Devon Birds supported the intended outcomes of this project but are very concerned about the current approach with extensive removal of scrub during the breeding season. We do not support the current proposals and have raised our concerns with the landowner Clinton Devon Estates and received a response which causes us great concern. 

We encourage members to raise their concerns with the Environment Agency as recommended in the response from Clinton Devon Estates.

In the light of the continuing Covid19 restrictions on the number of people gathering together, and the need for social distancing, it has been agreed that there will be no Devon Birds meetings or events organised until 21st June 2021, when Government restrictions are planned to be lifted. If there is any Government announcement that necessitates a change to this date an update will be posted.

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.  

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.

Saw a group of 3 Glossy Ibis at Fremington Quay on Friday 5 March. Along with egrets, teal and a curlew! 

Twelve golden plover and a stonechat close to the road 

a pair of Grey Wagtail on our walk in Plymouth today - 

Grey Wagtail

This morning 06.45 to 08.30: highlights were a Red Kite, 5 Crossbills flying WSW and 2 Collared Doves, which I only see as passage migrants. Bitterly cold first thing (-3.5C in Berrynarbor and still not much above freezing  at 09.00), so maybe not surprising that it was otherwise quiet for visible migration, with just 4 alba wagtails, 27 Meadow Pipits, and a few each of Chaffinch, Linnet & Siskin.

In addition, over Berrynarbor early this afternoon, a loose flock of c.150 Golden Plover flying E.

On a cold and frosty morning:  128 Redshank, 5 Greenshank, 57 Dunlin, 30 Shelduck, 28 Curlew, 28 Turnstone, 15 Common gull, 5 Mandarin, the female Red Crested Pochard still on the duck pond. Also, 2 Stonechat (m,f) 3 Skylark, 4 Ring necked Parakeet, 1 Redwing, 1 Green Woodpecker (f), and several Nuthatch on the feeders.

Nuthatch

Green Woodpecker

Dartford Warbler on the opposite side of the road to the reserve. Also a pair of Siskins, a Raven overhead and 3 Stonechats, 2 m, 1 f showed well.

On the sea: 1 Long-tailed Duck (fw drake), 7 Common Scoter, 15 Great Crested Grebes, 1 Great Northern Diver.

1 ad moulting Mediterranean Gull on headland grass (a fw was present a few days ago)

11 Cirl Buntings and 1 female Yellowhammer on seed in 2nd car park.

         ad moulting Mediterranean Gull 7th March                   fw Mediterranean Gull 3rd March

Jack Snipe on Southern shore of Snipe Island 18:20 Saturday.

Best sighting was 2 Treecreepers showing well together; also, 6 Greenshanks, 29 Turnstones, 3 Red-breasted Mergansers (1 drake), 4 Stock Doves & 8 Roe Deer.

Got these images of a Chaffinch and one of two Cattle Egrets near the main road between Fremington and Bickington.

Chaffinch

Cattle Egret

More from my walk.

Curlew

Redwing

Today's walk along the Tarka Trail from Barnstaple to Fremington, along Fremington Pill and home along the main road to Roundswell was time well spent. Two female and one male Goosander in the river just off Anchor Wood, a few Curlew and Redshank on the sand banks.  At Fremington Pill were a couple of Curlew, a few Redshank, one Spotted Redshank a number of Teal (12 or so) some House Sparrows, a pair of Greenfinches and Chaffinches, three Redwings, two Wrens and a single Sparrow Hawk.

Goosander (fm)

Goosanders

Party of 8 crossbills near Joney's Cross this afternoon

Crossbill at Aylesbeare Common

At least 2 pairs of Common Crossbills, a Siskin, and a Lesser Redpoll in amongst some Chaffinches seen eating pine cones above our heads this afternoon, followed by spotting a pair of Dartford Warblers on our return walk.

Female Common Crossbill

Male Common Crossbill

The juvenile Whooper Swan still showing very well this evening out along the marsh road in the field with at least 18 Mute Swans (including mating pair). No sign of Barn Owl.

