After a few flying visits over the past week or so, which yielded very little other than a few Common Sandpipers passing through (a maximum count of eight on 29 July) and the odd female-type Mandarin.
Today I had some time to invest at the reservoir and started off at the Northern Causeway where the sallows in the corner of West Pool held a Sedge Warbler, I presume this was a passage bird as I've not seen or heard any Sedge Warblers at Sutton Bingham for the duration of the summer. At least one Lesser Whitethroat was also skulking in this area. A single Little Egret was near the Sailing Club.
A quick look around the church failed to produce anything, though a pair of Swallows have successfully raised young.
I then spent about ninety minutes walking around the southern end of the reservoir. Warblers were pretty plentiful, with a good number of Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs, including several young birds. I also located a single Reed Warbler, again I have no idea whether this species successfully bred at Sutton Bingham this year, I somehow doubt it due to the lack of singing birds since mid-May. I was also pleased to see a couple of juvenile Willow Warblers, I had only heard one singing Willow Warbler on patch all year. A couple of Kingfishers whizzed over the path right in front of me at Cotton Bridge and a pair of Raven drifted overhead.
It was a brilliant morning for butterflies, with thirteen species being seen. The highlight of which were two, possibly three, Clouded Yellows. I also saw Ringlet, Gatekeeper, Small Skipper, Common Blue, Comma and Common Blue amongst others. There were also several different dragonflies and damselflies about, I failed on identification for nearly all but I'm pretty sure one of the larger dragonflies was a Migrant Hawker...must try harder with odonata, or get an ID guide!
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