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.

First churring Nightjar at 21.38.  First Nightjar on the wing 21.44.  2 males and 1 female in flight,  individually and all together.  Some wing clapping and perching out in the open.  2 other birds churring from cover in just the small area that I visited. 

On the way home, a Tawny Owl on a telegraph pole along Claddon Lane, Maidencombe.   

Nearly matched rogers total of med gulls last night with 93  this evening with no doubt different birds as the first juveniles appearing.55 ads 7 2s,24 fs and 7 juvs.17:15-18:45.

Not often seen Female Dartford Warbler on Dartmoor

Eds - its actually a juvenile (so could still be a juv female!)

Juvenile Yellow-legged Gull Brixham this evening, just north of Astra Zenica car park with several juvenile Herring Gulls

. 

Yellow-legged Gull - juv                                              Left Herring Gull juv, right Yellow-legged Gull juv            

Lots of Linnets and Yellowhammers at Aylesbeare yesterday and lovely if fleeting views of a Dartford Warbler.A Carrion Crow killed and ate a duckling at Darts Farm....hard to watch. Egret lifting a stone on the Clyst near the Bridge Inn....interesting behaviour.

As regular visitors will know, Dawlish Warren is in the midst of a extensive programme of sea defence and beach works. This programme has now reached the area known as "The Neck". This means there is currently No Access to the Bird Hide or Warren Point. This situation may last for a couple of weeks. Safety Marshalls will on duty at both dune path (groyne 9) and Beach (groyne 6). 

The rest of the reserve is open as usual.

Our apologies if this affects your visit, for more information visit the Environment Agency website (Dawlish Warren Beach Management Scheme). We will keep you posted.

Dawlish Warren NNR Rangers

Mediterranean Gull numbers continue to increase on the Skern. At pm high tide there were 97, of which the highest proportion were breeding plumage adults. A few in juvenile plumage, and some already moulted out into first winter. Otherwise 100 + Black-headed Gulls including 4 juveniles. The only wader was an Oystercatcher.

Nightjar calling briefly at 4pm near obelisk. 

Couple of white admirals also present. 

First thing this morning trying to get pictures of swifts in flight when this sequence of pics happened. A swift and House Sparrow clashing, never seen it before and after talking with Mike Langman could well be sparrow defending nest site. 

At least 30 med gulls.16 ads,6 ss,8fs.Could have been more as most birds were lying down so heads were partially obscured. 17.30-18.15.

A large amount of swifts are swarming way up high over Ilfracombe. Could be 500 + birds.  

A quick check of the beaches this morning:

Broadsands: 5 Mediterranean Gulls (2 fs, 2 ss 1 ad)

Goodrington: 2 Mediterranean Gulls (1 ad 1 ss) and noted my first fledged juvenile Herring Gull on the beach (early) - beware any Yellow-legged Gull watchers! 

A morning spent laying the stone on the track ways was rewarded with a wander around the reserve. A pair of Green Woodpeckers sitting on the fence posts and a family of Jays.

A really good showing of Marbled Whites, Meadow Browns, Ringlets, Large Skippers and Small Copper butterflies. Several dragonflies and damsels around including Golden ringed and Ruddy Darter and apossible Southern Hawker.

Kayak trip Plymouth sound to Eddystone (and back)

2 Storm Petrel (both 9 miles offshore)

8 Sandwich terns

11 common Scoter

c90 Manx Shearwater, all in small groups

1 interview with UK Border Force, 7 miles offshore, the first kayak they have stopped!

regards Rupert

18 Curlews, Mediterranean Gull (adult summer), 3 juvenile Black-headed Gulls, 9 Little Egrets, 2+ Green Woodpeckers including a juvenile (my first here for some time) and Great Spotted Woodpecker. 

2016 Dawlish Warren Ring Recovery Report

This report has recently been uploaded onto the Dawlish Warren website. It’s a detailed account of Lee’s efforts during last year and worthy of posting something on the DBWPS website in acknowledging his work in this field of birding

Here is the link-

http://www.dawlishwarren.co.uk/2016%20Dawlish%20Warren%20ring%20report.pdf 

One of the aims of writing such a report in his own words is to promote an aspect of birding neglected by many and encourage others to find and submit discoveries of birds found.

Driving on Seaton Road between A3052 and the Hare and Hounds had clear sight of a single Red Kite flying round, along with several Buzzards.

The summer plumaged Spotted Redshank was at Goosemoor this lunchtime.

Work has started on digging out the scrape in front of the hide at BGM and will continue for the next couple of weeks.

My photos of the med gull seen from the boat just off Berry Head yesterday show that the colour ring is unfortunately damaged. It appears to read 2E1 followed by a damaged numeral, 6 or 8 (more likely 8 as far as I can see).

 
Med gull, summer adult                  Med gull, detail of colour ring

Ed. - Med Gull with Yellow 2E1? will be Irish ringed, might be worth contacting Sean Kingston (email is medgullring 'at' gmail.com) with photos - he might be recognise it.

Just to add to Nigel & Simon posts. Whilst looking at photos from Sundays boat trip I had a photo of the Med Gull we say as it took off. It was ringed metal on right leg, yellow with black letters on left- all can make out is either F or E1? Anyone info appreciated. Also amazing how close to water Shearwaters fly! 

  
Med gull taking off                           Med gull rings                             Manx Shearwater

Some photos from todays trip - most notable was the close storm petrel, photograph able in calm conditions at last. An adult summer plumage Mediterranean gull just off Berry Head on the way back in was a nice surprise to end on.

 
Storm petrel

Here's some pics from a very successful boat trip with Nigel out into the bay

  
Manx Shearwaters                                Storm Petrel                                 Mediterranean Gull

This morning was the first of the Lyme Bay boat trips in beautiful sunny calm conditions. A very good trip with 30+ Common Dolphin around the boat to start. Other sightings 32 Manx Shearwater, 2 Balearic Shearwater, 27? Shearwater, 1 Storm Petrel, Skua sp, Gannet, 60 Guillemot, 1 Razorbill and a Med Gull. While I was chumming a small shark came a took some of the fish parts. Some pictures will be posted later by people on the trip. Running every Sunday morning, last trip 2nd September. Contact number  if interested 07866202576 

Two Cattle Egret resting on estuary below DB hide on east side at 11.00 hrs.  Unfortunately they took off with flock of gulls and I lost sight of them.  Probably gone up Otter valley but may still be around south of Whitebridge. 

Otherwise not a lot around and the scrapes have greened over with only small pools of water left.  A few Black headed and Gt Black-backed Gulls on the estuary.

In with 170 Canada Geese today were 5 white domestics and one Barnacle Goose.

2 juvenile Wheatear, 1 male Redstart with 1 juvenile, 2 pairs of Stonechat feeding juveniles. . Pair of Swallow

  
Juvenile Wheatear                         Juvenile Redstart

High tide roost this lunchtime on the Plym:

7 Grey Heron, 5 Cormorant, 1 Greenshank. 9 Shelduck on the river, including 2 fledglings.

Blaxton meadow: 10 Little egret, 16 Curlew, 60 Black headed gull, 1 adult Mediterranean gull in breeding plumage, 2 Buzzards overhead.