During the ongoing Coronavirus outbreak the use of Devon Birds bird hides should be in line with Government guidelines to individuals on how to protect themselves.

Please follow NHS guidelines: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/social-distancing/what-you-need-to-do/

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This page was initially set up to give a concise news summary of birds of interest seen in Devon. Anyone noting interesting species, passage and counts could post the details to inform other birders what was going on around the county. Photos could also be added for interest and to enliven the posts. It was accepted that because other wildlife was of interest, this would also appear especially when included in a birding post.

However, in the last year, more posts have been appearing purely on subjects other than birds. Whilst of interest to some observers, this is detracting from the aim of the pages, i.e. principally bird sightings.

Devon Birds has therefore taken the decision to require contributors of other wildlife to post this in the Other Wildlife subject. However it’s accepted that occasional, exceptional, other wildlife seen during a birding outing justifies inclusion in the bird sightings post. This should, however, be a minor part of the post.

Photos are often appearing as a gallery, or even acting as a personal photo blog, rather than of county-wide sightings of interest. Devon Birds has a Gallery which members and other birders are welcome to submit their often stunning photos to, for others to see. Many of these photos need not then appear on this page. From now on, only two photos per post will be accepted to help keep posts more concise.

Devon Birds very much welcomes posts that already meet these criteria and those that will continue to do so. It would also be great to widen the input from keen birders who currently don’t contribute, including some old friends who have dropped out. Hopefully the changes will encourage wider participation, so if you look at the site but don’t post, please consider doing so.

Our aim is to provide a concise daily news summary of bird sightings around Devon, and these changes should fulfil this goal.

Below is a summary of the changes:

• Bird News (bird sightings of interest, with added occasional other wildlife) will be the default subject when visitors arrive at this page.
• Other Wildlife posts therefore won’t initially be shown unless visitors click Other Wildlife under Subjects on the right-hand side.
• Only two photos can now be submitted per post.
• General bird photos should be posted in our Gallery please.
• Co-authors should now only use the Submit a Blog Post form, to ensure a more consistent format for posts.

The deadline for the 2019 Bird Report is rapidly approaching. If you found (or saw) any of these birds please could you submit a description to recorder@devonbirds.org to ensure your records are published. Many thanks. 

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 med gulls this evening.3 ads,3fs 18.30 

Another hot one with the first High Brown Fritillary on the wing at 06:25. Birds included: 3 singing Garden Warblers; at least 2 singing Tree Pipits; a singing Whitethroat; a singing Yellowhammer.

                High Brown Fritillary                         Dark Green Fritillary                             Dark Green Fritillary

An evening walk along the Dart produced 5-6 Grey Wagtails, 2 Dippers, numerous Swallows, Swifts, Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Song Thrush, Mallard, Wren, House Sparrows, Greenfinch, Jackdaws,Chaffinch, Blackbirds and several Goldfinch.

Red Kite circled over Yelverton this afternoon.  (Mike Beales)

dozen swifts over Whipton Exeter

Red Kite circling over the new solar farm at Moreleigh ( South Hams ) 16:20 pm.

Sitting in my back garden at Bovey Tracey, at 17.20, alerted by the cries of Herring gull - flying low over the garden came a peregrine clutching a downy gull chick with two adul tgulls in pursuit. Not something you see every day!

Just seen a Red Kite circling on a thermal above County Hall, Topsham Road, Exeter. Then it headed off eastwards.

The summer plumaged Spotted Redshank was showing well for a while this lunchtime. It flew to Goosemoor briefly before settling back down out of sight in the far right hand corner of the marsh. 1 juv Black-headed Gull in amongst the adults.

Herring Gull around the University that got me going a bit today as it had one white wing so from one side looked like a Glaucous/Iceland. Then as it turned, the other side was normal. Just as a word of caution to Plymouth birders!

Red Kite 8-30am high over the valley but some lovely photos.

Just to add to Mark's earlier post the Great White Egret flew back onto BGM at 20:45 then chased out again by Grey Heron with good views from the viewing platform on the Clyst estuary before heading back towards BGM again after 21:04 but unable to relocate. Also fs Mediterranean Gull and male Pochard in BGM and sp Spotted Redshank from viewing platform.

