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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.

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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.

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The highlights were a good number of Stonechats and Whitethroats in the bushes above the point - didn't count, but probably around 12 and 8 respectively. Also a Chiffchaff there and a Yellow Wagtail on the grass. Buzzard and Sparrowhawk over. 5 Little Egrets on the rocks, plus two Curlew and the usual sprinkling of Oystercatchers. I was surprised to see a Jersey tiger moth around the little clump of reeds at the back of the beach.

    
Whitethroat                                  Yellow Wagtail                                       Stonechat

Bowling Green Marsh: little egret, shoveler, grey heron, whimbrel, curlew, starling, black-tailed godwit, black-headed gull, herring gull, redshank, mute swan, mallard, swallow, cormorant, moorhen, barnacle goose, canada goose, pied wagtail, goldfinch, lapwing, house martin and wood pigeon.

Viewing Platform: oystercatcher, black-headed gull, sandwich tern, curlew and either golden or grey plover (very distant views).

Goosemoor: black-headed gull, herring gull, dunlin, redshank, shelduck and moorhen.

19.20

Swift over Cadewell Park.  Earlier in the day, at least 2 Chiffchaffs on the park with one in nearly full song around 15.00.

Hummingbird Hawk Moth visiting buddleia in our back garden today and yesterday.  Red Admirals, Painted Lady,  Small Whites and Small Tortoiseshells too. 

Birding can be so stressful... thanks to a dog walker! 

I had just started counting (from outside the perimeter fence) c300 Canada Geese, 2 Grey Lags and a white goose, when a female dog walker climbed through a padlocked gate clearly marked 'keep out' and encouraged her dog to fetch a stick from the lake covered in birds!  I protested angrily and was told that other dogs exercise in the water and that she was not disturbing the birds!.  She didn't appear to understand that these were wild birds or the meaning of barbed wire and locked gates. I despair!

The birds had flown in from the Otter valley and were settling happily when I arrived.  No signs of the Little Grebes that have bred here.

Mid/late am. High tide. 5 Greenshank, 2 Green Sandpipers, 9 Common Sandpipers, 1 Whimbrel, 32 Curlew, 8 Dunlin, 13 Little Egrets, 12 Teal, 2 Kingfishers, 1 Yellow Wagtail h, 1 Tree Pipit, 1 Common Lizard. etc.

A brief look this morning produced 2 Whinchats, 2 Common Sandpipers, 16 Little Egrets, juv Shelduck, 23 Curlews and 7 Oystercatchers.

3 Tree Pipit, 3 Grey Wagtails, 10 Yellow Wagtails, Redstart, 11 Whitethroats, 12 Blackcaps, 11 Chiffchaffs and 2 Spotted Flycatchers

This morning - 5 Glossy Ibis , 2 Dunlin , 6 Greenshanks , 4 Common sandpipers , 1 Spotted Redshank.

Possibly the Budleigh bird flew south down the Exe estuary past Powderham at 6.45 p.m. this evening.

A surprise flyover Cattle Egret this morning heading west over Budleigh Golf Course at around 07.50hrs and a flock of 30+ Yellow Wagtail feeding in cattle field immediately west of Ladram Bay Caravan Park. Thanks to Doug C for the Yellow Wags - Been present last couple of days. More on http://creamteabirding.blogspot.co.uk

In addition to birds seen by Perry Sanders today at Start Point, I had an unexpected sighting of a  kingfisher whilst on Start Point Beach, 1300 today

Some photos of the Pomarine Skua and one of the two Great Skuas this morning. An odd trip, there were nearly as many skuas as gulls at the chum slick!

  
Pomarine skua, 2nd summer             Pomarine skua, 2nd summer                                      Great skua

Additional to the species already noted by Nigel, close inspection of photos shows that the first 3 shearwaters we encountered (2 at 09.31, 1 at 09.33) were all Balearic Shearwater. Very hard to distinguish by eye when they are crossing the bow at some distance, and in the sun's glare! Shearwaters further out appear to have all been Manx. The first (distant) skua was definitely an Arctic skua - a dark phase bird. Terrible record shots below - decent photos of the closer birds will follow.

 
Balearic shearwater                     Arctic skua

A family mid-morning jaunt turned up: Golden Plover, Sand Martin, 130 House Martin, Tree Pipit, 65 Yellow Wagtail, 20 Wheatear, Garden Warbler, 8 Whitethroat, 5 Willow Warbler & 7 Spotted Flycatcher.

Non-avian: Clouded Yellow, 4 Painted Lady.

