Devon Birds would like to thank the many members and other birdwatchers who complied with the restrictions during the recent Lockdown and stayed in their local area (village, town or part of city) to birdwatch while exercising (and later) taking recreation. We hope that, despite the obvious frustrations, you found some respite in watching wildlife in your local area and perhaps discovered some birds close to home, that you might otherwise not have seen! As always, please submit sightings to the County recorder and / or BirdTrack. 

 

Please continue to follow the Covid related requirements (currently "rule of six outside, social distancing etc) while enjoying the new freedoms to extend your birdwatching. Some hides will remain closed for the time being and where you find one open, please follow Government guidelines on keeping yourself & others safe: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/social-distancing/what-you-need-to-do/

 

Thank you from

Devon Birds News site editors & members of the Records Committee

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.  

As noted in the minutes of the Oct 2020 DBRC meeting, Tim Jones is standing down after serving as a member of the Committee for an extended sixth year. Tim has been an active member of the Committee, and his consistently pragmatic approach to assessing records has proved invaluable. The Society would like to thank him for his contribution over the past six years and wish him well in the future.

In the hope of maintaining a geographic spread across the Committee, DBRC approached Dean Jones to fill the vacancy. Dean grew up birding and ringing in Antrim and Lothian, before a tour of various European islands, including Lundy where he has been the Warden now for the past four years.

His experience and knowledge from ringing and birdwatching around Europe will be especially useful to Devon Birds and the Records Committee.

Unless the County Recorder receives any other applications before 15th April 2021, Dean will be formally elected to fill the vacancy for a five year period.

For more information and/or an application form please contact:

Kevin Rylands, County Recorder.   Email: recorder@devonbirds.org 

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.

On todays return trip from Lundy about 6miles out, we saw 2+ very large Shearwaters in amongst juvenile gannets & several Sandwich Terns. I think they were most likely to be Great Shearwaters but may have been Cory's Shearwaters.

Viewed over the late morning high-tide.

To add to Nick's post from the hide adult and juvenile Mediterranean Gulls dropped in together after the high-tide with both showing well on the point with c700-Black Headed Gulls; 1-Spotted Redshank; 2-Bar Tailed Godwits; c60-Black Tailed Godwits; 5-Whimbrel; c200-Curlew.

From the viewing platform a Harbour Seal was seen on the mud of the river Clyst close to the reeds and later seen with the Common Seal together on the mud-bar in middle of the river Exe estuary. The Spotted Redshank was hiding in one of the gulleys left of the platform with just it's head showing most of the afternoon.  Video link for the seals.

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

No Common Redshanks were seen from the hide, platform and Goosemoor.

adult & juvenile Mediterranean Gulls from the hide

adult & juvenile Mediterranean Gulls from the hide

3 European Bee-eaters seen flying down Ivy Cove valley at 1205hrs. Watched feeding with hirundines before heading off after a few minutes north west towards Coleton Camp car park

Disappointed in this the breeding season to both see and hear the disturbance at the normally quiet Beesands Ley today. 3 possibly 4 Kayaks with lots of screaming youngsters under adult supervision in what I presume to be an organised outing. I'm glad the youngsters were having a good time, but this is not an appropriate location. Needless to say not many birds in sight, except the family of swans getting out of the way in the background. What next, swimmers, inflatables etc?

Lunchtime visit to the hide until about 1.50. The Spotted Redshank showed well eventually having been hidden among a group of 6 Greenshanks. 1 adult and 1 juvenile Mediterranean Gull. Also 1 Lesser Black-back and 1 Great Black-back.

A bit slow off the mark but found my 1st juv. Yellow-legged Gull of the year at BGM this am. After comparing photos it looks different to Matt's bird. Spotted Redshank also present but surprised by total absence of Med Gulls.

Yellow-legged Gull juv 7/7/2015 Topsham

Yellow-legged Gull juv 7/7/2015 Topsham

Seawatch 0530-0830hrs, all birds south; 210 Common Scoter (including one flock of 80+ see photo below), 344 Manx Shearwaters, 1 Balearic Shearwater, 1 Puffin, 7 Mediterranean Gulls, 2 Sandwich Tern 50+ Kittiwake, 80+ Gannet and 5+ Harbour Porpoise just off headland. 

