Sutton Bingham - Tue 14 Apr

A quick pre-work visit produced my fist Whitethroat of the year, but there wasn't much else about other than seven Common Sandpipers and a pair of Mandarin.

However, I got a message late morning to say there was a Coot on West Pool, so I popped in on the way home and managed to connect with what is now a scarce visitor to Sutton Bingham.

Sutton Bingham year list now at 84 species.

Sutton Bingham - Thu 9 Apr

A quick visit before work this morning was completely uneventful, with mist across the reservoir and barely a bird to be seen, so I was completely surprised when Pete posted a message mid-morning to say that he had found a Kittiwake off the northern causeway. Fortunately, I was able to take an early lunch and pop along to see it, eventually getting some good views off the bottom of the car park.

Always nice to see a Kittiwake on the patch, and I was pleased it did the decent thing and stayed long enough for me to connect.

Sutton Bingham year list for 2026 now at 79 species.

Sutton Bingham - Mon 6 Apr

My first visit to the reservoir for a fortnight, and I managed to add a few birds to the year list. At the southern end a pair of Mandarin were seen, but two Swallows were my first for the year.

There was nothing of note from the northern causeway, so I moved round to the Fishing Lodge where a lone Common Sandpiper was another new bird. There were a few distant hirundines flying high, but I was unable to identify them.

I then had a quick stop at the outflow stream where a Willow Warbler was feeding and I finally connected with a patch Treecreeper. So, not a bad visit with regard to new birds albeit species I would expect to see.

Sutton Bingham year list for 2026 now at 77 species.

Mallorca - Thu 26 Mar to Thu 2 Apr

A family holiday in Mallorca was a non-birding trip, but I still managed to see a few birds. Full trip report to follow.

Sutton Bingham - Sun 22 Mar

A quick visit this afternoon to carry out the monthly WeBS count and it was still pretty quiet on the patch with a pair of Tufted Duck new arrivals on West Pool and the flock of Wigeon was still present, with thirty-one birds present.

Pick of the birds present was a second calendar year Yellow-legged Gull that was present on the northern causeway with a fair number of Herring Gulls.

Sutton Bingham year list for 2026 now at 73 species.

Sutton Bingham - Thu 19 Mar

An afternoon visit today turned out to be rather productive with a couple of distant Goshawks and a Red Kite soaring in the warm Spring air.

It was fairly quiet on the water, which seems to be the norm at present, but there were still thirty Wigeon and a pair of Teal at the southern end, and then a nice addition to the year list when a pair of Mandarin swam through.

A Chiffchaff was in song near the southern gate and was my first for the year at the reservoir but arguably the best bird of the visit was a Kestrel that flew low over, a species that is hard to see at Sutton Bingham these days.

Sutton Bingham year list for 2026 now at 72 species.

Sutton Bingham - Wed 4 Mar

As the weather was good and it wasn't dark, I decided that a quick stop at the reservoir on the way home from work might be nice, and indeed it was! I parked up on the northern causeway and looked over West Pool and the main reservoir hardly surprised by the apparent lack of birds, until I saw a distant duck off the dam that got me getting the 'scope out and sure enough, it was something of interest, a drake Goldeneye!

I quickly drove round to the Fishing Lodge and was able to get some closer views as it lingered with a couple of Mallard. Light was going and it was never that close, but I got a few record shots.

Nothing else of note during this quick visit, but Spring is on the way, so hopefully a few more things of interest will appear over the coming weeks.

Sutton Bingham year list for 2026 now at 64 species.

Sutton Bingham - Fri 20 Feb

I've had very little opportunity to visit the reservoir of the past month, but the few brief visits I have made have been very unproductive. This morning, there was a little interest with a Red Kite soaring over Hyde Farm and a Great White Egret on West Pool.

Ripley Farm Reservoir - Sun 25 Jan

When news broke of a Killdeer on a small farm reservoir a few days ago I was, obviously, tempted. However, I didn't really have the opportunity to go and see it until today when our initial Sunday morning plans fell by the wayside and that freed me up to make the journey to this interesting site just to the south of Ringwood.

I parked in the village of Avon, along with several other birders, and made the mile-long walk along a farm track towards the location of the target bird. Along the way I had a Red Kite fly over and then had some decent, if a little distant, views of a White-tailed Eagle...surely this was a good omen?

On arriving at the reservoir, which was really just a fairly large pond, I was helped on to the bird and was treated to some cracking views of the Killdeer, a Nearctic wader I hadn't really expected to see in the UK, and it was a little beauty.

There was plenty of other bird activity with several Egyptian Geese and Shelduck plus other commoner wildfowl, however, a Little Gull was a bonus year tick as I first saw it on water before it vanished whilst I was looking at other things but it then flew back in a few minutes later, showing really well in flight.

