Sutton Bingham - Thu 28 Apr

Two pairs of Shoveler were present yesterday evening but a little more interest today with a Hobby flying over the reservoir early afternoon and a welcome addition to the patch year list, especially as I only had a single Hobby sighting last year. A total of four Common Sandpipers were present this afternoon whilst other birds of interest included a pair of Mandarin on the northern causeway, a couple of Great Black-backed Gulls and a "new" singing Lesser Whitethroat on the railway embankment.

Sutton Bingham year list for 2022 now at 92 species.

Sutton Bingham - Mon 25 Apr

Another scarce goose this evening at Sutton Bingham as I found a pair of Greylag Geese present off the dam, always rather distant, but a great addition to the patch year list and an inspired decision to stop off on my way home from work.

A single Common Sandpiper was on the northern causeway but there was nothing else of note during my brief stop.

Sutton Bingham year list for 2022 now at 91 species.

Sutton Bingham - Sun 24 Apr

A message this morning just as I was getting ready to go to church meant a slight detour to the reservoir to see a Barnacle Goose that had arrived overnight and was hanging out with a couple of Canada Geese. Having missed a brief one last year it was nice to connect with this one, found by Pete Akers earlier in the day.

A lone Common Sandpiper was on the northern causeway but very little else around, not that I had much time to check.

A return visit later at lunchtime and the Barnacle Goose was still present and a Little Egret had appeared in the field at the back of West Pool, another year tick!

My third and final visit of the day in the evening failed to anything else to the day's tally.

Sutton Bingham year list for 2022 now at 90 species.

Sutton Bingham - Sat 23 Apr

A very quick stop on the way to work this morning turned up an Osprey over the northern end of the reservoir. Initially over the water in front of the Fishing Lodge it made a couple of half-hearted and aborted fishing attempts before drifting towards me as I stood on the northern causeway and then flew off to the west where it was lost to view. I tried to get a few pictures through my binoculars but in the end had to settle for these!

Having missed an Osprey at the end of March whilst I was on holiday in Cornwall it was great to see one today. Always such a great bird to see.

Sutton Bingham year list for 2022 now at 88 species.

Sutton Bingham - Thu Apr 21

A few brief visits over the past week have produced a few new birds for the patch year list. At lease two Tawny Owls were very vocal during a late night visit on 16 April, with my first Blackcap of the year seen earlier in the day. On 18 April I heard singing Whitethroat and Lesser Whitethroat and five Common Sandpipers were present.

Today I spent a couple of hours on site but saw very little. Just three Common Sandpipers were noted and there were singles of Great Black-backed Gull and Coot.

A pair of Mandarin were again on the northern causeway and several more Blackcaps have arrived on site.

Sutton Bingham year list for 2022 now at 86 species.

Sutton Bingham - Wed 13 Apr

A few flying visits over the past couple of days have not really produced anything much of note, however, an evening visit on Monday at around 9.00pm did throw up a bit of interest with a very strange call coming from near the Canoe Club which sounded very much like it could have been a Barn Owl but I was unable to nail it down or get a recording, which was very frustrating.

Yesterday there was a Willow Warbler at the Fishing Lodge and around a hundred Sand Martins over the reservoir.

Today it was really quiet first thing with just a couple of Skylarks seen and a pair of Mandarin off the northern causeway.

The car park is still closed so access to the site is almost non-existent meaning no chance to check the scrub and bushes for migrants.

Sutton Bingham - Sun 10 Apr

After a very busy weekend I finally got a chance to visit Sutton Bingham early evening and it turned out to be a rather profitable visit. I started in the north-east corner where a flock of around fifty or so hirundines were feeding over the dam and whilst the majority were Sand Martins I also connected with my first Swallows and House Martins of the year. A lone Common Sandpiper was feeding along the water's edge (two more were present on the southern causeway). A Raven flew over and a pair of Linnets showed well and three Tufted Duck were on the main reservoir.

From the northern causeway a Little Grebe and a Coot were present whilst at the southern end a pair of Wigeon were still lingering and a pair of Mandarin flew north. A scan of the area from the Cane Club produced a Kestrel which was an unexpected surprise, this is a hard species to see at Sutton Bingham nowadays, especially as they bred on site only a few years ago.

Sutton Bingham year list for 2022 now at 84 species.

Sutton Bingham - Thu 7 Apr

Finally some Spring migrants today! A Willow Warbler was half-heartedly singing in the willow patch on the edge of West Pool. In cold, windy weather I appreciated his efforts. A lone Sand Martin also put in a very brief appearance. Still three Wigeon this morning and a couple of Great Black-backed Gulls but things still don't seem to have taken off on patch yet.

Sutton Bingham year list for 2022 now at 80 species.

Sutton Bingham - Tue 5 Apr

I did manage a few brief visits to the reservoir since returning from holiday, but other than twenty-three Wigeon at the weekend there was nothing of note, this had dropped to just four drakes this morning. Also today, two pairs of Mandarin.

Cornwall - Sat 26 Mar to Sat 2 Apr

A week away in Cornwall on a family holiday and we spent most of our time chilling out on the beach as we were very lucky with the weather. That being said, I did, of course, manage some birding whilst we were away!

With our first day being travelling we didn't really get out and about form our base in Portscatho until the Sunday when we spent most of the afternoon on Porthcurnick beach having walked from Portscatho. A sea watch produced two Slavonian Grebes, one of which was in full breeding plumage.

At least two Great Northern Divers were noted and a single Sandwich Tern was flying around. A small flock of four Common Scoters flew west whilst a lone Manx Shearwater flew east. Among half a dozen or so auks, most being seen distantly in flight, there were at least two Razorbills and a Guillemot. All in all a very productive couple of hours.

On Monday we set off to Newlyn in the hope of connecting with an adult Kumlien's Gull which had been present for several weeks (though the last confirmed sighting was the Friday before we arrived in Cornwall). After scouring the harbour it soon became obvious that the gull had gone...a major dip! A female-type Black Redstart was seen, but was little consolation.

Tuesday we stayed local, and from the veranda of the bungalow we were staying in from the week I was able to pick out several divers out to sea, with at least twenty-six seen. We then walked down to the beach where three Great Northern Divers were very close to shore.

There were also twelve Turnstones on the beach and nine Sandwich Terns off Portscatho. Further out in Gerran's Bay my final total were twenty-six Great Northern Divers, two Black-throated Divers, one Red-throated Diver, a single Slavonian Grebe and a lone Guillemot whilst flying by several Gannets and two Fulmars.

The next couple of days were spent chilling out, with a trip to Towan Beach where a Mallard was out on the sea and a lone Sandwich Tern was feeding offshore.

Thursday morning was given over to a course I had to complete but in the afternoon we returned to Porthcurnick beach via Portscatho and a Guillemot was close in to shore.

Walking between the two beaches across the rocks a Grey Heron and two Little Egrets were seen and twenty-seven Turnstones were feeding on the rocks.

There were still a few Great Northern Divers about, but not in the same numbers as earlier in the week, however, Sandwich Terns had risen to nine birds and pretty much every buoy in the harbour hosted one.

Our week away drew to an end after a nice lunch at The Hidden Hut and we arrived back home after a wonderfully relaxing week away.