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.

Ring Ouzel! Overlooking the Teign Valley in Devon (some 200 metres above sea level).

Pair of Goosanders and a Dipper 

At about 1400 one Avocet on Blaxton Meadow pool. On estate 5 Little Egrets with cattle (no Cattle Egrets seen). Blackcap singing. One Ring Necked Parakeet.  On estuary Goosander 3 (I male) and Greenshank. Female Red Crested Pochard on Saltram House pond.

1 female Long-tailed Duck still, 25 Teal, 2 Tufted Duck, 2 Great Crested Grebe, 2 Common Crossbill, 8 Siskin

Photos from this morning

Cattle Egret                                    Ruff                              Spotted Redshank

3 Cattle Egrets in the roost, 2 Ruffs & 1 Spotted Redshank in the pill .1 Red Kite being mobbed over Home Farm Marsh.

Green-winged Teal still showing in left water channel with pair of Gadwall viewed from seating area. Also seen were female Marsh Harrier hunting to the south of the marsh, 2 Green Sandpipers, ad/male Ruff with several Sand Martins heading north tracking along the electric pylons during the morning.

At Exminster marsh middle car park gateway 100+ Sand Martins seen feeding around the pools mid-afternoon and 3 Wheatear (m & 2-f) north of the marsh from end of track leading away from car park.

Green-winged Teal                         Marsh Harrier                     Wheatear

Wheatear - 12 noon GR SS 44851 31302

Sand Martins over the scrape again this morning, plus an influx of Chiffs: at least 7 seen in the reserve, one of which despite the cold wind, did actually sing. Not too much else of note, but reminds me I saw flock of 15 Black-tailed Godwits over the adjacent Sherpa Marsh yesterday.

Walked the Glazebrook onto Dartmoor this morning, cold with a strong wind, initially very little bird life on the actual moor but some birds to be seen on the adjoining farmland, nineteen species seen in total, 2 Nuthatch, male Blackcap, Green and Greater Spotted Woodpecker, 4 Wren, 7 Skylark, 55 Meadow Pipit, 3 Buzzard, 4 Raven, 15 Carrion Crow and a single Stock Dove.

07:38 - 09:23

Highlights were a single female Marsh Harrier, a single male Green-winged Teal, a Snow Goose, 6 Sand Martin and Cirl Bunting.

 Please excuse the dodgy iPhone-through-scope snap.

Green-winged Teal

An early visit to keep my social distance therefore the tide was out. 8 Cattle Egrets flew up the Estuary towards Saltram house. They were followed shortly after be a male Peregrine who came in low over the mud and continued over Sainsbury’s. Not much on the Estuary to catch his attention. The only other birds of note were Kingfisher, 10 Redwing, 3 Common Sandpiper & 2 Siskins.

Quiet in the reserve still only a single Chiffchaff. Singing Green and Chaffinch livened things up a bit, as did the Sand Martins out over the scrape.

Back home while digging in my garden Green Woodpecker calling, GSW drumming and the delightful melody of my first singing Blackbird this year. Gave me the inspiration to get on with the job!

On a dull,damp day like today there were still plenty of birds to see and hear while walking the dog. A Song Thrush high-up in a tree, Blackbirds all around, House Sparrows cheeping, Magpies, crows and Wood pigeon, collared Dove, Blue tits, a Robin and even a pair of Green finches.

Song Thrush                             Blackbird                                           Robin

8 singing Chiffchaffs plus Green Woodpecker.

Three Sand Martins feeding on flood channel south of Trewsweir today 3:34pm. 

Single Wheatear flying in off the sea at Orcombe Point early this morning.

Today, a two-hour scan in the company of others produced many Sand Martins, and singles of Green-Winged Teal, Scaup, Green Sandpiper, Peregrine, Kestrel, Sparrowhawk with several Reed Buntings on the bird table, and a pair of Stonechats on the walk from the Swan's Nest..

Yesterday, the lane from Ide to Longdown started with a Dipper on the Alphinbrook, and finished, North of the trig. point, with flocks of Redwing (20+, perhaps the last of the Winter), Linnet (25+), Siskin (10+), Crossbill (5+), (with two additional isolated singing males), and Stock Dove (35+). Have not seen a flock of the latter locally before; are they, like Wood Pigeon, a partial migrant, so were these returning from further S. or W.? Along the way, lots of song, especially from Yellowhammer, Mistle Thrush, and, above all, Larks, mostly exultant, but some mournful.

2 singing chiffchaff this morning

Single male yellowhammer with the chaffinches and siskins at the feeding station.

Lots (well 20+) of Sand Martins over the scrape and later a few over the reserve, Not much change in the reserve, although the water level has again gone down a bit more. Chiffchaff, Water Rail, Cetti's Warblers calling, And the male Little Grebe's call has finally worked - he has attracted a mate! He also had a go at a passing Mallard this morning.

Popped out yesterday afternoon, first to Fremington Pill though very few birds around. Got a quick shot of an Egret in flight. I then went down to Wrafton pond.  There was very little there to report just a few Coots, Moorhens, Snipe, Mallard (M&F), a couple of Little grebes and two male Pochard.  A singing Chiffchaff made the trip worthwhile.

Little Egret                          Male Pochard                                Coot

Sandwich Tern flew past the beach heading toward Exmouth this morning

3 Pale-Bellied Brent Geese flew in off the sea this afternoon to feed on the rocks at the south end of the beach.

Surf Scoter & Velvet Scoter around the bouys but distant.

Plenty of bird activity at Baggy yesterday morning with several species focused on chasing one another around including Meadow & Rock Pipits parachuting down from the sky!