Having had my fill of the Killdeer I decided to head back home with the aim of getting back in time for lunch!

Sutton Bingham - Thu 22 Jan

Another rainy day, but I still managed some time at the reservoir this afternoon but it was pretty quiet. A small flock of nine Lapwing were near the Fishing Lodge for a while, before being flushed by one of the Sailing Club support boats.

Wildfowl were very much absent, with just a single pair of Wigeon present and little else. A Great White Egret was on West Pool and a second bird was at the southern end of the reservoir. A notable flock of thirty-nine Collared Doves was counted near the entrance to the Fishing Lodge.

The highlight of this afternoon's visit though was a Woodcock, flushed from a private area of the site. Having not seen one for a couple of years, it was a welcome addition to the year list.

Sutton Bingham year list now at 59 species.

Sutton Bingham - Sat 17 Jan

An afternoon trip today to do the monthly WeBS count and there was very little to report on the wildfowl front, just thirty-seven Wigeon and two Teal, though a Great White Egret was again present on West Pool.
A bit of excitement with a Red Kite seen from the dam, always a great bird to see, whilst a couple of Feral Pigeons were a less exciting addition to the patch year list.
Sutton Bingham year list for 2026 now at 58 species.

Sutton Bingham - Sat 10 Jan

A quick visit a couple of days ago turned up three Mute Swans along the arm, whilst a Mediterranean Gull was in the gull roost of the Fishing Lodge.

Today there were a few new additions to the year list including a Stonechat at the southern end of the reservoir and a Peregrine was atop a pylon.

A stroll around a private are of the reservoir flushed around sixteen Snipe and a few commoner species were seen.

Sutton Bigham year list for 2026 now at 52 species.

Sutton Bingham - Tue 6 Jan

A pair of Gadwall were present yesterday, whilst a lunchtime visit today produced several small flocks of Lapwing passing through, forty-five in total and a lone bird was on the ground next to West Pool.

In the car park a small flock of about ten Siskin were milling about and on the main reservoir there were ten Tufted Duck.

Sutton Bingham year list for 2026 now at 43 species.

Avalon Marshes - Sat 3 Jan

In what seems to have become somewhat of a tradition, myself and four of my oldest birding friends headed off for a trip to the Somerset Levels to start the year off. Always good fun and great company the birds are almost secondary!

We started the day at Wet Moor where despite the bitter cold we managed to connect with some good birds, with a flock of around thirty or so Russian White-fronted Geese on the deck, and another sixty seen in flight overhead. A lone Bewick's Swan was eventually picked out in the distance and a spectacular site of thirty-five Common Crane flying over was something to see and hear.

On then to Greylake RSPB which proved to be pointless so we didn't linger, instead heading to Catcott where we failed to connect with the recent Glossy Ibis but had great views of a hunting Marsh Harrier.

Another miss at Meare as we didn't see the elusive and mobile Whooper Swans and Long Drove also drew a blank as we missed the two Ring-necked Duck.

We then spent some time at Shapwick Heath, walking out to view Noah's Lake. Again, lot's of duck but nothing out of the ordinary...it was interesting that there was not actually that much variety in the birds we were seeing. Lots of wildfowl and little else.

We finished the day back at Wet Moor after a brief stop just north of Muchelney where five Bewick's Swans were showing really well.

Whereas we missed a few things today, it was a wonderful day out with good friends and that more than made up for the somewhat low total of species recorded.

Sutton Bingham - Fri 2 Jan

A quick stop before work failed to produce yesterday's Brent Goose but a Shoveler was present with the Wigeon flock. Three Tufted Ducks were on the main reservoir (there were ten yesterday) and a Great White Egret was again on West Pool.

A brief return visit late afternoon produced a Cattle Egret in trees below the car park and a flock of seventeen Lapwing flew through.

Sutton Bingham year list for 2026 now at 35 species.

Arne RSPB - Thu 1 Jan

A family trip out today but a few little highlights before we got to our destination with a Firecrest in the garden, a quick stop at Sutton Bingham to see a Brent Goose and an equally quick stop just outside Dorchester for a Tundra Bean Goose!

We arrived at Arne RSPB in time for a picnic lunch before taking a walk out to Shipstal Point. The tide was out and this resulted in lots of exposed mud and an equally high number of birds feeding on them, with lots of Avocets in particular but a supporting cast of Redshanks, Curlew, Black-tailed Godwits and Oystercatchers.

Out in Poole Harbour there was very little to see other than a few Great Crested Grebes and Red-breasted Mergansers.

A walk across Combe Heath wasn't overly productive but Middlebeare Channel did host a couple of Spoonbill and a Marsh Harrier flew through.

All in all a lovely day out which ended up with us being joined by a party of nine pigs as we walked back to the car!

Happy New Year to you all.