Sutton Bingham - Thu 27 Aug

A late morning visit today was somewhat productive with three Whinchat showing well along the hedgerow on the opposite side of the road to the Canoe Club.

Also in the same area a couple of mobile Yellow Wagtails and five Skylarks.

The other significant bird of note today was a Greenshank that was heard passing through but it didn't make landfall, simply carrying straight on. Still a few Common Sandpipers around and also today, a Gadwall and Tufted Duck.

So, some good birds but no year ticks today.

Sutton Bingham - Tue 25 Aug

I missed a flock of eight Avocet yesterday morning that Pete discovered, they were present very briefly but still a painful dip. Today Dave found a Redstart and it was more heartache as I missed it during a lunchtime visit and after work, another one missed, until I got a call from Pete later in the evening to say he had relocated it. Fortunately, I was able to get back out to the reservoir and connected with the Redstart, a scarce bird on patch and my first for a few years.

I've not had much else of note to report over the past few days,

Sutton Bingham year list now on 107 species.

Sutton Bingham - Thu 20 Aug

The highlight of an early morning visit were three Common Terns over the northern end which eventually passed over the northern causeway and West Pool and simply kept going. At the southern end there were still nine Common Sandpipers and a Sedge Warbler was in the marginal vegetation. Three juvenile Stonechats (which have been present for a few days) were still present and the only other bird of note was a Marsh Tit near the southern entrance.

Sutton Bingham - Wed 19 Aug

Overnight rain meant I arrived on site this morning with a slight hope that something interesting may have dropped in. I was sort of right as a Black-tailed Godwit was off the northern causeway.

However, there was nothing else of note other than a Mute Swan which flew in from the north, did a circuit of the southern end and then flew back the way it had come.

Sutton Bingham - Tue 18 Aug

There has been very little of note over the past week, with a Green Sandpiper on West Pool last Friday and a couple of Teal at the southern end on Saturday (there as also a single Teal on Sunday). I also saw the Cuckoo again on Saturday morning, somewhat surprised it's still around.

This morning a quick look before work failed to turn up anything different other than a Mute Swan, but just after I had left the patch I got a call from Dave to say that he and Pete had just found a Grasshopper Warbler! I had time to rush back and, thanks to Dave and Pete, I managed three decent flight views over the next 40 minutes. Probably the most wanted bird on my patch list, especially after missing one a few years back.

We also had a Cetti's Warbler calling and a fly-through Oystercatcher, so not a bad morning in the end.

Sutton Bingham year list now at 108 species.

Sutton Bingham - Thu 13 Aug

A quick visit before work, as has been the norm of late, and things were looking rather tame with a count of seven Common Sandpipers seeming to be the highlight. I did decide that a quick visit to the Fishing Lodge may be worthwhile, and as it happens it was. There were two Egyptian Geese loitering with a number of Canada Geese. Rather distant on the pit of land opposite the Sailing Club, but always worth a record shot.

With nothing else of note to be seen, it was off to the office.

Sutton Bingham year list for 2026 now at 107 species.

Sutton Bingham - Tue 11 Aug

Another quick pre-work visit this morning and it was very quiet other than a total of nine Common Sandpipers, eight of which were at the southern end. I then had a look at the dam and found a Wheatear, a rather nice surprise.

I'd been in the office for about two hours when I got a message from Pete to say that he and Dave had just found a juvenile Cuckoo feeding at the southern end. After a couple of hours, I managed to get out during my lunch break and was lucky enough to connect with the Cuckoo.

I enjoyed watching the bird for about ten minutes before I had to head back to the office. My first patch Cuckoo for a few years and the first I've actually seen for as long as I can remember.

Sutton Bingham year list now at 106 species.