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.

Yes, it is a Mediterranean Gull. Large, bright red bill and black cap extending much further down nape than the brown cap of the Black-headed gull are diagnostic. Please give location. Which cricket pitch - where?

Seen near the cricket field on Sunday morning 11.00 am ish.

This might be a Mediterranean Gull standing near a black headed gull. It appeared to be very different to the BHG standing next to it.

Mediterranean Gull?

1 Knot foraging amongst the BH Gulls am.

Birds nesting in doorway opposite.

Not great images, but can anyone confirm it is a spotted flycatcher nest?

Eds: yes a Spotted Flycatcher - please use the above link to help with bird identifications

Highlights of a day 'dragonflying' at Stover were male Lesser Emperor and Red-veined Darter over the lake, plus both Large and Small Redeyes and many Black-tailed Skimmers. No sign of Scarce Chasers - checked the fringes from boat with Jon Avon - but one photographed away from water yesterday.

At least 4 showing very well around 2:30 pm

White-letter Hairstreak

27 med gulls.17 adults,2 ss,7fs& probably my earliest juvenile.50 bhg's,2 whimbrel,39 curlew 1dunlin.07:40-08:15

Whimbrel heard at 08:00 this morning with members of the Axe Estuary Ringing Group. 

Kayak trip to Eddystone yesterday:

1 Balearic Shearwater,

100+ Manx Shearwater

1 Common Scoter

plus 15 Common Dolphin (10+4+1)

4 Harbour Porpoise (3+1)

  
Manx Shearwater and Common Scoter               Common Dolphins                                 Harbour Porpoise

Eds: All pelagic birders with the season upon us, please remember to send your seabird records in. Records such as these which are within 12 nautical miles of Devon do count for the county now. While posting on Devon Bird News is great the records do not automatically go into Devon Birds database.

First flock of returning Redshank I have seen so far this summer on the north side of the Taw Estuary.

First returning med gulls this evening.6,2 adults,2nd summer,3 FS.40 bhg's only one juv.20 curlew,14 dunlin.19:20-1945.

around 100 ringneck parakeet inc 3 blue juvenile babies along with blue adult

My first juvenile Redstarts of autumn, presumably dispersing away from natal areas - two near Aish Ridge this morning and one on Brent Hill on 3 July.

On this mornings high tide the following were seen.

Curlew 24, Redshank 62, Greenshank 2, Common Sandpiper 5, Little Egret 11, Grey Heron 4, Med Gull 1 1st sp, Shelduck 2 with 2 juv, Stock 9, Green Woodpecker 3, GSW 2, Peregrine and Whitethroat 2.

Still at least 2 White-letter Hairstreaks this afternoon, showing quite well.

     
White-letter Hairstreaks

3 Black tailed Godwits on R.Caen early evening, 95 Black headed Gulls including 5 smart juv's & 75 Starling consisting of mainly juveniles on the Jetty.

Small red-eyed damselflies frequent on the algal mats towards the bottom end of the lower lake, all males so far. Other species around the lakes included bluetailed damselfly, azure damselfly, black tailed skimmer, broad bodied chaser and emperor dragonfly. The top big lake was particularly good for the skimmers and chasers.

            
Small red-eyed damselfly, male                      Black tailed skimmer, male

I've nurtured suckering Elms in my Chudleigh garden for over 30 years and this afternoon my efforts were rewarded with brief sightings of a White-letter Hairstreak. The species has been assumed to breed in the Wych Elms in woodland over 500m away (Simon Mitchell showed me an egg there about 25 years ago!), but this is my first adult here. (Only known from a few locations elsewhere in Devon.) While I was waiting with camera for it to re-appear (which it didn't). 

Buzzard                   

4th July 2019

The long-staying Slavonian Grebe and 15 Sandwich Tern were the highlights.

Also Buzzard, Kestrel, Little Egret, Curlew, Oystercatcher, Swallow, Whitethroat, Reed Warbler, Chiffchaff, Stonechat, Linnet and Reed Bunting.

Later at Flow Point were 18 Little Egret, 5 Grey Heron and 2 Shelduck with 3 young.

Near Turf this morning at high tide 3 common sandpipers flew north, 4 common terns flew south and two family parties of shelduck (2 & 10 yn) stayed put.Single sandwich tern in channel.

First signs of autumn migration with 33 Sand Martins and 3 Swifts moving east along the cliffs.

Non-avian: 2 male Red-veined Darters, one giving cracking views perched up in the sun. Also Beautiful Demoiselle (new record for the Bolt Head to Bolt Tail site) and first Southern Hawker.

3th July 2019

8.15-8.50pm 

Short but sweet visit this evening 

5 Common Scoter were the highlights

40 Manx Shearwater

C.140 Guillemot were on ledges on Ore Stone

5 Gannet, numerous Cormorant and Shag

2 Oystercatcher 

A pod of c. 12 Common Dolphin were distant and seen heading towards Berry Head

My first Whitethroat of the year since Spring migrants, here; also Green Woodpecker, 23 Mandarin Ducks, Black-tailed Godwit (summer plumage), Greenshank, 46 Redshanks, 1st-s Mediterranean Gull & 4 Stock Doves.

Butterflies included a good count of 80+ Marbled Whites & my first Gatekeepers (3) of the year.

14 members of DB attended the East Devon Branch Nightjar evening yesterday.  A perfect evening with the bonus of a distant Hobby and Stonechats before we reached our viewing position.  First calls of Nightjar were heard at 9.45pm and a pair showed well during the time we were present.  The pair settled on the path and a tree giving great views.  It was agreed that calls and churring on the common were noticeably less than might be expected.  

Juvenile and adult Black-headed gulls near Barnstaple long bridge.

At Central Park Plymouth by the pitch and putt cafe 3 Whiteletter Hairstreaks.

56 Shags on the Mew Stone inc.18+ freshly fledged juvs - a very good result. Looks like a bad year for breeding Cirl Buntings not helped by some very questionable management by NT. 

Non-avian; Red-veined Darter by Goat Rock. 

Waders are starting to arrive back, on this mornings high tide the following were seen :

Redshank 52, Curlew 22, Greenshank 1, Black Tailed Godwit 1, Common Sandpiper 4, Med Gull 2, Little Egret 8 and 10 Stock Dove.

Red kite seen going over the Plessey roundabout at Roborough, Plymouth at about 15:30, Sunday.

On this afternoons high tide the following were seen:

Grey Heron 8, Little Egret 8, Curlew 20, Black Tailed Godwit 1 sp and Med Gull 3 all 1st sp.

Two - three Red-veined Darters hunting and chasing each other over the wildflower meadow area immediately right - out of the main car park as if you were heading for the Northern Fort. Two regularly landed on the path and Yellow-rattle. A pod of 20-30 Common Dolphin were actively feeding due east of the main headland and plenty of Painted Lady Butterflies all around the headland. Very quiet for birds - even the Guillemots have all left the cliffs! 

Comma Butterfly at the Manor 1400. 4 Painted Lady, 4 Meadow Brown,1 Small White also present. 3 Large Red, 9 Azure Damselfly and 1 (unidentified) Dragonfly over the larger pond.