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. Many of these 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. 

You should also apply these principles to vulnerable species without the wider legal protection. 

Although some species may be found breeding at numerous locations, please keep information about them limited to well-known sites (e.g. Labrador Bay for Cirl Bunting and 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, as appropriate, the RSPB. 

Please be aware that egg collecting and other forms of disturbance and persecution remain very real hazards for some of Devon’s birds. Unfortuately this can involve people wanting to photograph or obtain close views of the  birds, as well as eg egg collectors. 

Every year editors on this site have to remove or edit posts which breach the code outlined here. Please play your part in making this unnecessary. 

Thank you.

Please take extra care when visiting Dawlish Warren. We have been informed that due to the recent bad weather there has been significant erosion from Groyne 10 eastwards. This means that access along the site, to and from Warren Point (and the bird hide) will be via the beach only, with a risk of being cut off for a period either side of high water! Signs have been put up to alert people to the hazards, but people need to be aware that access routes that they have become used to may not be available and they need to exercise extreme caution,  with the possibility of being cut off by the tide, and people are strongly urged not to try climbing the sand cliffs. Further information is available on the Teignbridge District Council website.

If you follow our Blog but are not currently a member of Devon Birds please consider joining Devon Birds to help us with the upkeep of running the website and this service as well as our valuable conservation work .

Acting on comments to Devon Birds some changes have been made to this page. To the right of this header post you'll see there are now several subjects for you to choose to read and post on. Just click your chosen subject and use as previously.

Please be careful not to post under the wrong subject. If you do, you can still easily go back to edit and change the subject yourself so it appears on the right page.

Please try and keep posts short, particularly in the Scarce / Rare Birds & Passage Counts page. Photographs are still very welcome.  

For help with ID email photos to id@devonbirds.org.

Nice views of a Grasshopper Warbler reeling from low gorse scrub on one of the slopes a little below the dam this evening.

Walk to the Turf this evening was most rewarding. In the field next to the railway bridge on the reserve was one cattle egret with the Galloway cattle. At the end of the path alongside the railway was a small group of hirundines; 5 house martins, 2 swallows and one red-rumped swallow. It hawked for insects in the lee of the two large trees. No sign on our return at 7.30pm but lots of singing sedge, reed and Cettis warblers.

At Powderham Marsh today. Little Gull 2nd Summer still, 2 Green Sand, singing Reed W, Cetti’s W & 4 Blackcap. 5 Sand Martin, 4 House Martin & a White Wagtail. 

reeling at 1130.  In the lee of the steep, N-facing side of the valley.        SS293 266

Despite what appeared to be good fall conditions no sign of any grounded migrants, the Whitethroats, Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs present were probably just breeding birds. Perhaps cloud cover and poor weather in France stopped any notable movement across the channel last night. Overhead 1 Tree Pipit and 1 Whimbrel.

Some splendid looking Bar-tailed godwits in summer plumage in with the Black tailed godwits, 3 whimbrel on the rocks and a few more flying about. A lovely female yellow wagtail, thanks to Mike Passman for not only spotting it but letting me look through his scope to get a brilliant view.

Black-tailed Godwits and Bar-tailed godwits                                Whimbrel

Garden Warbler (Tendlebere thanks to Mark Bailey for the ID) Lifer! hurrah! Also Pied Flycatchers, Tree pipit (Trendlebere) lots of Willow Warblers.Yellowhammer. Very little of note at Challicombe (only Cuckoos heard were near Yarner). A couple of Raven over and 3 buzzards near Hound Tor. Lots of Tadpoles - thousands in wet path near Sousson also Adder near there.

Garden Warb vid   https://youtu.be/tDv-9IjL19M

Pied Flycatcher                    Willow Warbler                                     Garden Warbler

A trip over the south side of Dartmoor this morning, lots of small birds over the moors generally, Stonechat, Greenfinch , Meadow Pipit, Skylark, Redpoll, Buzzard, Swallow, House Martin, Yellow Hammer, Redstart, Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Blackcap, Wren, Bullfinch, Wheatear, Raven and a Curlew heard calling.

Cuckoo seen at Venford (2) Warren House Inn (2) Emsworthy Mire (3)

Pretty quiet today. Soar: 2 Wheatears, 2 singing Sedge Warblers & 3 House Martins. Slapton Ley: 3+ Sandwich Terns, a Bar-tailed Godwit on the beach and c10 singing Reed Warblers.

