Tim Farr

Flock of at least 60 Golden Plover just flown over the house.

Leach's Petrel is a bogey bird for me, I've dipped more than I care to remember.
Failed to lay that ghost to rest today as I missed another, by 5 minutes this time, at Cheddar Res.
Maybe one day, maybe? 😥

Ringed Plover on the garden list, just heard one fly over calling whilst I was out picking raspberries!

It may just be a single bird rather than a 60+ strong flock, but I don't care because it's a full fat SBR lifer. Present for less than 10 minutes just before 3pm.

After the delight of seeing the Avocets on patch yesterday, a painful dip this afternoon as I missed three brief Ruff...a species I've only ever seen at SBR once. The highs and lows of patch listing.😭

Ringo at SBR this afternoon with five Common Sand, two GWE and a lone Teal. The long-staying YLG still present.

Two Avocet at SBR early afternoon, fortunately they did the right thing and hung on patch until I finished work. Found by Pete Akers just before 9am meant it was a long morning in the office. Worth the wait though.

Three GWE and five Common Sand at SBR this evening, nothing else of note though.

Five GWE at SBR early morning, including a colour-ringed bird.

SBR this morning produced a Mute Swan through south at 7.18am.
Eight Cattle Egret through south at 7.39am.
Cetti's, Reed and Sedge Warbler (poss 2 of the latter).
Seven Common Sand.

Juv Stonechat the only bird of note at SBR today.

Little Stint at SBR still this evening with 6 Common Sand, GWE, YLG and Marsh Tit the only birds of note.

Little Stint still at SBR late morning with 8 Common Sand.
Wheatear and Whinchat new for year. Yellow Wag over.

Lunchtime twitch for a patch Little Stint found soon after I'd left SBR this morning.
Distant record shots attached!😁

Think it's safe to say that Scaup was not very high up the list of birds I expected to find at SBR this morning!

Very distant Yellow Wag (honest, it is!) at SBR this afternoon.

Finally added Spot Fly to the SBR year list at lunchtime.

Two juv and one adult Common Tern at SBR late afternoon.

Oyc at SBR this morning.
Also 5 Common Sand.

On the deck at SBR very rare, usually get fly over flocks in winter, but happy to get a pic of one on the ground.
Lots of mud at SBR too, though not a lot of wader movement other than Common Sands.
Did have a Ringo on Sun which stayed until yesterday.

Golden Plover at SBR this morning.

LRP, GWE and YLG at SBR this morning...hope that's enough three-letter acronyms!
Also 2 Sedge and one Reed Warbler.
#somersetbirds

Only my 2nd Turnstone at SBR, hence the patch mega status...I suppose it's all relative. I've seen two Spot Sands at SBR, so from that point of view, equally rare. 😁

Patch mega Turnstone at SBR this evening. Poor record shots.

Finally, after missing a few Spring birds and some early Autumn birds, I connected with Sedge Warbler on the patch this afternoon. Bit of a relief given the status of the species at SBR nowadays.
Wood Sand and YLG still present.

I'll tell you why so few Somerset birders go to SBR, because 99.9% of the time there's sod all there! And that's from over 15 years experience of having it as my patch.😉🤣

Blackwit at SBR this afternoon was new for the patch year list. Wood Sand still present with 10 Common Sand. Ad YLG also hanging around still.

Wood Sand still at SBR at midday.

Wood Sand at SBR late afternoon. Plus Green Sand and 7 Common Sand. GWE and ad YLG still present along with 13 Mandarin.

Three of five Oystercatchers that were at SBR early morning. Also Common Tern, GWE, YLG, 8 Common Sand and Green Sand.