Sutton Bingham - Thu 13 Nov

My WeBS count was rained off on Sunday, there were three Mute Swans present but it was almost impossible to count what other wildfowl may have been knocking about.

This afternoon the weather turned out to be much better than forecast, so I made a visit to the reservoir on the way home from work, however, the entire site was inaccessible due to tree works, so I made for Water Treatment Works as it was probably the only area where I had any chance of seeing any birds. However, there was nothing on the buildings of note and other than a Chiffchaff I was thinking it was going to be a pretty poor visit, but that all changed when a bit of movement over the outflow stream alerted me to a Yellow-browed Warbler! Always rather mobile I did manage some excellent views as it moved around a few feet above my head for a short while. My fourth patch Yellow-browed Warbler, of which three are self-found.

I then had a quick look of the reservoir from the Fishing Lodge, but other than a few Wigeon and a Common Sandpiper there was nothing else to report.

Sutton Bingham year list for 2025 now at 120 species.

Sutton Bingham - Sat 8 Nov

A message from Pete mid-afternoon meant a quick visit to the reservoir late afternoon to successfully twitch a Black Redstart that was at the water treatment works, with light fading and the bird being really mobile I managed a couple of ropey record shots.

Annoyingly I had spent the best part of half an hour scanning every bird at the water treatment works during my last visit on site and found nothing, but at least I managed to see this one.

Sutton Bingham year list for 2025 now at 119 species.

Sutton Bingham - Thu 6 Nov

My first proper trip to the reservoir for many weeks this afternoon, and water levels have raised considerably since my last visit and presumably as a result there was a decent number of wildfowl present, especially at the southern end.
A fair sized flock of Canada Geese also harboured a lone Mute Swan and whilst the majority of duck were Mallard, there were at least fifty Wigeon, thirty Teal plus three Gadwall and two Shoveler.
A late Common Sandpiper was also at the southern end.

Cornwall - Fri 17 Oct to Fri 24 Oct

A week away in Cornwall and despite it being a family holiday, I did manage to get in some birding.

A bit of seawatching from Porthkurnick did produce a surprise in the form of a Great Skua that passed by closely. Many Gannets out in Gerrans Bay but nothing on the water, I guess two early for returning grebes and divers.

A decent coastal walk from Towan around St Anthony's Head and back did turn up to Chough, always a delight to see and a bit of a surprise. Half a dozen Swallows were noted flying along the cliff in strong winds.

A mid-week trip to The Lizard and Mullion Cove to twitch a Steppe Grey Shrike was successful, with this being a lifer for me. It showed really well, if a little distant, but I managed some photos.

A stop at Tesco in Truro produced a Lesser Yellowlegs which showed really well.

From Portscatho I found three Ringed Plovers and a Sanderling in with a flock of around forty Turnstones and there were at least sixty Mediterranean Gulls loitering on the rocks and offshore.

All in a few decent birds for the year list and a lifer to boot.

Sutton Bingham - Thu 9 Oct

A new addition to the year list today with a pair of Siskin in the car park, somehow I'd missed this species over the winter, so was glad to finally connect with a couple.

Other than that, it was pretty much same old same old today with four Wigeon and two Teal on the water, a Great White Egret still on West Pool and two Common Sandpipers. There were really good numbers of Meadow Pipits across the site, probably well over a hundred, but I couldn't fin anything in with them.

Sutton Bingham year list for 2025 now at 118 species.

Sutton Bingham - Mon 29 Sep

It's been really quiet on the patch over the past couple of weeks, with nothing much to report other than a pair of Gadwall and sixteen Teal on 23 September and a Tufted Duck and Little Grebe on 24 September. Today I found a Greenshank along the arm, just south of the Canoe Club.

Nothing else to write about though at the moment.

Sutton Bingham - Thu 11 Sep

The rollercoaster that is patch birding took another turn today, after the disappointment of missing the Ruff at the weekend, today I got a patch lifer!

I spent a couple of hours on the patch this afternoon where at the southern end there were eleven Common Sandpiper and a mobile flock of fifteen Yellow Wagtails that spent all their time in the air and didn't settle anywhere that I could see. The long-staying Yellow-legged Gull and Great White Egret were still present and I thought that was that.

I planned to end my visit at the Fishing Lodge but there was nothing much there, however, as I scanned back towards the northern causeway I saw something, and I knew what it was and it hadn't been there five minutes earlier when I had been at that side of the reservoir, it was a Glossy Ibis!

I ran back to the car, drove back round to the northern causeway and was treated to some great views of this patch first for me.

There have been lots of records of Glossy Ibises in the south-west over the past few days, including some rather big flocks, so I had been hoping one might drop in, and sure enough one did and I got lucky, because after just a few minutes it took flight an headed south. Unfortunately, it did not relocate to the southern end and must've just kept going.

Sutton Bingham year list for 2025 now at 117 species.