A male Sparrowhawk flew past in a flash panicking most of the birds including the gulls. A single Swallow flying fast & low over the gorse but only seen once just for a few seconds.

A few Peacock butterflies on the wing & one Small Tortoisehell which we were delighted to see due to the rapid declines in this species during the last few years.

10 Cattle Egrets feeding in amongst the cattle! Also with a couple of Little Egrets.

4Wheatears ms and f.Ring -n duck .Slapton ,Ireland bay ,Gt White Egret, which we found at 2.30 pm. 

2 Red Kites slowly circling and moving east over West Sandford late this afternoon. Influx of ChiffChaffs this morning at least 4 singing in the hamlet this morning.

Wheatear flew in off the sea around midday.

A Red Kite hunting around the approach road to Fernworthy 4.15pm. The Long Tailed Duck is still present.

Much as yesterday, except no sign of the Water Pipit, I noticed Roger and Dave from Bideford over on the Tarka Trail, presumably hoping to see it.

Only one Chiffchaff a Water Rail and a Little Grebe of note in the reserve.

The flood is slowly receding.

Velvet Scoter and Surf Scoter around buoys offshore at 13.40 today.

3 male Wheatears on the lowest seaward slopes of Bolt Head and Chiffchaff on the cliff top.

Non-avian: 7 Peacocks.

Slapton Ley:  Great White Egret in Ireland Bay, Black Swan and singing Chiffchaff.

9 members of DB attended the East Devon Branch fieldtrip this morning.  8 Cirl Buntings (3 males) were present in the second car park with a Chiffchaff in the hedgerow.  The main challenge came from the search for 2 Firecrest reported and which were eventually found in ivy covered trees opposite Sycamore Close together with a Goldcrest, 3 Bullfinch and a singing Blackcap. Overhead were 2 Buzzard and a Raven. Out in the bay 2 Great Northern Diver were present with a Common Scoter near the mussel beds.  A grey seal was close in to the shore.

PLEASE NOTE. In view of the 'virus crisis' members will be asked to keep 2 meters distance from each other, not to share scopes and drivers will decide whether they wish to car share or not.  We will continue with our Branch Fieldtrip Programme until the crisis determines otherwise and members will be informed of any future changes as they occur.  Thank you.

Nothing much to report around this lake, the Kingfishers showing well but not for Pictures, the only interest were two Wrens having a right old fight

2 distant scoters just right of the buoys. 1 common and the surf. No sign of either the velvet scoter or the long tailed duck

4 Cattle Egrets feeding amongst a flock of sheep , adjacent to Isley Marsh.

Also Spotted Redshank still on Fremington Pill.

At least two Wheatear on site. First of year here I think.

Also Warren Crocus in flower, making for a very spring-like Monday

East Charleton 1km square - 3, possibly 4 male Chiffchaffs now holding territory, the 1st singing male Blackcap on possible territory this morning. The full 1km has yet to be searched, only the most productive breeding area has been visited so far.

Glorious morning, alive with singing. First Chiffchaff of the year and a Greenfinch (not often seen here). Male Yellowhammer and Marsh Tit under/at the feeders. At least six soaring buzzards including a very light individual and two engaged in aerial talon grabbing. Three ravens and 2 Mistle thrushes flying. Great stuff!

Sunday morning. Just the usual suspects on the pond.

Little Grebe                    Male Pochard                           Snipe

Today off the Pier a Juv Glaucous gull was being mobbed by the Herring Gulls, a snow white gull, I saw it on Friday as well. Returning Lesser Black Backed Gulls are up to about ten inc this paler individual, all the rest are much darker. Capstone to the Pier had 3 pairs of Purple Sandpipers and this afternoon over Cairn no less than 9 Buzzards. Recently Juv Iceland Gull still and a 2nd CY Great Black Backed Gull with a green darvic leg ring possibly ringed on Bardsey. 

Purple Sandpipers                               Lesser Black-backed Gull

Between the estuary and Sprey point at least three Great Northern Divers.  Off Sprey point sixty Common Scoter.

A brief visit this afternoon between the showers 14 Sand Marrtins and 1 Swallow actively feeding over the main lagoon. Also singing chiffchaff and a male Wheatear. 

After four months of weekend drive outs, finally I got to see a short eared owl, along with many other observers. The odd buzzard, flocks of golden plover along with starling,  a heron on a moorland pond along with a couple of teal. There were small herds of red deer among the tall reedy grass. 

Seo                                    Red deer

Rain finally stopped after lunch so went down to check if the flood had subsided. Not much! A Snipe flew into the flooded area - they usually fly out when they see me approaching! A Water Rail was also in the flooded area. Little Grebes were in (and outside) the reserve. A loafing flock of Gulls included a few LBB Gulls, and a Mediterranean Gull. Best  was a Water Pipit between the reserve and the scrape. (photo attached)

Water Pipit

3 Sand Martin feeding over the pond at 08:00 this morning. 2 Water Rail (possibly 3) and  a Cettis Warbler also present.

14.30-16.30

A Firecrest showed well in scrub below the main entrance gate.  6 GNDs including three very close in Hope Cove.  3 Blackcaps and GSW calling from dense cover.  Pairs of Bullfinch, Greenfinch and Stonechat.  Multiple Robins.  Rock Pipit.  2 Fulmars, 2 Common Gulls, Gannets, Shags, 5+ Oycs, 20+ Guillemots and 2 Gannets.  3 Harbour Porpoise and 1 Grey Seal.  Primroses starting to look good!

Sandwich Tern off Torcross this afternoon.

Adult Ross's Gull on Blaxton Meadow, Saltram, Plym Estuary this morning

Ross's Gull Blaxton Meadow