Spotted redshank and Glossy Ibis still at the Pill plus Kingfisher .Peregrine and five buzzards overhead

A calm sea this morning from Brixham with our first group of Common Dolphins before we reached Berry Head, the second followed very quickly just beyond BH. In all we had 5 groups of Common Dolphin during the trip. A few Manx Shearwater as we move out to about 6 miles. Once again a very successful trip with Skua. 1 Pomarine Skua, 2 Great Skua and 1Skua sp and I hope Chris Procter can shed more light on this one when he has studied his pictures. 1 Storm Petrel, Fulmar, small groups of Guillemot all sitting on the water and the usual assortment of gulls.

Swallowtail butterfly in private garden. 

Greenshank at Seaton this morning  @BobLonghorn2

Two Swift flying high and heading West.

The Kingfishers were "doing their thing" at Seaton this morning  @BobLonghorn2

06:15-11:00. Beautiful, sunny morning.

Swift, 150+ Swallows, 4 Sand Martins, 10 Tree Pipits, 2 Grey Wagtails, 23 Yellow Wagtails, 6 White Wagtails, 5 Wheatears, 20 Blackcaps, Lesser Whitethroat, 7 Whitethroats, 23 Chiffchaffs, 2 Willow Warblers and 2 Spotted Flycatchers.

Common Scoter(m) Laira Bridge end at 11:50, Common Sandpiper, King fisher (near Sainsbury's), Swallows, Housemartins.

Curlew Sandpiper ad, Wood Sandpiper, Whimbrel 2, Greenshank 7, Bar-tailed Godwit 2, Common Sandpiper, Sand Martin 2, Reed Warbler 3, Sedge Warbler, Tree Pipit.

Goatwalk: Arctic Tern Juv, Sandwich Tern 2.

Three Willow Warblers.

Slavonian Grebe still off Cockwood Steps & 4/5 Green Sandpiper at Matford Pond yesterday. 

Several Spotted Flycatchers opposite the hide at Mansand.

Brimstone butterfly this morning possibly feeding on Bergenia. Also large hornet-like covertly, possibly Volucella zonaria. Anyone able to confirm this, or suggest alternative. Sending photo separately

64 Grey Herons on the Taw Estuary at lunchtime today between Ashford & Pottington - viewed from the Tarka trail.

Peaceful & quiet until 2 women walked their dogs across the sand bank at low tide. One of the dogs went bananas & targeted the Grey Herons resting on the sand bank & in the tidal channels.

The time is long overdue for the introduction of dog free zones & dog control measures on SSSI's.

Two Glossy Ibis present on the pill. Numerous redshanks with a single spotted redshank and three greenshank..

At Yelland there were three spoonbills present, two Kingfishers using the jetty and the previously mentioned Eiders by the fishermans huts. 

     
Eider                                                        Greenshank

Good numbers of migrants this morning but a little different to Perry's post: Swift, 4 Sand Martin, 250 Swallow, 240 House Martin, Tree Pipit, 16 Yellow Wagtail, 2 Whinchat, 9 Wheatear, Grasshopper Warbler, 29 Whitethroat, 2 Blackcap, 6 Chiffchaff, 2 Willow Warbler & 6 Spotted Flycatcher. Also: 310 Herring Gull & 100 Linnet.

Non avian: 4 Small pearl-bordered Fritillary, one of which was taken by a Spotted Fly!

Clear with L-M NE wind

06:40-11:30, ,Warren/East Soar

Greenshank ( flyover Warren ), Great Spotted Woodpecker, 25 Tree Pipits, 16 Yellow Wagtails, Wheatear, Sedge Warbler, 6 Whitethroats, 5 Blackcaps, 20 Chiffchaffs, 4 Willow Warblers and 4 Spotted Flycatchers.

0830-1100  High tide:

127 Redshank, 2 Greenshank, 2 Common sandpiper, 26 Curlew, 16 Little egret, 1 juvenile Shelduck. 2 juvenile Bullfinch, 1 Chiffchaff, 1 Great spotted woodpecker around the estate. Swallows and House martins fledging, 2 Swift overhead.

At least 7 through the marsh this morning (7am) 5 while still foggy and two more 9am ish. Curlew Sandpiper and Green Sandpiper also present.

Yellow Wagtail

This obliging juvenile Sparrowhawk visited Peter Woods Garden nr Cullompton

An afternoon at Bowling Green Marsh, highlight was the Cattle Egtret, which spent a long time hidden by a snoozing Canada.

  
Cattle Egret

7 Eider including 4 in eclipse plumage where laid up on the foreshore on the point by the fisherman's  huts at Horsey around 2pm today.

My latest ever Swift since I have been in Plymouth a few minutes ago over Freedom Fields. I am getting the idea that they are tardy this year everywhere.

A few migrants around the headland this morning: 1 Spotted Flycatcher, 1 Tree Pipit, 1 Wheatear, 9 Willow Warblers, 7 Chiffchaffs, 1 Sand Martin, 1 Greenshank around pools in inner quarry (my first at Bhead!), 1 Kingfisher. At sea 4 Balearic Shearwaters and 3 pods of Common Dolphin with a combined count of around 60 - no sign of any Harbour Porpoise today.

