We are back in Lockdown, all sightings posts from observers should only be in their very local area (town, village or part of city). Any posts where the observer is obviously travelling distances to other sites will be deleted, Devon Birds will not edit these posts. 

During the ongoing Coronavirus outbreak the use of Devon Birds bird hides should be in line with Government guidelines to individuals on how to protect themselves.

Please follow NHS guidelines: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/social-distancing/what-you-need-to-do/

Thank you for your co-operation and stay safe.

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

A walk at Crow Beach on Monday 18th amongst the usual suspects at high tide roost in the fields behind the beach was this Ruff which we assume to be the same one we reported back in the autumn.  As it was then, it was keeping company with a flock of Lapwing. Photos is record shot taken from about 100 metres in poor light. Floating serenely on the high tide near the stands of grass, in amongst which were a dozen or more Wigeon, was a single Brent Goose. 

Ruff at Crow Beach

Brent Goose at Crow Beach

Poor weather for bird watching at South Brent mist and rain setting in throughout the day, but a Jay over first thing, Long Tailed Tit coming into the feeders, Song Thrush in the garden later in the day, the days highlight being a Treecreeper.

Treecreeper

Song Thrush

Firecrest in Bowling Green Lane this morning. Seen about half way between the hide and the entrance to the cycle path.

Couldn't find Wheatear reported on Sunday however plenty of Song Thrushes, variety of Tits included long tailed and great view of a Treecreeper.

Still good numbers (c290) of Dunlin on Blaxton Meadow on the morning's high tide. Also, 4 Red-breasted Mergansers (2 drakes), 2 Goosanders (1 drake), 19 Wigeon, 6 Greenshanks, Kingfisher & the presumed escape Barnacle Goose still in the Canada flock in the fields with 5 Roe Deer.

A (collybita) Chiffchaff at Tothill Playing Fields.

Three siskins seem to be regularly visiting the bird feeders in my garden now. They are brave little birds and I have seen them chase off goldfinches, great tits and other species larger than themselves. Other regulars at the feeders include nuthatch, GS woodpecker, bullfinch pair, chaffinch, and greenfinch.

Meadow pipits seem to be on the move. Saw 4 together on Dartington Estate yesterday (in field opposite stubble fields) and a flock of about 8 this morning on fields between Dartington and Totnes.

Out on Braunton Marsh this morning the juvenile Whooper Swan was feeding with 15  of it's Mute cousins. The Redshank had replaced the Godwit on the scrape and a Sparrowhawk over the reserve made the Redwings and Goldfinch flocks a bit skittish.

Whooper Swan

Whooper Swan

Highlights: Greenshank, Barnacle Goose (counted eight but they were with Canada Goose in a dip near a water course), one Egyptian Goose in flight; .

Went out this afternoon for a walk along Fremington Pill and saw a number of birds including: Redshank; Spotted Redshank; Greenshank; Teal; Little Egret; Four Glossy Ibis; and a Curlew.

Little Egret

Three Glossy Ibis

On my way home from an emergency job, I called into Wrafton pond and got this images.  Also saw some Teal, Snipe and Shovelers.  A Black headed gull with full black head set.

Spoonbill

Mute Swan

Female black redstart on rocks along the Plym (near TR2) this afternoon.

Large flock of Lapwing 100 plus, 18 shell duck 4 curlew 1 kingfisher 4 redshank 4 little grebe 1 grey heron

Black-tailed Godwit on the scrape.

Little America to Iron Bridge 400 Lapwing, 4 Little Egrets, 10 Mallards, Black Headed Gull, Herring Gull, 2 Lesser Black Backed Gull, and 1 Goldcrest. 

Spotted near the Downs - confirmed by another passing birder!  Apparently has been in the area for several weeks.  

About 50 to 60 Fieldfare, lovely to see flying  along the valley. 

A nice bright morning produced: a winter peak of c320 Dunlins (all feeding on Blaxton, making an exact count tricky), 1 or 2 Jack Snipe, 7 Greenshanks, 54 Curlews, Common Sandpiper, 6 Goosanders (2 drakes), 4 Red-breasted Mergansers (2 drakes), 5 Little Grebes, 19 Wigeon, 46 Shelducks, adult Mediterranean Gull, Kingfisher, Sparrowhawk, Green Woodpecker, 10+ Redwings, 4 Mistle Thrushes, c10 Siskins & 3 Roe Deer.

4 Little Grebes and 2 Drake and 5 female Goosanders just off Blaxton Meadow on the Plym,

Little Grebes

Female Goosander

The day started with a fly over female Sparrow hawk carrying what looked to be a species of small bird, Green and Great Spotted Woodpeckers, two Mistle Thrush, forty plus Redwings have been around for most of the day with what may have been a Fieldfare.

