Happy New Year

Many thanks to all observers that have already submitted their records for 2019, both through Birdtrack and Devon Birds. This is much appreciated.

For other records please could observers submit their sightings by 31^st January.

Guidelines and links to recording forms can be found here https://www.devonbirds.org/birdwatching/recording/guide_to_record_submission

Please send your records to Karen Sims data.manager@devonbirds.org and any descriptions to Kevin Rylands recorder@devonbirds.org

Best wishes and good birding for 2020

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Over 30 Gannets over a pod of Dolphins around Bull Point on the tide,large amount of fish,so a good feed for all.Amazing to watch so close to the cliffs.

Gannet.

10:45 - Spent 2 minutes on the neighbours chimney stack, then flew off inland.

Cattle egret briefly with the cattle and osprey on post in river this morning. 

Red kite circling over 18.45

Firecrest in my garden (Mount Gould) this morning.

Large raptor reported killed on the Kingsteignton bypass flyover, hope it isn't the Osprey that has been seen on the estuary the last few days.

Whinchat, 2 Stonechats, Chiffchaff, 4 Stock Doves, 3 Common Sandpipers, 6 Greenshanks, 145 Redshanks, Turnstone, Mediterranean Gull (2nd-s), Shag, 14 Grey Herons & 9 Roe Deer.

Small flock of sleeping Knot.

late aft - 18 Black tailed Godwit on the scrape, a small flock of sleeping Knot & 2 Bar - tailed Godwits on the Taw Estuary at Pottington. On the outward journey, a charm of Goldfinces feeding on seeds on the side of the Tarka trail.

Good views of a Peregrine flying into a flock of Curlew at low level, and putting up the flock of resting Black Headed gulls at about 11am.

Peregrine over briefly this morning. Kingfisher fishing in the pond. Otherwise quiet, (apart from a black cat!)

3+ spotted flycatcher and a raven at Killerton National Trust NE of Ellerhayes Bridge 4pm.

Swift over central Plymouth (uni) at 9am.

19 Black-tailed godwits,1 Bar-tailed godwit,34 Dunlin, 4 Yellow wagtail, 1 Grey Phalarope, 1 Wheatear and one ringed plover. Lovely evening.

                                 
   Black-tailed godwits, Br-t Godwit & Dunlin       Grey Phalarope                         Black-tailed Godwits and Dunlin

4 Med gulls in the rock pools,5 Wheatear,3 pair Stonechats,fulmars,shags and cormorants in good numbers plus4 Willow Warblers.Lots of Dragon and Damzel flies around the ponds

Mediterranean Gull                                            Willow Warbler                                  Wheatear

Mixed roost of Black-backed Gulls and c100 Oystercatchers together with 45 Knot, 2 Curlew, 1 Redshank and 21 Black-tailed Godwits. 50% of the Oystercatchers were juveniles. Approximately 35 Little Egret dotted about and roosting in trees from Penhill Marsh to Chivenor during high tide (11.09 - 3mtrs at Bple)

12 noon to 1pm of note: Grey Phalarope still present, plus 25 Dunlin, 20 Black-tailed Godwits and 2 Sand Martins.

Nice mix of common migrants again this morning: 1 Common Swift, c10 Sand Martins, c25 House Martins, c100 Swallows, 2 Tree Pipits, 1 Yellow Wagtail, 2 Whinchats, 1 Sedge Warbler, c25 Whitethroats, c10 Blackcaps, c5 Willow Warblers and c5 Chiffchaffs.

Flock of about 30 Turnstones

This morning, an Osprey was on a post mid river from the viewing platform. Also 1 Kingfisher and 3 Common Sandpipers. From the hide, large number of Curlew with at least 2 Whimbrel, 2 Bar-tailed Godwits and 1 Mediterranean Gull.

Walked around area before high tide and saw the following.

Curlew 28, Greenshank 6, Redshank 156, Oystercatcher 8, Kingfisher 1, Little Egret 16, Grey Heron 17, Little Grebe 2, Common Sandpiper 5, Grey Wagtail 1, Willow Warbler 1, Chiffchaff 5, Spotted Flycatcher 2, Whinchat 3, Stonechat 3, Kestrel 1, Sparrowhawk 1, Stock Dove 8 & Mistle Thrush 11.

