Sutton Bingham - Tue 31 Dec

I popped up to the reservoir this afternoon for my final visit of the year, hoping beyond hope that I'd get a late addition to the year list...I didn't. Interestingly, both Wigeon (130 birds) and Canada Goose (193 birds) showed a marked increase compared to my last few visits. The Great White Egret was again present on West Pool and the Cattle Egret flew in just before 4pm, and that was it.

All in all, 2024 has been a fairly disappointing year on the patch, with seventeen species missed that other observers saw (all of which were brief visitors) and I also had some obvious gaps, including Shoveler, Greenshank and Lapwing amongst others, resulting in my lowest annual total since 2015.

Sutton Bingham year list for 2024 now at 107 species.

Finally, can I just take this opportunity to thank you all for your continuing support in reading my blog, and I wish all my readers a very Happy and bird-filled 2025!

Sherborne Water Treatment Works - Sat 28 Dec

After a tip off I spent a bit of time on the Sherborne patch this afternoon and scored with an extremely obliging Yellow-browed Warbler, my second for the Sherborne patch and this one was a real beauty, especially as it's one of my favourite birds. A Firecrest was another quality bird this afternoon, they are always such a joy to watch. I also managed to see my first patch Treecreeper of the year, a long over due addition to the list.

My Sherborne patch year list for 2024 ended up on 68 species, which wasn't too bad and pretty much par for the coarse.

Sutton Bingham - Tue 24 Dec

A quick visit before work this morning and "the" Cattle Egret was again present on the northern causeway, and I even managed to get a photo that looks like a Cattle Egret today.

Also, this morning, what was presumably the same White-tailed Eagle that was present a week ago was in a tree opposite the Sailing Club, what a cracking bird.

So a couple of decent birds first thing but no time to hang around, had to get to the office!

Sutton Bingham - Mon 23 Dec

A quick visit the morning produced a Great White Egret on West Pool and a Cattle Egret that flew off over the railway line, presumably the same bird that has been seen on and off for the past week or so, here's a picture I took of it last Thursday, slightly better (only slightly!) than the previous effort.

Not much else to be seen, though a flock of twenty-four Golden Plover flew over heading north.

Sutton Bingham - Wed 18 Dec

Originally seen yesterday (but news was not shared by the finder) a White-tailed Eagle was present at the northern end of the reservoir this morning. An absolute beauty of a bird, and what a size! I originally got it perched up but it took to the air before I could get a photo, so I just enjoyed the spectacle as it flew around before being lost to view.

A Cattle Egret was present on the northern causeway but with the eagle flying around I'm sorry to say I paid the egret very little attention.

Update:

I received the following from the Roy Dennis Foundation having reported the eagle:

"The White-tailed Eagle that you saw was a male with the leg ring code G637. He fledged from a nest in West Sussex in 2024."

Sutton Bingham - Sat 14 Dec

I managed to add a bird to the year list today with a Cattle Egret present this evening in trees below the car park, complete with accompanying photo!

There were also three Gadwall present off the northern causeway.
Sutton Bingham year list for 2024 now at 107 species.

Sutton Bingham - Sat 9 Nov

Three Mute Swans were present this morning, and as they are so scarce at Sutton Bingham these days and as I've had nothing else to report I thought I better write a brief blog entry. There were also forty Wigeon from the Fishing Lodge

Sutton Bingham - Sat 2 Nov

A Bar-headed Goose was present on the northern causeway a few days ago but it was a much more interesting species that I found this afternoon during a very quick visit. A small flock of six Dark-bellied Brent Geese were present at the northern end and showed very well from the bottom of the car park.

It seems that they flew south soon after I left the site. Brent Goose is a very scarce visitor to Sutton Bingham and my only previous sightings have been of individual birds, so to have half a dozen on the patch was a very pleasant surprise.

Sutton Bingham year list for 2024 now at 106 species.

Sutton Bingham - Fri 18 Oct

About half a dozen Chiffchaff were noted around West Pool and the car park this morning and eleven Snipe were flushed from the edge of West Pool, however, there was finally a bird of quality as a Goshawk was seen from the car park over the far bank where it had caused mayhem among some two hundred or so corvids. Having had a couple of probably Goshawk sightings earlier in the year which I couldn't quite nail there was no doubt with this one!