This evening saw my regular Tawny owl coming in to be fed and a couple more calling locally.

Tawny Owl

Tawny Owl

There's been a very pale Buzzard over the Northern reaches of Braunton for a couple of years now, and today, it perched out in the open in the sunshine. Pic taken from my lounge window.

A female Black Redstart appeared on my neighbour's roof this afternoon, My first ever from the garden. It's only half a mile as the Redstart flies from Chris E's sighting in Compass Drive, so may be the same bird.

Broadsands early afternoon: 1 Pomarine Skua almost certainly the short tailed pale bird that has been around since Dec.

Clennon Lakes: 1 Siberian chiffchaff ,  2 collybita Chiffchaffs 3 Goldcrests

                                                         Photos same  Siberian Chiffchaff  in different light

This magnificent male Sparrowhawk spent a fruitless 30 minutes attempting to flush a House Sparrow out of the hedge this afternoon.

Redwing in the garden today feeding on the holly berries.

Redwing

Finished a local walk seeing Bullfinches, Long Tailed Tits, Fieldfares, Dipper and Goldcrest. Highlight was to discover six Cattle Egrets, a first for us in this area so very happy. Hope photo OK. 

A lot of rain in N.Devon during the night. Parts of the road are flooded around Braunton Great Field & several fields as well.

14:30 Cracking male Black Redstart on the new houses opposite the car park.

Low Tide - Goosander, Dunlin, Curlew, Redshank, Shelduck on the Plym. Common Sandpiper behind Sainsburys. GS Woodpecker, RN Parakeet and plenty of Tits and Finches around the woods.

On the ebb tide:

200+ Black headed gull, 25 Teal, 2 Curlew, 1 Kingfisher (female). 100+ Avocet on the Cornwall side of the estuary, nesting Magpies in the trees. 2 Greenshank and several Shelduck on Ernesettle creek.

11 Barnacle Geese this morning, feeding with Canada and Brent geese in field next to the cycle bridge. 

Approx 20 cirl bunting feeding in stubble field, coastal path near sewage works.

After a necessary trip to Barnstaple, took advantage and dropped in at the flooded reserve! Never seen so much water in it. High tide meant the valve was closed and last night's rain was backing it all up. Lots of Gulls and Teal, Canada Geese and. In amongst - one LBB Gull, a few Common Gulls and 4 Black-tailed Godwits.

Curlew, kingfisher, egret, Chinese greylag goose all spotted here at the Marsh in the last 3 days. 

2 pied wagtails and a female black redstart brightened the day.

A morning walk to Fremington Quay via Combrew Lane soon found 13 cattle egrets in the fields, one in particular was making the most of its sheep host. Sorry for the quality of the photo but it was at a distance.

A flock of not less than twenty two Magpies gathering in an Oak tree on Hillside, South Brent around midday, after about an hour they dispersed in varying directions after a Buzzard came over.

On the Rv Avon near Brent Mill, a pair of Goosander, seven Mallard, Pied and Grey Wagtails and a fly over Cormorant.

At home this evening a visiting Tawny owl and another calling close by.

Magpies

Tawny Owl

Black brant showing well this afternoon at Exminster Marshes - beside the cycle trail at Topsham Locks. Nice to see two Pale-bellied brent geese there as well.

Counted 14 racing the waves

Went out to look for the Whooper Swan this afternoon, as part of my exercise! I spied a small group of Swans from Velator harbour looking over the river to the fields south of the reserve. In among 2 family groups of Mute Swans was the juvenile Whooper Swan! After I packed up the scope, I looked back and it had disappeared into a ditch! 2 minutes later and I'd have missed it!

Highlights -  female Marsh Harrier; Brent Goose (DB & PB); Black Brant (1)

Lovely light at Stover this morning on 13 Goosanders (2 ad and imm drakes). Also 3 Gadwall (1 drake), 6 Tufted, 2 Pochard, 2 Little Grebes, 1 G C Grebe, Cormorant, Heron, Raven, Marsh Tit and Crossbill (heard only). Rangers had a Great White Egret in flight there early on.

Nice to be out on a brighter morning with sightings including: Kingfisher (female), Dipper, 4 Goosanders (1 drake), 18 Wigeon, 3 Little Grebes, c285 Dunlins (initially on Blaxton Meadow), 6 Greenshanks & 11+ Stock Doves. 

