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.

Spent the last hour of day light at Wrafton Pond with 100's of Sand Martins hawking for insects, met a Robin showing the signs of being handled by Jon Turner (probably), half a dozen Common Snipe on the scrape and a dozen or so Swallows flying above Velator reserve.  

Sand Martin                  European Robin

Late afternoon walk from Wembury to Heybrook. Just before the point one solitary Dark Bellied Brent Goose in the low tide. Nearby there were 25+ oystercatchers, 5 little egrets, numerous Mallards, cormorant and Black Backed Gulls. Good numbers of Blackcap, Chiffchaff and Stonechats  amongst the gorse. A hovering female Kestrel and several female Pheasants also spotted.

exmouth mears farm ringneck parakeet 3 parakeets 1 female 2 male

26 Sand Martins on the River Teign in the "Oxbow" area by Teigngrace, also 2 Swallows and 3 House Martins flying around Teigngrace. go to my blog for more http://www.simonthurgoodimages.co.uk/blog.asp

Sand Martin

6 Teals and  3 Swallows this afternoon.

2 Swallows flew fast SW-wards above Kenwith near Bideford at 1835(GMT) on 30/03/19

10.00am....slightly misty conditions, but clear view of an Osprey eating a fish while sat on a small metal (?) post only about 3' high. It was continually harassed by Crows and Gulls, and after about 5 minutes it flew off with the remainder of its meal, circling higher until lost to view.

About 20 sand martins flying high above their nest area on a bend in the river Teign.  Sorry no photos.

5 Redwing in my garden at 07.15 (06.15 really!)

Cracking day for a walk up Plymbridge today. Kingfisher, Dipper, Grey Wagtails and a group of 4 Mandarin on the river, 2 Peregrines in the quarry seen mating. Also 2 Jays amongst the trees, Buzzard overhead and a Green Woodpecker heard but not seen (still haven't seen one yet!)

Nice to see he feeders down below the bridge are being topped up again now the Peregrine project is running, lots of Tits and Finches enjoying them

Hardly any sign of migration except a single Swallow in off the sea yesterday.

More interesting were the 3 Wall butterflies right on the edge of the head today - about a month early and possibly a first national sighting this year (pic below). All 3 were males (thick horizontal scent brands on forwings) &, when they weren't basking on the rocks, 2 - 3 of them were sparring in the air over territory.

Also of interest, 6 Barrel Jellyfish today & 1 yesterday.

There was also an apparently suicididal Pheasant on a ledge today but I managed to talk him down! (pic below)

Wall (1 of 3)                                                                                Suicidal Pheasant ?

7 Barrel Jellyfish Rhizostoma pulmo seen from the end of Berry Head Quarry midday. These are part of an influx which has been reported from south Cornwall to Portland in the last few days. Also one large Lion's Mane Jellyfish Cyanea capillata. Otherwise very quiet, local breeding seabirds and a few gannets feeding offshore.

Barrel Jellyfish

11.30am I Osprey over east Teignmouth disturbing the local herring gulls. Circling high North West

Haytor to Challacombe this morning ~  a small number of Greenfinch, Wren, Buzzard, Dunnock, several Meadow Pipits, Skylarks and a couple of pairs of Stonechat around Haytor

Hemsworthy Gate at least 45 Golden Plover several coming into summer plumage, several Skylark.

Challacombe to Headland Warren four Wheatear, around Challacombe Pied Wagtails, five Redpoll, two Chiffchaff, Nuthatch and a male Reed Bunting.

Back home at South Brent, overnight several Tawny owls calling and in the early hours a Barn owl calling periodically, from just before 5am a Song Thrush in full song outside the bedroom window and as it got lighter a Green Woodpecker joining in and calling just as loudly.

Sat watching the black tailed godwits at south Huish marsh when 4 Ruff flew in and joined them, a bit distant for a photo but got a record shot. Chiffchaff singing in the lane and a curlew flew in and landed on the marsh.