Reeling Grasshopper Warblers today at Archerton and Tor View.

For the info on Red Damselfly Dave, I had come to that conclusion from a frustrating Google search.....

Whitethroat with wheatear on path up to tor this afternoon.

Around midday two separate cuckoos heard, several wheatears, meadow pipit carrying nest material, two linnets, lots of skylarks,  other birds included ravens & crows.

Three pairs of Pied Flycatchers at Yarner Wood busy nest building; also one pair of Redstarts.

Cuckoo calling and flying from tree to tree, 11.45 this morning. 

2 Grasshopper Warblers, 2 Whitethroats, 1 Wheatear, 4 Willoow Warblers, 2 Chiffchaffs, 2 Blackcaps, 2 Blackbirds, 4+ Skylarks, 1 Dunnock, Carrion Crows and Jackdaws, 2 Meadow Pipits.

Harvey Kendall..

Late afternoon/rising tide. Of note: 5 Sandwich Terns over the estuary, 15 Bar-tailed Godwits on the mud, 5 Reed Warblers singing in the reedbed etc.

Very little in the reserve this morning, even in the lovely warm sunshine! a few Blackcaps, couple each of Sedge and Reed Warblers. a brief visit (flying over) of the female Marsh Harrier. First sighting this year of a  red Damselfly - misplaced my book so not exactly sure which one...

7.30 pm -  Birds settling on the rock included 20+ common gulls, 2 black back gulls, 1 shag and 2 oystercatchers. First time this year that I've seen the oystercatchers in this location.

 One Red Kite seen flying over Sharlands Lane, Braunton , at 1:00pm today by Andy Cotton.

Between 12.30-15.00. Birds of note included a male Linnet near the Turf hotel and two Egyptian Geese on Exminster Marshes. On the Turf ferry back to Topsham there was a lone Greenshank and an Avocet. 

The Bar-tailed Godwit still around; today with a Whimbrel & Curlew on Blaxton Meadow (3 more Curlews over the estuary). Also, 2 Greenshanks,a singing Willow Warbler, Peregrine, 2 Green Woodpeckers, Stock Dove & 5 Roe Deer.  

A Red Kite high and distant overhead (zoomed and cropped record shot attached) the highlight this morning on a walk at Grenofen Woods. Also 2 song-flighting Tree Pipits, a very mobile and elusive male Redstart singing, good views of a singing Garden Warbler, a Cuckoo heard twice but not seen, a male Yellowhammer, a male Stonechat, a Raven over being mobbed by Carrion Crows, a male Grey Wagtail along the river, Green Woodpecker heard yaffling and a female Great-spotted Woodpecker along with the usual Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Willow Warbler, Nuthatch, Mistle Thrush, etc. Lots of Brimstones around too.

Very distant Red Kite                                      Tree Pipit                                       Brimstone

At least 2 Cuckoo's showing well around Emsworthy, at one point 2 male Cuckoo's were fighting with each other, Redstart singing for a mate by a tree near the barn, a few Wheatears around. 

 
Cuckoo

Red Kite over grazing land behind cliffs 2 pm 

Great morning. An Osprey over at 0845 was a surprise. Flying low towards Burrator. 

Redstart, Grasshopper Warbler, 2 Cuckoo, Garden Warbler, 2 Goosander, Green Woodpecker and Dippers - including 1 Juv. 

Good numbers of common warblers - 18+ Willow, 9+ Blackcap and 3+ Chiffchaff. 

Date of cuckoo sighting omitted from previous post - 21st April.

Cuckoo heard calling and seen perched in tree between Haytor Rocks and Holwell Tor SX 75313 77930 between 18.15 and 18.30. Possible second bird heard calling to the south-west.

The valley was alive with Willow Warbler and a couple of Chiffchaff early this morning plus 2 males and a female Whinchat. Heard but couldn't locate probably two Cuckoos but the least expected was a late Brambling at Golden Dagger.  Also a Redstart was seen at Challacombe Farm.

Brambling

Devon Exmoor: singing Redstart (8), Pied Flycatcher (7, plus 1f), Wood Warbler (3) and c.30 Willow Warblers. Somerset Exmoor: 1 m Whinchat and 5 passage Wheatears.

