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.

Viewed 1800-2100 Hrs on the lead-up to the evening high-tide.

From the viewing platform 3-Common Sandpipers, 16-Ringed Plovers, Knot, 4-Black Swans and Common Seal.

From the hide Wood Sandpiper, 2-Common Sandpipers, 2-Little Ringed Plovers, 2-Spotted Redshank, 19-Greenshank, 20-Whimbrel, 16, Bar-tailed Godwits, male Gadwall, Pintail, Barnacle Goose with large numbers Black-tailed Godwits, Curlew and Dunlin. Constant flow of Black-headed Gulls moving out towards the estuary with several hundred hirundines dropping down onto Goosemoor reedbeds for night roost and Pipistrelle Bats along the hedgerows..

Wood Sandpiper

Several Storm Petrels were feeding 100m off Combe pier with more further out. A Dark Arctic Skua & a Peregrine chased off up channel. 2 large Mola Mola & 6 Porpoise.

4 individual European Storm Petrels flying (strongly) W close in-shore 18.00-18.45; the fortunate survivors of what seems to have been quite significant number swept up the Bristol Channel by yesterday's storm.

Quick visit t 1900hrs to Wrafton Scrape revealed 1 x Wood Sandpiper, 1 x Common Sand and a Kingfisher. Moving on to Horsey Island, a mixed group of c25 Greenshank, 1 Curlew Sand, 1 Little Stint, 12 Redshank, 12 Dunlin and 5 Curlew were put up by a juv Marsh Harrier. Also, Kingfisher here as well.

21st Aug 2016 Curlew Sandpiper in line with front of hide at 0900hrs, with Dunlin and Common Sand

 Eds - please note this site is South Efford Marsh (Averton Gifford) not Efford Marsh which is in Plymouth.

Watched from 09:00 till 15:00

A good day with my first Goosander a female on the marsh, tried for over 4 hours to try and relocate the wryneck but despite searching it managed to elude me.

A good spread of waders with a wood sandpiper, 3 common sandpipers, 2 little ringed plovers and 1 ringed plover , 1 knot , 220+ dunlin, 2 spotted redshank, 3 greenshanks, 150+ redshank, good numbers of black tailed godwits with lots of juvenile amongst them , 20+ whimbrel, 1 yellow wagtail over, 12+ chiffchaffs.

whilst at the viewing platform a second wood sandpiper flew in from the east and headed towards exminster marsh.

A Swift over canal south of Exeter Quay this morning. 

Osprey flying NW passed West Sanford at 7.15 this morning

One Swift (presumed Common) hawking with House Martins over Hardwick Wood and Copse Road this afternoon.

06.30 > 09.30 - During the WeBS Core Count this morning a good number of waders were to be found on the partially flooded Horsey Island. Highlights were 32 Greenshank, 15 Knot, 2 Grey Plover (1 in summer plumage), 26 Black tailed Godwits, 2 Curlew Sandpiper, 1 Little Stint, 3 Ruff, 2 Yellow Wagtail & 4 Widgeon.

Also a Sparrowhawk by the White House.

Among an eclectic mix were: single juv Black Tern & Common Tern off Heanton/Chivenor 06.45, 1 Garganey (Sherpa Marsh), 8 Knot (feeding off Heanton), 17 Black-tailed Godwits (ditto), 2 Wood Sandpipers (Wrafton scrape), 3 Wigeon (my first of the "winter"...). Also 2 Kingfishers, 1 Wheatear.

Visiting Bowling Green Marsh this morning with the RSPB Exeter local group, we were surpised to see a Wryneck.  It was perched on the side of a bush seen through one of the gaps in the hedge (first spotted by Dave Turrell).  Unfortunately it flew off (back towards the railway embankment) before everyone had had a good look.

Also on the marsh, there was a Wood Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper and Little Ringed Plover.  Before heading off to look for the Wryneck, Keith Birchall has alerted is to a Goosander, which we eventally found in amongst the Canada Geese. Also of note were a few Bar-tailed Godwit and Whimbrel with the Curlew flock, and good numbers of Greenshank at Goosemoor.

I expect Rob will post later with his WEBs totals, suffice to say a good selection of Waders on the flood east of the White House. A Whimbrel and a Common Sandpiper out on/over the estuary.

Looking around over the river my attention was drawn to another large bird which on closer inspection was an Osprey carrying a fish, unfortunately, it flew high , then higher and off inland towards Codden Hill, at one point a Peregrine flew near it.

