The flood relief channel, as it passes Slough sewage farm, was originally referred to as JR6b in the BBB and there were a few reports with that tag after gravel and pools first appeared, but it was really Mike McKee who "broke" the site in August '01 with reports of wood sand, curlew and blackwit as well as yellow wag, whinchat, LRP & RP

It wasn't until the following year that you could get onto the site without being challenged by someone with a hard hat on and so it was early spring when reports started to appear on www.Berksbirds.co.uk under the new name of "Dorney Wetlands"
I first started going regularly in March '02 and after a few good finds I was there almost every day that spring and subsequent ones. It's a cliché to say that the year before it was opened to the public (by Prince Andrew on 11th July 2002) saw it at its best but for shear numbers of birds that first April/May was fantastic: 18 LRPs, 14 RPs, 8 wheatear and lots of classy birds too; a pair of temminck's stint, little stint, black tern, little tern, grey plover, barwit, curlew sand & wood sand, garganey ... That spring has never been bettered and the first autumn too had 20+ yellow wag, wood sand, blackwit and the first county RB shrike in ten years
Since then it's been in slow decline - albeit with occasional stars: green-winged teal, ring-necked duck ... great grey shrike, marsh harrier, avocet,  spoonbill ... but they twinkle in an ever darkening sky ;o)

Previous blog page   April 2007 © all photos copyright