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.

Myself and Russ Eynon in the area north of Burrator had several male Redstarts and Wheatears. A male Cuckoo and at 1315 two Red Kite over Leather Tor heading N/NE

Had 2 Crossbills fly north over Wood Lane ( behind the field centre ), Slapton village, this morning.

Osprey low over Starcross towards Powderham this morning about 11o'clock.

0745.

Off Pottington - 5 Black-tailed Godwits. Hybrid goose with c40 Canada geese. Looks like a cross between Barnacle and possibly a Ross` Goose. Short neck, small round head and pinkish, blue bill. 2/3s size of Canada. 

Off Ashford sewage works - 2 Mediterranean Gulls (1A, 1 2S); pair of Shelduck with 5 ducklings.

Late posting for same area - 11 Sanderling in breeding plumage on wednesday 5th.

We have had a large number of sightings of both "bubbling" females and chasing males in many areas of Dartmoor over the last week.  Now you can read and follow the four Dartmoor cuckoos that have been sponsored and tagged jointly by Devon Birds and the DNP here

1 Red Kite drifted E toward Brixham mid-afternoon also on near the 'false' tree 1 Spotted Flycatcher and a female Whinchat.

Yesterday evening I photographed this 2nd calendar year Hobby hawking the cliffs for over 1.5hrs. Interesting to see the contrast in moult from body to wings and tail (newest feathers blue grey).

Sighted flying west high over Exminster Village at 1.30 pm. 

Lesser Whitethroat singing on the path by the railway line, but very hard to see!

A Barnacle Goose in with the Canadas on the marsh.

2 Mistle Thrush near Powderham on the cycle home.

Lots of fledgling Long-Tailed Tits about today!

Another red kite seen hunting from the road through Sourton (en route to Lydford Gorge where a dipper flew down the river, and 2 marsh/willow (longish bull-necks - willow?) tits were feeding on the ground by the bird table.

Just had another Red Kite over Yalberton Idustrial Estate from my bedroom window. Drifted SE at 12:20. Possibly the same bird as yesterdays?

Three hour walk: Terrace Drive (road between Haytor and Manaton): Cuckoos in abundance: 2 together seen in flight  whilst 2 or 3 other birds seen and calling. Also a pair of Mistle Thrushes. Willow warblers and Chiffchaffs singing (by Yarner), Linnets, Yellowhammers and Stonechats (many terrirtories) at Trendlebere.

Red Kite over my garden, Clennon Valley - drifted West at 3.50pm.

Just seen Jakes post - obviously the same bird!

Red Kite over Yalberton Industrial Estate at 16:00. Then drifted East towards Torbay.

Red Kite over Drewsteignton this morning c08:30 going West.

(Information passed on by Nick Dixon)

Meant to add this to previous post but fouled up.

Red Kite - Topsham 3/6/2013

A Red Kite just drifted north over my garden in Topsham at about 12.30. Still waiting for one of Matt's HB's though.

Garden Warblers singing at se edge of melbury forest&thornbury n,devon.12 buzzards between powlers piece x & thorne moor nr buckland brewer.Male kestrel nr powlers piece& female at thorne moor.Pair of yellow hammers behaving as though nesting on road from thorne moor also 2 individual males singing.Lovely views of roe deer mother & baby.

Today I was shown a cracking image of an Osprey that was photographed while soaring over fishing lakes at Loddiswell during the last few days, also a report of a Red Kite being seen at the same location but not photographed.

10:05hrs this morning, Red Kite over Peek Hill Farm and Yennadon, eventually driven towards Ingra Tor by corvids and gulls.

(Rob Harrison)

Much quieter today, with just 3 Spotted Flycatchers, and a late male Redstart adding a nice splash of colour.

Belle Vue Road - another honey buzzard over the house at 10am, this time accompanied by a common buzzard heading high east and possibly a female. Also, an unseasonal drake wigeon on the river.

Orcombe Point - 1 yellow wagtail yesterday.

honey (top) with common buzzard below. Bottom picture soaring honey.

Spent an enjoyable couple of hours along the toll-road at Braunton Marsh - lots of species about - dozens of Swallows & Swifts swooping around but no sign of any House Martins. Sedge and Reed Warblers singing from the bushes & reeds together with numerous Skylarks above.   

Couple of Spotted Flycatchers by the sewage works and a female Marsh Harrier. Little out on the estuary.

Marsh Harrier

Thought I was having a good day, then I saw the Portland website !!  A total of 43 Spotted Flycatchers is as far as I know the 2nd highest site count, but pales into insignificance when compared to the 1000+ through the Bill today.  Of mine, two groups flew through, of 8 and 6, while the rest were spread throughout the area. The only other migrants were a single Wheatear and a small number of Swifts through.  Yesterday, the 2nd Cuckoo of the year was eyeing up Whitethroat nests. 

3 1st  summer little gulls showing well at moment from the hide with the stunning male ruff and 2 1st summer Mediterranean gulls 

Still some limited migration: 1 Reed Warbler (in song), 2 Wheatears, and two parties of a total of 13 Swallows, 3 House Martins and 3 Swift.