2nd June 2004
The BTO-Hanson Business Bird Challenge 2004 is showing how good Reading is as a place for birdwatching. There is no need to go to the coast, large nature reserves or to exotic locations to find birds when the local gravel pits have plenty of them! And, at Theale, the total birds seen so far this year exceeds all other Hanson Challenge sites anywhere in the country.
The Hanson pits that straddle the motorway to the South West of Reading have turned up 117 species in the first quarter of the year, this is 13 more than famous birdwatching places like Dungeness Nature Reserve in Kent and 17 more than Rutland Water in the Midlands where Ospreys breed and for a long time has been a top destination for birders.
Theale is top of its section of large wetland sites and also top of all 90 sites, including the major wetlands category. Closest to Theale in the all sites list is Lound in Nottinghamshire, owned by Tarmac which has turned up 115 species. The next nearest is Ogston Reservoir owned by Severn Trent Water in Derbyshire with 109. In Theale's own category, the next highest is Foremark Reservoir, Derbyshire with 98 species and the most local contender, Farmoor in Oxfordshire, has turned up 90 species. Some other local sites appear in other categories such as Lower Farm, Thatcham (75) and Syngenta's location at Jealott's Hill (62).
Amongst the birds spotted at Theale have been locally common species like the Tufted Duck, Grey Herons and Kingfisher but also, Little Egret, Peregrine Falcon, and even Brent Goose and Kittiwake, birds that live by the sea and rarely stray inland. A rare Mediterranean Gull also appeared in March. For those who know their smaller birds species like Redpoll, Brambling and Crossbill have also been found. All birds seen at Theale go into the annual Birds of Berkshire reports of sightings in the County published by the Reading Ornithological Club.
Colin Wilson, Chairman of the Reading Ornithological Club said 'This shows it's not necessary to go racing off to far away places to satisfy an appetite for different birds. Our skilled and dedicated birdwatchers in the Theale area have found all these species by careful observation and knowing their habitats. They gain great pleasure from being top of the list of all these sites around the UK. Our local birdwatchers will do all we can to win the highest number of species for 2004.'
For anyone who would like to find and identify birds locally or further afield, the Reading Ornithological Club provides an ideal way to get help and advice. Please contact Colin Wilson on 01252 837411 or Dot Lincoln, Membership Secretary on 0118 9427 563 for further details.