On the Pill near the Toll house a few Mediterranean Gulls in the Gull roost, and 2 more Common Sandpipers.

The two Wood Sandpipers and the Green Sandpiper on the scrape by the Tarka Trail.

An adult pale-phase Pomarine Skua off Northam Burrows at 18.45 (on Saturday 20th) was reported on Twitter last night by Steve McAusland and is presumably the one seen by Rob Marshall at the Skern this morning. Steve sent me a "back of the camera" shot; a nice bird with intact, if a bit tatty, spoons (unsurprising given the time of year and the stormy conditions).

Ad pale phase Pomarine skua for 5 mins at 07:20.About to film when it took off in direction of w.ho!.Also juvs little stint,curlew sand,3 sanderling,2 each of common/sandwhich terns,2 black tailed godwits,4 meds 2 ads,2 juv/fw,52 ringed plover,36 dunlin and an ad peregrine.30 min seawatch from w.ho! pier house at 06:15 gave 1 storm petrel,150+ manx shearwaters,6 ganne,distant dark phase skua?.

youtube vid -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SS7_0PxXnxc

Wood Sandpiper Bowling Green Marsh, also a cheeky Common Sandpiper. In lessening evening light. Little else of note leading up to the high tide but was getting too dark to wait until the actual high tide (birded 7pm - 8.30 pm).

Wood Sandpiper

Seawatch 11.40 - 15.15: Balearic  Shearwater 36, Manx Shearwater c100, Common Tern 11, "Commic" Tern 3, Sandwich Tern, Arctic Skua (pale phase), Black-tailed Godwit 13, Harbour Porpoise 5+ and Grey Seal 1 or 2.

Missed all the goodies reported on Birdguides by 15.45, so look forward to hearing details.

08.00-15.00: Gannet 250, Fulmar 35, Manx Shearwater 160, Balearic Shearwater 3, European Storm Petrel 1, Bonxie 2, Kittiwake 4, Lesser Black-backed Gull 35, Commic Tern 120 (in 3 distant flocks). Massive seas, but conditions blown out if anything. Surprisingly low Manx and Kittiwake numbers and few Manx after first hour. Only Gannets continued moving all day. Pretty much everything moving W into the teeth of the gale.

A young juvenile green woodpecker was on the front lawn. Photos taken from inside porch.  Flew off when two people came into the close.  Bad luck because in was getting nearer: we only get a few people pass by in the close.

Viewed over the morning high-tide.

Wood Sandpiper, 2-Green Sandpipers, 2-Common Sandpipers, 2-Little Ringed Plovers (juv + ad), Ringed Plover, 2-Spotted Redshanks, Knot, 19-Greenshank, 19-Whimbrel, Yellow Wagtail, Sparrowhawk, adult Mediterranean Gull, adult Common Gull, Pintail amongst the large numbers of usual waders.

Some video footage of all 3 sandpipers in left water channel.

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FO5fcDJNd44

Wood Sandpiper

Green Sandpiper

Little Ringed Plover

Managed to find a narrow window in the weather system this aft to digiscope the 2 Wood Sandpipers & 1 Green Sandpiper on the freshwater scrape.

10 minute jaunt in the rain to see a long awaited Wood Sandpiper and both plus a Green Sandpiper are still present and showing well on the scrape. Also Juv Marsh Harrier over Chivenor/Sherpa.

Delighted to report that here are indeed 2 Wood Sandpipers, and a Green Sandpiper on the scrape this morning.

At first light this morning a male Siskin on the garden feeders.

Driving through Berry Pomeroy gave views of a Kestrel hunting over the stubble fields. Large flock of Herring Gulls on the wing near Marldon.

On the grass above the cliffs at Ilsham, Torquay no less than 108 Greater Black Backed Gulls and numerous juvenile Herring Gulls.

Meadfoot gave three Rock Pipits.

Marine Parade at Paignton was well worth a visit with at least 11 Sandwich Tern and one Comic Tern feeding just off of the sea wall, 14 Turnstone including the regular Dutch rung bird that over winters at this location and one juvenile bird.

The Terns were being chased almost constantly by Black Headed Gulls that were trying to rob them of the fish they were catching.

Viewed over the evening high-tide.

Distant views of Wood Sandpiper seen together with 2-Green Sandpipers, 2-Little Ringed Plovers, 2-Spotted Redshanks, 18-Greenshank, Peregrine put up the large numbers of other waders and group of Sandwich Terns flew in and back out again.