Sutton Bingham - Sun 7 Sep

After the joy of seeing the Avocets yesterday, it was pain today as I missed a message on WhatsApp and as a result by the time I got to the reservoir I was too late to see the three Ruff that had dropped in earlier in the afternoon...how annoying! It's been many years since I've seen a Ruff on patch and it would have been a great addition to the year list, but that's birding.

I did spend a little time searching to no avail and did see a few things including a pair of Gadwall and a Tufted Duck on the water. There were also two Ringed Plovers at the southern end with a Green Sandpiper and fifteen Common Sandpipers.

Sutton Bingham - Sat 6 Sep

A stressful morning at work today as Pete found two Avocets this morning and so I had a four hour wait before I could get to the reservoir, fortunately, they did the right thing and lingered enabling me to get a good view form the northern causeway. I then returned later in the afternoon to find they have relocated to West Pool.

I've been lucky to find two Avocets at Sutton Bingham, both Spring birds, so it was great to see today's individuals. At the southern end this afternoon, five Common Sandpipers were seen and a Ringed Plover was showing quite well.

Two Great White Egrets were also present along with the long-staying Yellow-legged Gull and my first returning Teal of the Autumn.

Sutton Bingham year list for 2025 now at 116 species.

Sutton Bingham - Tue 2 Sep

A patch record count, I believe, of five Great White Egrets this morning that were present on West Pool initially before they moved to the southern end. A couple of Mute Swans were off the Sailing Club.

Sutton Bingham - Fri 29 Aug

Nothing new for the year list today, but a decent end to the month with a few birds of note during an early morning visit. Firstly, a Mute Swan which flew south and that was followed some twenty minutes later by a flock of eight Cattle Egrets.

In the vegetation along the arm there was a Cetti's Warbler, a Reed Warbler, and one, possibly two, Sedge Warblers.

There were still a few Common Sandpipers lingering with at least seven at the southern end.

Sutton Bingham - Tue 26 Aug

A juvenile Stonechat was an unexpected new arrival this morning.

Nothing else of note today though and the Little Stint has moved on after a stay of four days.

Sutton Bingham - Sun 24 Aug

I had a fly-through Common Tern yesterday morning and today I made an evening visit where a Marsh Tit was a nice find and the Little Stint was showing much better, affording some half-decent photos.

Nothing else to add today though.

Sutton Bingham - Fri 22 Aug

Another decent visit today with Dave Chown finding a Whinchat which I was lucky enough to relocate opposite the Canoe Club about 100 metres from his initial sighting. I also found a Wheatear, so two quality additions to the year list again today.

At the southern the Little Stint was still present with eight Common Sandpipers and a Yellow Wagtail flew over.

Sutton Bingham year list for 2025 now at 115 species.

Sutton Bingham - Thu 21 Aug

Something very unexpected on the patch this morning, a first-summer type Scaup on West Pool with a female Tufted Duck. The Scaup showed pretty well on West Pool before taking flight and heading over to the main reservoir where it eventually relocated to the area in front of the Sailing Club.

Scaup is a very scarce visitor to the reservoir and I've only seen a couple over the years and these have all been in the winter. There was also some debate over this bird, but I have no doubt.

After I'd left to get to work, I had a call from Pete to say he'd found a Little Stint at the southern end! Typical, and I'd checked that area too, so must've missed it. Fortunately, I was able to return during my lunch break and the bird had hung around and showed well, if distantly.

So a productive day with two year ticks, both of which being quality birds on the year list.

Sutton Bingham year list for 2025 now at 113 species.

Sutton Bingham - Sun 17 Aug

Another addition to the year list today as I managed to connect with one of the Yellow Wagtails that had been seen earlier in the day when I made an afternoon visit. Always distant and flighty, I had to grab a record shot of sorts!

Having missed Yellow Wagtail in 2024, it was nice to see one on patch and add it to the year list.

Sutton Bingham year list for 2025 now at 111 species.

Sutton Bingham - Sat 16 Aug

I finally managed to connect with a Spotted Flycatcher on the patch this year, with one bird near Cotton Bridge early in the afternoon.

I've missed quite a few this year, so was good to get one at long last.

Sutton Bingham year list for 2025 now at 110 species.

Sutton Bingham - Wed 13 Aug

Another day and another interesting wader, today it was an Oystercatcher that was initially present at the southern end but was extremely flighty. It then settled on the northern causeway for a bit.

Nothing else that different in the morning, though a return visit later in the day did produce four Common Terns off the dam.

The pictured bird above being one of two juveniles present along with two adult birds, so presumably a family group.

Sutton Bingham - Tue 12 Aug

A Golden Plover was a new arrival this morning, not a bird that one sees on the deck at Sutton Bingham very often, more a fly-over visitor in flocks in the winter, so a grounded bird in the summer was a joy to see.

It was present for a while before a Peregrine flew in from the east and made a beeline straight for it! The Golden Plover took flight, avoided the Peregrine and understandably flew off strongly to the north!