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.

Firstly sorry about the late post.

09:15 hrs River Taw from near Ashford, of the approx.400 Gulls mid channel, approx 5% were Mediterranean Gulls i.e. count 20.

 Also 2 Whimbrel

1 first-winter Ring Ouzel and 4 Whinchats halfway between Shipley Bridge and Avon Dam, evening, 7/9.

At home in South Brent a Hobby sat on one of my field posts at 7am, I saw it yesterday evening and suspect it is the young bird I reared and released last year, it came in and took food offered to it after circling round above me.

Brent Hill, South Brent this afternoon gave me two Redstarts and one Whinchat, they are two species that have been eluding me for some time, good numbers of both Stonechat and Meadow Pipits, reasonable numbers of Goldfinch feeding on thistle heads, four Wrens seen and that many again heard.

Four Buzzard including a very loudly calling juvenile, Dunnocks, one unidentified small Warbler sp, four Raven overhead and a very confiding Grey Wagtail was the last of 23 species seen.

Late evening visit showed two Dunlin, 2 Green Sandpipers, one Black-tailed Godwit and one Marsh Harrier. Only about 8 Swallows.

Just to add to Keith's post. Viewed over the early afternoon high-tide. The Little Stint was seen left of the viewing platform with a Ruff and 3-Knot at mid-day. From the hide at high-tide 3-Spotted Redshank and a Green Sandpiper dropped into left water channel briefly before disappearing and the usual high numbers of other waders. The Curlew Sandpiper was seen in Goosemoor just after the high-tide with other Dunlin and the Ruff.

Curlew Sandpiper: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fnT-A37y974

Green Sandpiper: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVVzEuG95Yg

1330-1630            Sherpa marsh held 4 Common sandpiper and a juv Marsh harrier. The mouth of the caen held 4 Curlew sandpiper, 20+ Ring plover and 30+ Dunlin. On horsey high tide roost 2 Greenshank and a juv Ruff.

15 members of DB (East Devon Branch) enjoyed a morning around the headland.  Yellow Wagtails (10+) were found with cattle early in the walk with a few Wheatear, Whitethroats and an elusive Redstart, plus 3 Bullfinch, a Peregrine and others.  Thanks to Ian Waite for leading us.

The remaining party moved on to Black Hole Marsh and then Colyford Common where a Bittern was seen in the early afternoon in the reedbed in front of the hide.

A quick look around local patch after work from 15:00 16:30

A black tern from the viewing platform on bowling green marsh at 15:50 before flying towards powderham corner

1 juv curlew sandpiper was on goosemoor at 16:15 , with 1 juv ruff, 20+ greenshanks, 25+ redshanks , 14+ black tailed godwits, 4+ dunlin, 8 little egrets

from the hide on bowling green marsh 2 adult spotted redshanks , 1 avocet, 1 knot, 20+ dunlin, in with the usual redshanks and black tailed godwits, 3 pintail, 15+ wigeon, 20+ little egrets.

from the goatwalk , 7+ sandwich terns.

Seen 10.15 today 50 yards from the railway steps just south of the river Kenn outlet near Powderham Estate. Slav Grebe also close in off Cockwood (11.15). Bright sunshine meant I couldn't see me camera screen properly hence poor quality.

Eds: this is actually a Little Egret (rather large body and small head on a short neck and thin rather pointed bill - see bottom picture, legs also too short)

Cormorants flying south over Morte Point yesterday

 06.30 to 09.00 Almost still before sunrise. Visible/audible migration included 10 Grey Wagtails, the first few Chaffinches of the autumn, 40 Swallows, a dozen House Martins and a minimum of 118 Siskins all heading E in small flocks – very early in the season for such a high count here (though I see 180 were reported at Portland yesterday). Grounded night migrants in the scrub included 9 Whitethroats, 6 Blackcaps, 9 Chiffchaffs and a Willow Warbler. Two Coal Tits on the cliffs.

A late post from yesterday to follow up from Gerry's earlier post. The Little Tern was on post in middle of estuary next to Sandwich Tern which was on the white buoy then a lttle later the Black Tern was on another post further towards Lymstone on the outgoing high-tide early afternoon seen from the platform.

