Birds seen at Moor Green Lakes during AUGUST 2010

A total of 34 Great Crested Grebe (including seven juveniles) on the 27th with two adult and two juvenile Little Grebe. 12 Mute Swans, including three juveniles. Maximum counts of 290 Canada Geese, 90+ Egyptian Geese, 11 Greylag Geese and 15 Barnacle Geese this month. An elusive Little Egret has been seen occasionally and Grey Herons are resident.   

Up to 10 Teal by the month end and a pair of Pochard for most of the month. Mandarin Ducks present all month, including flocks of 7 and 11 west along river at dusk on 27th. 59 resident Mallard and 116 Tufted Ducks on 27th. The family of nine young Gadwall dispersed during the month. 130 Coot on 27th.  

Buzzards (up to four), Kestrel (including a juvenile), Sparrowhawk, Hobbys and Red Kite seen this month, but the star raptor was a female Marsh Harrier passing through on 29th. A pair of Red-legged Partridges have been seen occasionally on the new workings.   

A poor showing of migrant waders this month: a peak of five Green Sandpipers and six Common Sandpipers. A Dunlin on the 3rd/4th. Up to four Little Ringed Plovers up to the 18th. Ringed Plovers on 11th, 16th and 21st. A Redshank present on the last four days of the month and Greenshanks on the 17th and 28th. Lapwing numbers reached 160 on the 19th.  A maximum of four Snipe recorded on 29th. 

Common Terns have left the site with just the occasional passing bird. Up to 30 Black-headed Gulls, including juveniles. 300 Lesser Black-backed Gulls in the evening roost on the 27th. Occasional Herring and Yellow-legged Gulls have been seen.  

The Barn Owls are still this present, but seem to have failed to breed on the reserve again. It appears that the three Little Owl territories along Lower Sandhurst Road have bred successfully. Swallows, Sand Martins and House Martins have been moving south in the last two weeks with an estimated 150 birds in the sky on the 25th, The last Swifts were seen on the 18th.  

The family of Stonechats are still present. The first two Whinchats of
the year were  recorded on the 27th
at Fox Lake, on the Hampshire side; but no Wheatear this month. Kingfishers have been very busy on the river and lakes, a juvenile and adult female were caught by the ringers on the 8th (pictured right by Tim Ball of the Reading & Basingstoke Ringing Group). They also caught 42 Warblers, including six Garden Warblers, 10 Black
caps and 18 Chiffchaffs. 

Lots of Pied Wagtails on the workings, and a Yellow Wagtail on the 18th.  The male Yellowhammer has still been singing occasionally at the west end of the site.

 My unofficial count of species recorded for 2010 is about 124, including the escaped Snow and Barnacle Geese.

As always, please report your own sightings on the record sheets in Colebrook Hide.

This Summary is also available on  www.mglg.org.uk            

Report compiled by Bruce Archer

August 2009 sightings  >>>

August 2008 sightings >>>