Sutton Bingham - Wed 30 Jul

Yesterday's Turnstone obviously cleared out overnight, so it was pretty much more of the same today with the Wood Sandpiper now present for a week. The only new bird today was a rather flighty Greenshank that was on the northern causeway for a while before flying off calling. The adult Yellow-legged Gull was showing very well.

And the Great White Egret was still present also.

Sutton Bingham - Tue 29 Jul

I'd made my usual two brief visits to the reservoir today. Before work, I didn't really find anything of note. The Wood Sandpiper was still at the southern end, as was the Great White Egret and Yellow-legged Gull. Pete, however, had found three Sedge Warblers just south of the car park!
So my second visit on the way home from work focused just on the area where Pete had success earlier in teh day. And this time I got lucky with some cracking views of a Sedge Warbler, at last. I've missed a few this year, both in the Spring and some early Autumn birds over teh last few weeks, so it was a relief to finally tick one. So a good day.

However, it got even better later in the evening when Bob Buckler posted on the SBR WhatsApp group a picture of a Turnstone. Needless to day, I raced over and before too long found it on the shoreline of West Pool. I managed some great scope views and a couple of ropey record shots, but I was just thrilled to see it, just my second Sutton Bingham sighting.

So I managed two year ticks today, not bad as a productive month draws to it's end.

Sutton Bingham year list for 2025 now at 109 species.

Sutton Bingham - Sun 27 Jul

I missed a Ringed Plover on Friday night, which was annoying as I had made a trip to the reservoir earlier in the day. This afternoon I got a message to say a Black-tailed Godwit was present off the northern causeway, this time I was able to get over to the reservoir and was treated to some great views of the bird.

The Wood Sandpiper was still present at the southern end and at least ten Common Sandpipers were across the site. The Great White Egret and Yellow-legged Gull were both still present.

Sutton Bingham year list for 2025 now at 107 species. 

Sutton Bingham - Thu 24 Jul

A quick stop before work failed to find anything different, but no sooner had I walked in to the office I got a call from Pete to say he'd found a Wood Sandpiper at the southern end, not sure how I missed that! Fortunately, it was still present when I stopped off on the way home from work and showed very well at times.

Always a good bird to get at the reservoir, and it's been a few years since the last one.

Sutton Bingham year list for 2025 now at 106 species.

Sutton Bingham - Wed 23 Jul

I got an early morning message from one of the rangers at the reservoir this morning telling me of five Oystercatchers viewable from the Fishing lodge, by the time I was able to head over the update was that they had gone, frustrating but I decided to give it a go anyway and parked at the car park and walked down the arm, hoping they had relocated somewhere down the reservoir. Luck was with me this morning when I found all five partway towards the southern end. I managed a few record shots of three of them, the other two were a little more distant and partially obscured by a Black-headed Gull!

Mid-July is pretty much bang on time for a chance of an Oystercatcher at Sutton Bingham, so it was good to connect with these birds today.

As I was searching for the Oystercatchers, I was lucky enough to find a Common Tern over the reservoir so two year ticks in quick succession. Unfortunately, both the Common Tern and the Oystercatchers did not linger and both flew off never to be seen again!

At the far south of the reservoir a Great White Egret was present along with nine Common Sandpipers. The adult Yellow-legged Gull that I found a few day sago was still present.

Sutton Bingham year list for 2025 now at 105 species.

Sutton Bingham - Thu 17 Jul

Not much of note this morning other that an adult Yellow-legged Gull along the arm of the reservoir. A very handsome brute, and a nice addition to the year list.

Common Sandpiper numbers had reason to seven birds.
Sutton Bingham year list for 2025 now at 103 species.

Sutton Bingham - Tue 15 Jul

A couple of new birds this morning, with the first being a Greenshank that was at the back of West Pool. Always a nice bird to see at the reservoir and having missed out last year. A typically ropey record shot included herewith.

Also this morning, a juvenile Hobby whizzed over the main reservoir, across West Pool and then made a half-hearted attempt of trying to catch a Swallow or two before being lost to view.

There were also at least six Common Sandpipers present this morning.

Sutton Bingham year list for 2025 now at 102 species.

Sutton Bingham - Mon 7 Jul

The first Green Sandpiper of the "Autumn" was present a few days ago, but didn't linger. Today a couple of Redshanks were along the arm, but although fairly close they were always obscured by vegetation.

Nothing much else recently other than the occasional Great White Egret sightings and a few Common Sandpipers.

Sutton Bingham - Tue 1 Jul

A lunchtime visit on a hunch, given last night's Lapwing, and it paid dividends as I found a Redshank on West Pool. After missing last week's bird, it was a relief to see one today. Typical ropey record shot as usual as it slept!

The only other bird of note during today's visit was a Great White Egret on West Pool. With seemingly ever increasing numbers of Grey Herons and Little Egrets over the past few weeks, it was only a matter of time for something a little scarcer to drop in.

Sutton Bingham year list for 2025 now at 100 species.