Sutton Bingham - Wed 26 Jun

I had a bit of time before work this morning and given it was late June I figured there must be the chance of a Redshank, so I made straight for the Fishing Lodge and checked out the north-east corner...nothing. I then 'scoped the northern causeway and amongst the gathered gulls and ducks could see two smaller birds, with red legs, nailed it! A quick drive round to the northern causeway and some great views of a couple of Redshank.

Late June has always tended to be a good time for Redshank at Sutton Bingham, and so it has been again this year.

Sutton Bingham year list for 2024 now at 96 species.

Sutton Bingham - Sat 22 Jun

A Mute Swan in the north-east corner this morning is such a scarcity on the patch nowadays that it's worth a blog posting! Nothing else of note in a very quick pre-work visit.

Sutton Bingham - Thu 20 Jun

I missed a pair of Egyptian Geese and two Oystercatchers yesterday morning that Rich the Wessex Water ranger messaged me about, they had gone by the time I reached the site at lunchtime, rather frustrating. A quick stop on my way home today produced a Great White Egret on West Pool but that was it. June has been typically quiet so far, and unfortunately I've missed the couple of decent birds that have dropped in.

Sutton Bingham - Thu 6 Jun

No prolonged afternoon visit today as I had to work through my "afternoon off", but I did get up to the reservoir for a short visit over my lunch hour. A juvenile Coot was on the northern causeway, just my second for the year of this now scarce visitor to the patch.

Also on the northern causeway there was a juvenile Mandarin whilst over the reservoir two Red Kites drifted through.

A number of Canada Geese were new in on the lawn in front of the Fishing Lodge, and amongst them a goose which I had down as a hybrid Greylag Goose x Swan Goose (though some comments on the image I posted on Twitter suggest it could be a pure Swan Goose).

Either way, it's an interesting looking bird and certainly not one I've seen at the reservoir before.

Sutton Bingham - Fri 31 May

Two quick visits to the patch today, starting with a pre-work stop this morning which produced four Swifts and a Red Kite over the southern end.

A return after work was more exciting as I found an Osprey half way down the reservoir.

Having missed a brief Osprey last weekend that Pete found, I was pleased to find this one, always an impressive bird to see.

Sutton Bingham year list for 2024 now at 95 species.

Sutton Bingham - Sun 26 May

Despite it being a Bank Holiday weekend I knew my chances to get to the reservoir over the long weekend would be limited due to other commitments. However, a late afternoon meeting in Sherborne gave me the opportunity to stop off for a look around and I was surprised to find a couple of Black-tailed Godwits on the northern causeway, I guess the heavy rain had caused them to drop in.

The birds were very obliging and were a very warm welcome to the patch year list. Also this evening, a Reed Warbler was still singing from the area at the end of the jetty at the northern causeway and a Great White Egret was on West Pool. Finally, a Red Kite flew south.

Sutton Bingham year list for 2024 now at 94 species.

Sutton Bingham - Sun 19 May

A message from Pete this morning was fortunately picked up as I was driving home and resulted in me adding Reed Warbler to the year list with one singing from within the vegetation near the "jetty" at the car park end of the northern causeway. It failed to show itself, but having missed one earlier in the year it was good to add it to the list.

Also today, a real surprise and a patch mega in the form of a Barn Owl that was present in a private location, and was always rather distant, hence the shocking photos!

I didn't post news of this on the day due to the fact it's a Schedule 1 species, but subsequent searches over the last week have drawn a blank, so it must have been a wandering bird passing through. This is only my second ever patch record of Barn Owl.

Sutton Bingham year list for 2024 now at 93 species.