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.

Just a few additions to Mark's post to complete the day at Berry Head from 17.20 to 19.40. One Great shearwater (19.10), 54 Manx Shearwater,1 Balearic Shearwater, 2 Arctic Skuas,12 Common Scoter, 2 Med. Gulls. Both Risso's Dolphin were seen again close in at 19.05. Thanks Mark for putting me on to them when seen earlier.

Group of 5 Goosander redheads preening & resting on sandy strip near to Otter Head, around 2100 hrs, apparently unperturbed by late walkers & dogs.  

05:20-17:20 (12hrs) species with updated totals from below: 181 Cory's Shearwaters, 82 Great Shearwaters, 6 large Shearwater sp., c4000 Manx Shearwaters, 6 Great Skuas, 4 Arctic Skuas, 22 European Storm-petrels, 45 Common Scoter, 7 Goosander / RB Merganser (fem/imm types too distant  to tell). Balearic Shearwater were very scarce for this time of year and optimum conditions with only 5 seen.  A single Risso's Dolphin continued to feed off the headland after the sea calmed down (one of the two earlier).

In a Devon context it was the 3rd highest Great Shearwater count and 4th highest Cory's Shearwater count, however, the views of some birds were exceptional. Photos below only with 300mm lens, zoomable if you click on them.

Cory's (bottom left), Great (top left) and Manx (bottom right) Shearwaters

Great Shearwater

Cory's Shearwater

7  med gulls,4ad,1ss,1fs,juv.Just about to leave when i noticed a movement on beach which turned out to be a family party of little ringed plovers mum,dad and 1 baby17:00-17:50.

In addition to Perrys' sightings, 2 Balearic Shearwaters, 2 Sooty Shearwaters, 1 Bonxie, 1 juv Yellow-legged gull, 1 Whimbrel and 1 Storm Petrel.

Seawatching 05:45 - 11:45:

7 Cory's Shearwaters, 5 Great Shearwaters, 10 large shearwater sp., 1127+ Manx Shearwater, 4 Arctic Skua, 1 Great Skua, 16 Common Tern, 46 Kittiwake, 88 Common Scoter and 6 Whimbrel.

During a clearance in the weather this aft cycled along the Toll Rd to Horsey. It was certainly worth the time & effort with 2 early Spoonbills feeding then resting with the incoming tide.No colour rings on these two.

Fantastic Seawatch for those that braved the weather.. 0520-14.20hrs Highlights: 164 Corys Shearwaters, 81 Great Shearwaters, 5 Sooty Shearwaters, 4 Balearic Shearwaters, 3,500+ Manx Shearwaters,  20+ Storm-petrel, 1 Puffin, 5 Great Skuas, 2 Arctic Skuas,3 Mediterranean Gulls, 2-3 juv Yellow-legged Gulls, 2 Risso's Dolphins good numbers of Harbour Porpoise.

Video link of one of the Cory's Shearwaters..  https://youtu.be/Htl3lHYo2fg 

Video link of one of the Great Shearwaters.. https://youtu.be/E2IOhSg-3gg 

Strong S-SW, heavy rain from 13:30.

Great seawatch 08:15-13:00. Good nos. of large shearwaters south ie 82 Cory's and 21 Greats. Also a small number not specifically id. Good passage of Manx Shearwaters through the morning otherwise just one Arctic Skua.

1350hrs.  today spotted Sparrowhawk on a chimney top at Seaton Avenue, Mutley, Plymouth.

Quite quite on the bird front at Berry Head today. This is what we saw: herring and great black-backed gulls, feral pigeons, swifts, pheasants, linnets, cormorants/shags, stonechat(s), corvids, magpies and gannets. Some reports of harbour porpoise but we didn't get to see them and also an early emerging gatekeeper!

On a falling tide this evening, 8 Greenshank feeding in the little bay on the right by the stone sea wall, in company with a few Redshank and a couple of Curlew. Female Sparrowhawk in the trees, but throat seems surprisingly pale. Apologies for the poor quality photos, just a basic digital! 

And another juvenile Yellow-legged Gull with a juvenile Herring Gull for comparison on rocks at Preston Seafront.

40 pluss ringneck parakeet central park inc 2 blue 

A Whimbrel was feeding on the beach this morning. Also a female Redstart was around the coastguard cottages and a Willow Warbler was by the hide. There are still plenty of Reed Warblers about and the Cetti's is still singing. On the marsh, just afew Mallards and Moorhens and 7 Gadwalls. 

A male Siskin appeared in the garden (Exwick) for around five minutes feeding on the Niger seed. A first for the garden, usually swarmed by Golfdinches and House Sparrows. Have read that Siskins are more likely to be seen in gardens following wet weather perhaps explaining this new visitor.

A good showing of gulls today with a juv Yellow-legged Gull (scarce here - record shots attached) and 5 Mediterranean Gulls (ad-s, 2nd-s, 1st-s and 2 juvs). Also - Shag, 3 Whimbrels, 2 Dunlins, 30 Curlews, Stock Dove, Grey Wagtail and 5 Little Egrets.