Late afternoon. Great views of a pair of Cuckoos, a singing male Redstart and several Wheatears. Also 2 Snipe, a singing Reed Bunting, a Fox and a sizeable Grass Snake. Disappointingly also a couple with a Springer Spaniel running around off the lead on Emsworthy reserve itself despite information signs about ground nesting birds and the need to keep dogs on a lead at every entrance and parking place!

In the woods and clearings around Mamhead: several Tree Pipits, a pair of Redpolls, my first Garden Warbler of the year, and innumerable Willow Willow Warblers, plus Treecreeper, Marsh Tit, Sparrowhawk etc.; in and over the farmland lower down, Red-legged Partridge, at least ten Common Whitethroats, a handful of Swallows and House Martins, and a distantly-heard Cirl Bunting. Nothing of note visible in the estuary, alas. 

James Camden

Early am, of note: 3 singing Tree Pipits, 1 singing male Pied Flycatcher, 1  female Pied Fly gathering nesting material, several Blackcaps and Willow Warblers singing etc.

Walked most of the way down the Toll Road this afternoon. Poor rewards. 1 Whitethroat, 1 Sand Martin 3 Swallow. Not long after passing the Toll house on the way back saw the female-type Marsh Harrier over Sherpa Marsh.

This morning from the reserve ALL the local Gulls went up in a real frenzy (about 11.30) but by the time I got to the gate there was nothing out of the ordinary in the sky except an impressive number of Gulls. Did I again miss an Osprey?

Still at least 5 cattle egret in field with cattle - could have been a few more but difficult to see from the Tarka trail.

Cuckoo singing and showing well and one Grasshopper warbler reeling in the valley this morning. Later, lots of Green Tiger Beetles around Headland Warren.

This morning near Burrator:

1 singing Pied flycatcher (male), 2 Raven, 3 singing Blackcaps, several Willow warblers and Chiffchaff. Cuckoo and Green woodpecker both heard.

A beautiful early morning walk to go bird spotting. Starting at 7am from the Nature Reserve I headed towards St Mary's bay and followed the coastal path to Berry Head.

In the Nature Reserve I saw 2 lesser black back gulls, a pheasant, 3 yellow hammers and 5 dunnocks.

The hedgerows along the costal path were alive with bird song but many birds were difficult to spot. The highlights were a well concealed wood pigeon, 2 black birds, a robin and 4 goldfinch. On the cliffs by the coast there were numerous gulls, pigeons and crows but the best sighting was of a shag drying its wing feathers in the early morning sun. 

The highlight of my walk was wasn't a sighting but the sound of a cuckoo, which I heard several times near the southern fort at Berry Head.

Highlight was a female Whinchat (my 90th species of the year here). Also, a male Wheatear still around, 2 Common Sandpipers, Bar-tailed Godwit, 2 Greenshanks, 2 Curlews, a pair of Grey Wagtails, Green Woodpecker, 2 Mandarin Ducks & 2 Roe Deer (does). 

Wheatear

Cuckoo calling in Haytor Vale at 07.10 flew off north to Haytor Quarries, calling there briefly before, presumably, continuing onwards 

6 treecreepers, three dipper, 2 grey wagtail, lots of chaffinch and blue tits, long tailed tit plus usual corvids. Possibly more treecreepers, lots around there.

1 Reed Warbler seen and a further four calling between Hackney Marsh and Passage House. 4 Greenshanks and a Greylag close to Passage House. Female Mallard with 12 young at Hackney. 

A beautiful morning out on the Moors (Smeardon Down, Lower Godsworthy, Peter Tavy). Lovely close views of the male Redstart, my first view of the male Cuckoo flying out of a tree right across in front of me (too slow to grab a shot). Other notables a Green Woodpecker flyby, 3 Jays and the usual Stonechats and Meadow Pipits.

Redstart (male)

Red kite seen circling over my house in Lapford this morning. Also one lone swallow has arrived. 

Red Kite over the house at South Brent at 10.05am this morning headed towards Ivybridge.

1 Cuckoo seen and another heard at same time at Emsworthy am, pm Cuckoo seen and heard at Challacombe 

Lots of willow warblers singing and heard my first cuckoos of the year. A tree pipit and a few pied flycatchers, saw a redstart and a few garden warblers.

