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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.

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Late afternoon, of note: 1 Green Sandpiper and 16 Goosander.

Over the high tide, Black-tailed Godwit 3, Ringed Plover juv, Turnstone 13, Kingfisher, Yellow-legged Gull juv, Little Egret 19, Curlew 41, Shelduck juv and my first Wheatear of the autumn here.

Earlier this morning, 24 Goosanders- all female, plus a pair of little grebe.

Best today was a Pied Flycatcher in the farm willows but also Sparrowhawk pair, 80 House Martin, 8 Pied Wagtail, 3 Tree Pipit, 4 Wheatear, 9 Whitethroat, 5 Chiffchaff & 120 House Sparrow.

Four other birders reported a Corn Bunting in the water tower field - 2nd year in succession for this scarce species.

06:00-08:00

50 Swallows, 3 Tree Pipits, Yellow Wagtail, Blackcap, 4 Whitethroats, Chiffchaff, 6 Willlow Warblers, 3 Spotted Flycatchers and 2 Pied Flycatchers.

I took the opportunity to visit on one of the few days when it's possible to enter Ugbooke (near Chudleigh) this afternoon. The lake is a typical Capability Brown affair, with almost no aquatic vegetation and - in keeping with the estate's shooting enterprise - brim full of Mallard - at least 800 of them! That's an exceptional total for Devon, but I'm sure most (if not all) of these were reared for shooting and released in advance of the season, which starts on 1 September. With them was a Great Crested Grebe (my first ever in Chudleigh parish) and 2 Coot, but nothing else. There were up to 9 Stock Doves together in the surround old trees - in fact I saw them more often than Wood Pigeon, which doesn't happen very often!

2 Knot on Horsey am.

A few hours before high tide produced the following. Common Sandpiper 2, Redshank 114, Greenshank 4, Little Grebe 1, Grey Heron 11. On the meadow were Little Egret 18, Curlew 41, Oystercatcher 4, Shelduck 1,  BHG 345 and Black Tailed Godwit 7.

One Yellow Wagtail feeding with Meadow Pipits in field before you reach the down. Yellow Wagtail then flew east. At least five Spotted Flycatcher in bushes along the bridleway before you reach Crownhill Down. 

Bridleway is off B3417 between Plympton and Lee Moor.

As mentioned by Nigel we saw this Herring Gull this morning that only had a stub of a beak.  It seemed to have no problem feeding so its survival doesn't seem to be in doubt, but its ability to preen has to be in question.  Given the condition of its plumage though it doesn't look like a lack of attention but that the bird has had a very serious encounter with fishing gear which it was lucky to survive. 

 
Herring Gull

Late afternoon. Osprey still present, busy catching fish out in the estuary just downstream of the marsh. Also 2 Green Sandpipers, 3 Greenshank, 14 Black-tailed Godwits and 23 Curlew.

Blue billed duck seen between Exe bridges in Exeter is a Fulvous Whistling Duck.

Unusual blue billed duck between the two Exe bridges in Exeter. I assume it is an escapee. It has a yellow band on leg.

We have a bird feeding station midway between two thick shrubs. Our resident House Sparrow flock numbers about two dozen and they use these shrubs as an emergency refuge. This Sparrowhawk (female?) spent ten minutes trying to winkle one out but with no luck this time.

 
Sparrowhawk trying for House Sparrow              Sparrowhawk

On the high tide, a nice gathering of waders along the Embankment, included 4 Ringed Plovers (3 juvs & ad), Common Sandpiper, 6 Turnstones and 2 Dunlins.

Also 2+ juv Yellow-legged Gulls & 2 Black-tailed Godwits on Blaxton Meadow with 43 Curlews, 4 Oystercatchers, 19 Little Egrets, Stock Dove, juv Shelduck and a juv Mediterranean Gull.

Broadsands this afternoon, four Mediterranean Gulls all young birds.

Two juvenile Herring Gulls seen, one very tatty around the head, both birds were sporting bright green plastic poultry type tags on their left leg.

All gulls put up by a low flying young Buzzard..

