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.

A Cattle Egret was perched on a post on the western shore this evening, before flying off towards the Higher Ley.

After searching the Torbay beaches this evening for Yellow-legged Gulls, a last ditch stop at Goodrington at dusk  produced this huge juvenile Caspian Gull. A pleasure to share the briefish views with Pete Dennis before the gull  flew off showing off its silky white underwing coverts.

Early evening from Island Hide - Little Stint , Wood Sand, Ruff, Greenshank , 4 Common Sands,  6 Ringed Plover and 37 Dunlin

Following on from Mike's earlier Torbay post, a Ringed Plover and a Dunlin were with the Turnstones today on the rocks in front of Marine Parade.

                           Ringed Plover                                                                                Dunlin

Ringed Plover 13, and oystercatcher 70-80 roosting over tide. Plus whimbrel, common sandpiper, and 2 wheatear.

60+ House Martins gathering on telephone wires outside my window in Colaton Raleigh this morning. Good numbers of juveniles amongst the flock. First gathering of Martins this Autumn for me.  

Some of the 60+ House Martins                                   Two Swallows with the Martin flock

A sweep of the southern beaches on this mornings low tide produced:

Broadsands Beach: 4 Ringed Plovers & 1 ad Mediterranean Gull

Paignton: 1 juvenile Yellow-legged Gull, 1 Wheatear and 220 Starlings

Yesterday evening at Goodrington Beach 1 juvenile Yellow-legged Gull 

High tide at Langdon Beach. Small flock of around 20 Dunlin. Also of note were a group of 4 Ringed Plover near the pipe, don’t think I’ve seen them there before.  

Venn Ottery Common produced little of interest other than families of Stonechat and Willow Warblers and a Gt spotted Woodpecker but further afield the countryside was more productive. 1 Green Sandpiper (below), 2 Spotted Flycatchers, 1 Bullfinch, 2 Treecreeper, 1 Siskin, 2 Nuthatch and others were present in an area that is not open to the public.  A bat was flying in a shady woodland glade. 

Always encouraging to hear a Tawny Owl, as I did when trying (and actually catching 2) to catch Swallows the other evening. Even better to see one in daylight as I did this morning, it flew off at my approach but a short while later flew out and over the pond then up over the Willow trees, which must be 40 feet high by now. Being chased off by a couple of small birds - not sure if it had caught one as it was a pretty short sighting. A large foraging party of Tits roving around - mostly juvenile Blue Tits. Also saw the first Squirrel for a very long time....

News of foreign recovery.

Reed Warbler S201706 ringed as a 3J (so hatched that year) at Velator in July 2016 and retrapped in Cordoba Spain in July 2019. I've been to Cordoba in August - it gets really hot there in the summer. Reed Warbler numbers have been falling over the years - perhaps they all prefer a hotter climate.

Baggy point today unusually produced no cetacean sightings for us but there was a regular passage South to North of Gannet including a few juveniles.  Also seen at extreme distance going the same way were three Shearwater though what species I couldn't say. At least two pairs of Fulmar seen soaring about, 2 GBB gull, 17 Cormorant and various other usual gulls. Passerines were all the usual culprits: Stonechat, Linnet, Goldfinch, Wren, Meadow Pippet and Whitethroat. 

Misty conditions probably failed to produce an expected arrival of migrants: 1 Willow Warbler, 6 Chiffchaff, 2 Blackcap, 1 Whitethroat, 1 Dunlin overhead. Other wildlife included 20-30 Common Dolphin, 5 Harbour Porpoise and 1 Hummingbird Hawkmoth.

11:21 - 13:42

A curtailed visit due to the heat.

_{Oystercatcher, Ringed Plover, Dunlin, Whimbrel, Sandwich Tern, Turnstone (2) were  the highlights.} 

A few birds appeared after the mist eventually cleared: Pied Flycatcher, 2 Sedge, 2 Reed & 3 Willow Warblers, 7 Blackcaps, 6 Chiffchaffs, 2 Wheatears & 8 Whitethroats. Also a few Clouded Yellows about.

South Efford Marsh: Black-tailed Godwit, 4 Dunlins, 3 Greenshanks & 2 Common Sandpipers.

A Red Kite flew over the road heading SW.

High tide at Langdon Beach. Small flock of around 20 Dunlin. Also of note were a group of 4 Ringed Plover near the pipe, don’t think I’ve seen them there before.  

Herring Gull presently at Greendale farm shop near Exeter with the gull flock in the animal pens bearing a white ring marked S=Y.

Back home at South Brent the would be Italian Sparrow back on the feeders at lunch time and relaxed enough to allow me to catch it on camera for the first time since it has been coming back into feed.

1 female seen intermittently 20.55 - 21.15. 

Lesser Emperor in south-west corner of Venford Reservoir this evening, viewed from bank where the red lifebuoy is. Flying over water then settled in a birch tree.

Seen between 1030 & 1145 , LITTLE STINT (juvenile) feeding amongst  small flock of Dunlin, plus a  Wood Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper & Ruff 

Photos by Derek Carter

4 each of Common Sandpipers & Greenshanks, 2 Mandarin Ducks, ad Mediterranean Gull (no rings), 4 Stonechats & 2 Whitethroats. 

Earlier, male & female Peregrines over my garden (Mount Gould, Plymouth).

Osprey perched in Ilton Woods tonight ( distant across estuary from Charleton Bird Hide )

Kayak trip to Eddystone today.

1 juv Common Tern

Despite checking all the rafts of many hundreds of Manx Shearwaters, no Balearics today (surprisingly)

For a couple of hours, between three and six miles offshore, the sea was shredded by dozens of Bluefin Tuna feeding frenzies. Massive splashes and a huge roar of sound. I must have seen 50-100 fish. Astonishing.