Garden Warbler                              Pied Flycatcher                                   Redstart

17.30 - 20.00 avoiding most of the holiday crowds around Turf. Lots of singing and showing Sedge Warblers (no Reed Warb) Two Egyptian Geese near Turf. At least 6 Cettis (3 seen). Peregrine on pylon the only raptor except a dead female kestrel by road.Two Wheatear on one of the brick "pill boxes". Lots of Swallows on the boats at Turf.

Sedge Warb vid -

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GCJJqdKR10&feature=youtu.be

Swallow                          Egyptian Goose                               Wheatear

12.30

Obliging male Redstart in full song at the Barn.  Mobile and vocal Cuckoo moving around the valley.  4 Wheatears closer to the road.

Pied Flys, Tree Pipit, Grey Wagtail and Redstart (heard only) at nearby Yarner Wood. 

A Wheatear, Whitethroat, Sandwich Tern and 2 Grey Seals earlier (10.45) at Hope's Nose. 

3 Redstart at Prawle & 2 Reed Warblers at Beesands.

A Cuckoo calling on Smeardon Down, Peter Tavy this lunchtime, unable to get a visual on him

One grasshopper warbler and willow warblers on every third tree, or so it seemed. Beautiful morning walk.

Heard a Cuckoo from the house in Starcross this morning.

0645 - 0735: 3 Gannet, 6 Fulmar, 2 Razorbill, 1 Guillemot, 1 Puffin, 1 Red-Throated Diver, plus 6 unidentified auks

Four Goldfinches on my drive.

One of four Goldfinches.

A quality morning's ringing today: Goldcrest, 2 Willow Warblers, 3 Chiffchaff, 1 Sedge Warbler, 2 Reed Warblers, 1 Garden Warbler, 11 Blackcaps, Dunnock, juv Robin, Kingfisher and a Merlin!

Haven't ringed one of these since 2005!                        On release it flew to a nearby telegraph pole.

11.00

Little Gull, Snow Goose and Green Sandpiper from the viewing platform at Powderham.

12.00

Cattle Egret amongst the cows in the fields behind Lion's Rest.

2 cuckoos calling and flying in valley above Burrator reservoir .Also a lively and inquisitive weasel .

This morning at Stover:

3 Tufted duck (2m, 1f), 11 Mandarin duck, 6 Willow warbler, 4 Blackcap including 3 singing males, 5 Siskin, 2 Marsh tit, 2 Stock dove, 1 Chiffchaff, 1 Green woodpecker, and several Nuthatch round the feeders. 

Marsh tit.                           Stock Dove.                                      Nuthatch

2 Serins (pair?) Harrowbeer airfield. Viewing within 5 meters 

0700 - 11.40  1 Whitethroat. Only 1 Swallow. No Martins. Good number of singing Willow Warbler and Chiffchaff. Wheatear collecting nesting material. A single small yellow Butterfly which I was unable to identify before it was taken by a Stonechat  Grey Seal consuming a large fish - possibly a Codling? collecting nesting material. A single small yellow Butterfly which I was unable to identify before it was taken by Stonechat. Grey Seal consuming a large fish - possibly a Codling?

2 cuckoo's seen and calling  all around venford this morning also 8 male + female blackcaps seen displaying around the reservoir footpath and 1 swallow 

Cuckoo heard calling in the upper Sidvalley this morning, the first one I've heard here in 6 years. Also a Hobby flew over the outskirts of Sidbury.

Helped my brother take out and put in a new engine for his boat at liners lane n.devon and between 11.25-11.38 had 3buzzards 3 sparrowhawk's a red kite then the gulls created downstream towards appledore and managed to connect with an osprey.Pretty cool 13 minutes.Brimstone butterfly just in the our garden Bideford.Could be a first.

4 Willow Warblers, 5 Blackcaps, 4 Chiffchaffs, 1 Song Thrush, 6 Chaffinches, 2 Great Tits, 5 Blue Tits, 2 Wood Pigeons, small groups of Mallards and a few Teal, 5 Moorhens, 3 Coot, 3 Cormorants,

2 Orange Tips and 3 Brimstones.

Strangely - no hirundines, 

Harvey Kendall.

Walking up the path to Kingset Farm, heard Willow  Warbler, Chiffchaff, then  saw a pair of Wheatear, the female taking food into a wall. On the way back a lovely Red start. 

Single bird drifted over Lipson at 10.40 harassed by Herring Gulls

4 in our Bideford garden this morning.The resident male still and 3 females.Putting up a new swift box this weekend in eager anticipation of their arrival.

