Sutton Bingham - Sun 8 Jan

A quick visit on my way home from work on Saturday produced a male Reed Bunting on West Pool, but I didn't have time to spare but did manage a longer visit to the reservoir on Sunday morning.
I was going to make straight for the southern end, but as I was driving along the northern causeway something caught my eye, so a quick U-turn later and sure enough I was greeted by a female Goldeneye! My third Sutton Bingham Goldeneye, and second in two months following last November's bird.

After that bit of excitement I then parked up at the Canoe Club and had a wander around for an hour or so. A total of eighty-seven Wigeon flew south, presumably spooked by the sailors as their Sunday morning session got underway. A Raven flew over and four Meadow Pipits were noted. Around the car park my first Greenfinch of the year and four Bullfinch, including three males.
A quick stop at the southern end produced a female Tufted Duck and about thirty Teal.
It was then time to think about heading home for some lunch, but another stop at the northern causeway on the way through produced a first-winter drake Shoveler that seemed to have materialised from nowhere, and a sub-adult Peregrine was whizzing around over the dam trying (and succeeding) to avoid the attentions of a mobbing Carrion Crow.
My final stop was at the top of the hill by Hyde Farm where a quick scan produced the Barnacle Goose with a flock of Canada Geese in the north-west corner of the reservoir. All in all a great visit this morning.
Then, later in the day, I was enjoying a relaxing stroll with the family when I got a text message telling me that a drake Pochard had been found amongst the Wigeon at the southern end of the reservoir. With just fifteen minutes before Spurs kicked off in their FA Cup match, I pegged it back to Sutton Bingham and managed to see the Pochard. It took me 366 days to add Pochard to my 2016 SBR list, only 8 days this year! There were also two Snipe at West Pool and the Barnacle Goose was feeding on the lawn outside the Fishing Lodge with over a hundred Canada Geese. What a good end to the weekend.
Sutton Bingham year list 2017 now at 53 species.