Sutton Bingham year list for 2024 now at 105 species.

Sutton Bingham - Sun 6 Oct

The first Wigeon of the Winter present off the Fishing Lodge this evening and the only sighting worth mentioning. Yesterday there were two Coot on West Pool, that's as good as it gets I'm afraid.

Sutton Bingham - Sun 22 Sep

Nothing out of the ordinary again today, but worth a posting as there were five Tufted Ducks at the southern end this evening with a single Teal and two Green Sandpipers. From the Fishing Lodge there were singles of Coot and Common Sandpiper.

Sutton Bingham - Fri 13 Sep

I spent over two hours scouring the reservoir today, the only bird worth a mention was a Little Grebe along the arm.

I presume this is the same bird I found last weekend.

Sutton Bingham - Sun 8 Sep

Two Whinchat were present this afternoon at the southern end, between the entrance gate and sleeper bridge, the same area as the bird that was present a week or so ago, and it's possible that one of today's birds had been lingering in the area for that whole time. Somewhat more obliging today, I managed to get some identifiable photos!

The only other birds of note were three Common Sandpipers at the southern end and another on West Pool and a Green Sandpiper at Cotton Bridge. However, just as I was leaving the patch I had another quick check of West Pool and found a Little Grebe, my first of the year! It seems to have been an age since the last addition to the patch year list.

Sutton Bingham year list for 2024 now at 104 species.

Sutton Bingham - Thu 5 Sep

A Wheatear was seen briefly yesterday evening but in pouring rain today there was not a lot about with another Common Tern off the dam being the pick.

There were ten Common Sandpipers across the site whilst eleven Mandarin were at the southern end alongside three Teal. A single Green Sandpiper was also seen.

Sutton Bingham - Mon 2 Sep

Firstly, apologies for not updating my blog for the past two months, partly due to work and partly due to lack of birds at SBR meaning I've lost a bit of interest, especially as I seem to have missed just about every bird over the past month or so mainly because they have not lingered and have been single observer views.
Anyway, having missed three year ticks this morning that Ash found I could only turn up a Common Tern off the dam this evening.

Nothing else for me today, though the Whinchat present a few days ago was still at the southern end but still very elusive and four Common Sandpipers were also seen.

Sutton Bingham - Fri 30 Aug

Yesterday it was Ash finding decent birds that I then went on and missed last night, this time another Whinchat and a Greenshank. All I've seen this week was a Common Tern passing through on Wednesday morning.

This morning I stopped before work and spend a decent amount of time working the water's edge at the southern end and just as I was giving up hope and heading back to the car to get to the office I found the Whinchat...at last! It was a little distant but I had good 'scope views and was just relieved to add another bird to the year list.

Absolutely nothing else to report this morning other than the Great White Egret I found a few days ago.

Sutton Bingham year list for 2024 now at 103 species.

Sutton Bingham - Tue 27 Aug

Pete found a Whinchat last night at the southern end (and had a fly-over Tree Pipit) but it was hardly surprising that my search this morning drew a blank with no sign of yesterday's Whinchat. I did find a Great White Egret and a Green Sandpiper and two Common Sandpipers were still at the southern end.

August has been a disappointing month as I've missed several species, but family and work commitments are much more important than patch birding.

Sutton Bingham - Sun 25 Aug

A few brief visits on the way to and from work over the past week have failed to produce anything much of note, though a notable count of three Coot together on Friday was worth mentioning.

Today we were eating Sunday lunch and I heard my phone notify me of a WhatsApp message, I didn't really think anything of it and it was nearly two hours later that I remembered and thought I'd better check...Sanderling on the northern causeway, but flighty and had gone missing at least an hour earlier...fortunately I didn't really notice the "gone missing" bit and I just jumped in the car. On the drive over the penny dropped that it had left the northern causeway and hadn't been relocated, so on a hunch I made straight for the Fishing Lodge and this turned out to be an inspired decision as I found the Sanderling feeding on the shoreline right in front of me.

An inland Sanderling is always a good record, and when it's on your patch that's even better, my third for Sutton Bingham and another quality find by Dave Chown.

After getting my fill I headed round to the northern causeway where a Common Tern was present.

The southern end was much quieter with nothing new to report.