Ruff                                               Black-tailed Godwits 

Swallow seen flying over the garden in Christow about mid-day; on route to somewhere else as didn’t hang about. First orange tip butterfly of the season too. 

Very quiet at Soar today - just 14 Chiffchaffs, a pair of Reed Buntings & a singing Blackcap. Six Chiffchaffs, 6 Teal & 4 Cetti's Warblers at Slapton Ley.

Male Scaup still present and the long staying Black-necked Grebe now in summer plumage. Today both tight to the reeds on the seaward side of the Lower Ley opposite the cattle run / Cormorant roost.

Peregrine Falcon with a Snipe Dinner, not great pics but the light was rubbish

Apparent small Common Buzzard migration today with nine circling high overhead late morning (inc.3 white birds & resident pair who were not particularly chuffed) then six more overhead (looked like different birds) early afternoon.

6x Wheatear this afternoon (5 male and 1 female)

Wheatear (male)                               Wheatear (female)

On a visit to Devon from Dorset I visited Slapton Ley on Monday 25th March. During my search for a male Scaup I found 3 Ring-necked Ducks - 2 males & a female.  They were with a small flock of Tufted Ducks close to the east side of the ley about mid-way between the 2 car parks. I will submit the record with some photos in the near future.   

Had hoped the mist would clear for some ringing, but it stayed cold until late morning so no insects to feed the birds. So only ringed 3 Chiffchaffs. Other highlights were 4 Goldfinch, a smart male Bullfinch, an adult Song Thrush and an even smarter female Grey Wagtail.

Heard and saw a Willow Warbler and also saw a Tawny Owl.

0730 - 1230 Ringed Plover (105th species for me at this location), 3 Wheatear (2m/1f), 5 Chiffchaff (3 singing), 5 Swallows, Stonechats busy nest building, 23 other species and a lot of mist!

If you don't like it, get it yourself!

7 N Wheatears,20 Meadow Pipits,6 Ravens,2 Pied Wagtails,3 Goosanders,4 Tufted ducks,11 Teal,9 Linnets,5 Stonechates,m Kestrel,2 C Buzzards.

2 male Wheatears, 3 singing Blackcap, 27 Chiffchaffs (most singing), Sparrowhawk & unusually, a singing male Reed Bunting.

Also: 11 Peacock, Holly Blue, Small Tortoiseshell & 4 Speckled Wood.

Wednesday 27 March.  Watersmeet -  3 Dippers, 2 Grey Wagtails; 1 Pair of Chaffinches, 5 Blue tits, a Robin, a Nuthatch, 2 Great tits, a Wren and a Male Mallard.

Dipper                                      Grey Wagtail

Walking around Roborough Down on the West side of the Tavistock Road, near the woods, saw this Treecreeper, but nothing much else apart from Meadow Pipits & Skylarks

Treecreeper

Good for Butterflies this morning:

Peacock, Comma, Small Tortoiseshell, Speckled Wood, Holly Blue, Orange-tip.

Several singing Chiffchaffs.

A Red Kite flew over the top end of Chelston from the west at 14.50pm and veered low north over Shiphay Lane

A clear sunny morning at Meeth today. 3 Blackcaps singing around the car park, and many Chiffchaff around the reserve. The highlight was 2 Whooper Swan on the lake from the hide, which according to the species list was a first for the reserve. As the morning warmed up Peacock, Brimstone and Orange-topped  butterflies were seen.

Mainly lingering winterers. Redhead Goosander & Red-breasted Merganser, 2 Shags, Little Grebe, Snipe, 33 Turnstones, 3 Dunlins, 60 Redshanks, 8 Curlews, Greenshank, 6 Mandarin Ducks, 9 Little Egrets, Grey Wagtail. Stock Dove & 4 singing Chiffchaffs.

1 Willow Warbler singing by Wrafton Pond.

21 Chiffchaffs singing by the sides of the Tarka trail between Wrafton Pond & Barnstaple & 1 Treecreeper between Chivenor roundabout & the Tarka Inn.

