Sutton Bingham - Sun 28 Jun

A mid-morning visit yielded a couple of Common Sandpipers at the southern end of the reservoir. A total of four Reed Buntings were seen between the car park and the Canoe Club whilst six Linnet were near the entrance to the Fishing Lodge along with 223 Starlings, which failed to produce any pink ones unfortunately, with the recent influx I was keeping my fingers crossed! A couple of Little Egrets and a singing Skylark were also noted.

Sutton Bingham - Fri 26 Jun

I tried an early morning visit to the reservoir today and it was slightly more productive than other recent visits with a Common Sandpiper on the northern causeway and three Stock Doves. A couple of Great Black-backed Gulls were still loafing around and Black-headed Gull numbers are slowly increasing with four present today. Two Swifts were feeding over the reservoir and a total of three Little Egrets were on site.

Sutton Bingham - Sun 21 Jun

I was able to make a total of three trips to Sutton Bingham today, and despite the huge amount of time I put in I failed to really connect with anything. The bird of the day by a country mile was a fly-over Hobby up near the entrance to the Fishing Lodge. Several Linnets were also in this area. Two Great Black-backed Gulls were moving between a fish carcass on West Pool and the main reservoir whilst three Little Egrets were seen. A few small flocks of Swifts today with a total of around ten birds seen.
James has heard a singing Garden Warbler a couple of times over the past day or two, but I drew a complete blank with that!

Undisclosed Site - Mon 15 Jun

A lunchtime trip out today to look for a Corn Bunting that has been singing in an area of Somerset. Obviously due to the nature of the species in question and the fact it is a singing male in suitable habitat this sighting has been kept from the public domain. Fortunately it didn't take me too long to find the bird as I heard it singing and then located it atop a distant tree....terrible photo for proof!

After a short while it flew off and alighted in a hedge before vanishing from sight. A Somerset tick for me with the last Corn Bunting in Somerset being some fifteen or so years ago. A couple of singing Yellowhammers were also noted.

Sutton Bingham - Fri 12 Jun

Three Mute Swans flew north over the reservoir late evening, so I thought I'd better post it!

Sutton Bingham - Thu 11 Jun

An afternoon visit was unsurprisingly quiet given it is June, historically the quietest month on patch. That being said a male Kestrel was seen at the southern end and four Swifts flew through. A single Little Egret was on the water's edge whist a Jay was also noted.

East Coker - Sun 7 Jun

A morning visit to Sutton Bingham failed to deliver, with nothing really of note other than a couple of Little Egrets, so I didn't hang around long and just headed back home. Driving through East Coker I noticed a different looking bird on a power line near the village hall so pulled over and got out of the car to take a look and found myself staring at a Woodchat Shrike!

This is my first self-found shrike and certainly not something I was expecting so close to home. It looked to be a female as it was not quite bright enough to be a male. I watched it for several minutes before it dropped to the ground and I lost view behind a hedge. An absolutely amazing bird and I was very lucky to find it.

Sutton Bingham - Sat 6 Jun

A very quick stop at the northern causeway before work this morning produced a mighty fine Great White Egret, still showing some breeding plumage.

My second of the year on patch, and pretty much in the same place as the one I found back in March.

Sutton Bingham - Mon 1 Jun

A Hobby over the water treatment works and dam early morning was a nice start to the month, a single Swift was also noted here as well as a good number of House Martins and a few Swallows. A single Stock Dove was also seen and a couple of Little Egrets were also present this morning. A quick early afternoon visit produced a further three Little Egrets flying in from the south.
Later in the day I received a phone call from Dave Chown telling me of a bird he had found late morning, it was very sensitive due to the species, location and access issues due to restrictions on the site because of COVID-19. We agree to return to the reservoir later in the day and upon arrival it didn't take long before I got a quick glance of the bird in question before after a slightly longer wait it started singing before showing very well and singing some more. We were watching, and listening to, a Marsh Warbler. The difficulty came in what to do about the news. As mentioned above this is a Schedule A bird in potential breeding habitat. There were breeding Reed Buntings in the same location, and our concern was birders and photographers traipsing through the vegetation trying to see/photograph the bird would cause unnecessary disturbance and damage to the habitat. Coupled with the fact that the site was closed making access even more difficult. It was a very touch decision but we decided to keep quiet about the sighting. Searches on the three following days failed to relocate the bird so as it happens it was a one-day-wonder. Unfortunately I didn't get a photo, when the bird was showing I was more interested in watching it than trying to get a record shot, but I did grab a snippet of song, though I admit it is not the best!

TimFarr · Marsh Warbler - Sutton Bingham - June 2020

It was also heard to mimic several species including Quail amongst others. Copious notes were taken by the observers and Dave managed to get a photo and a rarities submission will be made in due course.