Watched from 19.30 - 21.30.

Spotted Redshank showed  well from the observation platform. Also juv. Shelduck.

From the hide, in poor light, usual waders Curlew, Redshank, Whimbel etc circa 1800 BH Gulls (more coming in as I left) with one Med Gull. Apologies for poor quality pictures. Peregrine tried three passess without succes (fox also crossed the marsh at the same time) causing consternation. Peregrine still in trees to the right of the hide as I left.

Peregrine

Shelduck Juv.

Spotted Redshank

Blackhill Quarry - juvenile yellow-legged gull at Blackhill Quarry this evening. Hopefully the first of many. More photos at www.gobirdingexmouth.blogspot.co.uk.

A38 Ashburton, a Kestrel sat on overhead wires.Templar Way, Newton Abbot, pair of Mute Swan with five small cygnets, Swifts, House Martins and Swallows in reasonable numbers, Sky Lark could be heard singing from towards the race course, Starling overhead.

Rv Teign at the Passage House Inn, good numbers of both Curlew and Little Egret present, very brief view of a Kingfisher.

Labrador Bay (RSPB reserve) Cirl Bunting and Skylark.

Marine Parade, Preston, Paignton, one immature Mediterranean Gull with a growing number of Back Headed Gulls including one juvenile.

Broadsands four Cirl Bunting reasonable numbers of Herring and Greater Black Backed Gulls, one juvenile GBB had a yellow ring with the details 6AA8 and what appeared to be a plain metal tag ring on the other leg.

Juvenile Great-crested Grebe again upstream of Velator weir at high tide this morning. Unusual here.

Much better than expected in the run up to high tide this morning with 6 wader species. 9 Oystercatcher. 66 Curlew, 1 Whimbrel, 6 Dunlin, 3 Black-tailed Godwit, and 1 very early Ruff. The Ruff was a male moulting out of, in this case, black breeding plumage. Among the 57 Black-headed Gulls were 3 Juvs.

Yesterday at slapton ley there was this hybrid duck. It looks to me a red-crested pochard with tufted duck, however different from the bird that has been returning to slapton these past years.

Also, the 4 black swans are still present as well as 1 pochard, the brood of tufted ducks and good numbers of mute swans and canada goose( also one feral goose with them) gadwalls, great crested grebes, reed warblers and 2 mediterranean gulls. offshore 1 male common scoter

Viewed 1845-2115 hrs over the icoming high-tide.

From the viewing platform 7-Common Sandpipers amongst the rocks and seawall of riversmeet house right of the platform; 3-Ringed Plover; 1-Sanderling; c120-Redshank; 9-Bar Tailed Godwits; c70-Black Tailed Godwits; 11-whimbrel; c250-Curlew.  Video link for the common sandpipers

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Bs5dPOq7CI

From the hide 3-Greenshank; c2000 Black Headed Gulls no signs of the spotted redshank; little gull or any mediterranean gulls.

Common Sandpiper

3-Ringed Plover & 1-Sanderling

Lovely walk around Saltram and  the Plym Estuary saw  Mediterranean Gull on the Plym just on the bend before it narrows out -at low tide. Other birds seen Skylark, Chiffchaff and Nuthatch

Mediterranean Gull

A splendid Spotted Redshank from the viewing platform at B.G.M.

Along with a Greenshank & Whimbrel with very close views.

At Topsham Rec.a first year Little gull also adult Med.Gull four birds in all their glory.

A late afternoon gull watch on the rising tide at Broadsands, Paignton this afternoon, four Terns showing well if a little distant for over an hour as they dived for small fish near the surface, a check of my birding book suggests that they were Sandwich Terns having light tipped black beaks.

A flight of at least four Mediterranean gulls flew in but as they landed in a mixed group of Greater Blacked Backed, Herring and Black Headed Gulls a beach goer decided it would be fun to run through the gull flock scattering them in all directions, one 2st year Mediterranean gull did return a little later.

Biggest surprise was a full summer plumage Black Tailed Godwit that came in and landed for a very short spell by the gulls, a count of 16 House Martins, a Pied Wagtail, male Green finch and two Goldfinch also on the beach.