Sutton Bingham year list for 2024 now at 102 species.

Sutton Bingham - Mon 19 Aug

I managed to spend a bit of time at the reservoir this morning before work, hoping that something would have dropped in...it hadn't. The only bird of note was a fly-through Common Tern.

Sutton Bingham - Sun 18 Aug

After my recent run of missing some decent year ticks on the patch, I finally connected with a patch scarcity today with a Kestrel at the southern end of the reservoir. I've not seen a Kestrel at Sutton Bingham for over eighteen months so it was a real bonus seeing this one. Credit has to go to Pete who found the bird earlier in the day (in fact he had two juveniles together, I was happy that one had hung about).

The only other birds of note around today were a single Green Sandpiper and three Common Sandpipers.

Sutton Bingham year list for 2024 now at 101 species.

Sutton Bingham - Sat 17 Aug

A quick visit to day produced a female Tufted Duck in the north-east corner, a very well marked individual.

A pair of Gadwall were off the northern causeway whilst a Green Sandpiper and two Common Sandpipers were also present.

Sutton Bingham - Thu 15 Aug

Despite a few decent birds this week has been frustrating as I've missed four year ticks, Pete had Greenshank and Ringed Plover fly through yesterday and Ash had a fly-through Sandwich Tern and a pair of Shoveler this morning. I've missed something like fifteen species so far in 2024, not good.

Hasten to say, the Shoveler had vanished by the time I got to the reservoir this evening despite a decent search. That's twice I've missed this species this year. However, I did have a Wheatear fly from the dam wall and vanish to the south and a single Common Sandpiper was on the dam itself. Other than that, there were two Coot off the Fishing Lodge.

Sutton Bingham - Tue 13 Aug

Just over a week after the family group appeared at the southern end of the reservoir, a lone Shelduck was off the northern causeway this morning!

Very little else of note during a quick visit with the waders at the southern end having all appeared to have cleared out and just three Common Sandpipers off the Fishing Lodge.

A return visit later in the day produced a couple of Common Terns off the dam.

Sutton Bingham - Mon 12 Aug

A pre-work visit produced five Green Sandpipers at the southern end, viewable from the road a the bottom gate is still locked unfortunately. Six Common Sandpipers were present from the Fishing Lodge and two Coot were in the same area.

Sutton Bingham - Wed 7 Aug

A quick stop, as is the norm of late, on the way home from work to day and luckily I was able to find the Wheatear that Pete had found earlier in the day. It's taken a while this year, but that finally brought up the century!

Sutton Bingham year list for 2024 now at 100 species.

Sutton Bingham - Mon 5 Aug

A very quick visit before work turned up a surprise in the form of a family group of Shelduck at the southern end.

It's been a few years since my last patch Shelduck, so this was a welcome addition to the year list.

Sutton Bingham year list for 2024 now at 99 species.

Sutton Bingham - Sun 4 Aug

An early morning trip to the reservoir today and it turned out to be pretty productive, bucking the recent trend of disappointing visits. I arrived on site and made the northern causeway my first stop, within a few minutes an Oystercatcher flew in from the north and briefly alighted on the causeway before a Grey Heron spooked it and off it went again, heading south.
I then popped round to the Fishing Lodge where half a dozen Common Sandpipers were bobbing about and the Oystercatcher flew back in, circled the northern end and then vanished never to be seen again!
No access to the southern end as the gate was closed as the meadow is scheduled to be cut soon, but I did stop at the car park and walk partway down the reservoir towards the Canoe Club. A Sedge Warbler was in the vegetation on the water's edge and a Hobby flew overheard, rounding off an enjoyable ninety minutes on the patch.

Sutton Bingham - Sun 28 Jul

A Redshank was present with just a single Common Sandpiper on the dam wall early morning, but that was it for today.

Sutton Bingham - Sat 27 Jul

A morning visit produced thirteen Common Sandpipers in the north-east corner but little else to report again. A return to the patch at lunchtime did turn up a Hobby over the northern end of the reservoir.

To add to my recent run of seeing nothing much at the reservoir, I missed three Shoveler that were present last night, the only record so far this year at Sutton Bingham.

