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.

Watched from 17:50 till 20:35

A busy high tide with 525+ curlew, 54+ whimbrel, 392+ redshank, 1 spotted redshank, 26+ greenshanks , 264+ black tailed godwits, 7 bar tailed godwits, 17+ dunlin, 800+ black headed gulls, 12+ lapwing, 4 wigeon, 60+ mallards, 1 common sandpiper.

After a few unconfirmed sightings, thrilled to see a Spotted Flycatcher this morning hanging around 1500 year old yew Tree by St Mary's Tower. Other sighted around the Foxhole area. Also a Dab chick on nest on the lower marsh.

Watched from 17:20 till 20:15

1290+ Black headed gulls included 2 ringed birds details to be sent of , 1 1st summer Mediterranean gull, 14+ dunlin, 1 spotted redshank, 1 common sandpiper, 20+ greenshanks, 250+ redshank, 61+ whimbrel, 300+ curlew, 10+ bar tailed godwits, 250+ black tailed godwits, 2 little egrets, 2 buzzards, 6 wigeon, 20+ teal, 7+ oystercatchers.

06.20 to 07.40: Obvious continuous light passage W of Herring Gulls 103 in groups of two to five until sea fog rolled in and halted further counting. 90% adults, remainder sub-adults; no juvs. Also a handful of Lesser Black-backs and Black-headeds, also moving W. Only 70 Manx Shearwaters. Also 1 Swift, 1 Grey Wagtail, 8 Pieds.

Friend who lives between Hemyock and Clayhidon (in Devon) had a Red Kite fly east over the garden this morning. This is on the edge of the Blackdowns not far from the Wellington Monument spine road.

A large gathering of gulls off Oddicombe Beach, Torquay yesterday evening produced 10 Mediterranean Gulls: 4 Juveniles, 3 Ads,1 2nd summer, 2 1st summer 

Viewed over the evening high-tide.

From the hide Spotted Redshank, c 220-Redshank, 3-Common Sandpipers, 2-Dunlin, 23-Greenshank, 9-Bar-tailed Godwits, c 200-Black-tailed Godwits, c380-Curlew, c55-Whimbrel, c25-Oystercatchers, 9-Lapwing, adult Mediterranean Gull,  c800-Black-headed Gulls, 11-Little Egrets, Swallows and Sand Martins moving through.

From the viewing platform 31-Sandwich Terns flew down from the goatwalk calling and circling over the platform before dropping onto Bowling Green Marsh at 20:40hrs and later viewed from the hide.

Just to let everyone know that Beesands Ley is very quiet at the moment but cattle have strayed from the field on to the walkway and the ramp into the hide has been damaged by the cattle and is unsafe.  We are arranging for repairs to be carried out as quickly as possible but it may take several days before we can get a contractor down to the site.

only 40 meds tonight,12ads,13 ss,13fs,2 juv..Also little ringed plover,adult black tailed godwit,adult knot,2 ad sanderling,10 redshank,5 whimbrel.

A twist on "symbiosis!"  Found a wren's nest inside this (damaged) plastic owl ornament. (The owl being attached to a trellis on the front elevation of a house close to the village of Chittlehampton. 

06.20–08.05: Migrants included a flock of 10 Little Egrets flying E up channel and 4 Swifts E (including one far out at sea in amongst Manx Shearwaters!) Total of 790 Manx Shearwaters heading W; still going when I had to leave.

Rob Dart was out on an angling boat mid-channel (30nm+ off Devon) last two days (17-18th) and reports 1000's of Manx Shearwaters out there (they are usually a bit closer to shore). Also a couple of Balearic Shearwaters on the 17th and a Minke Whale on the 18th.

First autumn passerine migrants passing through in the shape of two Willow Warblers at West Soar. Also 8 Swifts east along the cliffs and post-breeding numbers of 140 Linnets. Great Green Bush Cricket at Starehole ponds. On Sunday evening Hobby over South Pool Creek in Kingsbridge Estuary.

A mid morning visit to Broadsands on the dropping tide gave 14 Greater Black Backed Gull, one ringed reading 6AA8 that has been recorded in previous years.

At least three Mediterranean Gulls and one possible hybrid or non adult 

Two Cirl Bunting flew across the car park, Greenfinch,  Goldfinch and a small number of House Martins.

