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