                      Great White Egret on Clyst estuary                             Great White Egret flying into BGM

One red kite flying low over shirwell.

Red kite,, behind Barn owl pub/kingskerswell bypass...11.09am.. Heading towards Abbotskerswell

spotted redshank full s/plum med gull 2nd winter/is sandwich tern 8 

It was fairly quiet this lunchtime at Bowling Green Marsh until a Great Egret dropped in at about 2.05. It was still there when I left about 2.25. Black-headed Gull numbers are starting to build up. A male Pochard also. 

Yesterday lunchtime a group of at least 7 Sandwich Terns dropped in.

From just after 11pm for the last two nights I have been hearing a loud churring call from a bird flying around the house and across Hillside, my Barn owls in particular have been calling and responding to this bird which I assumed was an owl possibly a Little owl but could not identify the call it was making which was a richer more vibrant chur than that of a Nightjar.

Tonight I was all set to try and identify it and sure enough it arrived around 11.10pm flying well above the tree tops which are over 15m I managed to get a lamp on it twice as it circled around and it is a Barn owl, the first one I have seen from home.

Now that I know what it is I am of to bed ....

Both female juveniles have now fledged, with the second one leaving the nest this morning.

Cycled via Plym Bridge to Princetown and back via Burrator. A total of 19 Wheatears, 3 Marsh Tits, 2 female Mandarin Ducks each with 2 ducklings, Spotted Flycatcher, 6 each of Siskins and Lesser Redpoll, Dipper, 3 Grey Wagtails, Great Spotted Woodpecker, 2 Cuckoos heard, 3+ Tree Pipits, Reed Bunting and 2 juv Peregrines with an adult at the Cann Quarry nest watch point.

Sorry about the late post but at the weekend at about 10:30 pm - 11:30 pm was 1 or possibly 2 nightjars 'churring' at Kennick Reservoir (one of the Hennock Reservoirs). We where told that they will call between 11:00 pm and 3:00 am most nights.

3 red kites hanging out on the thermals in the Umborne valley as I type (2.50pm) .  1 flew by on Friday and must have told his friends ! 

Two red kites over village at 11.45 today.

11.15 this morning, a solitary Red Kite wafted serenely high over Combe Martin (1000ft), floating gently eastwards.

Tawny Owl just appeared in the garden tonight. Have heard them before but not seen them.

                                            Tawny Owl

Spent a pleasant couple of hours on Ideford Common looking for Nightjars. Around 21.45pm the churring started and by 22.30pm we had counted 5 in total. Plenty of wing clapping and whistling. One flew very close and around us, then perched on the very top of a nearby tree and. churred for a good while. A very magical experience, thanks to the generosity of Mark Bailey with his spot on directions 

Friday 16th:

Red Kite at 14:00 circling between Winkleigh and Brushford, seen from the B3220.

Later another Red Kite circling above north end of Copplestone, seen 17:00 from the A377.

A pair of wheatear with four young two of each. A visit from a peregrine and sadly a herring gull with a broken wing.

                   Wheatear                                         Herring Gull                                            Peregrine

Red Kite over Sourton Down by the A30 at 1000hrs this morning.

Took the cycle track from Plymouth to Clearbrook and back this morning. Two Spotted Flycatchers, 3 Marsh Tits, 4+ Lesser Redpolls, 5 Mandarin Ducks with 2 ducklings, 5 Siskins, Blackcaps and Bullfinches both feeding young, a male and juv Grey Wagtail, 4 Tree Pipits and adult plus one juv Peregrine at the Cann Quarry nest watch point.

Saw this Kingfisher this morning at Mansands, this is normally a winter visitor, first time I've seen one at this time of the year! Also Cetti's Warbler still singing and quite afew Reed Warbler around the reeds by the beach.

Three birds heard churring just before dark last evening at Stover country park, several sightings of individual birds.

Red Kite over Mamhead Obelisk car park 1348 hrs

Red Kite over the A381 at North Park Corner between Harbertonford and Halwell at 1.45pm, heading west.

Red Kite over at 1300