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.

Two female  Long-tailed Ducks on the sea this afternoon as well as the regular flock of 380+ Common Scoter, 3 RT Divers, 60+ Auks (mostly Guillemot, some Razorbill) and 1 GC Grebe.

The following birds were seen in and a pool at Exminster Marshes: 1 Pintail, 5 Shoveler, 100+ Wigeon, 50+ Lapwing, 30+ Canada Geese, 30+ Teal, 1 Snip, 1 Golden Plover, 2 Mute Swan and 30+ Dunlin.

2 yellow browed warblers again in Beaumont Park, Plymouth - 1 calling from tree top in centre of park, seen snaffling a large bluebottle fly and having a preen while a second bird heard calling near the lodge.

Female eider off Turnchapel busily diving and being investigated by passing gulls, distant views across the water from Plymouth Hoe.

Churston Head, 09:10 - 11:30: 3 Gt N Divers (09:20, Elberry Cove; 2 staying together + 1; by 11:30 2 + 1 off Shell Cove/Salltern Cove); 8 Velvet Scoter (09:40, off Shell Cove, then moving further out); 1 Eider (09:30, Mussel Beds). 1 Brent Goose (10:15, off Saltern Cove/Goodrington); 6 Lssr B-b Gulls (09:10, Broadsands Bay.

Car Park, 11:30 - 12:50: 4 Cirls (2m, 2f) 1 Chiffchaff (collybita) + Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Chaffinch & Bullfinch; 1 Sparrowhawk; 1 Jay; 1 Gt Sp Woodpecker.

Churston Head, 12:50 - 13:30: 2 Gt N Divers (1 relocated Broadsands Bay moving to off the Pt, 1 relocated Shell Cove); 2 Common Scoters (1m, 1f,  flying S past the point then turning & landing far out in Torbay) 1 B-n Grebe (off Pt, then Broadsands Bay); 6 Brent Geese (flew in towards Goodrington).

Five Blackcaps simultaneously today in my back garden: three males and two females. Very little aggression so far, except sometimes from one of the males. I saw the males together and later the females about a week ago, but this is the first time I have seen all five at the same time.

Just popped down for an hour to see what was about and noted the following; On the meadow 126 Redshank, 83 Dunlin, 5 Greenshank, 5 Wigeon, 31 Curlew, 7 Oystercatcher, 2 Kingfisher & 1 Common Sandpiper. 4 Little Grebe on the estuary.

Two Cattle Egrets were reported from the first field just NW of Waddeton hamlet. in a field with black cattle.

The Great White Egret was feeding beside the reservoir at 11.30 am today.

Marsh Harrier (Female) seen on the Flyover side of the Marsh late morning

Our enchanting Xmas Robin at Chivenor was showing well this aft & celebrating the coming of the festive season with a good amount of vocalising almost as if it was auditioning for the Military Wives Choir!

I was surprised to see the Long tailed Duck was still at Pottington. Apologies for the slightly out of focus photo but the light was diminishing fast.

Highlight was a Merlin over the airfield. Also: 10 Gannet, 260 Skylark, 140 Linnet, 14 Yellowhammer & 12 Cirl Bunting.

I saw one great grey shrike sitting on a very prominent perch.

One sinensis ' Continental' Cormorant with 5 carbo Great Cormorants on the Mill pond this morning - the usual returning adult.

Yesterday the Yellow-browed Warbler was still around the 2nd weir at Clennon Lakes.

At the feeder - every type of Tit, Bullfinches male & Female - Great Spotted Woodpecker, Nuthatch & plenty of Squirrels. By the hide a Female Pochard Duck and 1 water Rail showed well in front of the hide

Cattle Egret - Little Egret - and a Magpie with the cow thrown in

Here a picture from Andy Swash of the hybrid. Any other suggestions?

Putative Eurasian X Chiloe Wigeon

Three Velvet Scoters flying around off Seaton this morning with four Common Scoters. Last seen flying off west. Also today Ian Mc had a Dartford Warbler from the Seaton Marshes hide, possibly the bird reported along the sea front a couple of weeks ago?

At Bowling Green Marsh today on falling tide: 10 Greylags, 2 Pintail and a putative hybrid Eurasian X Chiloe Wigeon (black barring on chest, orangey flanks and large white patch on sides of head), but no sign of American Wigeon.

Impressive wader numbers were visible from the Clyst viewpoint and the Goat Walk, including 780 Golden Plover roosting on mud towards Turf (possibly the most I've ever seen on the Exe and surely the most for some years). There were also over 500 Lapwings, c25 Knot and perhaps 500 Avocets and 1000 Black-tailed Godwits, with good numbers of Redshanks and a Greenshank. A Water Rail was along the reed fringe across the estuary.