The large feeding flock of gannets encountered 2.5 km SE of Mansands on the way south was one of the highlights of the trip. Nigel's count of 50+ is a conservative estimate, I counted 30, then we steamed south into a much larger flock. A very smart pale juvenile Mediterranean Gull attended the chum off Scabbacombe Head. It stayed for some time, doing well among among the larger gulls - must have been hungry. Sadly the storm petrel posed well for all of about a second before hopping over a wave crest and vanishing, so no picture.

 
Gannet flock 2.5 km SE of Mansands                  Mediterranean Gull, juvenile

Trip out into Lyme bay from Brixham was restricted by the rough seas and strong winds so ended not going out to far. Birds seen also refelect the rough seas. 50+ Gannets, 4 Manx Shearwater in the distance, Many Great black-backed Gulls, 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls , Kittiwake, a very nice Med Gull very close to the boat so hope somebody will post picture and a very quick sighting of a Storm Petrel. Also seen a Herring Gull with a stub  of a beak, must find great difficulty in feeding. Lets hope next Sunday is a better day!!!

Seeing Rupert's comments re Cackling Canada Goose. I'm no expert, but it is the time of the year when this year's juveniles are out and about and they are smaller than the adults (as his photo shows). So could this just be a juvenile? Anyone with more knowledge on the range of Lesser Canada's prepared to comment?

Upper Torridge yesterday 18 Aug

15 Common Sandpipers

1 Barnacle Goose

1 possible Cackling Goose. Smaller than Canadas, stubby bill, yelping call

Barnacle Goose          ? Cackling Goose                Canada and ?Cackling Goose

Eds: looks more like a juv Canada Gosoe not fully grown yet.

A flock of 7 Cattle Egrets past Orcombe Point @0635, and then towards the Warren, presumably continuing upriver? Also the juvenile Black Tern still off the seafront with c30+ Common Tern. Also 5 Common Scoter and 7 Balearic Shearwater past Orcombe.

For further information: I saw this gull on Thursday at Broadsands - it is a gull I had seen before in September last year. I sent off my most recent sighting to the French ringing project and heard back promptly.  The gull was ringed as a chick in Jablines, just outside Paris in June 2015. It has been sighted several times in Torbay, summer and winter, since December 2016.  Seems to love the Bay! 

Sitting hidden on the riverbank below the deer park we watched a pair of Dipper working hard catching  large quantities of Caddisfly larvae. 

A family group of five young Goosander appeared swimming upstream fishing as they went.  They all took off when a group of kayakers came downstream and were followed into the air by an adult female who had been hidden under the trees on the far bank.

Dipper feeding      Gossander five of six family group      Goosander, one of the family group

Some images of two of the four young Tawny owls released overnight on the 16th August (four of seven that came in as very young chicks) tucked away in the tree's above their release pen, they took all of the food placed out for them last night, not easy to spot but some owl poop on the ground gave them away..

Marine Parade, Paignton ~ Ten Oyster Catcher, one Little Egret, one juvenile GBBG, one unidentified small wader species lifted from the rocks and flew around the headland one first summer Mediterranean Gull, twenty plus Blacked Headed Gulls.

Broadsands beach not less than eight Mediterranean Gulls two of which were ringed one adult with green ring RLN4 and a metal tag ring which begins FS and ends with 9 3082 and is stamped Musee Paris. A first summer bird with yellow ring 2L14 and a metal tag ring containing the numerals 76712. Later both birds photographed while stood together.

Four GBBG's,two being juveniles, three Mute Swan, two Little Egret, one Oyster Catcher, one Fulmar and a distant Gannet.

A walk around the estuary a few hours before high tide produced the following. Turnstone 7, Black T Godwit 1, Common Sandpiper 6, Dunlin 3, Ringed Plover 9, Redshank 48 and Grey Heron 11. On the meadow were Curlew 45, Oystercatcher 6, BHG c310, Shelduck 2 imm and 18 Little Egret.