Sutton Bingham - Mon 22 Jul

A late afternoon visit yesterday but there was little of note with singles of Swift and Sand Martin passing through and a nice total of eleven Common Sandpipers on the dam wall.

A stop this morning and all the Common Sandpipers had cleared out overnight but a Redshank was present along with a Coot.

Sutton Bingham - Sat 20 Jul

A brief look mid-morning was not overly productive but a 4cy Yellow-legged Gull was on the northern causeway, and a truly magnificent bird it was too.

A single Common Sandpiper was also present.

Sutton Bingham - Wed 17 Jul

Another day and another wader, this time a very smart summer-plumaged Black-tailed Godwit that was on the northern causeway.

Not a new bird for the year, but nice to see nonetheless. As of late there was nothing else of note this morning and the very high water levels don't bode well for anything much over the coming months in relation to decent wader passage.

A return visit early in the evening was rather more productive than recent visits. The Black-tailed Godwit was still present and a Coot was present albeit a rather elusive individual. My first juvenile Yellow-legged Gull amongst the gull flock on the northern causeway and juvenile Mediterranean Gull fly over heading west. All in all a decent day on the patch today, and that made for a refreshing change.

Sutton Bingham - Tue 16 Jul

A quick pre-work visit this morning produced the first Green Sandpiper of the year along with a couple of Common Sandpipers.

Sutton Bingham year list for 2024 now at 98 species.

Sutton Bingham - Mon 15 Jul

A week after the last one, there was another Oystercatcher on the northern causeway this morning, a slightly more sleepy individual than the one that was here last week.

There was nothing else of note this morning, though I had a count of thirteen Common Sandpipers over the weekend.

Sutton Bingham - Mon 8 Jul

A few recent visit have turned up very little other than returning Common Sandpipers in varying numbers and a Great White Egret on West Pool.

This morning however I had something a little more interesting with an Oystercatcher on the northern causeway.

I missed a couple of Oystercatchers that were present briefly a few weeks back, so I was pretty pleased to connect with this one.

Sutton Bingham year list for 2024 now at 97 species.

Sutton Bingham - Wed 26 Jun

I had a bit of time before work this morning and given it was late June I figured there must be the chance of a Redshank, so I made straight for the Fishing Lodge and checked out the north-east corner...nothing. I then 'scoped the northern causeway and amongst the gathered gulls and ducks could see two smaller birds, with red legs, nailed it! A quick drive round to the northern causeway and some great views of a couple of Redshank.

Late June has always tended to be a good time for Redshank at Sutton Bingham, and so it has been again this year.

Sutton Bingham year list for 2024 now at 96 species.

Sutton Bingham - Sat 22 Jun

A Mute Swan in the north-east corner this morning is such a scarcity on the patch nowadays that it's worth a blog posting! Nothing else of note in a very quick pre-work visit.

Sutton Bingham - Thu 20 Jun

I missed a pair of Egyptian Geese and two Oystercatchers yesterday morning that Rich the Wessex Water ranger messaged me about, they had gone by the time I reached the site at lunchtime, rather frustrating. A quick stop on my way home today produced a Great White Egret on West Pool but that was it. June has been typically quiet so far, and unfortunately I've missed the couple of decent birds that have dropped in.

Sutton Bingham - Thu 6 Jun

No prolonged afternoon visit today as I had to work through my "afternoon off", but I did get up to the reservoir for a short visit over my lunch hour. A juvenile Coot was on the northern causeway, just my second for the year of this now scarce visitor to the patch.

Also on the northern causeway there was a juvenile Mandarin whilst over the reservoir two Red Kites drifted through.

A number of Canada Geese were new in on the lawn in front of the Fishing Lodge, and amongst them a goose which I had down as a hybrid Greylag Goose x Swan Goose (though some comments on the image I posted on Twitter suggest it could be a pure Swan Goose).

Either way, it's an interesting looking bird and certainly not one I've seen at the reservoir before.

Sutton Bingham - Fri 31 May

Two quick visits to the patch today, starting with a pre-work stop this morning which produced four Swifts and a Red Kite over the southern end.

A return after work was more exciting as I found an Osprey half way down the reservoir.

Having missed a brief Osprey last weekend that Pete found, I was pleased to find this one, always an impressive bird to see.

Sutton Bingham year list for 2024 now at 95 species.