifer woods to
mix with the resident birds. In some years good sized flocks of
Brambling are present.
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