Sutton Bingham - Mon 31 Aug

Having not been to the reservoir other than a brief and unproductive stop yesterday late morning I made a early morning visit today and it paid off, not with any year ticks but with some decent birds. A Wheatear was on the fence line south of West Pool and a second was at the back of the field where I found the Whinchat last Thursday.

At the southern end a Ringed Plover and Dunlin were present (first found by Pete yesterday early evening) along with a single Common Sandpiper and four Teal.

A Hobby flew over the southern end whilst two more Teal were viewable from the Fishing Lodge.

A return visit late in the afternoon produced three Yellow Wagtails with Pied Wagtails around the fence line south of West Pool (the same area as this morning's Wheatear and two Yellow Wagtails Pete found yesterday).

So all in all a good end to the month, some decent birds and a patch year tick.

Sutton Bingham year list for 2020 now at 112 species.

Sutton Bingham - Fri 28 Aug

Another day, another pre-work visit, another wet morning and another patch year tick! This time an Osprey which was sat up on one of the pylons at the southern end of the reservoir. Whilst I was watching it, it was constantly being harassed by various corvids.

Having missed a Spring Osprey at the reservoir due to lockdown, it was somewhat of a relief to find this one. I didn't have time to stay any longer than a few minutes so no opportunity to see if anything else was about, but if there was it certainly wasn't anything obvious!

Sutton Bingham year list for 2020 now at 111 species.

Sutton Bingham - Thu 27 Aug

I found a rather distant but ultimately showy Whinchat at the reservoir this morning, in the hedgerow at the back of the field behind the Canoe Club. It was a long way away, but here's my efforts at a record shot! Good luck finding it!

So another new bird for the patch year list in what has been a pretty productive August so far (still a few days to go). Also this morning, six Common Sandpipers, a single Green Sandpiper and two Mandarin.

Sutton Bingham year list for 2020 now at 110 species.

Sutton Bingham - Wed 26 Aug

Another flying visit this morning and the Little Ringed Plover I found on Monday was the pick of the birds.

The only other birds of note were half a dozen Common Sandpipers and two Green Sandpipers.

Sutton Bingham - Tues 25 Aug

I had today booked off as a day's holiday and we were deciding what to do in the way of a family walk mid-afternoon when I got a text from Oli Mockridge telling me that he had found an Arctic Tern at the reservoir, so that sorted out where we were going for our walk!

Within ten minutes I was watching the tern with Oli and Bob Buckler but after studying it for several minutes I had to call the bird as a Common Tern. The bill was too long and darkened toward the tip, the legs were also too long and too light in colour, and the primaries were grey in flight with no obvious translucency. To be fair on the others, they agreed and we all ticked Common Tern, another new bird for the patch year list.

Leaving the lads I headed down to the southern end as they had told me a few waders had dropped in. Before long I was looking at three Ringed Plovers alongside a Dunlin and presumably yesterday's Little Ringed Plover.

The Ringed Plovers were my second patch year tick of the day (I had missed four that dropped in for a couple of minutes yesterday morning, found by Pete Akers). I also saw four Common Sandpipers, two Green Sandpipers and three Teal.

Sutton Bingham year list for 2020 now at 109 species.

Sutton Bingham - Mon 24 Aug

 A visit before work this morning lasted only a short time and the weather was pretty wet but a Little Ringed Plover was at the southern end of the reservoir and was another new bird for the patch year list.

The other highlight this morning was a Little Grebe off the dam with Great Crested Grebes, only the second sighting of Little Grebe this year. There were also half a dozen Common Sandpipers and the two long-staying Green Sandpipers this morning.

Sutton Bingham year list for 2020 now at 107 species.

Sutton Bingham - Sat 22 Aug

A morning visit produced more of the same with seven Common Sandpipers and three Green Sandpipers and not a lot else. However, at 5.45pm it all changed when I had a message from fellow birder Nick Smith letting me know there was a Turnstone at the reservoir on the near shore where the old hide was "in case I needed it for the year list". I needed it for my Sutton Bingham life list! So I dropped everything and shot down there, seeing Nick briefly on the northern causeway to confirm the spot before heading to the southern end. What followed was an agonising 45 minutes searching for the bird but drawing a blank, so I headed home completely dejected. However, I have a wonderful wife who told me to give it another go, and this time I had company as she came with me, along with our son. Another hour long search up and down the reservoir was again unsuccessful, but a patch record count of twenty-three Mandarin was something...but not what I wanted. I decided to try one last look from the northern causeway before leaving the site and I finally struck gold as I relocated the Turnstone on the rocky spit opposite the Sailing Club. It was now 8.00pm and the bird was a little distant but showed well in the scope, the photos are shocking though...these are the best! I've even added a red circle to help on the first one.

So after a real down and then up evening I have added Turnstone to my Sutton Bingham life list, one of my most wanted patch birds and I certainly owe Nick a pint at some stage!

Sutton Bingham year list for 2020 now at 106 species.