Some video footage taken in poor light of the Wood Sandpiper: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UxNTR-dO0Ps

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

Little Ringed Plover

Wood Sandpiper

Kingfisher on the slipway at the Exminster - Topsham Ferry, a very welcome  sighting on our evening dog walk .

From main hide early morning one peregrine falcon,one kestrel,one grey heron ,two little egrets and one spoonbill,at least four hundred swallows and house martins with just a few sand martins mainly heading west.A nice view of a knot on the beach before it flew towards Isley.

16.30 >

2 Wood Sandpipers on R.Caen in very blustery squally conditions.

Also 213 BH Gull, 10 Med Gull, 1 Black tailed Godwit & 3 Common Sandpipers.

Seawatch from 7.05am till 11.50 in 4-5 going 6 , wind direction S/SSE/S to SW with rain, heavy at times, the highlight being a Black-Browed Albatross seen very close gliding majestically east at 8.15am.!(No signal from the Point so was unable to alert other seawatchers till returned to the village at 12.30)

Also 2 Cory's ,1 Sooty,16 Balearic Shearwaters. And 2 Arctic Skuas and 1 Bonxie. 3 Whimbrel, 27 Kittiwakes ,2 Common Scoter and 6 Fulmars made up the rest of the cast.

Sue Bruce called earlier to say there were 2 Wood Sandpipers on the scrape by the Tarka Trail. I went down and there they were, but I then looked at them again from in the reserve and I think it is one Wood and one Green Sandpiper. Will try to get down later with the scope.

Seawatch 0630-1545. Cory's Shearwater (0855), 3 Sooty Shearwaters, 62 Balearic Shearwaters, c1300 Manx Shearwaters, Long-tailed Skua, 13 Arctic Skuas, 4 Bonxie, c600 'Commic' Terns (close birds Common), 40+ Sandwich Terns, 2 Mediterranean Gulls (juvs), Little Gull, Common Gull juv, 11 Common Scoter, 3 Swift, 10+ Harbour Porpoise, 2 Grey Seal.

Quiet at Mt Batten after the fireworks. 1 ad wp Med gull, 1 wp turnstone, plus Jersey tiger and painted lady.

The Wood Sandpiper was showing well from the hide this lunchtime. Also 1 Common Sandpiper, 1 Little Ringed Plover and 1 Ruff.

18.00 >19.00. Also 1 Little Stint with the Dunlin to add to Tim's post.

Photo - Curlew Sandpiper

0630 - 1 Wood Sandpiper, 3+ Common Sand, 2 Spotted Redshank, 2 Little Ringed Plover, 7+ Whimbrel, 2 Greenshank, c50+ Dunlin, 2 Greenshank, 3 Lapwing, 2+ Bar-tailed Godwit and 2 Knot among the usual other waders. Also Water Rail and Kingfisher.

Yesterday in Exmouth - Marsh Harrier, 2 Whinchat, 5 Wigeon and juv Yellow-legged Gull.

On the high tide this evening - 104 Redshanks, 26 Curlews, Greenshank, 18 Little Egrets and a Mediterranean Gull (adult winter). Also 2 Wheatears. 

Superb birding on high tide tonight. Highlights: 12 wader spp on Horsey Island, including 3 Ruff, 3 Knot, 2 Curlew Sandpiper, 2 Turnstone, 20 Greenshank, 19 Black-tailed Godwits. With them 45 Little Egrets, 9 Grey Herons, Teal & Kingfisher. At least 10 Med Gulls overhead, incl. c.6 juvs/1st-w feeding on flying ants, 1500+ Black-headed Gulls on main channel of Taw. Gathering of 300 Swaliows, a few Sand Martins and 1 Swift over Braunton/Sherpa marshes and fock of 100+ Goldfinches.

Viewed over the evening high-tide.

Spotted Redshank, Little Ringed Plover, 3-Common Sandpipers, Knot, Avocet, 13-Greenshank, c500-Redshank, 5-Bar-tailed Godwits, c650-Black-tailed Godwits,  20-Whimbrel, c500-Curlew, c200-Dunlin, 3-Lapwing and 10-Little Egrets. Large group of Swallows moving west over the marsh.

Avocet amongst the waders

Curlew

Yesterday from the tidal road, I noted several small waders at distance down the Avon Estuary below South Efford Marsh, where I noted one little ringed plover,3 dunlin, a couple of common sandpipers and a green sandpiper, but no spotted sandpiper from the hide. So today I walked down the estuary from the tidal road, where amongst several curlew and little egrets, I counted 17 ringed plover. 1 snipe and 15 dunlin.