A pair of Pied Flycatchers and good numbers of Blackcap, Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler. Linnet, Stonechat and Wheatear on the headland.

Pied flycatcher (m)                     Pied flycatcher (F)

2 cattle egret on South Huish marsh and a little egret, 2 wheatear, 1 Med gull, 7 Whimbrel flying around the bay and a few sandwich terns.

Cattle Egret                  Little Egret & Cattle egret                                Sandwich Tern

A solitary Swift feeding over Kingsteignton 1915hrs - very early return for this site - normally 2nd May

A late Jack Snipe, Snipe, 5 Wheatears (3m), 2 House Martins, 12+ Swallows, 2 Common Sandpipers, Dunlin, 3 Greenshanks, Bar-tailed Godwit, Stock Dove & a pair of Mandarin Ducks.  

This Jackdaw had a ready supply of nest material thanks to a Ruby Red.  Not seen this behaviour before but both seemed quite happy with the arrangement.  Otherwise not much of interest around Seaton Wetlands. 

Cycled down the Toll road this morning, hoping for an Osprey. Saw 3 Wheatears, 1 Whimbrel, 2 Greenshank, and a lot of Crows and Gulls getting very excited. Hastening towards the White House, I couldn't see anything to get excited about until this Otter appeared - catching something in the mere and bringing it to shore to eat. It did this several times as I sat in the Toll road embankment watching. Then it headed out over the small hedge and straight towards me! Must have passed within 6 feet! Then down the embankment to the Toll Road right in front of a White Van who stopped and watched as it plopped into the ditch, scaring the young Cows! The only unfortunate thing about the whole episode was that it appeared to have a broken rear left leg.

Later I saw Sue Bruce who had seen the Great White Egret at Sherpa, and I also saw it briefly from a distance.

Otter on the mud.                                     Otter close up.

Bit quiet generally, but a small number of Swallows and Sand Martins through. At least two Wheatear showing quite well. Little Grebe calling at the back, also Cetti's and Sedge Warbler 'singing' in the reeds, carrying over in an easterly wind. In the lane Blackcap, Chiff Chaff and Nuthatch

2 Swallows at our house today, looked as if they were preparing to roost this evening. Orange tip in garden

Lots of Whimbrel flying around South Huish marsh one flock contained over 100.

My walk was accompanied to the sound of a cuckoo , sighting of an osprey riding on thermal waves, skylarks singing and a clouded yellow butterfly. What a walk . 

A single Whimbrel on foreshore at Ashford sewage works and a flock of c20 overhead. Black-headed Gulls have reduced in large numbers and Herring Gulls, LBBG and GBBG have taken over their normal roosts.

11.00-12.30

Steady stream of Swallows heading north, perhaps 45+.  11 Sandwich Terns, 3 Meadow Pipits, Chiffchaff, 2 Rock Pipits and 3 Gannets. 

Good numbers of Willow Warbler 15, Chiffchaff 12, & Blackcap 18 along this section of footpath.

Also my first Lesser Whitethroat of the spring.

Wheatear seen in our garden and meadow this afternoon.  It spent all afternoon flitting between the various wood piles.  I wonder if it is the same one that spent a few days here at this time last year.

Wheatear

Little Gull on Powderham Marsh was the highlight.also Blackcap (male singing) and Cirl Buntings plus a pair of Kestrel. On both sides of the railway Reed and Sedge Warblers heard not seen, at least 5 Cettis (one seen), and numerous Reed Bunting. Gadwall near middle car park and Skylark over the lagoon. Lots of Swallows particularly near Turf.

Little Gull flying video -

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mm7Ghb_9AOo

Blackcap singing video - 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fO6QmvreDU

Little Gull                            Gadwall                                 Blackcap

A male Cuckoo seen and heard this morning - also Lesser Redpolls, Willow Warblers. Chiffchaffs,Yellowhammers and a Peregrine.

Not much of note in the reserve this morning (one Sedge Warbler) so I went for a walk around Sherpa. Of note: a pair of Wigeon (somewhat late) 3 Common Sandpipers, which flew off north. 3 Grey Herons, 5 Little Egrets and a Great White Egret which flew south but I was blocked by the embankment and so I didn't see if it landed at the Sherpa pools. One singing but unseen Reed Warbler.

No Hirundines at all!