Sutton Bingham - Fri 27 Dec

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.