Hackney Marsh, Newton Abbot 

Driving home through Umberleigh today after working in Exeter area when I spotted the Great White Egrets again.  They were feeding in the same field as they were in yesterday.  As it was late afternoon again, light was poor although sunbeams did manage to break through on a couple of occasions. 

Great White Egret

Great White Egret

On Blaxton Meadow: Redshank, Grey Heron, Little Egret, Crows, Mallards, Wigeon, Canada Geese, Goosander 2,  6 more in main river, Common Gulls, GBB Gulls, LBB Gulls, Sparrowhawk, Greenshank 6,Curlew, Dunlin, Oystercatcher. In the estate: Buzzard 1, Goldfinches 30+, Chaffinches 2, Nuthatches, R.N. Parakeets, Skylarks, Jays, Magpies, Meadow pipits ,Dunnock, Robins, Coal, Great and Blue Tits.

Redshank

Common Gull

At mid-day managed to spot at least one of Stuart's Purple Sandpipers from yesterday at Rusty Anchor.  It was standing proud on the rock showing off it's orangey-yellow legs and bill, but as soon as the camera came out it hunkered down, making it near impossible to spot. At Tinside Lido only a single Turnstone and two Great Northern Divers close in in the Sound.

Camouflaged Purple Sandpiper

I remember someone reported a juvenile Whooper Swan a while back on Braunton Marsh so it was nice to get eyes, and lens,  on it today as I drove the Marsh road on the way to a dentist appointment. Also spotted a female Kingfisher but with poor lighting it wasn't worth risking putting her to flight for a grainy image so left her in peace. 

Juvenile Whooper Swan

10:29 - 13:24

Highlights were Buzzard, Bullfinch, Chiffchaff, Grey Wagtail, Little Egret, Dipper.

Late post from Wednesday:

The two Snow Bunting are still at the end of the Pebble Ridge.

Later on the Torridge there were two Goosander (male and female) the first I’ve seen from the house as well as a Great Crested Grebe, 86 Teal and a Kingfisher.

Daily walk around Fremington, confirmed 4 Glossy Ibis roosting in the trees at the top of the pill along with 15+ Cattle and Little Egrets. 

This morning on my way to customers on Dartmoor I noticed two Great White Egrets(GWE)  feeding in a field near Umberleigh.  On my home the two GWEs were still in the same field so as I was able to stop in a gateway I whipped out my camera.  The two GWs along with nine Grey Herons, two Buzzards and a few Fieldfares were congregating about a 100 metres away in the top corner of the field.

Buzzard

Great White Egret

2 Purple Sandpipers feeding on the rocks with 4 Turnstone below Maritimos coffee hut this afternoon, first I've seen on Plymouth Hoe for a few years now. 

Sightings during a circuit this morning (low tide) included: Mediterranean Gull (ad), 31 Common Gulls, Goosander (drake), 18 Wigeon, Kingfisher, 30+ Redwings, 8+ Siskins, 2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers & 4 Stock Doves.

Redshank out on the scrape still (or again) Gadwall, Wigeon, and Shoveler on Wrafton Pond. Arrived at the gate to the reserve to see a Water Rail scuttling about just inside, not sure which way to go to find cover! Heard 3 others there during my walk around. About 15 Redwing flew out as I left.

Eighteen Goosander, 5 drake/13 duck, on the lake at New Park 11.30

A visitor not normally seen in our back garden feeders here in Braunton. 

female Blackcap

13 January 2021

2 reed bunting

Home birding can throw up the odd surprise year tick and this morning saw a Lesser Black Back Gull pass over the house.

An immature male Sparrowhawk went through the feed station early this morning without any success on its part, two male Siskin on the feeders and a Goldcrest showed briefly as it foraged along a hedge.

Good numbers of Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Greenfinch and House Sparrow around the feeders and growing numbers of Pied Wagtails turning up.

This afternoon I collected an injured immature male Goshawk from a vets after it had been found at the roadside on Dartmoor.

Goldfinch

Greenfinch

During an afternoon’s walk in rather dull conditions: Kingfisher, pair of Stonechats, 14 Wigeon, 14 Oystercatchers, 5 Greenshanks, 2 Shags, Red Admiral & 6 Roe Deer.

In my garden (Mount Gould), a female Blackcap visiting regularly & a male occasionally joining her.

Approximately 25 Hawfinches leaving the traditional roost early mornings daily since mid December..

Numbers increased with the recent cold winter. 

At work driving along the tidal road this morning and the Lesser Yellowlegs still present.

Sparrow Hawk took feral pigeon from bird table and onto front path.

In addition to Pete Aley’s post, we counted 3 RB Mergansers this afternoon, 2x drake and 1 female on the Plym.