3 whooper swans flew SE over the house (Exminster village) at 9.50 this morning, low and looking like intending to land on the marshes. A new bird from the garden. Later single red kite over marshes flying towards Topsham at about 2.30pm.

A morning walk around Sherpa Marsh, avoiding the closed footpath. 18 Canada Geese, numerous Mallard 8 Teal, at least one Reed Bunting, heard at least 4 Cettis calling and saw 6 silent Chiffchaff. Unfortunately disturbed at various points 9 Snipe which merely settled further along the Marsh, thankfully.  Sadly the plentiful plastic shotgun cartridge waddings are testament to the wildfowlers who take their pleasure but can't pick up after themselves :( No sign of any further Sand Martins.....yet.  

Chiffchaff in the reeds Sherpa Marsh

A Lovely Red Kite10 AM on the old A361 between Swimbridge and Landkey flying North East.

Up to 11.30

Red-throated Diver east of the point.  Also a Great Northern Diver, Purple Sandpiper, Razorbill and Great Crested Grebe nearby.  3 species of raptor.  

2 Harbour Porpoises and a Grey Seal.  

Hooray SAND MARTIN over the scrape early this morning. Could be the same one that Phil and Sue saw yesterday. 2 Chiffchaffs in the reserve, along with the now regular and very vocal Green Woodpecker and a drumming GS Woodpecker too. 2 Gadwall on the reserve pond, with calling Little Grebe.

This morning- 5 White-fronted Geese, 2 Little Ringed Plovers, 2 Sand Martins and the Marsh Harrier.

Male cirl bunting singing. Bar-tailed godwit, 1. High tide and several dog walkers. 

The female Long-tailed Duck still in The Cattewater this morning, viewed from Mountbatten Sports Centre, more under than above the water as expected. Didn't spot any GND's though.

The Whooper Swan showing very well on Braunton Marshes.

In the Willows on Braunton Great Field 2 vocal Chiffchaff which I think are behaving like new arrivals.

Song thrush

Little Ringed Plover, Peregrine, many Chiffchaff (inc 1 Tristis) were the highlights.

One female Wheatear and two female Black Redstarts on the west facing cliff face ( above the cove ) at Hopes Nose, Torbay - 1530 this afternoon.

Still 134 Redshanks around but Dunlin down to 60. Also, 2 Common Sandpipers, 6 Greenshanks, Turnstone, 2+ Snipe, 4 Goosanders (1 drake), 3 Red-breasted Mergansers (1 drake), 15+ Mandarin Ducks (9 drakes), Shag, Little Grebe, Fieldfare, c20 Redwings, Sparrowhawk, Raven, Siskin, Green & Great Spotted Woodpeckers, 10+ Stock Doves & 5 Roe Deer. 

Here we go again:  1200 to 1330 hrs - 37 Common Buzzards moving NE into a NE wind force 4. Resident pair on constant patrol but almost all migrants much higher up. Birds only seem to move in a north-easterly. Also Sparrowhawk & 3 Raven.

Three GSW in the same area of Longtimber Woods, low down by the Drs surgery.

Glaucous Gull still at Wembury this morning, resting on The Mewstone and scavenging behind passing fishing boats - same bird as 23/2/21 and 27/2/21 with primary feathers missing from both wing tips.

An adult Lesser Black-backed Gull, a 1st winter Mediterranean Gull and just a single Black-headed Gull amongst the Herring Gulls and Great Black-backed Gulls also present.

Black Redstart feeding on the seaweed along the beach with a Meadow Pipit, Rock Pipits and Pied Wagtails.

A Bar-tailed Godwit roosting at The Point with 4 Curlew and 25+Oystercatchers.

Glaucous Gull

Black Redstart

Snipe drumming at regular site below Avon Dam at 0600 this morning was the first I've heard this year. Of the eight roosting Goosanders on the reservoir, a pair flew out at 0625, the rest at 0650..

6+ smart redwings,  noisy flock of Siskins in treetops, at least 4 pairs chasing, could be a lot more.

