wildlife menu

BIRDS OF MARSH FARM AND JOHNSON’S LAKE

Common residents and visitors

Species	Status	Where to see
Common Cormorant Phalcocorax carbo	Common visitor, mainly in winter	On and over the lakes
Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus	Common breeding resident	On all the lakes
Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis	Resident, usually 1-2 pairs	Mainly on Johnson’s Lake
Grey Heron Ardea cinerea	Common resident but does not breed	Around the lake edges
Mute Swan Cygnus olor	Common breeding resident	On and around all the lakes
Canada Goose Branta Canadensis	Common breeding resident	On and around all the lakes
Greylag Goose Anser anser	Breeding resident from feral stock	On and around all the lakes
Egyptian Goose Alopochen aegyptiacus	Increasingly common breeding resident	Favours Marsh Farm
Mandarin Duck Aix galericulata	Breeding resident	Mainly on and around Johnson’s Lake
Mallard Anas Platyrynchus	Common breeding resident	On and around all the lakes
Tufted Duck Aythya fuligula	Common breeding resident	On all the lakes
Common Pochard Aythya farina	Common winter visitor October to April	Mainly on Johnson’s Lake
Eurasian Sparrowhawk Accipter nisus	Breeding resident	Over the lakes
Common Buzzard Buteo buteo	Increasingly common and now breeds nearby	Over the lakes
Common Kestrel Falco tunnunculus	Common breeding resident	Over the lakes
Common Pheasant Phasianus colchicus	Common breeding resident	Surrounding woodland
Water Rail Rallus aquaticus	Winter visitor October to March	Around the fishing platform on Jonhson’s Lake
Moorhen Gallinula chloropus	Common breeding resident	On and around all the lakes
Eurasian Coot Fulica atra	Common breeding resident	On and around all the lakes
European Golden Plover Pluvialis apricaria	Autumn visitor to nearby Tuesley Farm, sometimes in large numbers	Overhead
Northern Lapwing Vanellus vanellus	Occasional visitor, mainly in winter	Overhead, sometimes on Marsh Farm
Common Sandpiper Tringa hypoleucus	Spring and autumn migrant	Mainly on Johnson’s Lake
Black-headed Gull Larus ridibundus	Common visitor, mainly in winter	On and over the lakes
Common Gull Larus canus	Occasional visitor, mainly in winter	Flying over, occasionally on Jonhson’s Lake
Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus	Occasional visitor, mainly in winter	Flying over, occasionally on Johnson’s Lake
Herring Gull Larus argentatus	Occasional visitor, mainly in winter	Flying over.
Common Tern Sterna hirundo	Common summer visitor, may breed in future	Over the lakes or perched on posts
Stock Dove Colomba oenas	Common breeding resident	Usually overhead, often breeds in trees by Johnson’s Lake
Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto	Common breeding resident	Usually flying over or by nearby houses
Common Cuckoo Cuculus canorus	Decreasingly common summer visitor, more often heard than seen	Usually seen flying over
Tawny Owl Strix aluco	Fairly common breeding resident	Woodland around lakes
Common Swift Apus apus	Common summer visitor, late April to early August	Overhead
Common Kingfisher Alcedo atthis	Fairly common resident	Around the lakes
Green Woodpecker Picus viridis	Common breeding resident	Woodland
Great Spotted Woodpecker Dendrcopus major	Common breeding resident	Woodland
Lesser Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocpus minor	Formerly a fairly common breeding resident, now scarce	Woodland
Eurasian Skylark Alauda arvensis	Common on nearby Tuesley Farm	Overhead
Sand Martin Riparia riparia	Fairly common passage migrant in spring and autumn	Overhead and on wires
Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica	Common summer visitor, breeds	Overhead and on wires
House Martin Delichon urbica	Common summer visitor	Overhead and on wires
