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.

This page was initially set up to give a concise news summary of birds of interest seen in Devon. Anyone noting interesting species, passage and counts could post the details to inform other birders what was going on around the county. Photos could also be added for interest and to enliven the posts. It was accepted that because other wildlife was of interest, this would also appear especially when included in a birding post.

However, in the last year, more posts have been appearing purely on subjects other than birds. Whilst of interest to some observers, this is detracting from the aim of the pages, i.e. principally bird sightings.

Devon Birds has therefore taken the decision to require contributors of other wildlife to post this in the Other Wildlife subject. However it’s accepted that occasional, exceptional, other wildlife seen during a birding outing justifies inclusion in the bird sightings post. This should, however, be a minor part of the post.

Photos are often appearing as a gallery, or even acting as a personal photo blog, rather than of county-wide sightings of interest. Devon Birds has a Gallery which members and other birders are welcome to submit their often stunning photos to, for others to see. Many of these photos need not then appear on this page. From now on, only two photos per post will be accepted to help keep posts more concise.

Devon Birds very much welcomes posts that already meet these criteria and those that will continue to do so. It would also be great to widen the input from keen birders who currently don’t contribute, including some old friends who have dropped out. Hopefully the changes will encourage wider participation, so if you look at the site but don’t post, please consider doing so.

Our aim is to provide a concise daily news summary of bird sightings around Devon, and these changes should fulfil this goal.

Below is a summary of the changes:

• Bird News (bird sightings of interest, with added occasional other wildlife) will be the default subject when visitors arrive at this page.
• Other Wildlife posts therefore won’t initially be shown unless visitors click Other Wildlife under Subjects on the right-hand side.
• Only two photos can now be submitted per post.
• General bird photos should be posted in our Gallery please.
• Co-authors should now only use the Submit a Blog Post form, to ensure a more consistent format for posts.

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.

watched from 17:30 till 20:10

high count of curlew with 724+ this evening , 41+ whimbrel, 500+ black tailed godwits, 12+ bar tailed godwits ( including 2 smart juvs) , 50+ dunlin( including 10 juv's ) , 1 knot, 8+ lapwing , 12+ greenshank, 250+ redshanks and the usual spotted redshank, 1 common gull, 200+ black headed gulls, 10+ teal , 60+ mallarrd , 4+ little egrets, 1 peregime made severall attacks but failed but did cause panic among the waders forcing most of the dunlin to leave. 

My best count of Med Gulls ever on the R.Caen late aft/early evening on the 9.4 metre spring tide.  Peaked at 161 including 18 juv's after 2 hours of watching before the tide moved them off the high tide roost.

Whilst doing a bit of work in the reserve this morning I opened a few nets. Glad I did.

Ringed a LITTLE EGRET. First I've seen in there for a couple of years. Looks like being a record year for Reed Warblers too - 61 ringed so far.

no birds of note, silver washed fritillary and marbled white b/fly; porpoises; basking shark??

Late post for yesterday: first genuine migrants with imm.green woodpecker at the farm and willow warbler by the ponds. Still several cirl buntings in song and survey results come up with 40 pairs - back to same levels as 2012 after two relatively poor years.

2 in the Exeter flood relief channel at 3pm today 

 At least 62+ Mistle Thrush at 7.30am - biggest post- breeding flock noted in this area for many years.

Corys Shearwater  very close in to the head (70yds!!) last night around a small mackereling boat. Bait fish must have been very close to the surface as it was plunging very shallow. 

excellent count of 55+ swifts this evening over our garden in redhills in exeter best count in six years that I have lived here.

Watched from 15:15 till 17:45

A good increase in Black tailed godwits to 420+ , 8 Bar tailed godwits, 1 spotted redshanks , 250+ redshanks, 200+ dunlin, 41+ whimbrel, 390+ curlew, 4+ greenshanks, 1 adult Mediterranean gull , 200+ black headed gulls, 1 kingfisher, 2 stock doves, 3 buzzards. 

Early a.m. all heading W out of the Bristol Channel: Fulmar 63, Manx Shearwater 66, Gannet 124 (approx 50:50 ads and subads), Bonxie 1, Kittiwake 29 (all ads). Also 3 Cormorant, 1 Shag, 2 Guillemot, 2 Dunlin, a Harbour Porpoise and a Red Admiral(!) Wind WNW gusting F7 for a while, but dropping to F5.

Gathered closely together and sheltering from the strong winds, a count of over 100 curlews at Charleton Point on the Kingsbridge Estuary at high tide this afternoon. 

Braving high winds in a coastal location can produce good results if you are a birdwatcher.

The numbers of Mediterranean Gull (mix of ages) have now increased to 82 including 4 juv's. 88 BH Gull inc 1 juv + 5 Common Gulls.

I Green Sandpiper flying over calling at the same time

Never clever here in a strong wet, southerly wind so decision to seawatch in the afternoon when winds were predicted to veer south-westerly .Watched from 1pm together with John L.  I left at 6.30pm.

Best bird a Sooty Shearwater at 3.50pm following 1598 (1pm to 4pm) Manxies and 7 Balearic Shearwaters. I Bonxie, 5 Puffins, 22 Fulmars, 2 Sandwich Terns, and John saw an Ocean Sunfish.

A brief respite in the rain around 09.00 this morning and a flock of 8 Swifts came in off the sea from the NW and straight into the SE headwind. Looked at the rainfall radar and they were flying in a narrow clear slot that stretched all the way to the Exe Estuary and Channel coast. Smart birds these migrants.

