From a Short Note appearing in Devon Birds Journal Vol.64 No.2, August 2011, this sound file will enable you to listen to the call of the Macaronesian Shearwater among the many of Manx Shearwaters.

18 March 2010

The morning of Thursday 18 March proved a very rewarding one for Robert Jutsum. Whilst walking on Saunton Sands, hoping to see some spring migrants such as Sand Martin and Wheatear, he spotted a Gyr Falcon resting on the sand. This is the first record since 1998 for Devon.

2 December 2009

Andrew Cunningham took these close-up photos of the long-staying Spotted Sandpiper at Topsham on 25 November.

17 November 2009

Three tremendous images of the Great White Egret presently at Slapton Ley, taken by Andrew Cunningham and Mark Darlaston.

Mike Langman reports that the bird is still present (on 17th) and showing well from the bridge separating the higher and lower leys. Although it spends much of its time deep in the reedy channels of the higher ley, it does fly around quite regularly.

17 November 2009

A new bird for Devon – Black-throated Thrush (Turdus atrogularis) was found by John Walters while he was sketching Ring Ouzels at Scoriton, Dartmoor on Tuesday afternoon, 27 October. Despite several people trying to relocate the bird on Wednesday morning there was no sign of it. However, during the afternoon Mark Darlaston relocated the thrush in the same area as John had originally found it. The bird was feeding on hawthorn and rowan berries and loosely associating with three Ring Ouzels, Fieldfares and Redwings in a valley on the open moor. John's account of finding the bird follows, along with his sketches, as well as one by Mike Langman and two photos by Dave Stone.

16 November 2009

Roy Churchill took these three delightful photos of a male Red-crested Pochard at Wrafton Pond on 9 November. 

7 September 2009

Mark Darlaston completed a hat-trick of Devon sightings of Fea's Petrel when he spent time seawatching at Prawle Point on 31 August – though he was very nearly side-tracked by an Icterine Warbler!

30 August 2009

On 30 June this year, Stephen Powles had the great good fortune to encounter a Blue-cheeked Bee-eater. Devon Bird Recorder Mike Langman has just received the following account from Stephen, along with one of the photos he managed to take before the bird flew off.

18 May 2009

A Pink-footed Goose on Lundy on 15 May is the 10th record for the island but the first ever in spring. The goose was first seen on Pondsbury by James Leonard, who managed to take this photograph of the bird in the Tillage Field a day later.

12 March 2009

Charlie Flemming went out on the morning on 9 March intent on taking some photos in an around the mouth of the River Exe. On the way he called in at Powderham in the hope of seeing the Cattle Egrets that had reportedly moved from the Roundhouse back amongst the sheep by Powderham Church.

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Penduline Tit, male, Clennon Valley first appeared on 14th January but was still present well into February. It often moved from the Phragmites reed on the middle pond to the Bullrush (Reed Mace) on the eastern pond.

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Cattle Egret photographed by Steve Waite on the Axe Estuary in February. More of Steve's photographs can be seen on his website.