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.

Apologies for the late post,  tablet battery was flat..

A walk with the dog from Ilfracombe coastguards back to combemartin didn't provide very much in the way of smaller hedgerow birds other than a melodious warbler of sorts near widmouth farm. Back home in the garden, again late in the evening a mass of about 40 + swallow accompanied with swifts although less numerous.  All garden birds diving for cover when the resident sparrow hawk flew over but unusually high.(normally darting through at hedge height. 

Sparrow hawk.

1 singing male whitethroat on hedge and numerous swallows and 15 houses Martins

3 ravens over Totnes at 1545

Red Kite over Roundswell at 15.40 this afternoon, heading south.

Fem/2nd calender year Marsh Harrier early this morning. Also Gadwall, 2 Teals, 6 Reed Warblers and a Sedge Warbler

09.30 at the scrape, "That looks different" Raise binoculars - "Sure is - it's a GLOSSY IBIS"! It flew around for a while before returning - the Gulls didn't know what to make of this odd-looking bird! Went down to SHerpa, but tnothing mush of note. Back in the reserve, sneaked up on the Ibis and got some pics. About 11.07 a very noisy helicopter came over the the Ibis departed south.

   
Glossy Ibis

Red Kite over Lipson at 10.15am heading Westward

Seen over the course of a few minutes on the shingle ridge - 3 whitethroats, 4 whimbrel, 1 gannet, 2 sandwich terns. Female Sparrowhawk over the village.

At Plymbridge  this morning: a pair of Mandarin Ducks, female Goosander, Grey Wagtail, G.S. Woodpecker, Blue, Great and a solitary Marsh tit, Bullfinches, Chaffinches ,Chiffchaffs, Nuthatches Blackcaps, Song thrushes, Over Boringdon Golf course Buzzard, Kestrel, pair of Stonechat, Pied Wagtail, Skylarks and Linnets and a Swallow. Yesterday had my first Cuckoo and Whitethroat of the year over the course.

pair of Mandarin ducks, Wren, Pied Wagtail

Cuckoo calling at first light this morning on the moors just above the Peak Moor Gate towards Glasscombe Corner, several pairs of very confiding Yellow Hammer in the same area, three Raven and numerous Meadow Pipits.

My better half and daughter cycled up to the Avon dam late this afternoon and heard a Cuckoo calling in the valley below the Dam, Stonechat in the same area.

Yesterday had at least five male Blackcap in full song around my fields today only the three to be found possibly due to the very windy conditions..

My first cuckoo of the year whilst wandering around the woods surrounding Kennick & Tottiford Reservoirs this afternoon. Interestingly, heard one in this area last spring too. 

First House Martin of the year high over the back garden

Martins and Swallows are back, Goldfinches are nest building.

           
House Martin                                             Goldfinch

A short walk through Anchor woods this evening with our dog proved fruitful. Bluebell were looking great, heard a Willow warbler, a Blackcap, a couple of Chiffchaffs, a Chaffinch, Great and Blue tits, the odd Robin, some Blackbirds and a Cetti's warbler near the Tarka trail. I know this is a bird site, but other people should be able to see places and other things of interest.

      
The Pathway through Anchor woods                              Bluebells

I cycled out to Berry Head today, on the Headland: 1 Redstart (male), 3 Willow Warblers, 4 Whitethroat, 1 Yellowhammer, 4 Wheatear. Overhead: 1 Tree Pipit, 2 Yellow Wagtails, 3 House Martin several Swallows and my first Swift.

First 2 House Martins over the garden this evening. Brings our lockdown list to 48. Not bad for an inland area, with not a great variety of habitat to explore.

One Red Kite over the village heading west at 1.45.

Had a walk in the wood today quite a few new blackcaps and chiffchaff. Saddened to see a couple of robins nest I've been watching have been destroyed im not sure who the culprits are but the wood is much busier than normal and probably double the amount of dogs are being walked there too

With my lock down garden bird list stuck on not very many, just had a Swift over! 

