History

Dinton Pastures already had feral Black Swans present when the park opened and how Black Swan Lake bears it's name. By 2003, 200 species of wild birds have been seen at Dinton Pastures, records date from 1980, although a few people were fortunate enough to see it when the gravel was being still being extracted back in the mid to late seventies. The birds that are attracted to 'The Park' today is quite different to the early years. Initially it was wintering Gadwall on Black Swan Lake, whose numbers can rise above 200, that made the site nationally important, Gadwall then bred in low numbers from 1983, but have preferred nearby gravel pits in more recent years.

In 1980, there was very little foliage around the park and exposed grassy areas and lake edges appealed to different passage birds than regularly occur today, the main view point on Black Swan Lake (BSL), the golf course and path alongside it and even the picnic area often attracted numerous Yellow Wagtail, Wheatears & Whinchat. Water and even Rock Pipits could be found along the lake edge March to April. The lack of vegetation around the lake also meant that other wildfowl were more frequent in the 80’s too, Goosander used to be fairly frequent on BSL and Sandford Lake from November to February. Little Grebes are now just a winter and passage visitor and numbers are much reduced.

As the foliage has grown up, the number and variety of fly over waders has dropped but this could also be the fact that most of the local gravel workings are coming to completion, which when they do complete the nearby tipping, the vast majority of our wintering gulls will find alternative tips to feed on and maybe the huge flocks of corvids will follow them.

Back in the early 80’s Sandford Lake was seen as the nature reserve, low islands were changed into gravel ‘tern islands’, resulting in immediate successful breeding of 10+ pairs of Common Terns, the 1-2 pairs of Little-ringed Plover, Lapwing and Redshank were bonuses. Overgrown habitats, increased public usage, an increase in mink populations and successive flooding during spring have all taken their toll on the terns and waders and it was decided that the other lake north of Sandford, referred to as ‘North Sandford’, was a better location to provide protection against flooding and disturbance. Teal Scrape, its hide and the new Tern Island were created in 1984, the focus turned to this new lake, now referred to as Lavell’s.

Teal Scrape, shone but its tranquillity was soon to be under threat from the new path proposed along the Lodden and the new path went ahead regardless of our objections and so we had little choice but to create a new larger scrape at the East end of Lavell’s Lake. We would call this ‘Tern Scrape’ since it would provide a better observation point for watching the terns, but would also attract waders and various reed dwelling species.

Tern Scrape and hide were completed in August 1987, the day after completion the rarest bird ever to visit Dinton, dropped in on the then totally bare ‘Tern Scrape’, it was an American vagrant species called a Wilson’s Phalarope, which was only third ever for Berkshire. After some years of breeding success by the terns and some waders, the Phragmites reed beds began to grow and sightings of Bittern began to increase, resulting in the creation of more reed bed on the main island of Lavell’s, which has since proven to be a favoured roosting spot when they do visit. Bittern is now the bird people most hope to see at Lavell’s lake.

Over the years and especially during 2003 when a bird summered, both hides have offered excellent and close views for many, some years we have had 2 even 3 birds stay, but wintering Bittern is not yet an annual event, so we now have plans to dramatically increase the area of reed beds, around both scrapes and a much larger area on the main island, which will undoubtedly also improve the chances of seeing Bittern, as well as Water Rail, which is at best a difficult and shy species to see anywhere. Lavell’s Lake already provides an excellent place to see this secretive species at quite close quarters, but you do have to be patient sometimes, dusk visits from late February into March can produce 4 even 5 birds, imagine how many we will have by 2007.

Black Swan and Sandford Lakes provide feeding or resting places for several other common wildfowl gathering in some numbers, Canada and Greylag Geese, Mute Swan, Great Crested Grebe, Moorhen, Goldeneye, Mallard, Shoveler, Pochard and Tufted Duck are all happy on both lakes. Coot only gather on BSL, which Wigeon prefer too, during hard weather spells numbers can push the numbers above 300. Cormorant is present all year now but wintering numbers can exceed 100 that congregate on the islands of Black Swan Lake to roost.

The hedge rows between Black Swan Lake & White Swan Lake and around Middle Marsh are the best place to hear the beautiful song Nightingales from mid April, but they did not begin arriving until 1984, when there was enough vegetation. The same hedgerows provide haven for all the common warblers, 3 of the tit family, Great Spotted & Green Woodpeckers, sadly Lesser spotted in now rare, only 2-3 sightings a year if that. 2 uncommon birds for the Park are Coal Tit & Nuthatch, the latter strays our way in the autumn. Coal Tits seem to rush through at the head of the rapidly moving tit flocks and are generally early morning birds only. The Alder lined lake edges and lakes bring wintering Lesser Redpoll, better numbers of Siskin in years.

Teal have been quite a success story, before any hides were installed or any scrapes were created, there was little habitat for dabbling ducks, so numbers remained below 10 usually and being a very shy species, they always flew away. As soon as the scrapes and hides were created, numbers regularly remain over 40 and have often exceeded 100. In addition Tern Scrape in particular must provide such an ideal habitat for local non breeding birds, a handful begin returning in June or July, with numbers building from August and staying right through to April. We will continue trying to provide the right conditions for Teal to breed on Lavell’s Lake.