Green Sandpiper

Green Sandpipers breed in the boreal forest zone of north Scandinavia and Russia; nesting in old song-bird nests and squirrel dreys. They Winter in southern Britain, SW Europe and north Africa.

Females often leave before the young are fledged, followed later by the juveniles and males.

Small numbers spend the winter at Moor Green Lakes and larger numbers pass through; August sightings are the most numerous. Unlike many waders, they do not form flocks and individuals may be found scattered around the lake margins and scrapes.

 Juvenile Green Sandpiper, 4th August 2008 - ©  Les Thorn

Little Ringed Plover

This smart little plover first started to breed in Britain in 1938, and has yet to colonise Ireland. They spend the winter south of the Sahara.

A few pairs have been breeding at Moor Green Lakes since 1990, preferring the exposed gravel which results from the extraction process.

 Little Ringed Plover, 4th May 2009 - © Gary Randall

Common Sandpiper

This small wader passes through Moor Green Lakes on its northerly migration from sub-Saharan west Africa and southern Europe where it spends the winter. It breeds in northern Britain and Scandinavia.

Occasionally Common Sandpipers spend the winter in Berkshire and have also bred in the county.

  Common Sandpiper, 23 April 2009 - © David Lowther

Common Tern

Common Terns have been breeding at Moor Green Lakes since 1991, not always successfully.

British breeding Common Terns winter on the west coast of Africa. Occasionally, birds from further north pass through on migration; these are separately noted where possible. 

Common Tern, 26 April 2009 - © Gary Randall

Redshank

Small numbers of Redshank arrive at Moor Green Lakes to breed, but they are never very successful. They nest on the ground, usually in a tuft of Soft Rush (Juncus sp.). The eggs or young are readily predated by Crows and Foxes. The birds breeding at Moor Green Lakes probably winter on the Channel coasts, and possibly as far as Spain.

Redshank on passage can drop in on Moor Green Lakes and have been recorded in all months except November. These are most likely to be Redshanks of the Icelandic breeding race which winter around the British coasts in substantial numbers. 

Redshank mating, 16 April 2009 - © Jerry O'Brien

Goosander

Ever since the late 1980's, Grove Lake has been a Goosander winter roosting site of regional importance. They feed mainly on fish, which are abundant in the local lakes and rivers, and gather to socialise before roosting.

Goosanders in the UK are at the west of their range which extends throughout Scandinavia and northern Russia to the Bering Sea. "Our" birds breed in northern England, Scotland and  Scandinavia. The males spend much of June to October in the fjords of northern Norway where they undergo their moult. The females remain on the breeding grounds with the young until they move south to the wintering sites such as Moor Green Lakes and are reunited with the males.

*Exceptionally, in 1996 2 females remained until 18th May and one until 20 June.

Goosanders at roost, 29 January 2009 - © David Cary