Started off this morning's ride with our regular Dipper on the Tory Brook. Then on Shaugh Moor our first Cuckoo of the season, followed closely by a pair that made off towards Wigford Down, then unbelievably a fourth landed in a hawthorn 50 yards away at Cadover Bridge.  Four Cuckoos in under 10 minutes must be something of a record.  Continuing to Burrator Wood our year list was again boosted by a pair of Pied Flycatchers amongst the regular woodland species.  Despite the tip off from Chris E we failed to find the sedge warbler or any house martins as yet.

Walked the lanes from Ide to Perridge via Windy Cross and back this morning:

- in the hedgerows 4/5 Yellowhammers and 8/10 Whitethroats singing, with plenty of Larks and a few Swallows above;

- in the mature conifer plantations two pairs of Crossbills;

- in the newly re-planted areas two Tree Pipits and several Willow Warblers;

- in and around the deciduous woods Treecreeper, Marsh Tit, 4/5 pairs of Mistle Thrushes (they certainly love something about this area), and today's bonus bird, a Redstart singing from a hedgerow Oak, a first for this year and this location.

A walk around this cemetery provided a Chiffchaff and a two Green Woodpeckers

Saturday Eveening.  Following on from Grahams post . At 6 pm. 350/400. Swallows feeding over the Lower Ley ,with 25/30 House Martins. This morning 1 m.and 4 f. Wheatears on the rocks.  Torcross.  Photo's of some of last night's moths.

Garden. Carpet.                            Brimstone. Moth.                  Pebble. Prominent.

This mornings exercise, Little Egret and Grey Herons on the estuary, finches, Blackcaps,Chiffchaffs all singing well, 6 House Martins and 3 swallows my first this year, 2 Buzzards and a Sparrowhawk overhead. Several butterfly species including Peacock, Holly blue and Speckled wood.

Little Egret                                           Wren                            Speckled Wood

5 Sandwich Terns plying the coast

On my bike ride with my little camera (Eos 60d with 18mm-300mm Sigma lens) today along the Tarka trail and had a close encounter with a Swallow near the Bob Tucker memorial bench (it's between Anchor woods and Fremington). It sat quietly for some time and allowed me to get quit a few good shots.

  
Swallow

Common Sandpiper still on the scrape. Walked to the main estuary, where 2 Whimbrel flew across. On the way back by the runway lights at least 5 Wheatears. Around Sherpa 2 Swallows and another Common Sandpiper. Reed Warbler singing in the reserve and 6 Butterfly species.

Most of yesterday’s new arrivals have departed, and only a trickle of passing Swallows a single House Martin where seen .New arrivals were 9 Whitethroats and a f. Pied Flycatcher. A Chiffchaff was seen nest building.

Pair of redstart near small bird hide. Long tailed duck last seen here 21st March.

still with male tufted duck with 3other pairs of tufted. Close into North shore by the dam wall

Sedge Warbler singing from scrub nr Furzeacre Wood. Dipper on Tory Brook. Single Skylark singing from field. 2 Willow Warbler, 2 Swallow, 3 Chiffchaff and 7 Blackcap also around. 

Further to yesterday’s swallow sighting above Kennick Reservoir, about 100 seen this evening (plus a small number of house martin); many drinking. First seen at approx 19:45; gone by 20:20. 

Highlights on a mid-afternoon exercise walk along Fremington Pill to Home Farm Marsh – 20+ whimbrel, 1 bar-tailed godwit, a mixed flock of 12+ grey plover and dunlin, 2 cattle egret, 1 house martin, 1 sandwich tern, 6 common sandpipers.

whimbrel with crab

This morning more Red Kites, up to 4 in view at same time gathering up over Cairn. None to be seen later in the day though. Photos look like the same pair from Thurs. A Cuckoo heard again near Score. 

Red Kites

1115 A single Sandwich T following the coast at low tide.  Very Calm sea. Dived once.

Also 4 Wheatears, singing Linnets and Goldfinches.  Meadow P., Stone chats,  Song Th, Chiffchaff, Daws and Crows and the commoner Gulls. Robins, Dunnocks, Wren, Game birds.