At Budleigh late afternoon: a nicely marked juv Yellow -legged Gull in the gull flock on the dried out scrape. A female Goosander on the river. On Otter Head:: 5 Wheatears and a White Wagtail.

Two Green Sandpipers flying around the marsh and very vocal. Also afew Reed Warblers, Whitethroats and Blackcaps. Later at Scabbacombe, Wood Warbler in small tree and Hobby after Hirundines.

Lunchtime visit to the hide. Low tide so fairly quiet. 1 Little Ringed Plover and 1 Common Sandpiper. 1 male Gadwall was amongst the Mallards.

Pleased to say that this image of a Female Stonechat has been chosen to published in the iPlymouth 2017 calendar

GWE was sighted at Velator at 1930hrs 16/8. Came out from phragmites onto grass to south of the 'pool' for 10 mins then went back into reedbed.

Hoverfly Scaeva pyrastri.

Three Wheatears spotted.

The scrapes at South Huish were inspected with the contractor today, 16 August. The contractor confirmed that the ground is sufficiently dry to bring in his plant next week, with work scheduled to start on 23 August.  He expects to take about a week to clear the vegetation from around the scrapes.  If all goes to plan, we will divert water back into the scrapes at the end of August.  The scrapes will take at least a few days to refill, depending on the weather.

Refurbishment of the Beesands hide has been completed and the hide will be open again from Wednesday 17 August.

An unusual sight of a Kingfisher being chased in circles low over the water by a mob of feeding housemartins

 3 Golden - ringed Dragonfly yesterday plus 3 Southern Hawker, 1 Common Darter, 2 Large Red and 2 Azure Damselflies.

GBBG with captured Auk.

On a small rock below Jennycliff, amongst several other cormorants, there was a cormorant with dark back and wings and a completely white underside, which seemed to extend up to its throat and possibly chin. Too distant for a good view or photo, but it was striking, looking at first like a penguin! Stayed sitting upright facing me on a rock for about 30 minutes, occasionally turning its head.

Also yesterday evening there was a juvenile turnstone on the rocks around the Mount Batten Breakwater (where they are letting off the fireworks tonight!).

Eds - Juvenile Cormorants have white underparts as described here; they gradually lose this plumage during the two years it takes them to reach maturity.

First turnstones of the autumn, incl 4 still in sp. Don't think they're going to enjoy the British fireworks competition this week.

No sign of Great White Egret in a brief walk around the marsh this morning.

18.30-21.00: 1 Great White Egret on Sherpa Marsh main scrape (18.45), seen from N bank of R Caen, but flew just around corner of reed-fringed channel and out of sight after only a minute or two. Also 1 Green Sandpiper, 16 Greenshank, 2 Black-tailed Godwits, 1 Med Gull (ad), 19 Sand Martins, 1 Wheatear, 2 Yellow Wags, 20 Meadow Pipits. And the 2 escaped Chiloe Wigeon still present...

Common Darter (Male)

Eds: this is actually Migrant Hawker!

Swallow

Seawatch 14:00-15:30 sunny with an easterly force 3-4. 2 Balearic Shearwater (so far this is looking like a very poor year for them), 25 Manx Shearwaters, 4 Mediterranean Gull ( 2 ads, 2 juv/1w), 3+ Harbour Porpoise.

Warm and bright at the lake this morning, but with enough wind to ruffle the water surface.

38 Mallard, 3 Tufted Ducks, 1 Grey Heron, 1 Kingfisher, 6 Coot,3 Great Crested  Grebe plus 1 juvenile, 1 Little Grebe, 12+ Swallows, 3 House Martins at least 10 Chaffinches., 1 Jay plus Jackdaws and Carrion Crows, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker 2 Nuthatches, Blue, Great and Coal Tits, c.10 Black headed Gulls, 3 Herring Gulls, 1 Cormorant.

Good numbers of butterflies on the wing - mostly whites and a few Speckled Woods.

Harvey Kendall & Rod Mudge..

Saturday 17th August, South Molton 20.05 17 swifts

Whilst on a walk at Bicton Park saw this dragonfly land and stay still.  (there were many about but on the move) Pity it was on a green background but is it an Emperor or a Southern Hawker?  Any experts out there? 

Eds: It is indeed Southern Hawker