While mooring up at Starcross just after sunset on Sunday 6th September, we watched a single Great White Egret fly northwards towards Powderham or Exminster.

15:35 till 16:30

on the way home a quick walk along the new flood relief channel produced 2 kingfishers , 3 yellow wagtails, and 1 black tailed godwit , 2 raven and a sparrowhawk.

watched from 09:30 till 15:00

A good morning with 2 different Ospreys the first an Adult fishing of the Goat walk just after 10:15 before flying down estuary towards Lympstone chased by 2 carrion crows it gave great views and severall locals managed to get good views of their first osprey

The second Osprey was a smart juv over Bowling green marsh at around 11:50 it showed well before rising on a thermal and eventually drifted of North up the river clyst

other highlights were watching a stunning male kingfisher just down from the quay in topsham flying only a couple of feet from me sat on the benches no bins needed 2 juv sandwich terns were flying around.

A nuthatch and great spotted woodpecker were In trees in Rivers meet house 

From the hide at bowling green marsh 1 juv ruff, 2 adult spotted redshanks, 300+ redshanks , 30+ dunlin, 2 knot, 400+ black tailed godwits, 1 hobby, 4 greenshanks, 14+ little egrets, 15+ lapwing, 2 yellow wagtails , over calling, 1 avocet.

from goosemoor , another juv ruff, 6+ dunlin, 14+ greenshank.

2 Tree Pipits, 5 or 6 Whinchats, Pergerine, 4 Bullfinches, Nuthatch, 110 Redshanks, 36 Curlews, 4 Dunlins, 2 Greenshanks, 3 Common Sandpipers, 15 Little Egrets, and 18 Grey Herons.

I watched for about an hour on the incoming tide at Passage House this morning,a Little Ring Plover was feeding on the mudbank,and a GreenSandpiper appeared briefly.There were also at least three Common Sandpipers and 18 Little Egrets roosting on the marsh.The best bird of the morning was a cracking Lesser Whitethroat in the apple tree in the car park!

East Soar/Starehole, am, Sunday 6th September.

2 Spotted Flycatchers, 1 Pied Flycatcher, 2 Tree Pipits (over), 1 Yellow Wagtail (over), 6+ Wheatears, 1 White Wagtail etc.

A family jaunt over Bolt Head turned up the 2nd Lesser Whitethroat of the autumn, 23 Wheatear, 4 Whitethroat, Tree Pipit, 16 Chiffchaff, 7 Willow Warbler, Spotted Flycatcher, Sparrowhawk & 5 Whinchat. Also several Painted Ladies.

A juvenile Little Ringed Plover was at Passage House. Also 100 Curlew (incl. a ringed bird returning for the third year), 3 Dunlin, 40 Little Egret, 1 Kingfisher, 1 Wheatear and 1 Water Rail. A ringed Black-headed Gull was also present returning for it's second summer/autumn.

0945-1300           4 Common sandpiper,3 Curlew sandpiper,2 Ruff,1 Blackwit,12 Dunlin,5 Buzzard and a juv Marsh harrier. Horsey held 3 Wheatear,1 King fisher and plenty of Greenshank on the high tide roost. At the mouth of the caen 28+ Ring plover.                 No Osprey.

Black tern and Little tern on the river this morning 

11 Bar-tailed Godwit; 24 Black-tailed Godwit; 1 Curlew Sandpiper; 1 juv Dunlin; 5 Teal; 9 Grey Heron; 13 Little Egret, 3 Chiff Chaff and 2 male Ruff.

At least a dozen Yellow Wagtails skitting around the feet of the cattle on Exminster Marshes today.  Seen in two seperate places around cattle 10 minutes apart, not sure if same group or if there were two diffrent groups.  Also 15 Linnets resting in a tree. 2 Kingfishers by the Canal near Turf Cottage. Several Juvenile Sky Larks and Reed Buntings seen Thursday and today.

