The Sherborne Patch

Although Sutton Bingham Reservoir is my local patch, in 2016 I started keeping a Sherborne patch list as well, something to get me out of the office over my lunch breaks more than anything else and an excuse to do a little more birding, appreciating the commoner species that are often overlooked or dismissed with barely a second glance. Covering around one square mile it's a pretty small area, but you'd be amazed at what can turn up.

2016 Highlights
The pick of the early winter birds was a Firecrest at the Sherborne Sewage Treatment Works in February, though it was originally found in January. This little gem was joined by at least one other bird and delighted throughout the month. A Siberian Chiffchaff was a good find in early March, though presumably had been present throughout the winter. A couple of fly-over Little Egrets were unexpected. A Merlin was seen whizzing over the arable land in April and a very obliging Garden Warbler was added to the list. Things pretty much tailed off for the remainder of the year, though a Hobby was added in the summer. 2016 ended with a Black Redstart and just before the end of the year a Kingfisher brought the total for the patch to 69 species.

2017 Highlights
It was a good start to 2017 around the Sherborne patch. A very vocal Siberian Chiffchaff was around the Sewage Works again this winter, as was a Firecrest with both found in January. However, more excitement was generated by three Grey Partridge that I stumbled across one lunchtime. More cracking birds with a first-winter Iceland Gull on the playing field at work in late February followed by a Dipper at the end of March which was totally unexpected. I had to wait until the autumn to add anything out of the ordinary, with a Red Kite being a nice addition and brought the total to 67 species for the year.

2018 Highlights
Early January started well with Firecrest and Hawfinch at the Sewage Works. Before the end of January a Dipper was also added to the list as well as a flock of over twenty Mediterranean Gulls, and February started well with a Red Kite and a Water Rail was unexpected. Other than a flurry of activity in Spring the rest of the year was very quiet, though a fly-over Canada Goose was surprise. A covey of a dozen or so Grey Partridge were a good find and the year ended with a Black Redstart, taking the total for the year to 70 species.

2019 Highlights
The year started well with patch ticks in the form of Snipe, Brambling and a very nice Yellow-browed Warbler. A Barn Owl was seen in March, another new bird for the patch. Spring however was very quiet, though a couple of Red Kites were welcome. Autumn produced Grey Partridge and the last addition to the year list was Black Redstart, meaning a total of 71 species for the year.

2020 Highlights
With much of the year lost due to remote working it was hardly surprising that I saw much less on the Sherborne patch this year. That being said Stonechat was an addition to the list. A Siberian Chiffchaff and Firecrest were the only exceptional birds seen over year resulting in a paltry total of just 63 species.

2021 Highlights
Not too bad a start to the year with the expected birds on the patch but some real interest in April when I had an Osprey fly over the office and a week later found a Wheatear on the Common, two patch lifers in the space of ten days. A quiet Summer and early Autumn but a bit of excitement in early November with Dipper and Black Redstart seen. A late December Barn Owl meant I finished the year on 71 species.

2022 Highlights
My worst ever year on the Sherborne patch but still a couple of decent birds with Canada Goose probably being the highlight with only one previous patch record. A Siberian Chiffchaff was present but still just 62 species this year.

2023 Highlights
A Tawny Owl was a welcome addition to the patch list and was probably long overdue. Surprisingly Canada Goose made it on to the year list in consecutive years and Grey Partridge was a nice find towards the end of the year. A Stonechat was another highlight as it was just the second time I'd recorded this species on the patch. A total of 70 species over the year.

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