Turdidae
Winter garden visitors including fieldfares
6 January 2010
The current harsh winter conditions have brought many unusual birds into gardens in search of food. However, the meeting of birds not normally associated with garden feeding often means confrontations with more normal garden visitors.
Black-throated Thrush on Scorriton Down, Dartmoor
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.
First autumn Robin song
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.
Adieu Madame Blackbird!
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.
Blackbird taking Palmate Newt
12 June 2009
During the recent spell of hot weather, Mark Darlaston and Adele Rennells noticed a male Blackbird visiting their Buckfastleigh garden pond and catching adult Palmate Newts – a practice Mark managed to capture in this photo.