Today, I visited Staines Reservoir, a site that I am able to reach by public transport, albeit requiring a long trip to west London.
Officially called Staines Reservoir (in the singular), the site is actually 2 reservoirs (North Basin and South Basin) separated by a narrow causeway. They lie just north of Staines and Ashford and south west of Heathrow Airport. Open access is provided via the causeway that bisects the 2 reservoirs. There is strictly no access to any other part of the reservoirs.
Staines Reservoir is hardly the most scenic birding location and there is the constant sight and sound of aircraft from the adjacent Heathrow Airport but nonetheless it is designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and is particularly noted for its wintering wildfowl. It has also attracted an impressive list of species over the years including a number of rarities.
My most notable sighting at Staines Reservoir is a vagrant American Horned Lark which I saw there on 17th February 2018.
The main reason for my visit today was to hopefully see Black-throated Diver (a species that I had yet to see in 2023), Great Northern Diver and Black-necked Grebe.
I was successful in seeing all 3 species with Black-throated Diver taking my 2023 UK year list to 203 species and just short of the 204 species that I recorded in 2022 which in itself was my highest total since the Covid-19 pandemic severely restricted birding.
The most notable sightings of my visit were as follows: Black-throated Diver (2), Great Northern Diver (1), Black-necked Grebe (2), Great-crested Grebe (5), Little Grebe (2), Goldeneye (6), Tufted Duck (+++), Wigeon (++), Shoveler (c.50), Gadwall (c.20), Mallard (c.10), Coot (c.20), Mute Swan (3), Cormorant (1), Linnet (c.15), Meadow Pipit (2), Pied Wagtail (c.5)
I did not take my camera with me since I knew from previous visits that photography opportunities are very limited and with a telescope being a more essential bit of kit to scan the large reservoirs for birds.
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