Back home at South Brent, Green Woodpecker, Raven and Chiffchaff and yesterday gave the first Nuthatch of the year on the garden feeders.

91 med gulls tonight.59 ads,16ss,15fs,juv,.Most likely to have been more as many hundreds still anting.17:20-18:15.

15 members of DB attended the morning walk from the RSPB car park to the Viewing Point.  Low flying Swallows both young and mature came within feet as we followed the route across the fields.  A close flying Hobby and sightings of a juv. Whinchat (and possibly a second bird) were most noteworthy with young of many species listed including Reed Warbler, Goldfinch, Coot, Wood Pigeon and Canada Goose.  A single Greylag Goose and Lapwing were scoped at a distance but the scrapes were generally lacking in birds.  Reed Bunting and Whitethroat also present but most birds were keeping hidden in the hedgerows.  Thanks to Geoff Green for leading us.

An evening walk around the reserve was rewarded with the second sighting of Grey Heron this week, and then a feeding group of Gulls (must have been plenty of flying ants) included an adult Mediterranean Gull.

Over the garden this afternoon there was a mixed flock of Herring, Black-headed and Mediterranean Gulls enjoying an Ant-Fest. High above them there were 100-150 Swifts enjoying those flying ants that had transcended to a higher plane. Sadly no Hobby to complete the food chain!

Ive found this little chap 'down on the upside` next to its squashed sibling in fore street Ilfracombe I couldnt leave it 2B a HERGU's breakfast. No way of getting it back in its nest.  Ive soaked some mealworms for it but on closer inspection it has absolutly no fat on its breast at all so I'm guessing its parents have been predated & is already starving. Hopefully launch time 7.30 am.  

2 Cattle Egrets seen this morning behind the ringing hut by Keith Grant a couple of his photos here:

Morte Point @ high tide slack water, in the gaps in Sea fog,  3 Storm petrels were feeding on the static fishing gear bouy ropes. 20 manx shearwaters inc a few on the water in the tide race. 4 puffins 2 med gulls 6 gannets & a few other auks all flying west. Most of the wheatears are now feeding young.

Two Sand Martins among 30+ Swallows and c10  Swifts. On the pool, just 11 Curlews and 1 Whimbrel (21 and 3 respectively yesterday), Little Egrets now up to 14 and a Mediterranean Gull (a tatty 1st ie 2nd cy) bird with the Black-headed Gulls which included 3 juvs. A pair of Shelduck with 5 juvs and another adult with 1 juv.

The Med' Gull overflew my house (Mount Gould) later and two others (ad and 2nd-s / 3rd cy) were over here yesterday "anting".

This mornings boat trip out of Brixham into Lyme bay going 6 miles out gave us sightings of Sunfish, 96 Manx Shearwater, 1 Fulmar, 2 Gannet and the usual Herring and Great Black backed Gull. 3 Harbour Porpoise.

If interested call 07866202576, we run every Sunday morning

Watched from 15:00 till 18:15

A good afternoon with 1 spotted redshank among 300+ redshank , 12+ greenshanks, 8+ common sandpipers,  1 green sandpiper, 420+ curlew, 61+ whimbrel, 9 bar tailed godwits, 200+ black tailed godwits, 10+ little egrets, 4 oystercatchers, 300+ black headed gulls.

10 common sandpiper last night visible at end of tidal road 

30 plus  RINGNECK PARAKEET in Central Park

1 juv Yellow-legged Gull following trawler in toward Brixham at 7pm. 1 Yellow Wagtail flying around headland and grounded briefly, 1 Yellowhammer (normally passage at Berry Hd). a Pod of 30-40 fast moving Dolphins(probably Common) 2 miles SE of the head and 2 Harbour Porpoise of the headland 

52 med gulls on rocks behind cricket ground.40 ads,6ss,6fs17:00-17:30

Sightings for this morning done in very heavy mizzle.

1 Willow Tit juv (car park), 1 Nuthatch, 3 Greenfinch, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker (m) juv, 2 Coal Tit, 2 Willow Warbler, 1 Sedge Warbler, 4 Great Crested Grebe (one on a nest), 8 Tufted Duck, 3 Canada, 1 Kingfisher, 1 Cormorant, 1 Grey Wagtail juv, 1 Blackcap, 2 Swallows.

3 juvenile Yellow-legged Gulls two on the beach one on the boating lake