Single swift heading south over park and ride at Coypool at 20.05

Hi all, I was very happy to see my first Gannet today while surfing at Woolacombe this afternoon. I’ve always loved them but have never seen one in person, it was extra special as I was in the water with it! Great perspective watching it dive into the water only a few metres away! 

Have a good day,

Ryan

One or 2 juv Yellow-legged Gulls on Blaxton Meadow with 43 Curlews, 3 Oystercatchers, 18+ Little Egrets & Stock Dove. Elsewhere, 4 Ringed Plovers, 2 Greenshanks & 2 Common Sandpipers.

Thanks to Ranger Luke Dodimead, et al. for a constructive meeting about wildlife on Blaxton Meadow. 

1 Sanderling, 1 Turnstone, 3 Dunlin and 2 Common Sandpiper along the beach by the sewage pipe and 2 Whimbrel, 6 Curlew and 47+ Oystercatcher with 4 Little Egrets at Wembury Point this morning.

A gull melee feeding along the high tide surfline, mostly Black Headed Gulls including many juveniles and with Herring Gulls and a few great black backed Gulls, 10+Mediterrranean Gulls (6 Juv/1st Winter, 2 2nd Summer and 2 Adult Winter) and a juvenile Yellow Legged Gull.

On land a Willow Warbler, 2 Chiffchaff, 10+ Whitethroat, Swallow over

Showing very well close to the hide was a single Green Sandpiper, also noted Dunlins, Curlew, Whimbrel, Bar & Black tailed Godwits, common Sandpiper, knots & Lapwings among others

Glossy Ibis on Fremington Pill at 9.30 this morning. Possibly the same individual as spent last winter in the area. As the tide rose it flew to trees at the top end of the Pill in the company of 2 Little Egrets. Also on the Pill a Greenshank and c150 Redshank. Off the Quay  23 Mediterranean Gulls.

14 Med Gulls feeding off Fir Wood. Fulmar E.

 1 Glossy Ibis photographed through the scope searching for food, preening & washing. Still present when I departed for home at 18.30.

Black-tailed Godwit 2; Ruff 1 juvenile male; Med Gull 2.

The Heron count on Penhill Marsh was slightly down at 46.

The Black Tern (presumably same bird present around the Exe for its 9th day), still offshore early afternoon , viewable from near lifeboat station, with large flock (c50) of Sandwich and Common Terns

Highlight of  walk around Saltram Area was a nice pair of Kingfishers appearing to have a scrap near the Weighbridge Bridge on the River Plym at Marsh Mills

Spoonbill, marsh harrier, green sandpiper, spotted redshank and common sandpiper all showing well this morning on the high tide with whimbrel, lapwing, dunlin, greenshank, curlew, black tailed godwit and redshank. Also a 1st winter Mediterranean gull, a raven, stock doves, partial summer plumaged bar tailed godwit and 4 juvenile tufted ducks along with the odd looking albino gull species that has been seen here and in Torbay and the regular psycho lesser black backed gull spooking the dunlin.

From the viewing platform a flyover peregrine, 3 Mediterranean gulls (2 juv, 1 1st winter), a harbour seal and an osprey fishing off Mudbank at Exmouth before flying off high towards Haldon carrying a fish.

From the train the Slavonian grebe was seen off Cockwood.

Cycled down the Toll Road for the first time in many months this evening to see what was on the devastation. As I clambered up the embankment a Curlew and a Greenshank flew from the stream but not much else immediately visible. However on closer inspection there were a lot of smaller waders on the sand bank. Out with the telescope. They were all Dunlin and Ringed Plover in about 40:60 split. Several hundred of each.

As I cycled back up the Toll road a wet area off to the left (landward) side looked promising, and suddenly two Green Sandpipers flew off, calling. First I've seen this year.

Black-tailed Godwit 35.

Common Sandpiper 8

Ringed Black-headed Gull. White ring with black alpha/numerics " 20V5" on left Tarsus. Metal I/d ring on right tarsus. Details submitted to project leader. Awaiting history.

Distant view of a Marsh Harrier, and a wisp (!) of Snipe

 
Marsh Harrier                                                         Snipe