If you saw any of the records below please submit a description to the County Recorder Recorder@DevonBirds.org to ensure they make the official record. Many thanks.

In the light of the continuing Covid19 restrictions on the number of people gathering together, and the need for social distancing, it has been agreed that there will be no Devon Birds meetings or events organised until 19th July 2021, when Government restrictions are planned to be lifted. If there is any Government announcement that necessitates a change to this date an update will be posted.

Please think very carefully before posting any information on scarce or rare breeding species both here and elsewhere online.

A list of ‘at risk’ species in the county can be found here. Please note that Wood Warbler should now also be treated as on the list. All species included need to be protected - many receive full legal protection under Schedule 1 and/or are rare in the county and may be vulnerable to persecution/disturbance. It is an offence to intentionally disturb any of the Schedule 1 species during the breeding season without a valid licence. This also applies to anyone taking photographs of these species at or near the nest or whilst feeding dependant young.

Some species may be found breeding at numerous locations however please keep information on these species limited to well-known sites (e.g. Labrador Bay for Cirl Bunting, Aylesbeare Common for Dartford Warbler). Others may be found as obvious migrants and as such can also be posted eg coastal Ring Ouzel and passage waders, or raptors eg Little Ringed Plover, Red Kite or Marsh Harrier.

If you have any doubts and think there is a chance there may be breeding, either because of the habitat or behaviour of the bird(s) then do not post, but please submit your records to the County Recorder and the RSPB.

Please be aware that egg collecting and other forms of persecution remain very real hazards for some of Devon’s birds.

Posts which breach these guidelines are likely to be not admitted / removed althogether, rather than edited.  

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An excellent British Dragonfly Society field meeting today, with Willow Tit the avian highlight.  Also Great Crested Grebes with 2 juvs. Real highlights, however, were 20+ Small Red Damselflies, lots of Wood Whites and a Red-tipped Clearwing moth (found by Dave Turrell).

Red-tipped Clearwing (Dave Turrell)

Small Red Damselflies (Dave Turrell)

Two Wood Sandpipers, Green Sandpiper, Redshank and Black-tailed Godwit this afternoon.

Boat trip out of Brixham with Dave Saunders of Kelly’s Hero Charters we saw the following:  3 Turnstones on one of the pontoons prior to leaving the harbour, juvenile BH Gull off the car park, 3 adult plus a 2nd cy Med Gull on the way out to Thatchers Rock, 2 Sandwich Terns by the oyster beds.  Out at sea: 7 Balearic Shearwater and100+ Manx flying S, adult Gannets, usual gulls,  Whimbrel heard, 15 Common Dolphin, 5 adult and 5 1st cy Med Gulls.  Harbour Porpoise off Berry Head.  

Very early morning visit to Wembury Point this morning produced 2 Whimbrel 15 Med Gull 1 Sparrowhawk 3 Turnstone  1 Little Stint

4 Whitethroat 1 Cirl Bunting 4 Fulmar 6 Gannet Linnets Goldfinch Stonechat Pied Wagtail Chiffchaff 

On Blaxton Meadow this morning, a juv Yellow-legged Gull, 2 Mediterranean Gulls (juv & adult), Kingfisher & returning adult, Polish-ringed, Black-headed Gull TR6M. Also, Dunlin, 3+ Common Sandpipers, 6 Mandarin Ducks, Shag, Sparrowhawk, Green Woodpecker, 3+ Spotted Flycatchers including an adult & 2 juvs, 3 Stonechats, Willow Warbler, 5+ Whitethroats including at least 3 juvs, 2 Roe Deer, 2 Marbled Whites, 15+ Gatekeepers, 2 Small Skippers, Green-veined White & 3+ Ringlets. 

Yellow-legged Gull, juv

Yellow-legged Gull, juv

 a 2 nd year Med. Gull with Herring Gulls at Budleigh cricket club field.

Today's tally included 8 Swift, 170 Linnet, 100 House Sparrow, juvenile Green Woodpecker - migrant, first returning Wheatear (well away from cliff breeding areas), 2 Sedge Warbler, 6 Pied Wagtail, 20 Goldfinch, Mallard + 4 large young at Starehole Ponds plus Moorhen brood here.

Managed to beat the dog walkers this morning for a change and saw the following. 26 Med Gulls of various ages, although mostly adult and 1 juvenile among 400 BHG. 1 Whimbrel, 1 Curlew, 1 Ringed Plover, 15 Dunlin, 24 Sanderling and 1 Common Sandpiper.

