A couple of fleeting visits over the past ten days or so have failed to deliver anything more than a couple of Tufted Duck! However, I spent nearly two hours on patch this afternoon and it all started rather well as I was counting Wigeon of which there were sixty-nine present, when I came across a roosting drake Garganey on the water's edge! Presumably this was the bird that was present at Ninesprings in Yeovil a week ago, which in turn may well be the moulting drake I had on West Pool towards the end of October. A December Garganey was certainly not expected though today.
Driving round to the northern causeway I noticed a small bird on top of barns at Hyde Farm, so quickly pulling over I went to check it out as it looked rather interesting. This was, as it happens, a very good shout as I found myself looking at a female-type Black Redstart! This is only my second record for Sutton Bingham and I was pretty thrilled to have found it. It even showed well enough to be photographed!
After watching the Black Redstart for about ten minutes or so I lost it as it dropped down behind some farm buildings. What followed was a flurry of activity as the farmer arrived, then a delivery van, and that was it...no further sign of the bird.
Also this afternoon, a Coot was off the northern causeway, only my fourth or fifth of the year on patch. A pair of Reed Buntings were near the car park and there were loads of Redwing about. A mixed finch flock neat the Fishing Lodge contained at least a dozen Greenfinch. As it happened this would be my last visit of the year to Sutton Bingham and it ended on a high. My final total was my third best year list at the reservoir despite missing a total of eight species, four of which would have been patch ticks.
Sutton Bingham year list 2019 now at 116 species.
An hour on patch mid-afternoon was disappointing, with most of yesterday's birds having departed. Two dozen Wigeon were present, initially at the northern end before flying to the southern end. A Chiffchaff was in the car park and that was it, though I did see five species of thrush today.
A quick stop to view the north-east corner from the Fishing Lodge on my way home from work today proved to be an inspired decision as two Egyptian Goose were with the Canada Goose flock. Rather distant but a great addition to the patch year list. This was my best effort, you can just make out the second Egyptian Goose on the right of the photo fast asleep!
A couple of Tufted Duck were also present.
Sutton Bingham year list 2019 now at 115 species.
For the first time in several weeks I had the opportunity to spend the entire afternoon at the reservoir...but the weather had other ideas so it wasn't until gone 3.00pm that I arrived on site once the rain had stopped. It was pretty much a wildfowl day, with Wigeon numbering a hundred and forty birds and at least a hundred Mallard also present. Three Mandarin and a Teal were at the southern end whilst eleven Tufted Duck were in the north-east corner. The Canada Goose flock seemed to be slightly down on recent visits with seventy-six birds present.
Away from the water, a flock of twenty-two Collared Dove were around the Fishing Lodge.
I managed to get out to the reservoir for the last hour or so of light today and there were an impressive flock of 170 Wigeon roosting at the southern end (having flown down that way from the north-east corner). A couple of Teal and a Snipe were flushed from the water's edge while a single adult Mediterranean Gull was amongst the gull roost. A Raven was near the Fishing Lodge but the most impressive sight of the day was a flock of thirty Collared Dove...I've never seen so many together before.
A very quick visit today during the afternoon was not very productive unfortunately. A Little Egret flew north and a single Meadow Pipit was near the Canoe Club. On the water a flock of twenty-six Teal and a dozen Wigeon.