Last night 26th flock of 50+ Fieldfare flying east near Cruwys Morchard. This morning  at Ashridge Farm, Sandford  the valley is full of chattering Fieldfare. In the region of 75 - 100 . Big movement.

Soar: a Red Kite at 11.00 over East Soar Farm and again 45 minutes later over the Warren; also 2 male Wheatears, Snipe & 12 Chiffchaffs.

Another Red Kite at 12.50 at Slapton Ley (over Stokeley) and also a drake Scaup in Ireland Bay.

Lateish Redwings at Aish and Didworthy today.

Highlights - Blackcap (m) Peregrine and Common Sandpiper. Walked down as far as Topsham Side Lock, not much there - R B Merganser (f). Nothing on Matford Marsh of any interest.

Peregrine video - https://youtu.be/KdiZ-qJbNwM

Butterflies - Peacock (lots) Speckled Wood and Brimstone.

Peregrine

2 Wheatears, singing Blackcap,12 Chiffchaffs & 2 Woodpigeon in off the sea at Bolt Head.

Also: 10 Peacock, 2 Speckled Wood & Red Admiral.

A Willow Warbler was singing away in the treetops on the edge of Chudleigh Knighton Heath this lunchtime.

Here's the pics of one of the male Wheatears, the female Wheatear and a Skylark on Smeardon Down (Peter Tavy) this evening.

    
Wheatear (male)                      Wheatear (female)                                       Skylark

78 Teal, 21 Wigeon, 6 Shoveler, M Pintail, 2 Green Sand & a Ruff at Powderham Marsh this pm. Also 7 Peacock, 4 Small T & a Speckled Wd. 50+ Sand Martin over Exminister Marsh 

Cycled down to the pond to see if anything new had turned up when Sue Bruce who was by the pond announced that there was a Bonaparte's Gull on the pond.

Fortunately, had both cameras with me.

Bonaparte's Gull this afternoon

Bonaparte's Gull

2 very smart male Wheatear and 1 female on the Moors near Lower Godsworthy, Peter Tavy this evening plus 2 Skylark on the ground and numerous Meadow Pipit. I'll post some pics later when I've processed them.

My first Common Lizard of the year more on my blog about my travels. http://www.simonthurgoodimages.co.uk/blog.asp

Common Lizard

Jon Turner informs me that the Bonaparte's is back on the pond (message rec'd 16:25h)

17 Chiffchaffs this morning - major arrival & most in song. Speckled Wood earliest ever, plus Painted Lady.

There was no sign of the Bonaparte's Gull on Wrafton Pond when Tim Davis and several others were looking at around 11.45 this morning. The weekend's male Garganey also seemed to to have moved on.

One of those mornings when you're especially glad to be alive, Fresh but clear, visibility miles. Two blackthroated divers in Elbury Cove, one yellowhammer and several cirl buntings in the car park, now minus the hides formed by old beach huts. Harder to creep up on the birds but I'm sure we'll manage. Also heard a possible skylark over the field behind the huts facing the sea but could have been my hearing. Maybe someone else can confirm?

Out at Wrafton pond.

Male and female Gadwall           Small gull awaiting ID                      Mute Swan

Eds: The Gull, apart from it lacking the normally grey nape it's spot on for a fw Bonaparte's Gull!

Out at Wrafton pond.

Sand Martin       Sand Martin apologies for the poor quality          Two common gulls I think?

Eds: they are Herring Gulls

Out at Wrafton pond on Sunday afternoon. Saw: Mallard (many); Pochard (many); Gadwall (male and female); Moorhens 4; Coots 2; Swans4; Sand Martins (many); Little Grebe 2; Teal (Male and female); Canada goose (male and female); a small gull 1; other gulls including Herring gulls; and Godwit 2.

Coot                      Moorhen                           Canada Goose

A pair of Wheatears newly in at Mel Tor this afternoon.