Went out on Wednesday night and last night. On Weds. at North Wood, Windy Cross, heard three, but didn't see any of them. Two Tawny Owls were calling from the mature conifers in the backround. Last night, on the E. side of the ridge near the main car park (the Gruffalo Walk?), saw one feeding and heard four more. No Tawnies there, but on the way home one was perched on a telegraph pole at Clapham and at home another was calling from Belle Isle Park. Churring started around 2140 both nights.

Plenty of Siskins in the plantations, but no Crossbills - hardly seen one this year. On both nights the last song came from Yellowhammers around 2120. Tree Pipits and Garden Warblers seem to have finished for the year. 

Single Red Kite half mile west of Chittlehamholt, low over hay field.

Couldn't compete with Bob's sightings yesterday, but today, 30+ Mistle Thrush around. Also 5 Dunlin in stunning summer plumage and 1 Common Sandpiper on the huge Drakelands pit (owned by Tungsten West) viewed from the top of the Down.

While photographing Swifts from my garden at about 8pm, this Hobby came into view very high overhead.....

Hobby

A productive mornings birding commenced at Cadover with Linnets 12, Bullfinches 2, Chaffinches 7, Willow Warblers 10, Wrens 2, Ravens 3, .Crows 8, Rooks 5, Jackdaws 12, Sand martins 12, Swallows 6, Mistle thrushes 10, Pied Wagtails 8, Buzzards 2, Hobby 1, Stonechats 7, Wheatears 6. Later over Crownhill Down: Jays 2, Green Sandpiper 1, Buzzards 2, Peregrine 1,Linnets 12, Skylarks 6,Stonechats 8, Yellowhammers 1,GSW 1, GWP 1,Ravens 2 and at least 2 dozen Mistle thrushes. We were surprised and delighted to see an Otter in one of the ponds near the Down which set off a noisy reaction from the Coots who had youngsters nearby.

Linnet

Otter

Meant to post, but forgot. A walk to Baggy Point yesterday started well with a  Juvenile Stonechat with a Vapourer Moth caterpillar which it was wiping on a post top to remove the hairs! On the walk out along the lower path a rare sighting of a Brown Hare in the long grass to our right made our day! At the point itself as we approached was a Juvenile Northern Wheatear.  Offshore we observed a flight of ten Mediterranean Gulls three of which were adults. Numerous Cormorants flew by, some of which were disturbed from their usual roosting/resting place by regular passage of stand up paddle boarders taking advantage of the rare completely flat calm sea conditions! Two adult Gannet were heading up the channel and we spotted what was probably a Harbour Porpoise in the distance towards Hartland point. On the walk back along the top track we saw numerous Whitethroat,  Linnet, Goldfinch and a Swift. In the pond..a swimming Grass snake! 

Juvenile Stonechat with Vapourer Moth caterpillar

Brown Hare

Good to have the first South Devon Branch meeting for what seems like an eternity, this morning at Broadsands starting at 7am - great to see a few regulars getting up for the re-arranged early morning start. Lots of Herring Gulls on the beach of all ages but sadly no Yellow-legged Gulls today. However 17+ Mediterranean Gulls including juveniles among the Black-headed Gulls was good to see. Singing Greenfinches, Cirl Buntings, Little Egret and families of Swallows with several House Martins also noted.

An early morning visit to the now flooding marsh revealed two sleeping groups of young Shelduck without parental supervision.  Seem to have fully developed wings, so maybe they have fledged although not yet seen in flight ( https://youtu.be/J0uTExwCW7I )

Also now on the marsh 3 Common Sandpipers ( https://youtu.be/293-HKmyNHI  ) 3 Curlew, 2 Greenshank and 1 Kingfisher.  Looking hopeful for the autumn migration now.

Kayak trip to Eddystone today:

Exceptionally calm, exceptionally hot.

2 Balearic Shearwaters resting with flock of Manx

plus: 7 Harbour Porpoise. pod of 10+ Dolphins (almost certainly Common)

Balearic Shearwater

Balearic Shearwater

Early morning at Saltram. Several female Mandarins, Heron 1, Little Egrets 2, Curlew 3, Redshank 15, Stock Doves 2, Jays 2, Magpies 3, GWP's 2, Wrens 3,Stonechats 8, Goldfinches with juveniles 30+, Greenfinches 6, Swallows 12, House Martins 6, Whitethroat 1, Buzzard 1,Skylarks 20+

Whitethroat

Stock Dove

Good afternoon's birding at Seaton Wetlands. Black Hole Marsh had 27 Black-tailed Godwits in breeding plumage, 1 Greenshank, 2 Little Ringed Plovers, around 50 Redshanks, a Whimbrel, 4 Common Sandpipers,  3 Dunlins and a Mediterranean Gull. Colyford Common had 44 Curlews, 2 Common Snipes, a juv  Marsh Harrier, 3 juv Kestrels, a Kingfisher and a juv Cuckoo. A swift entered one of the swift nestboxes at Stafford Marsh.

