Sutton Bingham - Thu 14 Jan

Just a quick trip on my way home from work today to get some exercise. It was pretty quiet with nothing much on the water, just a couple of dozen Wigeon off the dam, though a female Sparrowhawk was a nice addition to the year list. The southern end was more productive though with two, possible three, Marsh Tits seen as well as my first Bullfinch and Siskin of the year. So four new species added to the patch year list in just over an hour on site.
Sutton Bingham year list for 2021 now at 61 species.

Sutton Bingham - Sun 10 Jan

A mid-morning visit produced two drake Shoveler from the Fishing Lodge with around sixty Wigeon.

Large parts of West Pool and the southern arm of the reservoir were covered by ice, but three Tufted Duck were present. A walk around Cotton Bridge was not that productive with just a single Stonechat and half a dozen Meadow Pipits seen. A couple of Jays were heard calling but failed to show themselves.

Sutton Bingham year list for 2021 now at 57 species.

Sutton Bingham - Fri 8 Jan

With the recent cold weather and that fact the fog killed any chance of checking for wildfowl yesterday I popped out for a lunchtime visit to the reservoir today. Five Tufted Duck were on the main reservoir whilst a Mute Swan was with Canada Geese and Wigeon off the Fishing Lodge. A total of twenty Teal were at the southern end with a further four on West Pool. Two adult Mediterranean Gulls were off the Sailing Club.

Sutton Bingham - Thu 7 Jan

A couple of brief visits earlier in the week produced eight Tufted Duck on Monday 4 January and a pair of Gadwall on Tuesday 5 January.

Think fog covered the reservoir this afternoon so it made it all but impossible to do much in the way of birding, especially as you couldn't see anything on the water. I good look around Cotton Bridge was pretty pointless with just a Stonechat noted with a second one on West Pool. Also on West Pool two Snipe and a calling Chiffchaff somewhere in the gloom. I did see my first Kingfisher of the year though.
Sutton Bingham year list for 2021 now at 55 species.

Sutton Bingham - Sun 3 Jan

A drake Gadwall was present with the Wigeon flock off the dam today, nice to see one so early in the year as I had to wait until October before seeing one last year. A Peregrine was on a pylon at the southern end where approximately twenty Snipe were flushed. At least fifty Mediterranean Gulls flew south.
Sutton Bingham year list for 2021 now at 51 species.

Sutton Bingham - Sat 2 Jan

An early morning walk paid off with cracking views of a Little Owl near the Canoe Club. The only other birds of note were a single Mediterranean Gull and two Tufted Duck.
Sutton Bingham year list for 2021 now at 47 species.

Sutton Bingham - Fri 1 Jan

So 2021 starts and with it a new patch year list! Today produced some pretty good birds as well. The main reservoir played host to an adult Great Black-backed Gull and three Mediterranean Gulls. A total of seven Tufted Duck were off the Fishing Lodge. A search around the church yielded a wintering Chiffchaff along with a few common garden species. A Stonechat was on the edge of West Pond and a lone Snipe was flushed from a field near the Canoe Club.
Sutton Bingham year list for 2021 now at 40 species.