SUTTON BINGHAM RESERVOIR
WEATHER: high winds and torrential rain for the morning, dry and brighter with sunny spells late afternoon.
From the weather description shown above you can guess that I went out in the afternoon because the morning was a complete wash-out. I did see a few species in the garden throughout the morning, Blue and Great Tits were visiting the feeders with newcomers Coal Tits and a Nuthatch.
It was still very windy when I left home at 3:30pm but it was dry and sunny for the most part. From the causway at Sutton Bingham I noted two Common Sandpipers in the West Pool and added Moorhen, Cormorant, Black-headed Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Mallard and Great Crested Grebe to the October list.
the reservoir is starting to refill after a long spell without significant rainfall
It was quite sheltered down at the southern end of the reservoir and I had an enjoyable half an hour watching gulls, waders and ducks. I counted 19 Teal and 11 Wigeon, they were with 83 Mallards, a Great Black-backed Gull, a single Ringed Plover and a couple of Moorhens.
A ringed Plover being eyed by a Gt Black-backed Gull
I spotted a Peregrine Falcon on a pylon before I walked northward along the shore, I checked the hedgerows and trees for passerines but found nothing at all.
A second stop at the causeway produced a single Grey Heron sighting and nothing else new, I was back home by 5pm. Tomorrow's weather forecast looks even worse than today so I don't expect I'll be going anywhere far!