Nice to see a few different hoverflies about today, Meliscaeva cinctella, Epistrophe eligans and Eristalis pertinax

Meliscaeva cinctella               Epistrophe eligans                     Eristalis pertinax

I don't think I've ever had so many good views of Cetti's warblers as I've had in the last couple of days most of them in Somerset yesterday but also today at Slapton. I counted 36 black tailed godwits at South Huish marsh this afternoon and saw a beautiful barn owl on my drive home at Aveton Gifford.

Cetti's Warbler                          Black-tailed Godwit

Got this image of a small single gull.  Closest match that I can find is a Bonaparte's Gull.  Is this correct? 

Is this a Bonaparte's Gull?

Eds: yes it is!

Two x Wheatear at Northam Burrows today 

A handful of Wigeon, Pintail, Curlew and two Greenshanks were pretty much the last of the winter visitors on my WeBS sector along Chivenor foreshore, up the River Caen and along Sherpa Marsh to Velator & Wrafton. It's not unusual to hear Redshank and Curlew song at this time of year as birds get ready to leave for their breeding grounds but today was the first time I've heard singing Golden Plover in Devon – one of five partially breeding-plumaged birds flying high overhead at high tide. Around Wrafton Scrape and Wrafton Pond were: c.50 Sand Martins, a single Swallow, 2 Black-tailed Godwits, the male Garganey, several collybita Chiffchaffs and one (non-calling) Siberian Chiffchaff.

Four species of butterfly in my garden today, March 24th: Orange Tip, Brimstone, Comma, Peacock.

Osprey seen fishing March 24th 17.30 on Teign estuary between Shaldon Bridge and Coombe Cellars pub. Caught fish and flew off with it, upriver. 

Third attempt at digiscoping the male Garganey but as the saying goes 'if at first you don't succeed try again' Fortunately for me, the bird stayed long enough for me to try 3 times!

Scaup still on ley north of Torcross. Couple of Speckled Woods on the wing around the back of Ireland Bay. Offshore were 2 Red-throated Divers, Red-necked Grebe, 18 Great Crested Grebes and 4 Common Scoters.

Seen on this morning's high tide and around Saltram were the following.

Chiffchaff 5, Blackcap, Swallow 3, Snipe 9, Curlew 17, Greenshank 7, Redshank 97, Dunlin 3, Common Sandpiper 2,Little Egret 16, Oystercatcher 3, Little Grebe 3, Goosander 4(f), GSW 2, Green Woodpecker 1 and I watched a battle for a nest hole between a pair of Jackdaws and a pair of Ring-necked Parakeets! The Jackdaws seemed to have the upper hand as I left.

I hadn't been to Cranbrook Coutryside Park for a month or so but was interested to find at least 3 owl boxes newly sited together with accompanying cement nest boxes for smaller birds.  The 3 owl boxes were only a hundred yards or so apart.  All the nest boxes were facing SE.  Evidently much cost involved. This all looks wrong to me   and I would be interested to know what other people think about the sighting of these boxes. 

A few Chiffchaffs singing but not much else of note.

Photo today of one of the two male Wheatear in the Valley. 

Wheatear

This morning at Wembury:

6 Chiffchaff, 4 Linnet, 2 Skylark, 2 Kestrel, Rock and Meadow Pipits on the seaweed. Speckled Wood, Peacock and Orange tip butterflies also seen.

Broadsands - Two Wheatear and a Great northen Diver. Berryhead - Four Wheatear around cafe area and three porpoise off the head.

Heard a Chiffchaff this morning in the woods next to the river Tavy near Peter Tavy.

Record shot of yesterday's Garganey at Wrafton.

While Angling near Bratton this afternoon Muntjac Deer were barking very close in the adjacent woods and several Tawny Owls were hooting making their presence known. 

Male Scaup in Stokeley Bay this morning.

2 Smart male Wheatear this afternoon. 

A single Brambling with the birds on the garden feeders today.

I think most have seen the Pink-footed Goose at Roadford Lake by now. When we arrived Bob was already there and had seen it, but he came with us to track it down. We couldn't locate it again and drove to a different vantage point to no avail. Had one more attempt from the bridge and there it was with the hybrid white headed goose, very close in. We went back to the hide and by then it had moved to the opposite shore and was asleep on the bank. A nice hide and a pleasant way to spend the afternoon.

