Sutton Bingham - Sun 31 Dec

Due to various family commitments I've not managed a last minute slog on the patch before the end of the year, however, a quick five minute stop late afternoon today did produce an adult and first-winter Mediterranean Gull.
So no new species added to the Sutton Bingham year list in December, my first blank month since 2014 if memory serves. I also failed to add any new species to my Sutton Bingham life list this year, the first time for several years...but I guess that always gets harder!
Finally, I'd like to take this opportunity to wish all my readers (both of you) a very happy and prosperous 2018.
Sutton Bingham year list 2017 now at 110 species.

Radipole Lake RSPB - Fri 29 Dec

A trip down to Weymouth to meet up with some friends and a quick opportunity to check out Radipole where it was rather disappointing with not a lot in variety. The Hooded Merganser was seen off the buddleia loop but there was very little else, just a single calling Cetti's Warbler and a few wildfowl. A few Snipe were also noted but the gulls provided most of the interest with really good numbers of Mediterranean Gulls, a couple of which were ringed and so far I've had news on one adult Mediterranean Gull that was ringed as a third calendar year bird in Belgium in May 2016, this is the first report of it since it was ringed. I'll post news of the other ringed birds as soon as I have feedback.

Sutton Bingham - Tue 13 Dec

A later afternoon visit turned out to be well worth while with the highlight being a drake Pochard, just the second record of the year. Also today, four Shoveler and a Tufted Duck alongside seven Teal and at least fifty Wigeon. The Egyptian Goose was still knocking around, it was on the lawn at the Sailing Club today.
As the light started to fade lots of gulls dropped in, with a constant stream during the half an hour I was on site. A very rough count yielded 1200 Black-headed Gull and 600 Herring Gull.

Sutton Bingham - Sat 9 Dec

A very quick visit this afternoon was somewhat productive with an unseasonal second calendar year Great Black-backed Gull on West Pool where a Little Egret was also present. The Wigeon flock had increased to 110 birds.

Sutton Bingham - Sun 3 Dec

Apologies for the lack of updates recently. Whereas I have made a few visits to the reservoir over the past fortnight, there has been very little to report other than the long-staying Egyptian Goose which has been on patch for a couple of weeks, a couple of Peregrine sightings and three Tufted Duck.
I did spend a bit more time at Sutton Bingham this afternoon and the highlight was a Marsh Tit, just my second sighting of the year and up near the car park, which is not my "usual" place for seeing this increasingly scarce bird. Also around the car park, a couple of Chiffchaff and several Goldcrest.
The southern end of the reservoir held eighty-six Wigeon, a dozen Teal and four Mandarin whilst off the dam the Egyptian Goose was still present and was loosely associating with thirty-two Canada Geese. A Kingfisher was seen as it zoomed over the reservoir towards the Sailing Club and there were good numbers of both Redwing and Fieldfare.
As I left gull numbers were steadily building with a couple of hundred Herring Gull, at least five hundred Black-headed Gulls, twelve or so Common Gulls and just two Lesser black-backed Gulls.