Meadow Pipit Anthus pratensis	Fairly common winter visitor	In the grass on Marsh Farm
Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea	Fairly common breeding resident	Along streams
Pied Wagtail Motacilla Alba	Common breeding resident	Around Marsh Farm
Winter Wren Troglodytes troglodytes	Common breeding resident	Any scrub or woodland
Dunnock Prunella modularis	Common breeding resident	Any scrub or woodland
European Robin Erithaca rubecula	Common breeding resident	Any scrub or woodland
Common Stonechat Saxicola torquata	A heathland species that has recently bred on Marsh Farm	Around Marsh Farm, perches prominently
Blackbird Turdus merula	Common breeding resident	Any scrub or woodland
Song Thrush Turdus philomelos	Common breeding resident, not as common as Blackbird	Scrub and woodland
Redwing Turdus iliacus	Common winter visitor	Woodland around Johnson’s Lake and overhead
Fieldfare Turdus pilaris	Occasional winter visitor	Grassland on Marsh Farm and overhead
Mistle Thrush Turdus viscivorus	Common breeding resident	Catholic in its habits
Sedge Warbler Acrocephalus schoenobaenus	Spring and autumn migrant	Lake edge and scrub
Eurasian Reed Warbler Acrocephalus scirpaceous	Common summer visitor, breeds	Reedbeds around lakes on Marsh Farm
Common Whitethroat Sylvia communis	Common summer visitor, breeds	Hedgerows
Garden Warbler Sylvia borin	Fairly common summer visitor, breeds	Woodland around Johnson’s Lake
Blackcap Sylvia atricapilla	Common summer visitor, breeds	Woodland around Johnson’s Lake
Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita	Common summer visitor, breeds	Woodland around Johnson’s Lake
Willow Warbler Phylloscopus trochilus	Fairly common in spring and autumn, but does not appear to breed	Woodland around Johnson’s Lake
Goldcrest	Common breeding resident	Woodland and scrub
Spotted Flycatcher Muscicapa striata	Irregular summer visitor, sometimes breeds	Woodland around NE end of Johnson’s Lake
Long-tailed Tit Aegithalos caudatus	Common breeding resident	Woodland and scrub
Coal Tit Parus ater	Occasional visitor – prefers conifers	Woodland around Johnson’s Lake
Great Tit Parus major	Common breeding resident	Woodland and scrub
Blue Tit Parus caeruleus	Common breeding resident	Woodland and scrub
Eurasian Nuthatch Sitella europaea	Common breeding resident	Woodland around Johnson’s Lake
Eurasian Treecreeper Certhia familiaris	Common breeding resident	Woodland around Johnson’s Lake
Eurasian Jay Garrulus glandariusa	Common breeding resident	Woodland
Black-billed Magpie Pica pica	Common breeding resident	Widespread
Eurasian Jackdaw Corvus monedula	Common breeding resident	Widespread
Carrion Crow Corvus corone	Common breeding resident	Widespread
Common Starling Sternus vulgaris	Common breeding resident	Widespread
House Sparrow Passer domesticus	Fairly common breeding resident	Around houses at NW edge of Marsh Farm
Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs	Common breeding resident	Widespread
European Greenfinch Carduelis chloris	Common breeding resident	Often perch on top of trees around the lakes
European Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis	Common breeding resident	Widespread. Forms large flocks in the autumn when feeding on thistles
Eurasian Siskin Carduelis spinosa	Common winter visitor	Around Johnson’s Lake, mainly feeding on Alder
Lesser Redpoll Carduelis cabaret	Occasional winter visitor	Around Johnson’s Lake, mainly feeding on Alder
Eurasian Linnet Acanthis flammea	Fairly common resident, breeds on Tuesley Farm	Rough ground around Marsh Farm
Eurasian Bullfinch Pyrrhula pyrrhula	Common breeding resident	Woodland, mainly around Johnson’s Lake
Reed Bunting Emberiza schoeniclus	Common breeding resident	Mainly islands and lake edge on Marsh Farm

