18 December 2009

Devon Recorder Mike Langman recently circulated a series of photos he took of a grey (rather than brown) Chiffchaff at Clennon Valley on 9 December, posing the question as to whether the bird is an Eastern Chiffchaff, Phylloscopus collybita tristis.

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.

In the year (2009) that the BTO celebrates 100 years of ringing in Great Britain, it is appropriate that our Society should finally get a ringing section on its web site.

As a Devon organisation, we can be proud of the fact that we have been a part of this important research activity since the beginning. It was recorded in British Birds (Vol. III 1909-10) that a Curlew ringed in Devon in June 1909 was recovered on Dartmoor in October that same year.

10 November 2009

Readers of Devon Birds journal will have enjoyed Dennis Elphick’s exposé on the movements of Alba wagtails colour-ringed at Slapton Ley National Nature Reserve, published in April this year. Here, Dennis provides an update on the latest sightings of colour-ringed birds reported from Devon, NW England, France, Spain and Iceland.

10 September 2009

During the spring and summer of 2009, the RSPB, funded by Natural England, carried out a full census of Cirl Buntings in order to obtain a revised estimate of their population size and range. This was the first complete survey since 2003 and covered the known range in South Devon and Cornwall, as well as a surrounding buffer area, to determine range expansion.

27 August 2009

Ringer Bob Burridge and his team of helpers managed a 'hat-trick' of Swallow controls over the two days of 21 and 22 August at the South Milton Ley Swallow roost.

24 August 2009

Among recent highlights at DBWPS's South Milton Ley reserve, Bob Burridge reports four juvenile Sparrowhawks – a record count for the site – "possibly all from the same brood, playing around together" on 15 August.

11 August 2009

Devon ringer Bob Burridge reports several hundred Swallows roosting at South Milton Ley on 9 August. Among the birds caught was a juvenile Swallow already bearing a BTO ring, number X260758.

7 August 2009

Each year, the autumn song of Robins resumes following their moult. The first song noted by Jon Avon at Stover Country Park this year was heard on 7 August. This was limited to a single bird, but numbers of singing Robins will increase on a daily basis from now on.

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.

9 April 2009

Last year, Peter Goodfellow heard his earliest-ever singing Blackcap, in February. In that month’s Harrier, Peter appealed for other records from Devon, but none were received – until his own record this year: a Blackcap that sang loudly twice from a thicket of pussy willow in his garden at 10.45am on 7 March.

20 February 2009

The late Mark Blacksell and late John Woodland worked tirelessly to recruit and encourage birdwatchers across Devon to participate in the national BTO Atlas by taking on tetrads for timed counts and to make a note of their casual records. In a special report for the Devon Birds website, National Coordinator DAWN BALMER reports on progress with the survey in Devon.

The categorisation of species as either County or National rarities is given in the listing at the back of each year's Devon Bird Report. You can also find this information on the Devon List & Checklist page, which includes a link to a downloadable pdf of the current Devon Checklist.

Submitting records of Devon County rarities

Please submit records of Devon County rarities using this Devon Rarity Form (44 KB Word file) to Mike Langman, the County Recorder.

The first 'personality' to be featured in this section is Mike Langman. Mike is among the best-known of present-day Devon birdwatchers, now in his second stint as County Recorder and one of the country's outstanding bird artists. The article reproduced here, penned by Allan Tudor, appeared in the (Torbay) Herald Express on Tuesday 27 January 2009, under the very apt title 'Bringing birds to life on the page'.

MIKE LANGMAN is a freelance wildlife illustrator whose work is seen all across South Devon as well as in bird books and on the internet, writes Allan Tudor.