1 December 2009

Brian Heasman captured this shot of three Grey Phalaropes sitting on the sea off Hope's Nose on 29 November.

1 December 2009

While looking for the Great White Egret at Slapton Ley on 12 November, Mark Darlaston noticed a young Cormorant flying over. With camera in hand, he took a few quick flight shots but it wasn't until a few days later that he got around to looking at them… and made a discovery.

27 November 2009

Roy Churchill took this stunning shot of a Grey Phalarope on the Skern on 26 November. Roy reports that the bird has been there for several days, in a little flood pool on the burrows side of the road.

14 October 2009

As well as taking the excellent shot of the Great Shearwater off Start Point on 16 August (see So there were Greats out there!), in 2008 Paul Bright also captured this wonderful picture of Common Terns roosting on Rob Dart's fishing boat.

14 October 2009

While fishing around 30 miles south of Start Point in mid-August, Rob Dart and Paul Bright saw a shearwater and a skua around Rob's boat. Back ashore, Paul sent this photo to Mark Darlaston, whose reply was “Great!” in every way…

24 September 2009

From the comfort of his Paignton garden, Mike Langman's lunch was disturbed by a passing Osprey… which failed to escape Mike's dash for the camera…

23 September 2009

Mark Darlaston took these close-ups of wing-moulting adult Great Skuas in Lyme Bay on 21 September. Mark reports about 60 Bonxies seen "while doing mid-channel transects", plus around 50 Storm Petrels.

22 September 2009

Rob Jutsum cycled along the Tarka Trail from Braunton to Barnstaple this morning, coming across a flock of Bar-tailed Godwits (including this individual) chattering away while
searching for food in the muddy margins of the Taw Estuary.

10 September 2009

Roy Churchill took his new longer focal length lens out with him along the south shore of the Taw Estuary near Yelland on 5 September… and came across this juvenile Gannet on the small pool inside the sea wall near the site of the old Yelland Power Station.

24 August 2009

The colour-ringed Spoonbill FJ9 – ringed as a nestling on 9 April 2007 near Seville in southern Spain – is back on the Taw Estuary. Roy Churchill took this shot of the bird today at Isley Marsh, with its identifying colour-ring clearly visible.

18 & 24 August 2009

During a visit to Fremington Pill on 17 August, among a good number of waders including six Greenshanks and 40 Redshanks, were two Black-tailed Godwits, one of which Roy Churchill captured in this stunning shot.

6 August 2009

Paul Stubbs, DBWPS Treasurer and Membership Secretary, has just learned that a bird he ringed in his garden in 2005 has been found in France, though as usual with ringing recoveries the news has taken time to filter through.

12 May 2009

Whimbrels are described in the 2007 Devon Bird Report as “not scarce passage visitors”, with spring birds occurring from mid-April through May. Roy Churchill took this stunning photo at Fremington Pill on 9 May.

28 April 2009

Rob Jutsum caught up with this scarce passage visitor at Wrafton Pond, where it was first seen this morning by James Leonard.

23 April 2009

Bruce Church captured this very nice shot of a Common Sandpiper at Filham Lake, near Ivybridge, on 21 April. While not a birdwatcher as such, Bruce really enjoys taking good photos of birds while on his travels around Ivybridge and the South Hams.