Occasional visitors (since 1997)

Little Egret Egretta garzetta	Mainly in winter	Flying over or lake edge
Ruddy Duck Oxyura jamaicensis	Any time of year	Johnson’s Lake - some could be escapes from collections
Common Shelduck Tadorna tordana	Mainly in winter	Johnson’s Lake
Eurasian Wigeon Anas penelope	In winter	Most likely on Johnson’s Lake
Gadwall Anas strepera	Mainly in winter	On the lakes
Common Teal Anas crecca	Mainly in winter, surprisingly uncommon	On the lakes
Northern Shovelor Anas clypeata	Mainly in winter	On the lakes
Red-crested Pochard Netta ruffian	Anytime of year	Johnson’s Lake - some could be escapes from wildlife collections
Common Goldeneye Bucephala clangula	Winter visitor	Johnson’s Lake
Red Kite Milvus milvus	Any time of year	Flying over
Goshawk Accipter gentiles	Any time of year	Flying over or soaring
Osprey Pandion haliaetus	Spring and autumn. Birds have stayed for several days	Over the lakes
Peregrine Falco peregrinus	Any time of year	Overhead
Little Ringed Plover Charadrius dubius	Bred when Marsh Farm was new; not seen recently	Rough ground
Green Sandpiper Tringa ochropus	Mainly in autumn	Lake edge, particularly the wildlife pond
Common Redshank Tringa tetanus	Mainly on passage	Lake edge or flying over
Greenshank Tringa nebularia	Winter visitor	Lake edge or flying over
Whimbrel Numensis phaeopus	Mainly a passage migrant	Flying over
Common Snipe Gallinago gallinago	Mainly in winter	Marshy ground
Great Black-backed Gull Larus marinus	Mainly in winter	Flying over, but 2 records on Johnson’s Lake
Turtle Dove Streptopelia turtur	Summer visitor	Flying over
Yellow Wagtail Motacilla flava	Mainly in spring	Marsh Farm - prefers wet grass
Northern Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe	Spring and autumn	Marsh Farm - prefers open ground
Whinchat Saxicola rubetra	Spring and autumn	Marsh Farm – perches prominently
Lesser Whitethroat Sylvia curruca	Spring and autumn	Hedgerow
Marsh Tit Parus palustris	Used to be fairly common, now sadly rare	Woodland
Rook Corvus frugilegus	All year, but surprisingly uncommon	Flying over
Brambling Fringilla montifringilla	Winter visitor, can be common in some years	Woodland and feeding on ground

Just one or two records since 1997

Great Bittern Botaurus stellaris	Scarce winter visitor	One took up residence briefly at Enton Little Pond in January 1997
Green-winged Teal Anas carolensis	Vagrant from North America	A genuine rarity – a drake on Johnson’s Lake on 16 March 2008
Northern Pintail Anas acuta	Winter visitor	A flock of 5 over Johnson’s Lake on 5 January 2005
Long-tailed Duck Clangula hyemalis	Scarce winter visitor	One over Marsh Farm on 10 October 2007
Goosander Mergus merganser	Winter visitor	2 records in the winter of 2005/06
Honey Buzzard Pernis apivorus	Scarce summer visitor	1 record of a bird soaring over Marsh Farm on 16 June 2004
Merlin Falco columbarius	Scarce winter visitor	Two records of a male that wintered on Tuesley Farm in the late 1990s
Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola	Scarce passage migrant	1 on Marsh Farm, 17 Aug 02, before lakes had filled up
Little Gull Larus minutus	Scarce passage migrant’ mainly coastal	An adult on Johnson’s Lake on 15 March 2008
Black Tern Chlidonias niger	Scarce passage migrant, mainly coastal	Single birds on Johnson’s Lake on 20 and 25/08/06 (different birds)
Rose-ringed Parakeet Psitticula kramerii	Common resident in Thames Valley	2 records of birds flying over, 16/11/02 1nd 3/11/07
Bohemian Waxwing Bombycilla garrulus	Winter visitor but only in some years	3 records in February 2005 during the irruption of that year, max 48
Wood Warbler Phylloscopus sibilatrix	Scarce summer visitor in Surrey	1 in a tit flock on 8/08/00
Firecrest Regulus ignicapillis	Scarce breeder and winter visitor	1 in woodland at Johnson’s Lake, 12/11/98
Common Crossbill Loxia curvirostra	Resident, but generally scarce	2 records of birds flying over, 15/12/98 and 31/07/01
Hawfinch Coccothraustes coccothraustes	Resident locally in small numbers, but very elusive	1 perched by the fishing platform on Johnson’s Lake, 16/06/98
Mealy Redpoll Carduelis flammea	Scarce winter visitor	1, possibly 2, with Lesser Redpoll for a few days in March 2003
Yellowhammer Emberiza citronella	Fairly common resident	1 at Johnson’s Lake 9/03/00