Sutton Bingham - Thu 25 Nov

A very brief stop today on the way home form work at lunchtime and a quick look from the Fishing Lodge. Three Tufted Duck were amongst eighty Wigeon and a single Little Grebe was present. However, the surprise find today was a Common Sandpiper, presumably the same bird I saw at the end of October. It will be interesting to see if it remains for the entire Winter.

Sutton Bingham - Sat 20 Nov

Whilst out with the lads in the morning I had a message from Pete telling me that the Yellow-browed Warbler he found last week was still present so I made a little time to visit the reservoir before getting home. I knew I only had a limited amount of time and I spent an hour staring at a clump of sallows and just as I was pretty much out of time a Chiffchaff flew in along with another bird, and then I heard the call I had been waiting to hear and I was soon treated to some excellent views of the Yellow-browed Warbler.

Sutton Bingham year list for 2021 now at 116 species.

Somerset Levels - Sat 20 Nov

After roughly two years I managed a morning out today with some good friends and we headed up to the Somerset Levels starting our mini-tour with a stop at Aller Moor, taking a look from both Oath and Stathe where the pick of the birds were a couple of Marsh Harriers and at least fourteen Common Cranes, part of the reintroduction scheme but a great sight nonetheless. Other bits and bobs seen including a Chiffchaff and three Blackcaps feeding in the various small bushes along the river.

We then moved on to Hay Moor where we connected with one of the target birds of the day, as three Whooper Swans were amongst a herd of Mute Swans.

Leaving Hay Moor our next stop was Greylake RSPB where other than a fair number of Golden Plover were whirling around, no doubt freaked out by a passing Peregrine. Another Marsh Harrier was also present but there was very little else about so we didn't linger long and instead headed up to towards Westhay village and taking the road towards Burtle where after a few hundred yards I stopped the car as there was a field full of egrets and I caught a glimpse of our quarry, a Glossy Ibis! Checking the field a quick count produced sixty-five Cattle Egrets along with the Glossy Ibis, some twenty Little Egrets and all were then dwarfed by a Great White Egret that flew in and joined them. Not a bad stop.

Our next destination was Ham Wall RSPB where were walked out to Loxton's Marsh where after a fairly lengthy search finally found a single Water Pipit and loads of Teal and Snipe.

Walking back towards the car park a single Great White Egret was noted from the first viewpoint before we walked out to Tor Hide where a Ring-necked Duck had been present yesterday, but we failed to find it...our only miss of the afternoon.

Back at the car I said my farewells to the boys and headed back towards home after an excellent morning out, good birds and great company.

Sutton Bingham - Sun 14 Nov

Yesterday afternoon Pete Akers found the third Yellow-browed Warbler for Sutton Bingham, and it was an extremely elusive, mobile and silent bird. Nevertheless I popped down late afternoon in the hope of seeing it, I didn't. I did see forty-seven Wigeon and a single Teal, but that was it.

So I was back on site early this morning to give it another go...I didn't see it. However, some small consolation today with a small flock of six Lesser Redpoll that flew over, my first on the patch for a couple of years. A few Siskin were also noted flying over.

A very obliging Marsh Tit was nice to see and a Chiffchaff was also noted amongst a feeding flock of tits, shame it wasn't the Phyllosc I was looking for.

A couple of Mandarin flew north and a Peregrine was again present on a pylon. Whilst searching for the Yellow-browed Warbler I had a constant background chorus of calling Water Rails.

Sutton Bingham year list for 2021 now at 115 species.

Sutton Bingham - Thu 4 Nov

An early afternoon visit today and I started off checking out the north-east corner where Wigeon numbers had increased to forty-two birds. Of more interest was a very decent site count of nine Gadwall on the main reservoir. There was not much else going on at the northern end of the reservoir so I headed to the other end.

Around Cotton Bridge I heard a couple of calling Water Rails, my first of the year and a welcome tick having missed the one present in September that I spent over ten hours searching for! In the same area a Little Grebe was briefly seen and a Chiffchaff was noted. A Peregrine was atop one of the pylons and a small flock of around thirty Redwing flew south. All in all a fairly decent visit today.

Sutton Bingham year list for 2021 now at 114 species.