A Cetti's Warbler gave good views by the viewing platform and 2 Redwings in one of the seeded fields near the Goat Walk included an obvious very dark, heavily-streaked Icelandic bird (coburni). A Spotted Redshank called near Goosemoor, where there was a Greenshank and another Water Rail.

SIBERIAN Chiffchaff Ph.c.'tristis'.(fulvescens plumage type)  ringed this morning. Also on site 20+ collybita 5 Goldcrests and 1 Firecrest.

Siberian Chiffchaff

Great Grey Shrike at Emsworthy this morning.

Great Northen Diver just off the pier on Sunday afternoon. Diving over the bar until chased off by jet skis.

Unidentified scoters further out in the mist.

A Yellow-browed Warbler in Beaumont Park this afternoon with 2 Goldcrests, 2 Jays and a Nuthatch.

Cracking day, great vis for looking at the sea. Present was the Black-necked Grebe just off the Memorial Car Park. Farther out 2 Great Northern Divers, Red-throated Diver and 2  Velvet Scoters. 13 Common Scoters flew south with a male Shoveler tagging along. Lots of wildfowl etc on the ley including Long-tailed Duck and redhead Goosander from the Stokeley Hide. Good to see a couple female Pochards. Other selected counts from the ley included 120 Gadwalls, 47 Wigeons, 5 Shovelers, 160 Tufted Ducks, 2 Pochards , 3 Goldeneyes and 9 Little Grebes. Would estimate 4-500 Coots. Had a look from the bridge last light where there was a Kingfisher and several calling Water Rails.

Much porpoise activity seen from the morning boat trip, to the north of and just off the end of Berry Head. One animal came extremely close to the boat, surfacing repeatedly; unusual behaviour for these normally shy animals.

A few photos from this morning's boat trip. Notable mainly for the 6 velvet scoter off Broadsands-Goodrington, and common gulls seen in several places.

  
1st winter Great Northern Diver in the fog.        5 of the Velvet Scoters                 Common Gull north of Berry Head

At least 3 Cattle Egrets in the field with the cattle and solar panels this afternoon.

After a foggy start, the sun warmed our bones as we stood on Leas Foot Beach. We quickly located the Desert Wheatear, who posed for his selfie (again) followed by the flighty Black Redstart. A trundle round South Huish Marsh didn't produce anything out of the ordinary, but I did manage to creep up on a lovely sunbathing buzzard.

  
Black Redstart                                The famous Desert Wheatear                                       Buzzard

Just adding to Simon's report the large numbers of Guillemots on the cliffs of the colony at Berry Head, 800+. 5 Common Gull and 20 + Fulmar in Torbay. very atmospheric with the mist in the bay but a good trip. 

Next trip Sunday 8th Jan 2017. if interested call 07866202576.

2 Cattle Egret early afternoon in field by entrance to Barton Farm

Had a great trip out with Nigel around Torbay, saw some great birds the best being 6 Velvet Scoters and 6 Great Northern Divers, 11 Dark-Bellied Brent Geese, 1 Eider and 8 sightings of Harbour Porpoise that came close to the boat.

  
Great Northern Diver                                                                           Velvet Scoter

On Wrafton Pond this morning a male Pochard and a pair of Gadwall.

In the reserve, a Kingfisher flew around the pond and landed briefly on a reed stem. 2 Water Rails (one seen) Chiffchaff, Goldcrest and the usual FInches and Tits. Outside the reserve a pair of Stonechats and a few more Meadow Pipits today and with them, a Water Pipit.

On the  scrape both Redshank and Black-tailed Godwit.

This is a correction to an old post.  On 24 November 2016 I posted that 24 Barnacle Geese landed on Exminster Marshes.  I am at last checking and processing all my photos from that 'flood week' on Exminster and I can now see it was actually 25.  I will submit this on the Devon Record Sheet to correct.

25 Barnacle Geese 24.11.16 Exminster Marshes

Early morning walk around Occombe proved quite fruitful. Bullfinch, Chaffinch, Green Woodpecker, 3 Goldcrest, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, a Chiffchaff, several Wren, 5 Robins, good numbers of Blue Tit & Great Tit. Jackdaws, Rooks & Carrion Crow all feeding in one field, a Song Thrush and a Jay.

This morning the Siberian Chiffchaff was again in the marsh at the back of the 1st car park with 2-3 collybita Chiffchaffs. 

On the sea: 1 Black-throated Diver, 1 Red-throated Diver, 5 Great Northern Divers, 6 Velvet Scoter, 10 Brent Geese, 1 Eider, 2 Black-necked Grebes, 5 Great Crested Grebes, 80+ auks out in the middle of the bay.  Two flocks of Common Scoter flew in and out of the bay (8 & 15).

This evening the Gull Roost contain 4 Mediterranean Gulls (1 ad w, 1 sw and 2 fw), 73 Common Gulls in three smallish flocks.  