Yellow-legged Gull, juv

Yellow-legged Gull, juv

Yellow-legged Gull, juv

2 juvenile Yellow-legged Gulls on the beach at Goodrington. (bird on right - note small white notches on tertial feathers, just above the wing tips, not a common feature on juv Y-lG)

Broadsands:

3 Mediterranean Gulls on beach (2 ad s & 1 juv), off the beach two groups of Common Scoter totaling 35.

Sitting in my garden in Brixham last night about 9.20 to 9.40 I was treated to a formation flying display by 17 Swifts and it was spectacular. They flew in close formation, even better than the red arrows, then in the end flew very high and vanished into the clouds. Sorry no pictures was busy watching them!!!

Ringing in the reserve this morning was productive, especially if you (like me) like Blackcaps!. We ringed 18, all but one were juveniles, plus a retrap and two singing males present still. Also ringed: 3 Treecreepers, 2 Sedge Warblers, 7 Goldcrests, 6 Chiffchaffs, 4 Reed Warblers, and a very recently fledged Song Thrush - this may be from a third brood - they've been singing for months now and the male was still singing today!

This evening I cycled down the Toll Road to the flood, entertainment was provided by some plonker who had managed to get his 4WD stuck in the mud by the scrape! A tractor duly arrived and hauled it out. Sadly this disturbed most of the birds, but present were 9 Little Egrets, 18 Redshank, 10 Black-tailed Godwit, 3 Greenshank, 15 or so Dunlin, 5 Curlew, and a Ruff.

At the Plym Estuary & Saltram this morning: 2 Mediterranean Gulls (adults), Kingfisher, Whimbrel, 26 Curlews, 9 juv Black-headed Gulls, 7 Little Egrets and 50+ Swifts. Also lots of Gatekeepers and a Roe Deer (doe).

This afternoon, 4+ White-letter Hairstreaks in Central Park (record shot below). Also a selection of other butterflys including Holly Blues and Commas and a Peregrine over.

Yesterday, a Mediterranean Gull amongst the Black-headeds after flying ants over my house (Mount Gould).

White-letter Hairstreak

6 young Herons on the scrape,near the hide plus 4 little egrets,4 young sedge warblers,little flock of common sandpipers on beach area on the tide,got pics but not good.Goldcrest,greenfinch,linnets, stonechat and a seal feeding on the entrance to the river. Butterflies,red admiral, peacock,comma,burnet,small skipper,gatekeepers and emperor dragonflies.

Thanks to Jonathan for photo of one of the Otter "redheads". The pic looks just like our two birds and I'm happy to accept his identification as Goosanders. 

A few more pics from this mornings trip. You never appreciate how small Storm Petrels are till you see them next to other sea birds. Another great trip.

Storm Petrel between Fulmars

Plenty of butterflies showing at Ford Park Cemetery today, the best being the Marbled White, the rarer Small Copper (variety ab. caeruleopunctata) along with Gatekeepers, Large Whites, Burnets, Ringlets and more

The swallows have fledged a brood from a nest behind a ladder on the harbour wall, on the north side of the Fish Market. The nest is only about a metre above high water mark - the second year they have successfully nested here. Nearby, a brood of house martins look about ready to leave a nest under the eaves of the yacht club (close to the flagstaff) - view from the path behind the fish market..

  
Swallow family party (2nd juv. was on fence above)            House Martin nest

Some of the birds from this morning's trip out of Brixham. For a while we had 2 bonxies both mobbing the gulls.

  
Bonxie (Great Skua)                              Manx Shearwater                         Storm Petrel

Heres some pics from the trip out with Nigel, Iam sure there will be more from others to follow?

 
Great Skua                           Fulmar

bius

This mornings trip out of Brixham, sea state was a bit lumpy, We traveled 8 miles out and had some good birds. 1 Med Gull, 50+ Manx Shearwater, 1 Balearic Shearwater, 1 Storm Petrel, Kittiwake, many Gulls and 2 Bonxies(Great Skua), these passed over the boat and one spent a long time at the rear of the boat chasing Herring Gulls.

I hope somebody will post some pictures for you to see. I missed taking any shots as I had my head down with the chum!!!! Still got some places next week, if interested call 07866202576.  

 Red Throated Diver (juv) off groyne in front of Dawlish station.

Following early morning phone calls from members of the DBWPS today started with a trip out to Dartmoor to pick up an injured adult Hobby that had been recovered by a farmer on his farm above Widdicombe, the bird has a badly injured left wing and is in very poor condition.

On the track down to the farm two recently fledged almost pure white Buzzards sitting on a field wall and a male Redstart, lots of Swallows and a couple of Pied wagtails.

Cattle Egret family at South Huish yesterday 15th 

   
Cattle Egret Family Group        Juvenile Cattle Egret

I was interested to read Tim's note of Friday 14th regarding two birds (Goosander or Merganser?) on the Otter. 

The previous day I saw what I believed to be 2 juvenile Goosanders fishing opposite the west bank hide.  I believe Red-breasted Merganser would have been out of season although Tyler (Birds of Devon) does say that non-breeding birds do stay beyond April and sometimes into the summer.  I will record mine as juv. Goosander but am open to correction.  The above is the best picture I could get with a bridge camera at 200 yards.

Two juvenile  Yellow-legged Gulls on the exposed rocks in the middle of the beach, one was huge (facing right) the other (facing left and in flight) just a little bigger than the surrounding Herring Gulls

.  

Pair of Cattle Egret with 2 juveniles photos to follow