Sutton Bingham - Sun 31 Jul

Nothing new to end the month as a late morning visit produced the two Little Ringed Plover still at the southern end

Also at the southern end, a lone Green Sandpiper and four Common Sandpipers. Lots of activity today with sailing and canoeing so I didn't hang around too long.

Sutton Bingham - Sat 30 Jul

A surprise find this morning with a redhead Goosander that flew in from the north-east just as I arrived on site, it landed just off the northern causeway, waddled on to the causeway itself and sat preening itself for the ten minutes that I watched it. A pretty awesome July record, and the bird itself was a juvenile, so it would be interesting to know how far it's travelled.

Also today, a few interesting looking gulls but despite a second calendar year Yellow-legged Gull being seen in the morning and again in the afternoon I failed to locate it during my visits today.

The two Little Ringed Plovers were still at the southern end with five Common Sandpipers.

Returning in the afternoon I found a juvenile Common Gull, a bit easier to identify than those large "white-headed" gulls.

So another interesting July day on the patch.

Sutton Bingham year list for 2022 now at 107 species.

Sutton Bingham - Fri 29 Jul

An addition to the patch year list this morning with a Lapwing showing well from the northern causeway.

Having not seen any Lapwing over the reservoir during the Winter it was nice to see this bird. At the southern end the two Little Ringed Plover were still present along with nine Common Sandpipers. The real surprise this morning was a Grey Heron attempting to eat what appeared to be a Swift!

A quick stop on my way home from work produced six Lapwing at the southern end of the reservoir, they had dropped in earlier in the day and were reported  on our WhatsApp group so I felt it was only right to pop in and take a look. A Green Sandpiper was also present.

Sutton Bingham year list for 2022 now at 106 species.

Sutton Bingham - Thu 28 Jul

A late morning visit was very productive with a Common Tern over the northern causeway, which was much more obliging during a return visit early evening.

At the southern end there were two Little Ringed Plovers which showed pretty well at times.

Also at the southern end a couple of Green Sandpipers and at least ten Common Sandpipers.

Finally, there were two Gadwall off the northern causeway. So quite a few decent birds for the reservoir today.

Sutton Bingham - Tue 25 Jul

Despite spending a bit of time on patch this morning there was not much about with just five Common Sandpipers seen, that being said, a couple of Redshank on West Pool were a nice find and continued the recent run of waders on site.

These were my fourth and fifth Redshank on patch this year.

Sutton Bingham - Sun 24 Jul

A quick look around the reservoir in the afternoon produced a decent count of three Coot off the northern causeway. A Gadwall was also present in the same area and I counted six Common Sandpipers. A noticeable increase in Great Black-backed Gull numbers at Sutton Bingham this year with a dozen present today.

Sutton Bingham - Sat 23 Jul

A few chores to do today so wasn't expecting a trip to the reservoir, however, when Pete found a Little Ringed Plover on West Pool I left for Sherborne slightly early so that I could make the diversion!

Rather distant and viewed in the heat haze of the midday sun it was nonetheless an addition to the patch year list.

Sutton Bingham year list for 2022 now at 105 species.

Sutton Bingham - Fri 22 Jul

A pre-work visit this morning was rathe productive with several new birds on site, though nothing new for the year list. A lone Green Sandpiper was feeding at the back of West Pool and a total of ten Common Sandpipers were counted across the reservoir. A juvenile/female-type Mandarin was on the northern causeway before taking flight and a Lesser Whitethroat showed very nicely in the corner of West Pool.

The southern end failed to produce anything other than Common Sandpipers yet again but from the Fishing Lodge there were two Common Terns present.

Always nice to see terns at Sutton Bingham and these two showed extremely well which makes a change from the usual fairly distant flight views. Finally, a couple of Ravens were present, including one perched up in the trees behind the Fishing Lodge.

A return visit in the evening for a Wood Sandpiper that James had found, but despite being on site within ten minutes of his message there was only a guilty looking Red Fox and a Green Sandpiper, so I headed back home. However, within seconds of walking through the door another message saying a Great White Egret was present, so it was back to the reservoir again and this time I was successful.

So a bit of a rollercoaster hour going back and forth but at least there was some reward for it.

Sutton Bingham year list now at 104 species.

Sutton Bingham - Wed 20 Jul

Well a few brief visits over the past couple of days have produced Common Sandpipers and not a lot else (and five were present at the southern end today), but another addition to the patch year list today and one that was expected to be honest, with a juvenile Yellow-legged Gull on West Pool this morning.

A pretty large example and after a couple of near misses with Yellow-legged Gulls this month it was nice to finally nail one. Juveniles tend to arrive at Sutton Bingham in mid to late July so this one was on the money.

A message on our SBR WhatsApp group in the evening alerted me to a Dunlin that Pete had found on West Pool at 6.30pm. Ironically I had decided not to stop off at the reservoir for a quick look on my way home from work tonight, but fortunately the bird was still present when I arrived on site just before 8pm.

I had missed the last few Dunlin at SBR so it was good to finally catch up with one.

Sutton Bingham year list for 2022 now at 103 species.

Sutton Bingham - Sat 16 Jul

Another new wader arrival this morning with a Greenshank present briefly on the dam wall before it took flight and headed off strongly to the east.

Although annual at Sutton Bingham it is always nice to find a Greenshank on the patch. The only other birds of note were five Common Sandpipers.

Sutton Bingham year list for 2022 now at 101 species.

Sutton Bingham - Fri 15 Jul

Another pre-work stop at the reservoir and today produced a new bird for the year list in the form of a very smart summer-plumaged Black-tailed Godwit.

The Black-tailed Godwit was feeding in the mud just off the small jetty at the northern causeway, affording some wonderful views. A single Common Sandpiper was on West pool.

At the southern end of the reservoir there were six more Common Sandpipers but nothing else of note.

Sutton Bingham year list for 2022 now at 100 species.

PS: Some sad news today as I found what appears to be the first avian flu victim at Sutton Bingham with a dead Herring Gull on the northern causeway.

I have reported this to DEFRA via their information line, 03459 33 55 77.

Sutton Bingham - Thu 14 Jul

I've made a few short stops at the reservoir over the past few days but other than Common Sandpipers there hasn't really been much to see. Today the number of Common Sandpipers had risen to a pretty respectable sixteen birds whilst at the southern end of the reservoir eight Little Egrets were hanging around with each other (a ninth bird was at the northern end). Pick of the day's sightings were two Redshank on the dam.

An adult bird and a juvenile they were my second and third Redshank of the year. Always nice to see but nothing new for the year list again today.

Sutton Bingham - Sun 3 Jul

A couple of brief visits over the last couple of days have produced a Green Sandpiper and a couple of Common Sandpipers but a visit over lunchtime today was definitely worth it as I found a very smart Oystercatcher amongst the gulls off the northern causeway.

Always a decent bird to get on the year list at the reservoir. Not a lot else to report today though.

Sutton Bingham year list for 2022 now at 99 species.