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| Sites in Berkshire | ||
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| Horton GP (TQ005753)
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Habitat: Mature deep water gravel pit, with reeds bed, a water filled flash, scrub and trees. | Species: All year: Ring-necked Parakeet. Summer: most common waterbirds can be found; Cuckoo; Sedge and Reed Warblers, Whitethroat, Blackcap, Chiff-chaff and Willow Warbler. Passage: occasional Slavonian or Black-necked Grebes; Scaup; the occasional raptor, such as Marsh Harrier, Osprey, Hobby; passerines including Wheater, Whinchat, and the occasional Redstart and Firecrest. Winter: occasional records of Red-necked, Slavonian or Black-necked Grebes occur; Bittern (annual); Smew appear occasionally, along with Scaup; Jack Snipe; Green Sandpiper; overwintering Chiff-chaff. Rarities: have included Red-footed Falcon. |
| Queen Mother Res (TQ01773)
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Habitat: Concrete banked reservoir - one of the large West London reservoirs.
ACCESS: There is no public access to the reservoir path at the site at the present time and though the sailing club barrier will allow you access to the car parking area, but does no allow you to exit without a swipe card, which at present you can get from the sailing shop.
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Species: Summer: the site can very quite, though anything could just turn up. Passage: Red-necked, Slavonian or Black-necked Grebes; Leaches Petrel (autumn - rare); Common Scoter, Scaup, and Red-breasted Merganser; the occasional Osprey, Hobby; most common wader species pass through, especially if water levels are low, plus Oystercatcher, Grey Plover, Sanderling, Little Stint, Whimbrel and Turnstone; the occasional Pomarine or Arctic Skua; Little Gulls; Sandwich, Arctic, Little, or Black Terns; occasional Little Auk (autumn - rare); plus passerines on the embankement, such as Larks, Pipits (including Rock), Wheater, and the occasional Black Redstart. Winter: (especially after easterlies or harsh conditions): Divers; Red-necked, Slavonian and Black-necked Grebes; Bewick Swans; Brent Geese; Scaup, Common Scoter, Goosander and Red-breasted Merganser; Peregrine; the site has a large Gull roost that can contain Mediterranean, Glaucous or Iceland Gulls. Rarities: have included Red-necked Phalarope; Sabine's Gull and Richard Pipit. |
| Wraysbury GP (TQ015735) | Habitat: Mature deep water gravel pit, with areas of grass/scrubland, including wet areas, areas of reed, plus scrub and trees.
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Species: All year: Ring-necked Parakeet, Lesser Spotted Woodpecker. Summer: most common waterbirds can be found, along with a small colony of Grey Herons; occasional breeding Ringer Plover or Redshank; Common Tern; Grasshopper, Sedge and Reed Warblers, Whitethroat, Lesser Whitethroat, Garden Warbler, Blackcap, Chiff-chaff and Willow Warbler, and Nightingales. Passage: occasional Red-necked or Slavonian Grebes; ducks such as Garganey, Scaup; the occasional raptor, such as Marsh Harrier, Osprey, Hobby; with the occasional Short-eared Owl; plus passerines, including Wheater, Whinchat, the occasional Redstart, Pied Flycatcher and Firecrest. Winter: occasional records of Red-necked or Slavonian Grebes; Bittern; sawbills appear in reasonsable numbers, with Goosander and Smew often reaching double figures, plus the odd Red-breasted Merganser, along with Scaup and Ruddy Duck; Stonechat, Fieildfare and Redwing, and overwintering Chiff-chaff. Rarities: have included Purple Heron, Night Heron, Spoonbill and Richards Pipit. |
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