Bird Sightings

A walk up the track to Middleworth, Deancombe and then over the Narrator Brook to

Outcombe copse, returning along the edge of the moor by Roughtor Plantation and

Narrator Farm ruins,  produced the following:

Redstart   3 singing males Middleworth/Deancombe

Blackcap  4 singing

Willow Warbler   5 singing

Chiffchaff    3 singing

Reed Bunting   1 singing Narrator Brook

Cuckoo   2 calling

Siskin   3 calling in plantation edges

Tree Pipit   only one heard near Narrator Farm ruins

Buzzard   one soaring over Roughtor plantation carrying a snake

also  two Red Deer hinds near Middleworth, and a young Grass Snake on road

Some time spent searching the copses at Deancombe and Outcombe for Pied Flycatchers.  None located with one box at Deancombe occupied by Great Tits

We saw a lone male Pied Flycatcher in the Heddon Valley, singing and displaying at a site we have seen a pair for many years. Sadly, no female.

23/05/2023 Male in flight at 21.30, followed by female at 21.32. Both birds seen regularly until leaving heath at 22.00. Very, very, brief ‘churring’ at 21.40 otherwise silent.

2 cuckoos heard calling on the moor by Cadover Bridge.

1 male seen multiple times calling from a fence and hawthorn.

Hen or Montagues 400m distant.

Seen from Meldon, flying roughly east to west, accompanied by two crows/ravens.

Red kite circling over fields near Bradworthy as silage was being collected at 6.30-7pm Tuesday 23rd May 2023.

Single bird circling low, along with a single buzzard, over valley of steep pasture and woodland NE of Kingsbridge around 1pm 23rd May. Seen whilst driving along narrow lane and unable to stop and watch but unmistakeable with buzzard as comparison.

Two Red Kite over Alphington at 5.30pm drifting high NE.

Two Red Kites over Lamerton at about 1400 on 22nd May. Circling quite high and headed south.

Red Kite flew over Kentisbeare East Devon heading north east 8:00am

A Red Kite was seen over Hartland on Monday 22nd at 11.00am.

RED KITE SEEN SOARING OVER PEW TOR THEN HEADED TOWARDS PRINCETOWN

22 May 2022 at approx 1000 am

2 red kites soaring over Sharpitor

1 red kite flying low over the moor on the other side of the road from Sharpitor.  It landed on a rock, stayed a while, before heading off and flying low over the moor towards Sandford Spiney.

we were lucky to watch four red kites today just below Roos Tor on Dartmoor for about 30mins – they were soaring in the sky for most of the time. We could not see if they had been feeding on anything.

Juvenile Yellowhammers, Greenfinch and Long-tailed Tits looking fabulous with their brown faces in the orchard.By the river Dippers and Grey Wagtails gathering invertebrates and at least 8 active Sand Martin nests, Hundreds of Beautiful Demoiselles ,13 Red Deer hinds,3 stags in velvet and a Roe Deer with fawn.

13.30, looked up in our garden and saw a distinctive shape of Red Kites.

Two Kites, fairly high heading north, one being harried by a crow.

Spotted flycatcher feeding in trees in my garden this morning. Derby Rd, Kingsbridge