The Surf Scoter was again off Crabrock Point Mansands this afternoon with 206 Common Scoter, 1 Velvet Scoter had been with the flock earlier. 5-6 Chiffchaffs also feeding in Reedbed at Mansands.

Should be good viewing conditions again tomorrow afternoon.

Mansands ~ Crabrock point gave a distant view of initially 160 Scoter duck, brief view of the Surf and one Velvet a further 22 flew in giving a total of 182 birds, a Guillemot close to the flock and 2 two Fulmar,

22 Meadow Pipit by the cottages, 4 Stonechat and 2 Pied Wagtails.

A Kestrel perched alongside the track near the car park, duck on the marsh included Mallard, Teal and Gadwall, four Moorhen.

And a very unseasonal sighting of a Red Admiral butterfly.

On the pool at high tide this morning - c95 Redshanks, 6 Dunlins, 29+ Curlews, 18 Shelducks & 5 Wigeon. Nearby, 2 Ring-necked Parakeets (1 blue morph) and at least one heard in a different part of the park. Also Snipe, 5 Goldcrests and Nuthatch. 

2 very active and mobile YBWarblers in Beaumont Park this morning. 1 keeping mostly to the tree tops in the trees near the north gate entrance, 1 mostly in the tree tops in the trees in the centre of the park, but both occasionally moving down to the lower branches. Vocal at times and at one point seen chasing each other and calling noisily.

I did manage to get a rubbish record shot of 1 of them.

Also seen:- a female type black redstart, a jay (a first for the park for me), a coal tit, 4+goldcrest, goldfinch, a nuthatch and B,G and LTTits.

Yellow Browed Warbler

Noting mention of singing Song Thrushes, one has been singing here in a neighbour's garden for about a week now. 

5 Cattle Egrets sighted in the cow field next to the solar farm.

Crabrock Point, Man Sands: early afternoon the imm Surf Scoter was still present, however, the Velvet Scoters present in the morning had gone, although the Common Scoter numbers had increased to 276 in two flocks (214 and 62). Also flyby Black-throated Diver heading south.

Broadsands: late afternoon. Now 12 Velvet Scoter (11 inline with Goodrington, presumably the 8 have been joined by the 3 Man Sands birds, but also another single feeding off the mussel farm). Also Red-necked Grebe, 2 Black-necked Grebes, Slavonian Grebe, 8 Great Crested Grebes, Red-throated and 3 Great Northern Divers.

Stayed on for the gull roost which included: 4 Mediterranean Gulls (1 ad, 1 2w & 2 1w), the hybrid Mediterranean x Black-headed Gull, 59 Common Culls and c1100 Black-headed Gulls.

Ringing in  the reserve this morning was slow going, but rewarded with one retrap and 2 new Chiffchaffs.

When I returned home I was moving some firewood when the beautiful sound of a singing Song Thrush put a spring in my stride!

All seven birds present today in solar panel field

At last, caught up with the Surf Scoter this morning, seen not far off Crabrock (still needed scope) with 3 Velvets and 200+ Common Scoters, slowly moving towards Scabbacombe head. Also 12 Common Gulls feeding off the Southdown side of the beach. Later while looking out of the hide with David Pakes, we saw a hang glider drift over the marsh and spook over 45+ Snipe, which flew around and up and down the valley, but alas not Jacks with them.

A quick look in a Dunsdon feeders, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 2 Great / 4 Blue / 3 Coal Tit, 1 Buzzard, 6 Fieldfare, 1 Willow and 2 Marsh Tit, 2 Robin.

Sightings for this morning, 35 Goosander 17m 18f, 23 Tufted Duck, 28 Mallard, 14 Coot, 1 Great Crested Grebe, 1 Mute Swan, 1 Willow and 1 Marsh Tit, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 1 Goldcrest,

 Was in town tonight in Exeter & noticed a huge winter roost of pied wagtails, maybe over 500 +  in 4 trees alongside Next in the High St 

The Common Scoter flock at Chiselbury Bay was the largest I have seen with 380+ birds this morning.
Also 1 RT Diver , but sadly no Velvet or rarer Scoters though. A check of the River Otter Egret roost this evening resulted in 17 Little Egrets, but no Cattle Egrets - Keep trying!

The Scoter flock still off Mansands this morning. At least 6 Velvels and the Surf amongst them. The main flock flew in from Sharkham way at 12:30 to join a smaller raft off the point that had stayed. A flock of Gannets were also active in the area.

One Yellow-browed Warbler still ranging around Beaumont Park at midday today, calling infrequently.

Quick visit this pm 106 black tailed godwits,47redshank and one greenshank,no sign of the ibis.

All Cattle Egrets and Little Egret in field at Blatchfords Farm. Disappeared over farm to bottom fields at 10.30

At 10:00 this morning sighting of a female Black Redstart around Shelley apartments in Exmouth

I forgot to post this yesterday . Glossy Ibis showing well at Fremington Pill.