Yellow Wagtail

Kingfisher

Juvenile Sky Lark

A sprinkling of migrants this morning and into early afternoon...

28 Siskins (over), 19 Wheatears, 2 Whinchats, Spotted Flycatcher, 16 Whitethroats, 20 Chiffchaffs, 2 Willow Warblers, Sedge Warbler, Reed Warbler, 4 Yellow Wagtails, 30+ Alba Wagtails, Song Thrush, Grey Wagtail, Sparrowhawk, Goldcrest, c150 Swallows, and c50 House Martins.

Watched from 08:00 till 13:30

A quick look around the bushes first thing only produced 2 male blackcaps, from the viewing platform a couple of yellow wagtails over and a probable tree pipit over (only on call), 30+ knot, 1 spotted redshank, 20+ dunlin good numbers of redshank 

from the hide , 2 Hobby flew through , 1 peregrine, 5+ buzzards, 2 spotted redshanks , 8+ yellow wagtails continued the good run this autumn, 1 ruff, 26+ dunlin, 3 bar tailed godwits, 10+ whimbrel, 630+ black tailed godwits, 200+ curlew, good numbers of redshanks , 20+ greenshanks, 4 pintail, 2 wigeon good numbers of teal and mallards, 1 tufted duck , steady passage of swallows( one wave came through with 620+ with others moving through most of the morning) also good numbers of sand martins and house martins, 60+ goldfinch. 

A quick look back around the viewing platform produced a nuthatch and a probable Garden warbler again only on call. 

A few raptors about at Exminster Marshes this afternoon with Peregrine, pair of Sparrowhawk, Buzzard and a Hobby, all seen on the back path to Turf. The Hobby chasing the Swallows about and the Sparrowhawks successfully took a Blackbird in the "Discovery" area. One of them could have been a Juvenile?

The Peregrine on the Pylon looking half asleep with the Buzzard loafing about over head and not much else about.

A look around Exmouth over the mid-day high-tide with Sara and Tony. Starting from the entrance to the docks where we could see several Sandwich Terns with a few Turnstones sat on the boats aound the estuary and a female Wheatear on the Warren point and large number of Oystercatchers in the bight area roosting. Moving up to the seafront near the clock tower several Terns and Gannets seen fishing around the bay and off Langstone rock with Ringed Plover, Sanderling and Dunlin on the beach side of Warren point. Later on the outgoing tide a look around Mudbank on my own showed good numbers of Terns on the exposed sandbar with 2 Little Terns and large number of Terns in feeding frenzy along the railway seawall in front Powderhan Castle with good numbers of both Wigeon and Mallard ducks flying from golf course side over to to top end of Mudbank. 

Link to video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9ISWZovgR8

Yesterday 4-9-2015 at Goosemoor over the morning high-tide showed the Spotted Redshank with 3-Ruff and Greenshank roosting on the far side.

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

A solitary wheatear on the beach amongst pied wagtails.

Highlight of trip a pale phase adult Arctic Skua (thanks Mike for confirmation) that appeared out of nowhere to harass the gulls feeding on the chum. A number of Manx shearwaters and 1 poss balearic. Guillemots, gannets, a couple of terns and a lot more kittiwakes than last trip. At least 3 dolphins off dartmouth and porpoise off Berry Head.

 
    Arctic Skua with juvenile Herring Gull                                               Arctic Skua

The first Ring Ousel of autumn, flushing between Rowan trees. Also Snipe, Green Woodpecker, Kestrel, Sparrowhawk, Buzzard, Stonechat, Redpoll, Siskin, Swallow, House Martin, but no Wheatear seen, unlike last week. 

Osprey succesfully catching fish at 1100 today Friday and taking prey back to metal post to eat. Great seeing this magnificent bird.

Approx 8 yellow wags in front of BGM hide amongst the cattle 10.30.

Yellow Wagtail record shots

 2 Ospreys present this morning , one on the usual roost at the mouth of the Caen & 1 in flight.

Quiet on headland this morning - best of migrants: 1 Garden Warbler, 4 Blackcap, 1 Tree Pipit, 2 Grey Wagtails, 1 Willow Warbler, 9 Chiffchaffs

 .

