BRANCHES - South Devon
South Devon
Our Branch covers the Teignbridge, Torbay and South Hams members’ areas and we welcome all birders to our monthly meetings which are held on the third Monday of the month in January, February, March, April, September, October and November. All indoor meetings are held at the Courtenay Centre in Newton Abbot, TQ12 2QA, which has its own car park and full disability access. There is Free overflow parking (after 6pm) in the adjacent Cricketfield Road Car Park if the Centre Car Park is full. Meetings start at 7.30pm and last about 2 hours, including a refreshment break. We request a charitable donation of £3 per person for members and £4 for non-members. This donation is used to covers speaker’s costs, venue hire and refreshments. See the events timetable for further details.
We start each meeting with information about local conservation issues, bird sightings and matters raised by the Council of Devon Birds. This is then followed by an illustrated talk on a variety of subjects. There’s always a lively Q&A session after every talk.
Devon Birds manages two reserves in South Devon. South Milton Ley is one of the finest nature reserves in the county and is open to members. There is also a Permissive Path allowing access along the North-Western edge of the reedbed. It is a large reedbed that has breeding Reed, Sedge and Cetti’s Warblers as well as many other species both breeding and on migration. South Huish Marsh has a large wetland scrape that attracts a range of ducks and waders in the winter but it’s worth a look at any time of the year. It can be viewed from the National Trust car park by South Milton Beach. Devon Birds also looks after the Bird Hide at Beesands, overlooking the small lake and reedbed known as Widdicombe Ley, also known as Beesands Ley.
In addition to the indoor meetings we also occasionally organise Birdwatching Walks during the year, which are featured in the Branch Events.
Branch News
Bats and Ladders; the Good, the Dodgy and the Really Interesting Stuff-George Bemment-S.Devon Branch Indoor Meeting 7.30pm-21/09/26
S. Devon Branch Visit to Cabilla Manor, Cornwall 29-06-26
South Milton and South Huish Reserves – Wildlife Havens Created by Devon Birds-Nick Townsend-S.Devon Branch Indoor Meeting 7.30pm-20/04/26
South Devon Branch Upcoming Events
Bats and Ladders; the Good, the Dodgy and the Really Interesting Stuff-George Bemment-S.Devon Branch Indoor Meeting 7.30pm-21/09/26
Author of the book, ‘Bats and Ladders’, George has spent 36 years looking for our British bats and their roosts. She will talk about the species, their roosts and what is actually involved in bat survey work, and what we’ve learnt (or think we’ve learnt) about the greater horseshoe bats of Berry Head.
The Courtenay Centre, Newton Abbot TQ12 2QA
Suggested donation for entry £3 Members £4 Non-Members, to include refreshments
The Little Owl its Past, Present and Future-Roy Leigh- Little Owl Monitoring Network-S.Devon Branch Indoor Meeting 7.30pm-19/10/26
Roy Leigh has been monitoring owls for over 30 years. His talk will cover the introduction of the Little Owl into the UK, its ecology, the current status and the monitoring network he has established to champion the owls’ cause and understand its decline. Roy will share the latest updates in Little Owl conservation and his work with NGOs to establish a conservation plan.
The Courtenay Centre, Newton Abbot TQ12 2QA
Suggested donation for entry £3 Members £4 Non-Members, to include refreshments
Wildlife Watching around Vienna, Austria-John Walters-S.Devon Branch Indoor Meeting 7.30pm-16/11/26
John Walters is a life-long naturalist and ecologist who studies the natural world through field sketching, photography and video. In this presentation he travels to Vienna, Austria to see the amazing variety of wildlife that is found within the city and surrounding countryside. From Wallcreepers to Chamois at the eastern edge of the Alps, and Field Hamsters to Black Woodpeckers in the city itself. He also explores the largest Steppe Lake in central Europe – the Neusiedlersee with Penduline Tits, Bee-eaters, Savi’s Warblers and Pygmy Cormorants.
The Courtenay Centre, Newton Abbot TQ12 2QA
Suggested donation for entry £3 Members £4 Non-Members, to include refreshments