In the woods along the the Holne Moor Least NW of Venford Reservoir this pm c70 Siskin feeding on birch seeds and a roaming flock of 42 Mistle Thrushes.

Wryneck in garden 11.00 a.m. 

Lovely evening at South Huish marsh, 17 Black-tailed godwits, 1 Bar-tailed godwit, 1 Grey phalarope,18 Dunlin, 5 yellow wagtails, 2 Sparrow hawks and a swift.

Black-tailed Godwits, Bar-tailed godwit and Dunlin

Yellow Wagtails

Grey Phalarope

1 Curlew Sandpiper amongst the Sanderling, Ringed Plover and Dunlin roosting along The Bight on the high tide at Dawlish Warren this morning. Also a Wheatear, 2 Raven and very mobile Sandwich Terns.

Offshore Gannets., 2 Common Scoter and more Sandwich Terns. 

Autumn Lady's Tresses showing well

5 ringneck parakeet including one blue in colour mear valley

Osprey at Flow Point 3.30 today, attempting to fish with no luck watched for several minutes as it slowly drifted up river.

At Blaxton Meadow, Saltram a single and hard to see Snipe, Greenshank, Redshank, Curlews, Oystercatchers, Dunlin, little Egrets and Herons.

At lunch time (1 pm) osprey over to north of Turf flying west. Two sandwich terns (adults) feeding close to jetty and little tern (1w) shortly after.The little tern has been present for a few days and appears to follow the tide line from Turf to Topsham..

Black Hole Marsh is in excellent condition for waders, with Little Stint, 3 Curlew Sandpipers, Knot, Ruff and 2 Green Sandpipers among Dunlin, Redshank and Black-tailed Godwits yesterday, with the Osprey over the Axe nearby.

Insects ruled the day though, with Roesel's Bush-crickets (and lots of Long-winged Coneheads) in the long grass near the Seaton Marshes dipping pond, thanks my daughter's much better hearing (I've lost the range to hear bush-crickets). The NBN Atlas map shows nothing for Devon, I think it was recorded at Dawlish Warren last year. And as we were so close, a visit to see Long-tailed Blue egg-laying on a patch Everlasting Pea below the undercliff at Axmouth was unavoidable. Two Devon insect ticks for me!

Male Roesel's Bush-cricket, Seaton Marshes    Female Long-tailed Blue on Everlasting Pea, Axmouth

A modest increase in migrants with two Whinchats and a Redstart on Brent Hill this morning, two Wheatears there yesterday, a Spotted Fly at nearby Overbrent and a Yellow Wag there on Saturday.

From this morning's Lyme Bay Boat Trip from Brixham, some of the birds seen as already reported by Nigel Smallbones. A great morning.

Manx Shearwater

Bonxie

Guillemot

Highlight was a Wood Sandpiper which flew over my garden calling, and headed south over the lower estuary. Also: Tree Pipit, 8 Greenshanks, 4 Common Sandpipers, Dunlin, Kingfisher, Shag, Roe Deer & over 100 spikes of Autumn Ladies Tresses. 

This mornings boat trip from Brixham was rewarded with a Wheatear before we had left the Harbour, the bird  was on the old fuel jetty but flew away very quickly. Sea conditions good and we had a good trip with freshing wind as we returned.  Good numbers of Kittiwake off Berry Head, 200+. Other birds seen 550+ Manx Shearwater but further study of pictures might give a Balearic Shearwater, 5 small waders flying through when going out and a further  2 when coming back in. 3 Great Skua, 1 Young Artic Skua, 1 Ringed Plover!! 10 Fulmar, 1 Black-headed Gull, many Herring Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull and a fine assortment  of different aged Gannets. On returning back into Torbay joined by 8 Common Dolphin. I think all enjoyed the trip.

1 heard flying over Kingsdown cl, Dawlish this morning at 8am

15 ringneck parakeet