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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.

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.

Tuesday 12th June DWT Heathfield Reserve four Nightjar heard churring/calling and seen in flight.

Wednesday 13th June Stover Country Park, three birds heard calling and views of two in flight.

Just for your info: Bill Coulson's photo of a probable SPBF is a defininately a SPBF, even without a view of the underwings. Looking at the outside edge of the forewings you can see all the orange spots fully enclosed in a black rough circle. Had this been a Pearl-bordered Fritillary the orange spots would have been "open," the inner black borders only appearing as black spots. 

Devon Birds/RSPB/BTO Spotted flycatcher tracking project

We need your help in locating spotted flycatcher nests in Devon to contribute to our ongoing project that you can read about in the current issue of Devon Birds.

Spotted flycatchers have seen declines of 83% since the 1960s. Reasons for this decline may include factors operating within UK breeding grounds, such as reduced availability of invertebrates, but the species may also be declining due to problems along their migratory journey to Africa and back. But we know little about their wintering grounds. We need this information to understand what part of the annual cycle causes problems for spotted flycatchers, and where we might need to focus future work to reverse declines. To do this we are continuing the work we started in 2016, tracking migrations and determine wintering areas using tiny tracking devises. These geolocators weigh only 0.36g - incredible!

But to be able to do this we need to catch and tag spotted flycatchers in places where they return each year, as we need to recapture tagged birds the year after to retrieve the tag and its data. The best places to do this are peoples gardens. Do you have Spotted flycatchers nesting at the moment in your garden or farm? And have you had them nesting the past few years? If you are happy to have your spotted flycatchers captured and tagged for this project, please could you email james.kennerley@rspb.org.uk or malcolm.burgess@rspb.org.uk.

Thanks, James & Malcolm

Seawatching 0545-0815hrs: 1 Storm Petrel, 14 Puffin, 210 Guillemot, 27 Razorbills, 208 Manx Shearwater, 4 Sandwich Tern, 7 'Comic' Terns, 2 (1st S) Mediterranean Gulls, 24 Kittiwake, 38 Gannet, 12 Fulmar & 3 Harbour Porpoise.   

Unseen warbler recorded singing this lunchtime turned out to be a Lesser Whitethroat.

Also thought it unusual to see a lone Whimbrel on Isley Marsh on evening of 12th June. Late north, early south or non breeding?

Not much but a cheeky little Rock Pipit and Fulmar

 
Rock Pipit                       Fulmar

Lots of the usual birds showing well this morning at East Soar this morning plus this beautiful Pearl - bordered Fritillary. This may be a Small P-b Fritillary as these seem to be most often seen at East Soar but I couldn't get a look at the underwings.

Probable Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary

1Red Kite drifting East at 2pm

45 Common Scoter in flock off Berry Head

1 imm Mediterranean Gull

3 Sandwich terns

1 adult Med Gull (or that's what it looked like: black hood and bright red beak), but with black tipped wings more like a Common Gull (Eds that'll be a 2nd summer Med Gull, highly variable wing tip pattern ) in mid Torbay. Flypast, good view but fleeting.

plus 6-7 Harbour Porpoise

    
Common Scoter                           Med Gull                                  Sandwich Tern

Hazy sun after early mist.

2 Garden Warblers singing, 1 Chiffchaff, 1 Raven over plus other corvids, 1 Buzzard, 2 Meadow Pipits at the Upper Lake, 7+ Mallard, 4 Great Crested Grebes, several Wood Pigeons, Blue and Great Tits.

Harvey Kendall.

Spotted one Egyptian Goose, quite close to my yacht up the bag at Salcombe, it was making quite a noise,it liked to be on either a floating pontoon,or sitting on a nearby dinghy.

Great Crested Grebe on nest in Exeter (I last saw it May 15th when there was a Male and chicks) no sign of male or chicks today but female actively nest building. Also a smart Lesser Black -backed Gull nearby.

 
Great Crested Grebe                               Lesser Black-backed Gull

Pair of spotted flycatchers,male and female Redstarts feeding at least 3 fledglings' families of goldfinch, nuthatch gs woodpecker and chaffinches.Beautiful day.

Cycled from Plymouth to Yelverton & back. At Weighbridge Cottage, 3 female Mandarin Ducks with 4, 5 & 7 ducklings respectively and also an eclipse drake there. In Plymbridge Woods, 4 Marsh Tits, a pair of Grey Wagtails with 5 juvs and another with 1 juv, plus the 4 juv Peregrines at the nest (1 occupying a ledge just below the nest after falling out several weeks ago). Clearbrook produced Lesser Redpoll and Tree Pipit, and in Cann Woods, a singing Garden Warbler.

