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.

6 bearded tit (inc. at least 2 Males) at 10.00AM, showing very well in reedbed closest to the River Clyst (heard in same place 08/12/17)... also 6 Greenshank, 34 Snipe, 7 Avocet, Kingfisher, 3 Cetti's warbler, 7 Water rail...

Male Goosander with 5 shelduck and 6 mallard in River Taw, near Sticklepath at 3pm. 

Looking toward Goodrington from Broadsands produced the following: 1 Red-necked Grebe, 1 Black-necked Grebe, 19 Great Crested Grebes, 1 Great Northern Diver, 1 Red-throated Diver, 13 Common Scoter. Over toward Paignton 800+ Gannets diving and on Harbour Porpoise.

In the Marsh at Broadsands 1 Firecrest 2 Chiffchaff & 1 Water Rail.

What a terrific morning on Marine Parade, Preston, Paignton, cold but full of surprises. A huge flock pof gannet feeding out in the bay  on anchovy's? same as last year, one unknown shearwater diving among them, also one great northern diver and an unknown grebe which I'm sure someone will be able to identify as well as another unknown bird flying overhead. Top cap it all there were also two seals just off the shore plus about 8 or 10 oyster cathchers and the same number of turnstones feeding around my feet. Just goes to show you don't have to travel far for excitement.

In the garden in Exmouth parakeet feeding on nut feeder 9.45 am Thurs 14th December,  not seen one in 20 years in exmouth

1 Firecrest, Bossell Park, Buckfastleigh this afternoon; in the same small maple tree as last week's Yellow-browed Warbler.

Must be spring - Great Tits have been calling the last few days' although I didn't see any today. Cetti's  Warbler calling too. A Kingfisher has been in the reserve the last couple of days. Out on the scrape today a Shelduck a Water Pipit and a Greenshank. No Godwits.

On the pool at high tide - 54 Curlews, 8 Oystercatchjers, 3 Greenshanks & c130 Redshanks. On the estuary, Common Sandpiper, Kingfisher, 20 Grey Herons and c100 Dunlins.

17 Goosanders - 7 male and 10 female types this lunchtime. 1 male Tufted Duck. 1 Great Crested Grebe.

I met up with Simon Tonge in Paignton Zoo this morning to look for a Yellow-browed Warbler that has been present on the Howler Monkey Island and lakes around the area since Friday last week. The bird showed very well after about 30 mins - but no calls. Apparently it has been calling in the mornings and evenings. The island is opposite the hot houses and restaurant just over the board walk as you exit the shop and entrance.  

Eight female goosanders together  this morning at 0.800.

Two Hawfinch in tree tops for half an hour in St Thomas Churchyard on Cowick Street, Exeter. Also 9 Greenfinch, 8 Redwing & a few Chaffinch 

Feeding on sunflower hearts in our Stoke Rivers garden.

A flock of well over a hundred Reed Bunting a few hundred yards north of Woodbury Castle at midday. 

From Oyster Cove, 10 Common Scoter. From Preston Seafront 13 Great Crested Grebe in a raft, snoozing, 2 Great Northern Divers hunting very close to shore, 20+ Gannet, 8 Razorbiills, one of which was nearly all white with just black head markings. Unusual. Very good flat sea today.

Just one Hawfinch visible at the top of the pylon ride this morning, close to the Belvedere to Trusham road. Later, 25 Crossbills feeding in larches and pines near the first gateway on the right down the Chudleigh road. I checked calls and as many of the feeding birds as possible through the scope, but sadly none of them sounded or looked like Parrot Crossbills! One immature male (see below) had faint pale wing bars.

Male Hawfinch                                                     Immature male Common Crossbill with pale wing bars

Good numbers today highlight being 63 Yellowhammer. Also: 4 Snipe, Sparrowhawk, 230 Woodpigeon, 440 Skylark, 17 Song Thrush, 160 Rook, 93 House Sparrow, 200 Linnet & 4 Reed Bunting.

On the River Yeo walk at Crediton between Fordton and Salmonhutch: 2 goldfinch charms, lots of blue tits. Very close views of c.30 redwings along the length of lane between railway crossing at Great-Parks Farm, Fordton and the first river field aka: Bullmarsh field (SX 83490 99200). Some redwing and 2 fieldfare were spotted along with blackbirds feeding in the fields north side of path by River Yeo (SX 83150 99105).

10 members attended the last of our East Devon Branch field meetings this year and 20 later sat down to Christmas lunch.  In spite of the cold and poor light a good number of birds were found. Highlights being c300 Golden Plover and c130 Lapwing in the fields near the A30, (south east of Escot, a traditional area for these species).  Redwings were present in hundreds and a lesser number of Fieldfare in The Orchard.  A distant raptor was believed to be a  Peregrine and 3 Stock Dove flew over.

Geoff Green, our Branch Chairman wished everyone a Happy Christmas and on behalf of Geoff and the Branch Committee, could I thank everyone for supporting our Branch in 2017.  The 2018 Programme of fieldtrips and other events is now to be found on the Devon Birds website if you go to 'News' > Branch Events.

Happy Christmas from me also. 

