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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.

The deadline for the 2019 Bird Report is rapidly approaching. If you found (or saw) any of these birds please could you submit a description to recorder@devonbirds.org to ensure your records are published. Many thanks. 

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.

On Dartmoor yesterday 14 June I saw a number of Siskins, a Nuthatch, male and female Chaffinch and usual Blue tits, Great tits and lots of Swallows.

Female Siskin                                                   Male Siskin

The Spoonbill was still at BGM this lunchtime. Very little else.

I have been keeping a eye on the pontoon where I know at least 3 Swallow nests are, 2 have fledged this morning, 1 set of 4 and another of 5. By the sound of the noisy chicks on the 3rd nest they wont be long to join the rest. The adults finding plenty of food along the canal bank. With the apparent Swallow numbers down this year, its great to see all these fledglings in one place.

Continuous rain until last hour or so. 

Manx Shearwater 767, Balearic Shearwater, Puffin, Bonxie, Sandwich Tern 2, Great Crested Grebe, Common Scoter 9, Kittiwake 12, Fulmar 3 & Harbour Porpoise 2+.

Spotted Flycatcher this afternoon on the Otter, downstream from Ottery St Mary, among the newly planted trees. Lovely to see one again.

Took a walk around the hills behind Killerton House thinking it might be a good area for a future fieldtrip.  Found a Spotted Flycatcher in the grounds of Killerton Chapel.  Nuthatch and some woodpeckers (Green and Gt Spotted)elsewhere but generally very few birds for such a varied habitat.  After talking to NT staff I learnt that the entire estate including the extensive woodlands (The Clump, Park Wood Columjohn Wood, The Plains etc are not free access and that unless one is a NT member, you have to pay an admission fee, plus the car park at £2 for two hours (£4 all day).   During my childhood there was a heronry at The Clump but not for many years.

Emailed ML with original photo & noted a crack in the upper mandible which suggests a fracture or breakage due to a possible collision.

I noted this morning that this bird was flying very slowly & while stalling, picking insects from the leaves of shrubs which suggests the growth impairs it's ability to feed in the usual manner so has had to adapt it's feeding behaviour to some extent to allow for this, though the poor bird is obviously struggling to survive.

Stopped off at the pond to have a look on my way along the Tarka trail to  Barnstaple.  4 House Martins & 2 Swallows were foraging within a few metres of the boardwalk .One of the Swallows was so close to where I was standing I had to take a step back to avoid a possible collision.

This one Swallow alighted twice on the handrail at the side of the boardwalk only 2 metres away from where I was standing & rested for some time. My initial assessment was the bird was exhausted or unwell.

Looking at the photos when I got home I noticed it had an abnormal upper mandible. I have not been able to identify what it is. Is it a growth of some sort from an injury or a parasite that has attached itself to the bill?

Good to see at least one pair of Shelduck with 10 juveniles on the north side of the Taw estuary between Chivenor & Barnstaple, but could only find one pair.

Family of 5 nuthatches, and 2 Y Gr. Sp. Woodpeckers being fed in our Gribbleford garden 

Female pied blackbird cormelles court car park area in combemartin. Quite spectacular when she flew with her white wings. Phone camera shot 

After being inspired by my good friend Mark Glanvile who runs “Bristol Swifts” these last couple years I’ve been trying to find out more about the Swifts, Swallows and House Martins that nest around Dawlish. On my evening walk around the center, unfortunately didn’t see the Alpine Swift seen earlier but did see 15 Common Swifts. They seem to be nesting in three main areas and have reclaimed a historic nesting site that wasn’t used last year, the number do seem to be up.

While Swallows do seemed to have disappeared this year, House Martins have found a new nesting site in the new housing development next to Sainsbury’s, 20+ birds here which is a positive sign, the odd thing here is they are only nesting on houses with the white render, don’t know why?

Alpine swift seen over the strand and Brunswick place Dawlish at 4pm with common swifts and house martins 

A Red Kite appeared over Scadson Woods between heavy rain showers at 10.20 hours. Quickly joined by the local Herring Gull population it gained height and headed towards Paignton. First new garden tick for me in a long time !!!

Been off in  foreign parts for a few days (well, Cornwall!) Returned to the reserve yesterday to find what looked like a full set of feathers from an adult Wood Pigeon on the grass. Female Sparrowhawk of perhaps a passing Peregrine?

This morning a Kingfisher perched over the pond (the nearby river being too muddy).

Just before the rains came this evening a sparrowhawk had his dinner in next doors garden - not so good for its prey, a probable sparrow

Cuckoo heard calling briefly in late AM (11:00).

10th June 2019

Seaton Wetlands- 8 Little Egret, Grey Heron, 2 Cormorant, 3 Mute Swan, 55 Shelduck, 30 Mallard, Buzzard, Sparrowhawk, Kestrel, B-H Gull, Herring Gull, 1 LB-B Gull and GB-B Gull.

Eds: This post has been edited.  Please read the list of rare breeding and vulnerable Devon Birds that should not appear in sighting postings, normally the whole post is deleted.

Two parakeets seen in Rockbeare 5.30 am.

All Wk I've been seeing this handsome brute Great Black Backed Gull and it's mate raiding Ilfracombes roofs of its Herring Gull eggs and chicks.  Manx Shearwaters now passing in good numbers most days. Over at Pottington ind estate among Lesser bb and Herring Gull nesting sites at least 2 pairs of Oystercatchers on nests. 

Great Black-backed Gull                               Whitethroat

Yesterday 8/6 pair of yellowhammers male singing well, possible sighting of young y/hammer.2 white throat males singing,and one very large Raven flying overhead,small group of linnets one male Stonechat.

a good morning for the area.

Highlight of a damp and disappointing couple of hours at CM. Seems to be a male Bullfinch passing food to a female rather than to a juvenile. Display perhaps?

It was nice to see a Puffin with the Guillemots at Ore stone today

2 Tawny Owl Chicks just sitting in a tree in Plymouth

Tawny Owl Chicks

The goosander on the Otter still has 13 of her ducklings.

Spoonbill still eating voraciously

Seen before this mornings high tide were the following.

Med Gull 1st summer in amongst the 41 BHG, Oystercatcher 3, Curlew 1, Green Woodpecker 2, GSW 1, Stock Dove 4, Little Egret 3 & Grey Heron 2.

Spoonbill dropped in about 10:30 and fed voraciously for a couple of hours. Also three Greenshank and two adult Mediterranean Gulls - around 35 species in total