birding...

Dartford Warbler Sylvia undata ©Jerry O'Brien http://www.birdsofberkshire.co.uk/

Ornithologically, Berkshire is an amazing place. No coast or marshland, cliffs or moor-land, but nonetheless a healthy 300 species have been recorded whilst birding in the Royal County. In fact, there is a fairly wide range of habitat. From above, the county resembles a piece of railway cake! The M4 and the Thames effectively cut it into three long slices in between which is a rich assemblage of farmland, heath, mixed woodlands, gravel pits and parks. Although this section of the Thames Valley has no major reserves, sympathetic land-owners and keen field ornithologists and birders have worked together to create some very interesting results.

The west of the county hosts our down-land (home to a remnant colony of Stone Curlew) and our highest hillscape. Here Buzzards play out their seasons and the area is renowned for passage raptors. The London-bound visitor will next encounter the Newbury and Kennet Valley area with its reed beds and canal systems playing host to numerous Nightingales, Cetti`s Warblers and wintering Golden Plovers. This area merges into the huge complex of gravel pits near Reading where just about anything turns up. South of the motorway, a large expanse of heath-land, home to Nightjar, Tree Pipits and increasing numbers of Dartford Warblers and Woodlarks, creep into the huge expanse of the Windsor Forests, with Firecrest, Redstarts and Woodcock to be encountered. Then the immense west-London water complexes of Reservoirs and Wraysbury Pits become prominent for a wide range of species in their seasons, especially healthy populations of Smew in winter.

Armed with a copy of Where to Watch Birds in Berkshire, (available from Brian Clews on 01628-525314); the visiting bird-watcher will probably want to visit the following hot-spots:-