A strange start to spring passage. The strong southerlies in the last week of Feb brought an unusually early movement of 275 Meadow Pipits WNW on 25th, but since then numbers have been lower than normal during a series of very chilly mornings, though building up again to 41 today. Similarly a Chiffchaff back on territory on 28 Feb, but no new arrivals since. Otherwise there have been flurries of Stonechats, a trickle of Linnets, Siskins, both Grey & alba wagtails, and yesterday (4th) the season's first significant E-bound movement of 80 adult Lesser Black-backed Gulls – always a feature of March here – with another 25 today. Two Greylag Geese also heading E this morning were only my third-ever patch record!

Local walk from Saunton Golf course end on the South west coast path this morning at 11:00 produced a very unexpected but welcome sighting of a Sand Martin. It flew above us twice, swooped and either took an insect, or water, from the butyl lined reservoir at the Club before flying generally east towards the Great Field. Our earliest sighting yet! Image is very distant cropped and silhouette but a record nonetheless. 

Sand Martin over Saunton Saunton Golf club

The Glaucous Gull still at Wembury Point. Seen distantly on the Mewstone, along with several Greater Black-backed Gulls, which proved useful for size comparison.

Yesterday at Wembury :Skylarks 12, Dunnocks 12, Goldfinches 5, Blue tits 3, Stonechats 10, Crows 30+, Buzzard i, Kestrel 1, Meadow Pipits 8, Rock Pipits 11,Pied Wagtails 7, Mallards 5, White Wagtail 1, Wrens 2, Shags 5 Cormorants 2, Curlew 1, Pheasants 6, Cirl Buntings 2, G.B.B. Gulls 2, Linnets 6, Greenfinches 2, Magpies 5, Chaffinches 2, Rooks 8, Bar tailed Godwit, Little Egrets 8, Oystercatchers 9, Canada Geese 2.

Dunnock

Bar-tailed Godwit

Spotted from my kitchen window in Heavitree this morning. I had wondered where our regular gang of sparrows had disappeared to! 

19 Siskin in the garden this morning. Chiffchaff singing from Newnham Meadows Nature Reserve. 

Heard my first Chiffchaff of Spring on Diddywell Road in Northam this afternoon, whilst on Exercise walk from home. Only 3 small snatches of song but unmistakeable and only glimpsed the bird in the treetops. Not very good weather for migrating.

Today between jobs I popped in to Wrafton pond, although it was a waste of my time. Just one: Pochard (m); Little Grebe, Gadwall (m) a small number of the usual.  Mange to spot a pair of Dippers in the stream that passes under the main Tarka path.

Dipper

In the bay: 1 Long-tailed Duck (fw drake), 13 Common Scoter, 22 Great Crested Grebes, 1 Red-throated Diver. 2 Great Northern Divers, 22 Great Crested Grebes, 2 ad s Mediterranean Gulls.

Female Marsh Harrier

A camera bag was left in the bird hide at Blaxton Meadow, Saltram, this morning. If it's yours contact me through devonbirds and I will arrange to return it to you

Took a walk around Sherpa Marsh this morning. Pleased to find a Common Sandpiper on the grass by the Pill on a high tide. Finally also found a Reed Bunting! I also think I had a nano-second glimpse of a Cetti's Warbler in thick reed cover after it called.... So went up to the reserve, only to find, for the first time in many years that someone had locked the gate excluding my lock, so unable to get in! SWW not responding to telephone calls yet so still waiting...

On main mica dam large group of Mallards and Teal held a male Shoveler (scarce visitor here, my first, thanks to Chris E for the tip). Very distant shot, just to prove it was there.  On Phase 3 dam, three Tufted Duck still (also scarce here), from recent seven, plus a pair of Swans, a single Canada, 3 Mallards, 4 Coots and a Moorhen.