White Stork approached over trees to South of Bowling Green Marsh at 10am, circled twice then headed North over hide. Put all birds up

To add to Nick Potter's post... There was a White Stork flying over Bowling Green Marsh before I reached to the hide at about 10 am this morning.  It circled around, and I am not sure where it went next.  But around 1pm from the viewing platform there was also a Curlew Sandpiper, a Grey Plover still in summer plumage and a Kingfisher. Missed the Cattle Egret, though.

On arrival at the hide this lunchtime, a Cattle Egret was on the 'island' towards the back of the marsh. Still there when I left at around 2.20. Otherwise fairly quiet over a low tide.

1 Dunlin , 2 Glossy Ibis & 1 Spotted Redshank in the pill this afternoon..

06:00-11:30. Some cloud cover, light WNW.

Hobby, Green Sandpiper ( flyover ), 6 Tree Pipits, 2 Grey Wagtails, 12 Yellow Wagtails, 11 Sand Martins, 70 Swallows, Whinchat, 8 Wheatears, Grasshopper Warbler ( in bracken on the way down to the light ), 7 Whitethroats, 4 Blackcaps and a Sedge Warbler. Little Grebes look to have bred on a private pond for the third year in a row.

White Stork over Dawlish Warren this afternoon heading east.

Photo in email to birdnews address

Steve

Little egret, 51 between Bideford and Fremington pill. Spoonbill, 3 adults roosting on Isley marsh, Glossy Ibis one feeding,Fremington pill.  Spotted redshank, Tew-it call heard on Isley. Med.gull , 4 ads. Off Bideford quay. Kingfisher, Fremington quay.  Plus Blackcap,Whitethroats, Long tailed tit flock and Grey wagtail.

1 Wood Sandpiper

3 Green sandpipers

18 Common Sandpipers

1 Greenshank

1 Otter

Otter

The Great White Egret was searching for food again on the flood late yesterday aft in a fresh SE wind.

Female, I suspect 2nd cy Marsh Harrier on Marshes this afternoon. In wing moult. 50+ Swallows with 2-3 Sand Martin's. Suspect birds moving south. 100+ Goldfinch & Kingfisher the best of the rest.

Also 5 Migrant & 2 Southern Hawkers along railway line FP.

we still have swifts nesting under the eaves of our house near okehampton today,never had them this late in august before

Watched from 17:30 till 19:50

Continued increase in wader numbers this evening with an excellent count of 534+ redshank , 2  Spotted redshank , 1 adult moulting curlew sandpiper for its  4th day , a new in knot and 263+ dunlin nearly all juveniles , 480+ black tailed godwits, 12+ whimbrel, 1 green sandpiper, 2 ringed plover, 1 bar tailed godwit, 1 juvenile ruff , 200+ curlew, 1 male sparrowhawk a steady passage of swallows south , 6+ little egrets, 12+ gadwall, 50+ mallard, 40+ teal, 12+ wigeon, 3 tufted duck.

Just been out looking for a ' Crane type bird ' a farming friend was kind enough to get a message to me about near West Alvington in fields at SX725433. Gone when I looked but spoke to him and it has to be a White Stork, no doubt yesterdays Charleton bird seen by Barrie.

No sign of the hoopoe at Maer Farm this morning but compensation this afternoon with distant views of the juvenile white winged black tern with Sandwich terns and common terns roosting on the sand banks in the Exe estuary as viewed from Exmouth marina. Despite its smaller size it was quite feisty and regularly jostled with any Sandwich tern that came too close to it before it flew upriver on the incoming tide.

Modest signs of migration today with 2 Spotted Flycatchers, Whinchat, 4 Wheatears, 11 Chiffchaffs, 4 Willow Warblers, 50+ Swallows and a Blackcap. Also 4 Whitethrosts, Sparrowhawk and a pair of Roe Deer.

3 Yellow wagtail on the marshes today. Also fem Marsh harrier.

A few migrants around the headland this morning: 1 Redstart, 8 Willow Warblers, 7 Chiffchaff, 2 Blackcap, 1 Tree Pipit, 2 Yellow Wagtails, 30+ Swallows >NE. a very brief seawatch produced,4 Common Tern,  2 Arctic Skuas and a Great Skua.  

Walking late morning NE  from the White House (SS470330) along the bank between the estuary and the flood I saw a great white egret in the flooded area of Horsey Island along with 2 spoonbills and several little egrets. Watched it for 5 minutes then it disappeared while my back was turned. Also, on a sand bank between the fisherman's huts and Isley Marsh 3 large duck too distant to ID but very dark with a horizontal white stripe along the flank. Eclipse Eider? Did anyone else see them?

One Glossy Ibis at the top of the creek near the reedbed at 10.00.