After receiving a text yesterday to say a Hawfinch was near the Fishing Lodge (I tried and failed to see it during my lunch hour) today I was able to stop off briefly on my way to a meeting and struck it lucky with the Hawfinch showing really well, if a little briefly, again near the Fishing Lodge. In a private area the bird is not really that accessible.
A return visit after lunch with a little more time on my hands meant I could cover a fair amount of the reservoir. Starting in the north-east corner the Wigeon flock numbered fifty-five birds, the mild winter seems to have resulted in lower than normal numbers being present. Five Meadow Pipits around the dam were a welcome addition to the patch year list but there wasn't much else, and no sign of the Hawfinch present in the morning.
Off then to West Pool where I flushed eight Snipe before nearly treading on a Jack Snipe that shot up from almost under my foot. What a surprise and a quality patch year tick as I've only seen two previous Jack Snipe at Sutton Bingham. Very little else to report from West Pool though an adult Mediterranean Gull was on the main reservoir viewable from the northern causeway.
I then took a walk around Cotton Bridge and the southern end of the reservoir where a few more year ticks were added as three Raven flew over, a couple of Green Woodpeckers were seen and a female Pheasant was noted. Three more Snipe were seen and at least twenty Teal were present. Three Mandarin also put in a very brief appearance and an adult Great Black-backed Gull flew south.
I finished the visit off with a walk up to the car park from the Canoe Club where a Jay was the sixth and final addition to the patch year list today. So a really good day at the reservoir today with some real quality birds being seen.
Sutton Bingham year list 2018 now at 61 species.
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