Arne RSPB - Tue 13 Jul

A family trip down to Dorset today and a decent walk around Arne RSPB. After grabbing a light lunch from the café we set off for a walk out to Shipstal Point but to be honest other there was not a lot around, four Common Terns were about the pick of the birds seen. Around the car park there were plenty of Siskin flying back and fourth and a Hobby whizzed over.
After returning to the car we then walked out to Coombe Heath where there was a little more happening. In Middlebeare Channel I located a lone Spoonbill and then after a few minutes found a further three, no idea where they had come from!

Whilst checking the channel I also saw a Greenshank along with several Curlew and in the distance a flock of Black-tailed Godwit. A Dartford Warbler was heard calling from just in front of where we were standing and eventually provided a very brief view before disappearing in to the gorse, never to be seen again. Highlight was a juvenile Cuckoo that showed really well, though it certainly upset some of the local Meadow Pipits.

Back at the car we took a drive round to Studland but drew a blank with regard to any Ring-necked Parakeets, but did see a Spitfire fly over!

Sutton Bingham - Sat 10 Jul

A flying visit late afternoon to "twitch" a singing Reed Warbler that was found by Pete Akers (he actually had two singing birds along the southern arm but I could only relocate one of them). Present just to the north of the sleeper bridge I had to wait a short while before it started singing but it then did so on and off for a few minutes before I saw it fly in to a willow. It was nice to finally catch up with Reed Warbler as they have not bred on site this year, it was also good to finally be successful in seeing one of Pete's finds especially after missing the Arctic Terns at the end of May by mere seconds.
Sutton Bingham year list for 2021 now at 94 species.

Sutton Bingham - Fri 9 Jul

A morning visit before work produced four but possibly as many as six Common Sandpipers but bird of the day, and it's a sign of the times that it is, was a juvenile Coot viewable from the Fishing Lodge. Only my second Coot of the year for Sutton Bingham and obviously they are doing well locally as this bird was certainly not hatched and raised at the reservoir so has flown in from close by.
A return visit in the afternoon produced an adult summer-plumaged Mediterranean Gull.

Sutton Bingham - Wed 7 Jul

An early morning visit before work produced a flock of ten Common Sandpipers on the northern causeway, so a pretty good fall overnight (my first of the "Autumn" was seen on Monday).
However, more surprising was a singing Sedge Warbler in the patch of sallows in the corner of West Pool nearest the railway bridge. It spent pretty much all the time I was there deep in the vegetation and I only caught on brief glimpse of it, but during my visit it was singing pretty much constantly.

Sutton Bingham - Sat 18 Jun

A quick stop on the way to work produced a nice surprise in the form of a Common Tern. It's always nice to see a tern at the reservoir and they have been rather thin on the ground over the last few years, and missing the three Arctic Terns that were present for just a few minutes recently just added to the pleasure of finding that one.

There was nothing else of note this morning, and to be honest my recent trips to the patch have been very unrewarding, but then again I suppose that's only to be expected given the time of year.

Sutton Bingham year list for 2021 now at 93 species.

Ham Wall RSPB - Sat 5 Jun

An early start and off to the Somerset Levels this morning after a River Warbler had been found yesterday afternoon. I arrived on site at around 7.00am and after a short walk joined around fifty other birders and was treated to great views of this rare warbler. Most of the time it was perched up singing but did occasionally vanish from view for a few minutes. There are loads of great photos online but always one for a record shot a did get a heap of pictures, none that good due to the light and the lack of skill on behalf of the photographer (I've only got a mobile phone!).

I also managed to get a recording of the River Warbler singing.

TimFarr · 20210605 River Warbler

The supporting cast this morning consisted of a couple of Great White Egrets, a fairly distant Barn Owl and a booming Bittern. I didn't stay that long, I was only on site for around half an hour, but with the target bird ticked off it was back home. It made up for missing a Blyth's Reed Warbler at Langport a couple of days earlier!

Sutton Bingham - Tue 1 Jun

It's been quiet on the patch recently, or at least it has for me. A lone Red Kite over the northern end a few days ago was the only notable sighting for over a week. An early morning visit today before work produced a Little Owl, nice to know it is still around.

However, nothing else of note today.