Single swallow over Heathfield Industrial Estate

Only sign of Spring was 3 singing Chiffchaffs (one however an over-winterer). Also: 5 redhead Goosanders, redhead Red-breasted Merganser, 5 Mandarin Ducks, 12 Snipe, 7 Greenshanks, 13 Curlews, 2 Green Woodpeckers, 2 Stock Doves, Shag, Kestrel & 11 Roe Deer.

Three stonechat, four meadow pipit and two male wheatear. Lots of skylark on the wing.

Sue Bruce just called me to say there is a drake Garganey on the scrape between Wrafton Pond and the Velator reserve. 

I'll get my hat..... 

And a very lovely bird it is too - feeding with Teal on the smaller of the two scrapes then flying (with some Teal) onto the bigger scrape. What a shame then that as I pointed my camera at it, the dreaded message "Battery exhausted" should appear. Ah well.

Three Purple Sandpipers and a Rock Pipit on the rocks Haldon Pier.

6.20 - 9.30 Not a lot of note - Sparrowhawk, 1 Wheatear about 9 am, 40-50 Sand Martin straight through about 7 am, 4 Gadwall, Pintail, 2 Oyks. 6 R B Mergansers off the platform and a few Greenshank on Goosemoor. No sign of any Garganey.

A Serin west over Orcombe Point @ 0714. Also a decent fall of Chiffchaff, 5 Wheatear, Siskin, Redwing and 2 White Wagtail.

2 male Wheatears on the sea-wall this morning. 2 Shelduck on Langstone Beach by the Red Rock - cannot ever remember seeing them in that particular spot before.

On my way back from Exeter on the train I spotted a species of Anser goose in the field next to the Newbridge Causeway south of Bishop's Tawton. Unfortunately because I was on a train I was unable to identify the species but I suspect it was either a pink-footed or bean goose. I thought I would report it in case anyone wanted to check it out.

This lovely little lady, a female Goldcrest, was flitting between the bushes, the rotary dryer &, window sills & frames at the side of my house yesterday afternoon. She was actually tapping at away at the window sills and frames, presumably finding tiny insects on the white UPVC. Either she was just fooled by dust and dirt, or she'd found an easy to spot  food source.

Considering I was panicking, trying to photo a bird that never stops moving, through the glass of the dining room window, I'm quite chuffed!

Picked out a male Garganey this morning, which was joined by a further male and female. The Marsh Harrier appeared and caused a commotion among the ducks and only 1 male Garganey was left. Also a Kingfisher, a Green Sandpiper and 1 Avocet.

I spotted one of Tim Jone's wandering oddities early this morning still flying west past Airy Point in the form of a Canada Goose! Surely it will need to stop off & refuel at some point.

Kingford Fen, near Pancrasweek.  A pair of Blackbirds with the male carrying food.   The rookery at Kingford Mill was very active with many pairs and much noise.   A Song Thrush at nearby Lana.

Dunsdon NR held 1 singing Chiffchaff, at least three active nests in the heronry..

Lower Tamar Lake  4 Tufted Ducks, 6 Canada Geese, 2 Goldinches, 1 Cormorant, 1 singing Chiffchaff.

1 Brimstone butterfly.

Harvey Kendall

Single Swallow and 3 Chiffchaff  0930 this morning

A Swallow was virtually the first bird I saw when I stepped out of the car first thing and that was followed by some excellent visible migration, with totals including: Woodpigeon (330 – in flocks of up to 84 high over the Channel, mainly heading W), Skylark (3), Sand Martin (14), Swallow (4), alba wagtail (30), Meadow Pipit (200), Chaffinch (23), Linnet (29), Goldfinch (37) and Siskin (5). Wandering oddities (for this site) included Canada Goose (3), Greylag Goose (1) and Rook (2). In the scrub were a Goldcrest, 5 Chiffchaffs and a singing Blackcap (first of the spring here).