Sutton Bingham - Tue 30 Mar

Had some time to check the reservoir before work this morning and I started off with a walk around the car park as it was devoid of any visitors. There was plenty of bird song, including a couple of Chiffchaffs and before long I heard my first Blackcap of the year. I soon tracked down a male and female Blackcap and then, in the same small tree, my first patch Willow Warbler of the year, a bird that was actively feeding and unfortunately silent, I do enjoy the sound of a singing Willow Warbler. I then bagged a hattrick of year ticks when I found the first Common Sandpiper of the year on the West Pool side of the northern causeway, not a bad start to the day.

The only other bird of note was a drake Tufted Duck that flew in from the main reservoir and over West Pool before being lost to view.

Sutton Bingham year list for 2021 now at 78 species.

Sutton Bingham - Mon 29 Mar

A quick visit yesterday lunchtime had been pretty unproductive with just a Raven of note. The Wigeon flock had all but gone over the last day or two dropping from nearly 150 on Thursday to just eleven on Sunday.
A quick stop on the way to work today produced my first singing Skylark of the year at Sutton Bingham, though I could not pin it down in the air (it must have been pretty high up!). A couple of dozen Sand Martins were over the water at the southern end and a few Chiffchaffs were in song.
Sutton Bingham year list for 2021 now at 75 species.

Sutton Bingham - Thu 25 Mar

There has been a lot of work going on at Sutton Bingham over the past month or so. The ash trees in and around the car park have been felled due to ash die back disease and some of the vegetation has also been cleared at the bottom of the car park to afford views of the reservoir. Furthermore, the entrance gates across the site have been "upgraded" to prevent access to the site out of hours as there has been a rise in antisocial behaviour at the reservoir over the past year.
Anyway, what about the birds? I spent an hour checking out the site today but it was again very quiet. Wigeon numbers have dropped off a little but there were still one hundred and forty-six birds present in the north-east corner. A Raven was on the dam having a go at a dead fish and trying to hold off a Grey Heron. Three adult Great Black-backed Gulls were on the dam wall. I also managed another patch year tick with four Linnets flying around the Fishing Lodge, one of which perched up to sing, though decided to hide behind a twig!

The only other birds of note were three Sand Martins that flew in from the east up and over the dam and then out across the main reservoir.
Sutton Bingham year list for 2021 now at 74 species.

Sutton Bingham - Wed 24 Mar

Other than three Sand Martins earlier in the week there has been nothing to report from a few flying visits, however, a stop on the way home tonight produced a Greylag Goose! Rather distant from the northern causeway it was originally with a few Canada Geese but as the Canada Geese swam closer to the causeway the Greylag Goose was much more hesitant and kept its distance. I did grab a few record shots however.

I was thrilled to get Greylag Goose on the patch year list, not just because it is a less than annual visitor, but mainly because I had missed the two that Pete found back in February.
Sutton Bingham year list for 2021 now at 73 species.

Sutton Bingham - Fri 19 Mar

A pair of Mandarin were seen off the dam earlier in the week and a single Little Egret was on the dam this evening, so two new ticks this week for the patch year list. Other than those two sightings it's been a quiet week at the reservoir with good numbers of Wigeon but nothing much else.

Sutton Bingham year list for 2021 now at 72 species.

Sutton Bingham - Thu 11 Mar

A couple of passing visits earlier in the week yielded a couple of adult Mediterranean Gulls on 8 March and a drake Tufted Duck on 9 March.
An hour on site this afternoon and it would be fair to say that it was not very productive. The Wigeon flock had increased to one hundred and seventy birds, not bad for early Spring, but there was nothing lurking amongst the flock. A nice flock of around a hundred Redwing was in and around the paddock near the Fishing Lodge and another smaller flock of Redwing and Fieldfare was in field opposite the Canoe Club, a Raven was also present in the same field. However, no new birds for the year list again today, but hopefully things will pick up in the coming weeks.

Sutton Bingham - Thu 4 Mar

The first Summer migrants of the year were found today, with five Sand Martins feeding over West Pool. Always nice to see these cracking hirundines and a sign of things to come. Also at the reservoir today, two pairs of Shoveler were present and the Wigeon flock numbered some one hundred and twenty birds. A single Meadow Pipit was noted as was a lone Siskin. Unfortunately I did miss two Oystercatchers that the Ranger had seen earlier in the day.
Sutton Bingham year list for 2021 now at 70 species.