Swallows along the the cliff's heading ENE about 1/minute.  6 Sand Martins  (strange no House M's)

30+ house Martins and swallows in a feeding frenzy half way between the Avonwick and diptford Lane just after Old Station. 

Exercise walk late morning produced 4 Whimbrels low on rocks with a further 10 flying north just offshore.  5 Sandwich Terns, 5 Swallows over, Whitethroat, Blackcap, cracking summer plumaged Razorbill, 6 Gannets, Fulmars, Stonechats, multiple Chiffies. 

3 ringneck parakeet in garden in whitleigh plymouth

Substantial influx of swallows this morning on lower ley. Tried counting but stopped after 200; I could see shapes flitting across the water stretching  into the distance. A handful of house martins amongst them.

A modest migrant arrival included fresh Blackcaps 10+ Garden Warbler 1 Sedge Warbler 2 Whitethroat 2. A steady Swallow passage was the first such this year also 2 House Martins .

Cycled out to Sandy Lane and on to Crow Point then up the Toll road and finished with a quick look around the reserve. Too cold! So the birds weren't singing much, but did see a cracking close Whitethroat. Lots of Gulls in the channel at Crow. Bumped into (or perhaps met at appropriate distance) Rob along the Toll road, inspecting a good sized flock of sum plum Dunlin and Ringed Plover. Further along the toll road a Grey Heron dealing with an Eel, which disappeared as I groped in my rucksack for the camera....

In the reserve a decisive Sedge Warbler and on the scrape a Common Sandpiper. Sand Martin and Swallow also seen along the way.

A early morning cycle ride up from crownhill to clearbrook produced good numbers of stonechat goldfinch nuthatch buzzard and a cracking male greenfinch the first I've seen for sometime.

Gannet seen fishing close to shore by the bovisand holiday cabins. A group of 5 potential Whimbrel in amongst some Curlew also, calls in flight were noticed as well as size differences. 

Walking to work along the river this morning, looked up to see a red kite being heckled by gulls

While working in the Exeter area I spotted this Tawny owl poking its head out of a hole in the top of a tall oak.

   
Tawny Owl

About 30 swallow seen feeding over Kennick Reservoir this evening at 18:50. Might have been house martin amongst them but couldn’t spot any. 

Three terns (not sure which species) off the east end of Seaton beach at around 18.00 today, plunging into the water and being harassed by Herring Gulls. Also a Gannet not too far out.

Drake Ruddy Shelduck beside Upper Torridge Estuary today

Ruddy Shelduck (drake)

My daily walks over the last 4 weeks have regularly taken me past the heronry in Powderham Park. This year there are 31 occupied nests, an increase from 27 last year, but still well short of the peak of 43 in 1981. Little Egrets are very vocal this week, with probably 14 nests, similar to recent years, compared to the peak of 33 nests in 2010.

Chiffchaffs and Blackcap are present in good numbers, but so far only two Swallows on one day and no House Martins yet. Single very brief sightings of Willow Warbler and Common Whitethroat. One pair of Yellowhammers and two pairs of Stonechat are clearly on territory.

Other taxa, mainly in my garden, include a very early Beautiful Demoiselle on 8 April, 10 species of butterfly, 16 species of moth trapped, Dark-edged Bee-fly, Marmalade Hoverfly and an Oil Beetle sp

Beautiful Demoiselle                Dark-edged Bee-fly                     Oil Beetle sp.

While we walked over part of the Burrows this aft for our daily exercise a Green Sandpiper flew over calling & landed out of view in one of the numerous scrapes.

Also 5 Swallows & several Common Whitethroat, Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff & Blackcap.

One Snipe on the scrape when I arrived shortly after 9 this morning in the COLD wind. Down at Sherpa 2 pairs of Teal, 2 Little Egrets, and great close up views of the Little Ringed Plover, which has been moved to the main pond opposite the Toll House by the farmer releasing about 30 cattle. it should substantially reduce the brigade of dogs and their walkers who have taken over ownership of these fields of late. The Plover waited till I raised the camera before flying off....

