Sutton Bingham - Tue 2 Apr

James found a Common Sandpiper late afternoon, so as it would be my earliest ever record at Sutton Bingham I popped up to see it and see it I did. It was feeding with two Pied Wagtails on the grass on the edge of West Pool.
Three more patch year ticks this evening too with twenty or so Sand Martins, at least ten Swallows and two House Martins over West Pool. So more year ticks in five minutes than I manage din the whole of March!
Sutton Bingham year list 2019 now at 79 species.

Sutton Bingham - Mon 1 Apr

Well over the past few weeks I've missed a few things at Sutton Bingham, not too worried about the commoner fair but James had a Red Kite last Saturday and the warden had a rather wary goose which he couldn't pin down to species mid-way through last week.
This evening though I finally managed to add Coot to the year list.

Coot is now a fairly rare bird at Sutton Bingham with only a handful of annual records, so it was great to finally see one on patch.
Sutton Bingham year list 2019 now at 75 species.

Sutton Bingham - Mon 25 Mar

A quick pre-work visit today and the drake Garganey was still off the northern causeway and certainly seems to have his eye on a female Mallard!

The drake Tufted Duck was again noted but arguably the highlight of the day was a Cetti's Warbler heard singing from the corner of West Pool. Whether this is the bird I found earlier in the year or not is unknown, but I guess it's a good chance that it's been lying low for several weeks and now Spring is in the air his vocal chords have warmed up!

Sutton Bingham - Sun 24 Mar

A real surprise this afternoon with a splendid drake Garganey showing stupidly well off the northern causeway. It was even displaying to a duck Mallard.

At the southern end of the reservoir six Wigeon were present, whilst in the north-east corner two drake Tufted Duck were seen. A pair of Linnet were on the dam.

Sutton Bingham - Sat 23 Mar

An addition to the patch year list this morning with two Little Egret on West Pool early morning. Not a sign later in the day but a flock of ten Linnet near the entrance to the Fishing Lodge were my second year tick of the day in what has been a very slow March. Just five remaining Wigeon at the southern end and seven Teal. Seven Snipe were also seen today whilst overhead four Meadow Pipits flew north.
Sutton Bingham year list 2019 now at 74 species.

Sutton Bingham - Sun 17 Mar

Not much of note today, but the drake Tufted Duck was still present off the northern causeway. There were still sixty-two Wigeon at the southern end and two Great Black-backed Gull were again noted. A Kingfisher was seen whizzing over the water and a single Chiffchaff was fly-catching near the southern end.

Sutton Bingham - Sun 10 Mar

A few short visits to the reservoir since the start of the month had failed to produce anything out of the ordinary, and it was a similar story today really, though I did manage to get an addition to the patch year list in the form of two Mandarin that were at the southern end of the reservoir. In fact most the action was in that area today with fifty Wigeon and thirty Teal also noted. The area south of Cotton Bridge produced an impressive twenty-two Snipe, not bad for early March.
From the northern causeway a single drake Tufted Duck was present and four Great Black-backed Gulls were seen.
Away from the birds, a Brown Hare was seen on the far bank.
Sutton Bingham year list 2019 now at 72 species.