Photos:       Willow Warbler                                               Garden Warbler

A walk down the river bank to check the Osprey. Success - there it was on its perch with a fish. It was disturbed by a few fisherment and flew accross the estuary to Isley Marsh. It suddenly turned and settled on the sand bank....very close to another Osprey! So two are present. Also Kingfishers, Greenshank, Redshanks, Common Sands, Buzzards, Kestrel and all of the regulars.

An Osprey was sat in a tree by the River Exe at Oakfordbridge just south of Exebridge at 1340. I saw it while driving from the Black Cat junction towards Exebridge on the A396. One of the Isley Marsh or Appledore birds perhaps

Peregrine , Marsh Harrier & 2 Ospreys over the rivers & Chivenor this morning.

Viewed over the morning high-tide.

With usual large numbers of waders and ducks seen from the hide moving out to the estuary, a Little Stint was seen left of the viewing platform amongst the Redshank on the outgoing tide at 1420hrs. Greenshank, Ruff and Spotted Redshank was seen in Goosemoor roosting on the high-tide.

Yesterday afternoon at Black Hole Marsh 2-9-2015 best birds on show was 6-Ruff, 3-Common Sandpipers, 1-Green Sandpiper, Ringed Plover and Kestrel.

Link to video.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UefwUSqoZZQ

2 Ospreys , 1 Marsh Harrier & 1 Peregrine over Chivenor this morning.

1 Greenshank; 12 Redshank; 1 female Goosander; 7 Little Egret; 2 Bar-tailed Godwit; 4 Black-tailed Godwit and 1 juvenile Curlew Sandpiper.

On Penhill Marsh were a further 10 Little Egret and in the field next to Bradiford Reserve were 20 Black-tailed Godwit and 1 adult Med Gull. In the ditch next to Ashford Sewage Works was 1 Kingfisher.

Yesterday btwn 14:05 and 15:30 there were 9 Black-tailed Godwit; 11 Little Egret; 3 Bar-tailed Godwit; 1 Redshank off Pottington and 13 Sanderling (in B.P) on sandbar in middle of the river. A further 4 Black-tailed Godwit in field next to B.Reserve with 1 Bar-tailed Godwit off Ashford Sewage Works and the Green Sandpiper in the adjacent ditch. 

A good smattering of migrants included 210 Swallow, Yellow Wagtail, 13 Pied Wagtail, Redstart, 28 Wheatear, 7 Whitethroat, 4 Blackcap, 18 Chiffchaff, 10 Willow Warbler and 5 Spotted Flycatcher. Also: Grey Heron flying west, Greenshank over & a Bullfinch. Rode Deer dam with calf & 1st autumn Clouded Yellow!

0930-1300  The OSPREY was on the Taw behind Rmb Chivenor all morning ( metal post and small wooden post ) Male MARSH HARRIER over Horsey island also on horsey 20 Greenshank 8 Redshank and a CURLEW SANDPIPER.

Seen recently at Efford Marsh on 23 & 24 Aug: 2 Little Stint, 3 Dunlin and Greenshank Efford Marsh - M Woodman-Smith

Osprey on the River Taw at the mouth of the Caen & a Marsh Harrier on the Chivenor side of the Caen this morning.

Five Whinchat sitting on ferns at top of path near Dam from Shipley Bridge plus one very handsome Wheatear  on grass nearby. Mixed flock of tits with Goldcrests nearer to car park. Raven cronking over.

A quick look after work 15:30 till 17:30

The imm/fem Garganey was showing well from the hide good numbers of teal , mallards   2 pintail, 30+ wigeon, 2 snipe

from the viewing platform 1 juv ruff

70 + Ravens circling above Torr Quarry near Kingsbridge this morning.

The Osprey still on it's favourite post by Chivenor this morning. Two Wheatears nearby, and a few Mediterranean Gulls on the grass by the Caen 

Black-tailed godwit (10 juvs, 3 ads), dunlin (9 juvs, 2 ads), ruff (1 juv), ringed plover (4), little egret (1).