It started raining as I walked back towards the reserve from where I took another look out over the scrape - where there were now numbers of Sand Martins a few House Martins and at least 2 Swallows - it must be summer!

Spent at least 3 hours with an eye on the sky above Braunton yesterday, but still no sign of a Red Kite....

I was sitting in the garden iat 11.20 in Crownhill ,Plymouth, and looked up when gulls were making a fuss.There were three quite low , and with them, a drifting Red Kite. going NW with the wind. A new bird for the "House List"!

This afternoon's bike ride gave us our first three Swallows for Plymouth over Saltram House and pairs of Wheatears and Blackcaps nearby.  On the Tory Brook the 7:15pm Dipper was joined briefly by another changing positions on a regular perch.  In over a month this is the first time we've seen two here.  Let's hope they're a pair and we can look forward to seeing breeding here again this year.

Dipper, Tory Brook

Cold easterly died down a bit this p.m. More reed warblers singing around ley, 1 fulmar and 6 sandwich terns off shore. 

Daily walk to and up Tews Lane and back to my house. 4 Long tailed tits, 6 Blue tits, 10 - 12 Blackbirds, same number of House sparrows and 15 -20 starlings.

Male House sparrow                      Male Blackbird

Sorry have only two usable long distance shots of the gull, this is the second.  It was not possible to get close to the gull and dog walkers, children throwing stones into the river and a family having a BBQ nearby didn't help. However, when I first saw the gull I could see that it was different from the other gulls around it. I knew it wasn't a Herring gull and I was sure it wasn't a juvenile Great Black-backed gull so I did some research on Google and the closes match that I could find was the Caspian gull. It swam off towards Instow so I don't have any flight shots.

Possible Caspian gull

Eds: Thanks for that.. As suspected it is a 1st summer Herring Gull. Caspian Gull (a rare bird in Devon requiring a full blown description of all aspects of its plumage) would have a longer looking bill, longer primaries, almost unmarked undertail coverts, tertials usually only pale tipped (not edged like this bird) and greater coverts on wings would be darker centred and not so chequered. 

Two garden ticks today; an Osprey east at 13:50 and - perhaps more unexpected - a Whitethroat in the newly-planted hawthorn hedge. Nearby, three Whimbrels on the Teign estuary off Passage House this morning.

Just to inform... I've just heard my first Cuckoo.. At Broadwoodwidger. Devon 

Daily exercise to the Tamar:  Still several Shelduck on the mud, Herring Gull, Chiffchaffs, Greenfinch and House Sparrows showing well. A Marsh tit on the return journey, male and female Grey Wagtails, Peacock and Holly blue butterflies, and a Brimstone moth on the ivy.

  
Blackbird                              House Sparrow (male)                              Brimstone moth

Several very vocal & active Common Whitethroat on Braunton Burrows this morning.

Just before returning home a Red Kite flew past at low level approx 150 metres away but  by the time I got the camera out the bag & switched on there were two heading south 500 metres away! (see record shot).

Several Early Purple Ochids.

Forget to mention yesterday lunchtime, our fist ever sighting of a Grass Snake in the garden basking in the sunshine on the pond liner at the edge of the garden pond (It is only a small pond)

Reached for my bins & identified it, then reached for my camera & it vanished & have not seen it since!

It would be useful to have a built in camera that one could switch on & off so when one blinks the eye a photo is taken.

Now 2 Common Sandpipers out on the scrape. We also walked down the Toll road where the best bird was a Black-headed Gull!! First I've seen for a few weeks.

Red Kites up high in ones & twos drifting east every half hour or so this morning. The Park Grey Wagtails now constantly have beaks stuffed full of insects. 

                     Red Kites                                               Grey Wagtail

at 1120.  followed the Kenwith valley as far as Kingsley School.  Mobbed by 6 crows.  Then veered back and soared high above the resereve.

Also:1 Grey Heron, 2 Buzzards 1 Stock Dove, 1 male Grey Wagtail, GSW'pecker, 1 Linnet, 3 singing B'caps.

The reserve is looking good.  Thanks to all who worked.