I would go young Chiffchaff, brighter than autumn young birds, but yellow is more of an olive-yellow tone and legs are dark. And Marsh Tit as much due to habitat/location.

Visited for afternoon high tide.

408 Curlew, 11 Whimbrel, 7 Bar-tailed Godwaits, 251 Black-tailed Godwits, 165+ Dunlin (almost all ads but 3/4 juvs), 2nd cy Med Gull, 1 Spotted Redshank.

A couple of birds have been teasing me in the garden over the last few days, not stopping still long enough to give a clear view or identification, I caught both on camera today but am still a little unsure of the identities.

A Warbler sp that has been showing fleetingly is almost certainly a Willow Warbler but having darkish coloured legs I am not 100% the possibility of it being a Chiffchaff confuses the issue.

A Tit sp has come onto the feeders several times today and shares characteristics of both the Willow and Marsh Tit, images have been submitted to DBWPS and I will be interesting to see what they think.

Three Black Headed Gulls over yesterday was the third sighting of this species over the village this month and is certainly unusual.

Also around the garden today, Jay, Nuthatch, Coal Tit, a brood a Wrens and very protective parents the first have seen here for a little while. The numbers of both Swallow and House Martin are building at long last.

Sea watching upto 10.45am with MD, AR and BMc- Totals 12 Balearic Shears, 2500+ Manxies, 9 Puffin, 1 Bonxie, 6 Common Tern, 10 Common Scoter.  

Little Ringed Plover (a moulting adult, prob male) below the dam at Trews Weir this am. Plenty of juv Herring Gulls and a handful of juv Lesser BB - although, given the apparent total absence of Yorks. terriers, tortoises or even small children, it's a mystery what they're doing for food.

Little Ringed Plover - 26/7/2015 Trews Weir, Exeter

watched from 10:00 till 16:30

The pectoral sandpiper was seen just before I got to the hide but despite extensive searches around topsham could not be found again.

1 spotted redshank in with good numbers of redshank and greenshanks, 2 whimbrel, 1 kingfisher good numbers of black tailed godwits, 20+ dunlin including 2 juvs , 3 Mediterranean gulls( 2 adults, 1 1st summer).

from the viewing platform, 100+ Dunlin including 2 juvs, 4 knot, 1 grey plover, 10 bar tailed godwits, 20+ whimbrel.

from the goatwalk 150+ dunlin including several juvs 

on goosemoor 25+ greenshank, 100+ redshanks 

Lower Tamar Lake 0945-1150

2 Willow Warbler, 2 Wren, 4 Spotted Flycatchers, 2 Blackcaps,2 Tufted Duck 1m 1f, 1 Cormorant, 4 G.C.Grebe, 4 Canada, 1 Jay, 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 2 Coal Tit, 1 Robin, 2 Coot , c25 Mallard, 3 Swallow, 2 Blackbird.

On rocks below  car park 6 Mediterranean Gulls inc 2 in full summer plumage.

A gathering of 61 Sandwich Terns which included 18 juveniles being fed by the adults on the rocks at high tide this pm. Also juvenile Med Gull.

Now 5 summer-plumage Black-tailed Godwits by the pond along with a lone Common Sandpiper. 17 Canada Geese includes 6 juveniles.

Little gull and 51 Dunlin at Topsham rec early evening.

Juvenile Yellow-Legged Gull amongst the assorted large gulls around the pipe on Goodrington beach this evening.  

Also, 3 Dunlin.

Arrived in the hide this lunchtime (about 1.20) to be told of 2 Pectoral Sandpipers.

One appeared to be a juvenile bird and spent its time with the Dunlin flock and disappeared to the estuary with them. The other looked like an adult bird and showed much closer on the right hand side of the channel in front of the hide (still there until at least 1.50). Both birds had been present earlier in the morning apparently.

Also 3 Green Sandpipers.

Surprisingly for anyone getting up at a normal time it was almost still & clear with 20 miles + visibility first thing - then in came the rain and wind with visibility down to 2 miles or less!

Seawatching 0530-0930hrs: 4 Pomarine Skuas (all 3rd summer pale types), 4 Arctic Skuas,1 Bonxie, 2 Balearic Shearwaters, 753 Manx Shearwaters, 133 Common Scoter,1 juv Yellow-legged Gull, 3 Mediterranean Gulls, 1 Puffin, 1 Razorbill (several Guillemots on water), 1 Whimbrel, 2 Swifts just 27 Kittiwakes (didn't count Gannets or Fulmar) and 2 Harbour Porpoise 

The bird in pictures 1 and 2 were taken yesterday in my garden at inBrixham.  It is very different from young starling seen before.

Eds: Thanks for emailing the photos that didn't upload - it was indeed a juv starling moulting into winter plumage - perhaps more advanced moult than usual at his time of year, from an early brood. 

2 Yellow-legged Gulls  juvs, 1 Mediterranean Gull juv 6 Common Sandpipers

at least 22 cormorants fishing just off Broadsands beach southern end. A dog walker told me there were 'about 50' yesterday

Eds: more likely to have been Shags

Hobby overhead just coming into Totnes from Avonwick last night (22nd).

Took a look at the pond this evening - huge build up of Mallards! Maybe 150. Down around Sherpa Marsh a Little Grebe, 2 Little Egrets, 17 Canada Geese including 3 juvs, 18 adult Swans, a few each of Swift, Swallow, Sand Martin and House Martin, 2 Common Sandpipers, a summer plumage Black-tailed Godwit, and a Teal.