One of the Siberian Chiffchaffs is still around today present on the stream down below the lower lake, at least 9 'collybita' Chiffchafs also present, 1 Firecrest and 6 Goldcrest. 

6 Brambling feeding with 4 chaffinch on leaf litter 08.15, on verge immediately on left as you come out of sports centre onto the main road.

The marshes were impressive, especially for waders, over this morning's high tide, probably including some refugees from Dawlish Warren, where the strong winds must have made it an unpleasant place to roost. There were 60-65 Grey Plover, c25 Bar-tailed Godwits and 12 Knot - I think the first Knot I've ever seen here. James Diamond had counted over 1000 Black-tailed Godwits and 500 Dunlin, plus there were lots of Lapwings, a few Golden Plover, dozens of Redshanks and Curlews and a single Ruff (which was also present last Wednesday). c30 Pintail was a good total for the marshes (the estuary towards Lympstone must have been very choppy today). Brent Geese were up to c300. Not surprisingly, small birds were keeping low, though 2 Cetti's Warblers showed themselves briefly.

2 Jack Snipe, 2 Snipe, 7 Oystercatchers, 110+ Dunlins, 27 Shelducks, 4 Greenshanks and a Green Woodpecker. 

Doing WEBS survey on River Dart this morning, there was a Spoonbill with the Herons on the beach on opposite bank to the entrance of Bow Creek. 

Firecrest seen in the Richer Sounds car park, Exeter Street.11a.m.

Seen in trees just south of the "Go Ape" zip wires. 6 seen reports from other birders were of up to 30.

Video - 

https://youtu.be/4hyHeY40deM

Common Crossbill                                              Common Crossbill

One firecrest in the garden this morning. Two were seen on 30/11. One on the 26/11 and two on the 25/11. 

A pair of Goosanders at the top end early afternoon plus 3 Little Grebes. Also 3 Goldcrests.

After a 2 hour search in the cemetery and just about to give up, the Female Black Redstart showed very well for about half an hour then disappeared again, no signs of the Male. No Redwings and a few Gold crests amongst the usual Tits ect.

As Christmas is coming and it's so mild,I cut the grass in the garden today,  plenty of birds, blackbirds, great tits, blue tits Marillow tits ( not sure. Which) as my identity skills are not that finely honed.chaffinch,greenfinch, goldfinch, dunnock, wren, Robins,  mistle thrush and best of all for me 3 female bullfinch and singular male pheasant and woodpidgeon.

From Broadsands: 1 Red-necked Grebe (flushed by the Brixham rowing boat which went in close to Elberry Cove, the grebe headed back toward Preston), 3 Black-necked Grebes, 13 Great Crested Grebes, 2 Black-throated Divers (between Goodrington and Broadsands), 1 Red-throated Diver (Goodrington), 13 Common Scoter (off Roundham Head), 8 Shelduck, at least 12 Great Northern Divers in Torbay at the moment mostly between Goodrington and Broadsands.

Also at Broadsands in the 2nd car park 21 Cirl Buntings on seed, 1 Reed Bunting, 2 Firecrest, & 3 Chiffchaff. 

Both myself and Matt have been keeping an eye on the Crossbills on Woodbury and Bicton Commons for a few weeks. We have both noted some deeper sounding calls but have only had fly over sightings or sightings of common Crossbill. However yesterday I finally came across 6 perched on a tree top and was instantly drawn to a female that looked to have a larger head. The views were distant so I slowly edged nearer. Got to a point that I knew I could have good views. Scanned with bins first and noted the larger lower mandible too. So set my scope up and was able to get a positive ID as a Parrot Crossbill. I don’t own a camera so was just putting my phone up to the scope and they flew. The area in question is the Uphams plantation. This is located as follows. From Four firs cross to Yettington road. The second car park on the left (the first one is for the model airplane area). Once in the car park head north and the plantation is just after you go down and up a dip in the path. The birds were on the first fir tree on the plantation you come to and flew towards the aircraft car park.

Blackcap.m. and Goldcrest in the garden both enjoying the fat blocks.

In the creek Greenshank and Redshank.

A walk around this underwatched part of NE Devon this afternoon produced 8+ Crossbill, feeding on a very good crop of cones.

Upper Tamar Lake this morning,
1 Little Egret, 1m Goosander, 5 Great Crested Grebe, 4 Cormorant, 3 Grey Heron, 2 Snipe, 2 Redwing,, c150 Canada Geese.

Lower Tamar Lake,
9 Goosander 6m 3f, 9 Tufted Duck, 10 Great Crested Grebe, 2 Grey Heron, 1 Cormorant.

Back to reality after India - quite a few birds on the pool at high tide. Wigeon 6, Common Sandpiper 2, Kingfisher, Redshank c130, Dunlin 30+, Curlew 52, Greenshank 4, Little Grebe 6, Grey Heron 14 and female Red-crested Pochard.

Approximately thirty redwings and one fieldfare feeding on hawthorn berries on cyclepath between racecourse and railway line. Plus good views of kingfisher from canal bridge.

1Spoonbill at the mouth of Fremington Pill at 4pm.  5 Little Egrets flew over the Pill.