The Firecrest comes regularly to the french windows on our verandah; perches on one of the handles and taps its beak against the window. It flutters its wings against the window too. We are in Galmpton, in the lower part of the village.

Firecrest Galmpton pic1                 Firecrest Galmpton pic2

.During the ongoing Coronavirus outbreak the use of Devon Birds bird hides should be in line with Government guidelines to individuals on how to protect themselves.

Please follow NHS guidelines:  https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/social-distancing/what-you-need-to-do/ 

Thank you for your co-operation and stay safe.

Taking an early morning walk today at Wembury, spotted  stonechats, linnets, chiffchaffs, a pair of kestrels, and a black redstart. 

Black redstart

More from my walk.

Six Whimbrel three more out of shot            Sandpiper and Shelduck                 Whimbrel landing

Eds: Common Sandpiper

Out today for a walk with my camera down to Fremington Quay area. Not a lot to see along the Pill but the beach area around the kilns proved fruitful. Nine Whimbrel, two Shelduck, two Sandpiper, one Caspian gull, five Oyster catchers One Chiffchaff singing in the trees.

Whimbrel                     Oystercatcher                          Caspian Gull

Eds: Could we see some more pictures of the 'Caspian Gull'  - especially any flight shots...

First ever view of whimbrel(4) on the farm today, plus wheatear and blackcaps .

On the bike again am for daily exercise to Saunton & Downend which turned out to be most rewarding.

 The car has not been used for several weeks since the lockdown & remains in the driveway. My only concern is the battery will discharge if it remains in position for several more months!

At Saunton I was surprised to see a Merlin, reached for the camera but gone in a flash before I had even got it out of the bag.

On the rocks at Downend 2 Whimbrel, 1 female Bar tailed Godwit & a flock of Sanderling having a well deserved nap in the sunshine.

Late morning at Fremington Pill was fairly quiet with 3 little egrets in the trees, 3 greenshanks roosting with the redshanks on the far bank, 1 whimbrel. There were a further 9 whimbrel on the beach towards the Gaia Trust, along with 5 common sandpipers.

    
Whimbrel                                                      Whimbrel

The Cattle Egret was replaced by a Common Sandpiper out on the scrape this morning. Walked around Sherpa again and heard a couple more Reed/Sedge Warblers but all remained deep in the reed-bed. Best was a Little Ringed Plover.

An early morning walk out onto the moors above South Brent to Glasscombe Corner gave me my first Cuckoo of the year, initially heard calling then seen at close quarters as it flew past, thereafter seen and heard periodically as it moved around the moor.

2 Green Woodpecker, 2 Song Thrush, 2 Mistle Thrush, 10 plus Meadow Pipits, Skylark, 3 Willow Warbler, 3 Great Tit, 10 plus Herring Gull, 3 Raven, Kestrel, male Blackcap, Chiffchaff, 2 Jay, a pair of mating Coal Tit, Goldcrest, Nuthatch sat on a nest box, male Yellow Hammer and two Roe deer M&F

Cattle Egret seen from my office window at home just now, heading towards the estuary. Lots of Swallows around now and c10 House Martins seen by Carole over the Dawlish CP yesterday.

My understanding of these two birds apart from their different but very distinctive songs and the points mentioned in red is that Chiffchaffs have black legs and Willow warblers have light brown legs. The two photos posted are the same bird although it was singing in the sunlight in one photo and it also had light brown legs. Whilst I agree with Ed's addition to my post that it does look like a Chiffchaff it was singing like a Willow Warbler. 

Just had a Beeeater arrive in our back field. north Devon. Thought you might be interested.

Cettis warbler still present singing from dipping pond next to bottom pond.First Reed warbler on bottom pond as well.2 swallow upper pond +7 moorhen, kingfisher,08:00-09:00

Long distance record shots of one of a pair of Skylarks.  Not out on a jolly I was working. I was called out to re-establish the Private water supply to a customer's property in South Devon. On the approach to a property their driveway crosses a field where I spotted the Skylarks, they were about 30 metres from the drive. 

   
Skylark                                         Skylark