Andy and I stopped by to look for Rob's Scoter this morning. sadly no sign - much disturbance from paddle-boarders, swimmers, Snorklers etc etc. We could see Baggy Point clearly too, and no small blobs on the water out there either. Did see a rather splendid summer plumage Turnstone on rocks down by the water's edge, and found three or four Mediterranean Gulls on the rocks too.

Late post from Tuesday 20.07.21

Between Torridge Bridge and RM Zeta Berth there were at least 27 Mediterranean Gulls (3 juveniles but the rest adults and second summer birds). Lots of Black-headed Gulls so there may well have been more Meds further down towards Instow.

The 2 'Control' Petrels from the other night were ringed as below:

Point Lynas, Anglesey 01.30 a.m 12th July 2020

Gwennap Head, Porthgwarra Cornwall 01.00 23rd July 2020.

So 1 each from North and South.

On Sunday morning, I got these images of a Dipper and a Kingfisher in the Wrafton area.

Dipper

Kingfisher

Tonight's walk in the woods was enlivened by a Tawny Owl on the path, possibly picking up Toads, we saw three, and a single Roe Deer before our first Nightjar flight call was heard at 9:42pm. Churring commenced 9 minutes later. Two pairs seen resting on paths, and one female circled overhead repeatedly. 9 or 10 individuals overall.

Sunday 18 July. At 21.00, on a residential street in Bovey, I noticed some gulls flying low past the front window and landing on the road/lawn. Going outside I found 15-20 Herring Gull/1 Lesser Black-backed picking up hundreds, if not thousands, of non-flying ants. They resembled a moving-carpet of gulls as they worked their way along the road and front gardens. This went on for 15-20 minutes. Often see gulls/hirundines/etc in the air hunting flying ants but this was a first. 

Early this morning over Crownhill Down. At least 2 dozen Mistlethrushes Linnets 9, Goldfinches 6, Yellowhammers 2, Stonechats 12, Wheatears 8, Dunnocks 2.Swallows 10, Ravens 3 Buzzards 2, several Skylarks and Meadow Pipits.

Swallow

juv. Stonechat

Picture from early this morning.

Grasshopper Warbler

Spent yesterday evening, last night and the early part of this morning ringing at Hartland point. Well worth it:

3 Wren, 1 Dunnock, 9 Chiffchaff, 2 Blackcap, 12 Whitethroat, 3 Stonechat, 1 Kestrel, 1 Grasshopper Warbler, and 17 Storm Petrels we also caught 2 further Storm Petrels with rings from elsewhere..

A moth trap was also run through the night and at least 30 species caught, including Poplar and Elephant Hawkmoth.

A great evening with Nightjars calling and showing from 21.34.  At least 4 males present and using the pine trees on northern boundary of the re-landscaped quarry.  In contrast Venn Ottery Common was quiet other than an earlier Green Woodpecker calling.

Early morning walk in beautiful sun and calm wind revealed a single male Reed Bunting, several Sedge Warblers, three large Herons and a lone Cattle Egret which settled among four Little Egrets. On the estuary numerous Black headed gulls, Curlew, three Dunlin and two Common Sandpipers.

Quiet day out past Berry Head due to little or no wind and flat seas.  However, Harbour Porpoise and 2 Common Dolphins, 10 Manx Shearwater, 2 Balearic Shearwater, 7 Gannet (including 2nd + 3rd cy plus adults)  Guillemot, Razorbill, 2 Sandwich Terns.  Usual gulls.   

Sat in the garden enjoying a meal, the noise of gulls harassing a raptor drew our attention to three Red kites circling overhead. A rare, beautiful and very welcome sight.

3 Common Scoters (1m+2f) at Downend this am approx 500 metres west of the point. Also 3 Med Gulls in amongst a flock of BH Gulls resting on the rocks.

Took dog out early to avoid the heat later on. Walked down by Velator harbour and back, then out to the scrape. Both Kingfisher and Dipper in or through the harbour area. 1 Black-headed Gull,15 Mallard, but no sign of the Pintail seen yesterday. Singing Reed Warbler, and 3 Whitethroats along the way. First Swallow I have seen in the area for several weeks. Scrape too full of water.

Yesterday (Saturday) at Fremington pill there were three Greenshanks and three Common Sandpipers. A few Redshank turned up just before 10.00.

Greenshank

Common Sandpiper