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.

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.

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.

Many thanks to Kevin Johns & C Boyles for identifying our wasp in the willows. It appears that the female was depositing eggs at the time I took the photos. Not sure whether the eggs in this photo are Lunar Hawk Moth but it seems likely. Apparently they are brown & ovular in shape.

Today several Red Kites over Cairn, Inc one very pale individual that came down to rooftop height. Off Capstone 6 Sandwich Terns & a constant passage of Manx Shearwaters in fairly close all heading down channel in flocks of up to 40 or more. 

Surprised to see a Short eared Owl at Turf this evening. 

Also a Red Kite over Starcross yesterday afternoon 

Rob Jutsum's unidentified wasp looks like a Lunar Hornet Moth.

Walked Warren House to Challacombe and back via Headland Warren. A great count of 19+ Whinchats including 3 pairs with juvs, 2 Crossbills, 4 Tree Pipits, 3 Lesser Redpolls, Redstart, Spotted Flycatcher, 5 Willow Warblers, 4 Wheatears, 4 Siskins, 2 Grey Wagtails, 2 Greens & a Great Spotted Woodpecker, 2 Reed Buntings, 6 Small Pearl-bordered & a Silver-washed Fritillary.

Rob Jutsum - it is a Lunar Hornet Moth. Great spot!

Rob , try looking up Lunar Hornet Moth (Sesia bembeciformis) as a possible ID for your 'wasp', their food-plant includes willow. Any other photo's that may help with ID? 

Red Kite seen circling over the village this afternoon, at about 3:30pm

In the garden on the weeping willow leaves.

Looking in my insect pocket guide I cannot find an exact match.

Any suggestions would be welcome.

Saw 20+ Fritillaries, 3 positive id High Browns, 2 positive id Dark Greens. The rest flying around and wouldn't settle so couldn't id. Pictures showing the underwing showing the difference between them, both pics taken today at Aish Torr

High Brown Fritillary

Dark Green Fritillary

Thursday afternoon at Mattiscombe sands, Start Point

Late news from Wednesday 20th.  A recce at Cann Wood turned up at least 12 Nightjars, with great flight views of chasing pairs before it got too dark. Three pairs of Roe Deer also.  This bodes well for anyone wishing to join me for the guided walk on Monday 25th. (See "News" for details)

2 Lesser Whitethroat on the Point this morning

Meant to post this yesterday. This Barn Owl posed very nicely for me as I took several photos, didn't seemed bothered about my presents.

Little Grebes finally seen with young this week. Only a few days before last year's first (and only) brood. In 2016 there was an early brood in May and then another in June.

Juvenile Little Grebes.

Little Grebes finally seen with young this week. Only a few days before last year's first (and only) brood. In 2016 there was an early brood in May and then another in June.

Juvenile Little Grebes.

1 hawking dragonflies over Doccombe Valley heading towards mortenhampstead at 11:30.

Again at Beesands a Buzzard being mobbed by Magpies 

At Beesands today, Reed Warblers were showing very well along with Whitethroats, and a Juv being very photogenic, plenty of Cetti's Warblers heard and seen

22 members of DB (East Devon Branch) attended this mornings fieldtrip starting at Four Firs car park and taking in a 2 mile circular walk to Blackhill Quarry.  A brief glimpse of a single Dartford Warbler confirmed the presence of this species and the most common bird was Linnet which were present in small numbers.  A total of 24 species was counted during the morning and these included small numbers of Swift moving through, several Stonechat, Green Woodpecker and Siskin.  The quarry lakes produced Sand Martin, Tufted Duck, Herring Gull, Gt Black backed Gull, Moorhen, Mallard and a family group of Canada Geese.  The normally present Little Grebes were not seen, probably due to disturbance from vehicles working around the lakeside. Other species including Greenfinch, Yellow Hammer, Gt spotted Woodpecker, Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff, Buzzard, Bullfinch and Blackcap were seen or heard at a distance.

Following reports that the Spoonbill might have been injured by shooters, I paid a visit to the marsh yesterday.

I can report that the juvenile Spoonbill is in fine health, actively feeding, preening and flying.  The bird seems to be moulting primaries and secondaries.  Efford Marsh would seem to be just the right habitat for this species now that the flood gates have been adjusted (at last): it is now similar to flooded water meadows in SW France where the species is quite common.

Juvenile Spoonbill feeding off hide

Spoonbill shortly after take off, heading into wind

Spoonbill landing back into wind

Possible Orca about a mile off Hopes Nose this morning at 9am Fully breached once then not seen again.

Robert Hughes 

A Kingfisher back early on Blaxton Pool, 3 Stock Doves, 17 eclipse drake Mandarin Ducks, juv Great Spotted Woodpecker and young Swallows in the nest and on the wing. 

Tree and Meadow Pipits, Redstarts, Wood Warblers, Spotted Flycatchers, Siskins, Song and Mistle Thrushes  were some of the birds seen by the group on this morning's walk through the culm and adjacent woodland. 

2 Black-tailed Godwits on the smaller scrape this evening.

Still 16 Juvenile Canada Geese around the area.

Some photos from yesterday morning's boat trip out of Brixham.

Manx Shearwater

Kittiwake

Diving Gannet

Nice surprise early this morning in North Devon, watched a Hobby take a House Martin. Several House Martins then mobbed the falcon before it flew off. 

Plenty of Large skipper flying around the meadow

Sightings on a boat trip from Brixham into Lyme Bay this morning were:- 1 Storm Petrel, 25+ Manx Shearwater, 10+ Kittiwake, 3 Fulmar, 1 Razorbill, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Great Black-backed Gull , many Guillemots on the water and flying back and forth from the colony and gannets diving by the boat. Trips running every Sunday morning, if interested call 07866202576.

Picture of breaching Thresher Shark

3 Storm Petrels, 2 Great Skua, 1 Arctic Skua, 35 Manx Shearwater, 2yr Med Gull amongst the Kittiwakes on the Guillemot nesting site at Berry Head, 4 Harbour Porpoise and a 300+ lb thresher shark that fully breached at least 5 times (pictures to follow). 

In addition to the scruffy drake Mandarins spotted by Pete A. there was a female Mandarin with 8 well grown (1 week +) ducklings at the tramway bridge over the Plym at Longbridge.

On Blaxton Pool, a single Redshank with 3 remaining Curlews. Fourteen Shelducks included a pair with 2 ducklings, Swallow feeding 3 young in the nest, 23 eclipse drake Mandarins, female Red-crested Pochard, 3 Stock Doves and Moorhens with 4 small young.

Also 4 Bee and 3 Southern Marsh Orchids and my first Marbled White of the year.