On the way home through Dartington a Roe Doe with a calf at foot in the field alongside the new building site.

Lovely walk around Saltram and  the Plym Estuary saw  Mediterranean Gull on the Plym just on the bend before it narrows out -at low tide. Other birds seen Skylark, Chiffchaff and Nuthatch

A 1st year female seen heading North East at 4pm today from Colaton Raleigh

Plenty of birds about around Topsham but the star of the show was the Summer plumage Spotted Redshank seen at the platform looking over the Clyst, Stunning Bird!!

Evening seawatch yesterday at Berry Head: 2 Arctic Skuas, 2 Sandwich Tern, 2 Mediterranean Gulls, 10 Common Scoter, 1 Curlew, 16 Manx Shearwater also 9 Common Dolphin, 5 Harbour Porpoise.

Had news back on 2 ringed birds seen on the marsh this week 

27P3 is a juv bird ringed this summer at Hoeshill South west of reading and was seen at the colony the day before it appeared at Bowling green marsh

20L9 is an Adult and was ringed at hosehill as well in June 2013 it was at bowling green marsh in May and June 2014 before returning to bowling green marsh this week.

Will keep looking with the black headed numbers increasing still am still awaiting news back on some birds.

The summer plumaged Spotted Redshank was showing from the viewing platform this lunchtime - still there at about 1.40 when I left. It was with a group of Redshanks looking to the left from the platform.

Thursday 2nd July on the low tide at Marine Parade, Preston, Paignton initially two adult summer plumage Mediterranean gulls on the exposed rocks a bit distant but clealry in view, they were joined by a younger bird without summer colours.

Photo and video to Keith's earlier post of the very smart looking summer breeding plumage Spotted Redshank seen on the marsh tonight.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tk3pFmX63fo

Spotted Redshank (summer breeding plumage)

watched from 17:45 till 20:35

the highlight was an adult summer plumage Spotted redshank which came in with 200+ redshank, 7 greenshank, 292+ curlew, 10+ whimbrel, 8 bar tailed godwits, 70+ black tailed godwits, 5 Mediterranean gulls( 1 adult, 4 1st summers) among 1600+ black headed gulls, 1 pochard, 12 lapwing, 6 little egrets.

with reference Nick Potters post the juv black headed gull with a ring the code is 27P3 and has been around for 3 days have sent info of and am awaiting reply also another black headed gull with code 20L9 back for its second summer  ringed at hosehill South west of reading.

6 swifts flying over Budleigh town centre this evening at 8pm for at least 20 mins

A modest count admittedly but good for Topsham Rec, 5 Med Gulls (three ads, one 3cy, one 2cy) dropped by briefly for a mid afternoon wash. The 2cy Little Gull also feeding on the shingle/mud under the M5 bridge; now regular here at low tide.

Med Gulls - Topsham Rec 2/7/2015

Wet lunchtime visit to the hide. Fairly quiet over a low tide. Highlights being a Sparrowhawk being mobbed by a group of Swallows by the pond to the right of the hide. When it flew off it was carrying what looked like a Swallow so no wonder they were so angry! Also a male Pochard was new in.

Only a few Black-headed Gulls present but this included 2 juveniles, one of which has a white ring with black writing on its left leg - but it flew off towards Topsham before I could read it. Worth keeping an eye out for to see where it is from...

It is that time of year folks & the numbers are increasing every year, so enjoy them while they are here.

watched from 15:45 till 19:35

the 1st summer little gull put in a brief appearance, black headed gull numbers were down but no count with constant movement due to flying ants up over topsham, 3 Mediterranean gulls( 1 adult, 2 1st summers)

continued increase in waders with 175+ redshank, 271+ curlew, 10+ whimbrel, 3 greenshank, 12 lapwing, 5 oystercatchers, 7+ bar tailed godwits, 73+ black tailed godwits, 1 sandwich tern.

on walk around to the hide, 1 common tern from the goatwalk, 4 adult Mediterranean gulls.

A walk along Saunton Sands before breakfast this morning (Already 21C at 06.00).

Millions of Sandhoppers feeding on decaying seaweed & stranded jellyfish along the strandline. 

Hobby hunting bats at dusk last night.