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Posted January 6th at 10:52 am by Mike Langman in Bird News
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Posted August 25th, 2020 at 9:58 am by Mike Daniels in Bird News
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Posted October 10th, 2016 at 9:14 am in Bird News
Friday 21st July 2017
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.
Posted July 21st, 2017 at 10:24 pm by Clive Mason in Bird News
Group of 5 Goosander redheads preening & resting on sandy strip near to Otter Head, around 2100 hrs, apparently unperturbed by late walkers & dogs.
Posted July 21st, 2017 at 10:08 pm by Timothy Joy in Bird News
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
Posted July 21st, 2017 at 8:56 pm by Mark Darlaston in Bird News
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.
Posted July 21st, 2017 at 8:39 pm by Robert Marshall in Bird News
In addition to Perrys' sightings, 2 Balearic Shearwaters, 2 Sooty Shearwaters, 1 Bonxie, 1 juv Yellow-legged gull, 1 Whimbrel and 1 Storm Petrel.
Posted July 21st, 2017 at 7:49 pm in Bird News
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.
Posted July 21st, 2017 at 7:13 pm by Laurie Allnatt in Bird News
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.


Posted July 21st, 2017 at 5:48 pm by Rob Jutsum in Bird News
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
Posted July 21st, 2017 at 3:38 pm by Mike Langman in Bird News
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.
Posted July 21st, 2017 at 3:15 pm by Perry Sanders in Bird News
1350hrs. today spotted Sparrowhawk on a chimney top at Seaton Avenue, Mutley, Plymouth.
Posted July 21st, 2017 at 2:50 pm by Michael Spencer in Bird News
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!
Posted July 21st, 2017 at 6:39 am by Samuel Gray in Bird News
Thursday 20th July 2017
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!
Posted July 20th, 2017 at 9:46 pm by Timothy Joy in Bird News
And another juvenile Yellow-legged Gull with a juvenile Herring Gull for comparison on rocks at Preston Seafront.

Posted July 20th, 2017 at 8:54 pm by Mike Langman in Bird News
40 pluss ringneck parakeet central park inc 2 blue
Posted July 20th, 2017 at 8:51 pm by barry in Bird News
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.

Posted July 20th, 2017 at 2:21 pm by Paul Albrechtsen in Bird News
Wednesday 19th July 2017
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.
Posted July 19th, 2017 at 10:13 pm by Lucy Forsey in Bird News
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
Posted July 19th, 2017 at 5:20 pm by Pete Aley in Bird News
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.
Posted July 19th, 2017 at 9:40 am by Mike Langman in Bird News
Tuesday 18th July 2017
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!!!
Posted July 18th, 2017 at 10:27 am by Nigel Smallbones in Bird News
Monday 17th July 2017
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.
Posted July 17th, 2017 at 9:02 pm by Jon Turner in Bird News
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
Posted July 17th, 2017 at 8:00 pm by Pete Aley in Bird News
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.
Posted July 17th, 2017 at 5:41 pm by John Elvin in Bird News
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.
Posted July 17th, 2017 at 2:00 pm by Timothy Joy in Bird News
Sunday 16th July 2017
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
Posted July 16th, 2017 at 10:49 pm by Paul Treen in Bird News
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

Posted July 16th, 2017 at 8:34 pm by Greg Bradbury in Other Wildlife
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
Posted July 16th, 2017 at 8:15 pm by Chris Proctor in Bird News
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
Posted July 16th, 2017 at 7:56 pm by Chris Proctor in Bird News
Heres some pics from the trip out with Nigel, Iam sure there will be more from others to follow?

Great Skua Fulmar
Posted July 16th, 2017 at 7:40 pm by Simon Thurgood in Bird News
Posted July 16th, 2017 at 4:28 pm by barry in Bird News
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.
Posted July 16th, 2017 at 2:06 pm by Nigel Smallbones in Bird News
Red Throated Diver (juv) off groyne in front of Dawlish station.
Posted July 16th, 2017 at 1:58 pm by Nick Workman in Bird News
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.


Posted July 16th, 2017 at 12:45 pm by Steve Hopper in Bird News
Cattle Egret family at South Huish yesterday 15th

Cattle Egret Family Group Juvenile Cattle Egret
Posted July 16th, 2017 at 8:22 am by Roger Backway in Bird News
Saturday 15th July 2017

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.
Posted July 15th, 2017 at 8:29 pm by Jonathan Ruscoe in Bird News
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
.

Posted July 15th, 2017 at 6:55 pm by Mike Langman in Bird News
Pair of Cattle Egret with 2 juveniles photos to follow
Posted July 15th, 2017 at 2:05 pm by Roger Backway in Bird News