Sutton Bingham - Sun 25 Sep

A couple of flying visits in the morning produced nothing but I popped back out to the reservoir later in the afternoon and spent about an hour on site where I found two Redshank that had arrived at some stage during the day and settled on West Pool.

A third calendar year Yellow-legged Gull was amongst the gulls gathered at the northern end.

At the southern end three juvenile Swallows had managed to get themselves bogged down in the sticky mud, a truly sad sight but no chance of trying to get them out unfortunately.

There were hundreds of Swallows and House Martins passing through during the hour I was on site. I also picked out a Hobby flying over the willows at the southern end, my third this year, no doubt attracted by the masses of hirundines.

Sutton Bingham - Sat 24 Sep

A quick visit early in the day produced a very smart male and a couple of female/juvenile type Stonechats at the southern end.

A White Wagtail was amongst Pied Wagtails and Meadow Pipits also at the southern end but there was no sign of the Little Stint today.
A return visit in the afternoon produced a Wheatear on the dam wall, which Pete had found late morning, my third of the Autumn in what has been a very slow year for them on patch.

Finally, a juvenile Little Grebe was off the northern causeway.

Sutton Bingham - Fri 23 Sep

The Little Stint lingered in to it's third day and I popped out at lunchtime to take another look, and it was showing really well in the north-east corner of West Pool, just off the northern causeway, so took a few more photos, and they turned out a bit better than the poor efforts I took on Wednesday evening.

I think the photo of the Little Stint alongside a discarded beer can shows just how small they are.

Nothing else of note during today's quick visit though.

Sutton Bingham - Wed 21 Sep

I'd not made a trip to the reservoir since the weekend due to the fact I'd been at work and despite visits from other birders nothing of note had been seen, however, that changed today. Because Ash had drawn a blank first thing I decided against a lunchtime trip, but at 2.30pm Dave Chown messaged to say he had found a Little Stint on West Pool, what followed was over three hours of nervous waiting before I could get to site after work. Fortunately the bird lingered and after a bit of a manic search I finally clapped my eyes on this tiny wader. Poor light and an even poorer photographer resulted in a few ropey record shots.

The Little Stint was associating with a Common Sandpiper and were pretty much the only birds of note during my brief stop.
Sutton Bingham year list for 2022 now at 120 species.

Sutton Bingham - Sun 18 Sep

A late afternoon visit today and after a few days with very little happening I did find something a bit different today as whilst I was standing on the northern causeway I heard a Greenshank calling and before long saw it flying in from the south, and by attempting to mimic its call I managed to bring it in and it dropped on the the mud just off the causeway where it showed really well.

I then took a quick look at the southern end but there was nothing of note. On return to the northern end the Greenshank had vanished, though two Common Sandpiper were still present.

Sutton Bingham - Thu 15 Sep

Well it was all change today, an early afternoon visit was really poor when compared to the recent run of birds on patch. Yesterday's Great White Egret was present when I arrived but within ten minutes of me arriving it flew off and was not to return. The only wader present was a Common Sandpiper on West Pool with somewhat aberrant plumage, but after careful study it was nothing more unusual.

A couple of Meadow Pipits flew north and were my first of the Autumn whilst two Reed Buntings were feeding in the vegetation at the southern end.

A Little Grebe was present from the northern causeway, as was my first returning Wigeon.

So no waders today (except the lone Common Sandpiper), let's see if there is still time for more to drop in.

Sutton Bingham - Wed 14 Sep

A quick lunchtime visit was very productive (though I missed an Osprey being mobbed by a Red Kite by a matter of minutes - I blame the Land Rover driver I was following who stopped his vehicle every time a car came towards him!). Anyway, enough moaning, what I did connect with this afternoon were a couple of juvenile Ringed Plovers at the southern end along with seven Green Sandpipers and a lone Wood Sandpiper.

Also at the southern end today was just the second Great White Egret of the year.

Now I would like to take credit for the Great White Egret and Wood Sandpiper, but Dave Chown had been on site before me and reported them, so I'll settle for the good views instead.
I did have a fly-over Tree Pipit though and six Shoveler and two Common Sandpiper were noted. A Clouded Yellow as also on the wing.

Sutton Bingham - Tue 13 Sep

The two Curlew Sandpipers that arrived last Thursday were last seen last night as there was no sign today during a very quick visit, in fact the only waders at the southern end were two Black-tailed Godwits. Teal numbers were also down, with just half a dozen present but a female Pintail was a new arrival. At the northern end a lone Common Sandpiper was on West Pool.

A pair of Tufted Duck were present last night but were not seen today.

Sutton Bingham - Sun 12 Sep

An early evening visit today, just half an hour at the southern end before the site was locked up. It was pretty much the same as yesterday with the two Curlew Sandpipers still present with two Ringed Plover and three Common Sandpipers. The four Black-tailed Godwit were also lingering.

Teal numbers had increased to nineteen birds and the female Shoveler was still present. A lone Coot was at the northern end.

Sutton Bingham - Sat 10 Sep

Somewhat of a clear out overnight with many of the recent waders having departed, however the two Curlew Sandpipers were still at the southern end alongside a couple of Ringed Plovers and the four Black-tailed Godwits. A single Yellow Wagtail was also noted during a quick visit.

Sutton Bingham - Fri 9 Sep

A thirty minute lunchtime visit today and due to time constraints I focused my attention on the southern end where it was pretty much the same at yesterday with regard to the waders present. Both Curlew Sandpipers were still feeding with the two Dunlin and five Ringed Plover. The Little Ringed Plover were keeping themselves apart but four were still loitering, as were the four Black-tailed Godwit and Common Sandpipers had increased to ten birds.

The pick of the birds today though was a Wheatear that was present on the shoreline.

So another decent visit today, let's see what tomorrow brings.

Sutton Bingham - Thu 8 Sep

I spent about an hour or so on site early afternoon starting at the Fishing Lodge where it was very quiet and then making for the southern end where the first birds I saw were two Curlew Sandpipers!

The Curlew Sandpipers were associating with the two Dunlin that have been present for several days and five Ringed Plovers. The recent run of waders continues and also today there were four Black-Tailed Godwits and four Little Ringed Plovers plus a single Green Sandpiper and four Common Sandpipers.
On the water the nasal-saddled Teal had moved to the southern end with about a dozen other Teal and also what was presumably yesterday's female Shoveler and a drake Gadwall.
A quick stop at the northern causeway produced a Tufted Duck and a Coot plus a single Mandarin.
So all in all a very profitable visit this afternoon.
Sutton Bingham year list for 2022 now at 119 species.

Sutton Bingham - Wed 7 Sep

I only managed a very quick stop before work today and found a nasal-saddled Teal on West Pond, so details were taken and reported.

Also on West Pool a female Shoveler.

No time to check the southern end this morning though.

Update: The Teal was "ringed" in Portugal at a reserve just outside Lisbon, hopefully more details to follow.