The Risso's Dolphin showed well from the Torpoint ferry quay from 14.20 to 14.50 but generally distantly. Initially it was around the boats at entrance to St Johns Lake before it moved upstream passing just a few meters in front of the Torpoint slipway. I eventually lost it north of the barges, well north of the dockyard. It doesn't seem to be a fan of boats that are moving and becomes elusive when a boat passes.

Took this photo from a distance yesterday on northern side of the Point and thought I'd enlarge it to see what it might be before wiping it. Could it be a Basking Shark?

9 Swift in group, 10 House martin , 3 Swallow.

A Red Kite flying over Peter Tavy at 11am this morning, headed off East before I could grab a shot. 

A pair of barnacle geese circling and then alighting on a football pitch at the football club.

Little in the way of Waders on the marsh yesterday although there were lots of juvenile birds actively being fed by parents. One sight which caught my eye was the left wing of the Spoonbill present although distant from view. I am uncertain but it could possibly be a firearms injury? The bird was active and still flying several short hops unencumbered by the wound. Hopefully it will make a good recovery. If it has been shot then this is a real shame that someone has chosen to do so to such a beautiful creature.

Spoonbill

Red Kite being mobbed by Carrion Crows halfway to the dam

A Risso’s Dolphin beside Devonport Dockyard today, intially showing very well at close range from the Torpoint Ferry. Still around this evening but much more distant having moved further up river from the ferry (still beside the Dockyard).

Few birds but 11 Swifts over Bolt Head ( in or out?) and 80 Linnet on oilseed rape.

16 species of butterflies inc.first Gatekeeper, Grayling & Silver-studded Blue. Also 63 Dark Green Fritillary. New moth for me : Chimney Sweeper. 

Mammals: Brown Hare

four swifts flying and screaming around the roof tops of exmouth library.

Late this morning 3 Swifts overhead. This evening good numbers of House Martins over Preston seafront. Back home about a dozen angry Herring Gulls mobbing a Buzzard as it was flying towards Hollicombe woods.

Continuing with my last posting, again plenty of Wren activity with at least 13 recorded this morning. Again good numbers of Blackbirds, 5 Blackcaps (inc a female), 4 Robins (inc 2 fledglings and all 4 seen separately), 4 Goldfinch, Pied Wagtail, at least 2 Long-tailed Tits, 3 Pheasant (1 female who I'm sure was protecting a nest), 3 male Mallards, Nuthatch, Greenfinch, 3 Chiffchaff, Swallow, Song Thrush, 3 House Martins, House Sparrow, Kestrel and a Buzzard. When I visited midweek in the late afternoon I heard the call of a Buzzard chick but not today. Interestingly, today was the 1st time since Father's Day 5 years ago that I've seen Skylark at Occombe.

I recently put up 2 swift boxes on our house.I only had a youtube clip to play and only at weekends which didnt really get much response.so i purchased an mp3 download from swift conservation group fo £2 and this did the trick.Yesterday and today i played it through my bluetooth seaker and they came down immediately investigating the calls.Although the didnt enter the boxes the fact that they responded was encouraging as was the individual checking out the gables for the first time in 50 yearswhich proves the need to play recordings.Also yesterday a large moth came into the garden and damnit didnt have my bins.In profile in flight it was holding its wings verticallywhich were about 3 inches long.Appeared brown in colour,any one have an idea.

Busy pair of Redstart in the gardens immediately around the house. Aim for the lovely old (dead oak) that’s head together with cables and brackets.

Good numbers of Whitethroat showing with two pairs feeding fledged but dependant young and two others pairs gathering food and flying into thick cover, plenty of Linnets, Dunnock, Skylark and Goldfinch.

Small waders included Sanderling, Dunlin, Turnstone and Ringed Plover.

At 10:30am one Red Kite 

painted lady b/fly in my garden y/day.

70 ringneck parakeet central park

A foggy walk this morning, there were 30+ linnets,  plenty of meadow pipits and skylarks,  I heard a  cuckoo several times on my circuit but presumably it was the same one. Not as many small butterfly or moth as the other day but most birds were feeding on insects of one sort or the other. 

Meadow Pipit

2 Black tailed Godwits present am.

2 Kites thermalling low over Mary Tavy today. Glided off NE to the moor. 

Walked around during low tide & saw the following. Mandarin Duck 6m 2f 1f with 4 juveniles, Common Sandpiper 1, Oystercatcher 1, Curlew 3, Stock Dove 10 & a Spotted Flycatcher. Not much on the estuary as there were a number of bait diggers on the mud.

Following on from Jon's and Tom's postings, "our" Swifts (in east Braunton) were back over the house on 10th May, seen almost daily since then, max of 12 screaming over house. Red Kite over house wk. comm. 6 May. Juv. Robin in kitchen this morning...!