Three Minke Whales, plus one more heard but not seen.

At least 85 Common Dolphins

14 Porpoise

2 Sunfish

1 Shark at surface, I suspect a Blue.

More pics: thelonekayaker.wordpress.com when my pulse rate returns to normal

Bluefin Tuna                        Common Dolphin                             Minke Whale

30 ringneck parakeet

Ten Mandarins, a family of Great Crested Grebes and multiple sightings of Kingfishers today were eclipsed (for me) by 2 separate male Lesser Emperors, 1 over the main lake and 1 (photograph) at one of the sedimentation ponds. The latter was found during a systematic survey of the no-go areas created last year.  There were also lots of Small Red-eyed Damselflies mating and egg-laying on the main lake, plus Long-winged Coneheads (a bush-cricket) near the hide, at least one Clouded Yellow, Brimstone and a few Silver-washed Fritillaries.

A juv Peregrine buzzing the gulls & waders on Blaxton Meadow, ad Mediterranean Gull (yellow ring on left leg but I couldn't read number), 149 Redshanks, 3 Greenshanks, 5 Oystercatchers, 38 Curlews, 5 Stonechats (family party), Green Woodpecker, leucistic Goldfinch & 3 Roe Deer.

Yestersay in the Cattewater - Kingfisher & 2 Common Sandpipers. 

highlights of butterfly  survey for TCCT 1 Clouded yellow,1 wall brown and  31 common blues. On the rocks kingfisher and 3 common sandpipers.

Migrants included Swift, 7 Tree Pipit on Bolt Head, 3 Wheatear, 4 Whitethroat & Willow Warbler. Also: 450 Herring Gull, 130 Rook, Jay, 40 Jackdaw & 20 Stonechat.

Non-avian: First site record of 3 Small Red-eyed Damselflies on Starehole Ponds. Also 4 Emperors & Common Blue Damselfly. Clouded Yellow.

8 Med gulls incl 2 juvs, 1 Sandwich tern, first 2 common sands of the autumn, 2 redshank. 

Cattle Egret present this afternoon with the cows south of the reserve. Also present this evening until about 20.00.

High numbers of migrating swifts over the camping fields on saturday 8 and sunday 9 August. Many groups of between 50 to 160 birds heading south, some incredibly high screaming parties, others feeding low over the fields. A single swift over Drewsteignton last night on our return, possibly an adult with late young in a nest we are unaware of.

Cattle Egret again this evening NW of the reserve with cattle! 19.00 hrs

Cattle Egret

Wheatear at the Turf, same location as last year,  over 200 Starlings, 8 - 10 Swallows,, House Martins at altitude, 12 - 15 Pied Wagtails,  5 Little Egrets, 2 Grey Heron, 2 Rock Pipits. Oystercatchers, Curlew, 3 Mute Swans, several Shelduck, Rooks and a few hundred Black-headed Gulls on the estuary itself. 

The boat trip from Brixham out into Lyme Bay aboard Kelly's Hero was at first a bit slow and not many birds about. The second half of our journey was much more productive. Birds seen 40+ Manx and 2 Balearic Shearwater, a Sanderling, 22 Kittiwake, 90+ Guillemots in small groups, 4 Fulmar, 1 Bonxie, Herring Gulls and Great Black-backed Gulls. 3 Porpoise and some Common Dolphin in the distance.

Yesterday afternoon and this afternoon had views of single Swifts passing over my house in Barnstaple on their way south and yesterday whilst at my field near Codden Hill a Hobby flew over also heading south.

2 Hobby circling over Coastguard cottages.. 6 Clouded Yellows in the Warren

Dunlin at the Pill this morning.

A cracking morning on the patch with a juv Marsh Harrier which flew over low west then drifted higher towards Laira Bridge before disappearing. Probably the first record for the site. Then, 3 Green Sandpipers on Blaxton Meadow for a few minutes before flying off towards the narrow river: my first here for many years. Also, Kingfisher, 3 Common Sandpipers, 3 Greenshanks, adult Mediterranean Gull, 5 Stonechats & a Roe Deer.

From the kayak - 14 Greenshank & Common Sandpiper.

First noc-mig recording of the 'autumn' overnight Friday/Saturday. Recorded a Yellow Wagtail calling as it flew over at 05:22. 

Thanks to Andy for posting my message re the Cattle Egret, which I didn't see again. I was there to catch Swallows, but none obliged tonight. At 20.52 all the Gulls in the surrounding field, which had been feeding happily, suddenly took off and  made a right din. I looked out at the scrape and the Spoonbill circled few times and then landed. Often wondered what sort of time it turned up.

Just rec'd message from John Turner, Cattle Egret south of reserve !9:40h.

Great Crested Grebe Feeding Two Of The Four Youngsters, On The Parents Back This Morning.

A different juv Yellow-legged Gull to yesterday’s on Blaxton Meadow. Also, 2 juv Peregrines, Whinchat, 5 Stonechats, 16 Little Egrets, 2 Greenshanks, Common Sandpiper, Shag, 38 Curlews & 5+ Clouded Yellows.

We have seen what we believe is a Prionus coriarius in our garden three evenings this week. Very impressive.  Never seen one before.

Eds. The Sawyer Beetle - feeds on dead wood and comes to light but they are also active on hot and sunny days and may occur kilometres away from suitable habitat. 

Please send any non bird records to the relevant County Recorder or direct to the Devon Biodiversity Records Centre https://www.dbrc.org.uk/wildlife-sightings/ 

Sorry for late post.Taking part in the Big butterfly Count yesterday in Marldon, Paignton my son and I saw my first common blue (picture not brilliant because of bright sunlight) but amazing photo of meadom browns mating.

Common blue

Mating meadow brown

Eds. Looks like Holly Blue. Ivy is one of their foodplants