Shoveler record shot

Tufted Duck

Some miscellaneous observations from an ordinary day:

- on Matford Pond, 9 Tufted, I think the most I've seen here, and 20 Shoveler, but no Teal or Wigeon, a very abrupt departure;

- on Dawlish Road, c20 Rook nests, down from c75 last year. Perhaps the start of housebuilding around the hill behind is having an effect;

- in Lime Kiln Lane, c30 Redwings chattering, or chatting "Is it time to go?". As an aside one was singing near the crematorium on Sunday, only the second time I've heard this. Haven't seen a Fieldfare for 3/4 weeks;

- along the towpath, song from 4/5 Chiff-Chaffs and 8/10 Cetti's, but only one squeal from a Rail;

- on Exminster Marsh, a few Pintail, missing last week, plus 120+ each of Curlew, Godwit (c99:1 Black:Barred) and Shelduck, and 800+ Brents. Missed the White-fronts, and Barnacles if they are still there;

- in Powderham Park, the usual Stock Doves and Egyptian Geese, and 30 more Shelduck, but no Greenshank;

- in the estuary, 4 each of G-c Grebe and Merganser. Ratio would have been 0:30-40, 30-40 years ago.

Supplementary feeding continues but still plenty of seed available on the fodder radish.Todays sightings included 250 Linnet,300 Chaffinch.....2 of which showing severe scaly leg.....155 Stock Dove and on the river a pair of Goosander a Cormorant and several Mallard.2 sparring GSWs Treecreeper and Marsh Tit in the orchard.Meadow pipits and Starling in the kale field.Non avian included 4 Roe Deer and a Red Deer hind .

Took a walk to Wrafton Pond this evening and my attention was drawn to a distant grey Goose with Swans way out in the field to the south. Had to walk over to the reserve to get even this poor picture - sorry! It's a Grey-lag and not a repeat of the White-front seen a while ago. No Sand Martin either. 2 Chiffs in the reserve earlier on today.

Grey-lag Goose

4 sand martin over lagoon at 5.20pm. Also 4 white-fronted geese still.

The female Long-tailed Duck still in The Cattewater this afternoon with 2 Great Northern Divers as viewed from Duttons Cafe. 3 Red-breasted Merganser(1 male) flew down The Cattewater and out into The Sound. A Chiffchaff was quietly singing away as it chased insects in the trees by the National Marine Aquarium. A summer plumaged Little Grebe was on Sutton Harbour with 3 Canada Geese, 12 Mute Swans and 2 male Mallards,

A Reed Bunting was the most unusual sighting today; also, 15+ Stock Doves, c60 Redwings, Green & (2) Great Spotted Woodpeckers, 23 Mandarin Ducks (13 drakes), 3 Red-breasted Mergansers (1 drake), 4 Goosanders (1 drake), 7 Greenshanks, 20+ Turnstones, a summer-plumaged Shag, 3 Mediterranean Gulls (1 in virtually full summer-plumage) & 9 Roe Deer.

5+ Sand Martin this morning over bottom of relief channel below Trews Weir and then just to north of the Incinerator. 12 Teal in relief channel. No sign of LT Duck. 

Checking the beaches in the southern corner of Torbay produced:

Broadsands/Goodrington: 1 long-tailed Duck (fw drake), 16 Common Scoter, 2 Red-throated Divers, 1 Great Northern Diver, 12 Great Crested Grebes plus 2 Mediterranean Gulls (ad w moulting & fw).

Paignton/Preston: 1 Common Scoter, 2 Great Northern Divers, 12 Great Crested Grebes 1 Mediterranean Gull (ad s)

4 drake Pochard on Wrafton Pond with only 2 Gadwall and 3 Wigeon - numbers dwindling as Spring progresses. Out on the scrape 3 Snipe and 2 Black-tailed Godwits. In the reserve 2 Chiffchaffs, feeding well, as if they are new in.... 3 Canada Geese 2 Gadwall and about 7 Mallard on the pond with the Little Grebe and Moorhens.

5 singing individuals in almost as many days - one at Aylesbeare Common on 25th Feb, one at the River Otter at Ottery on 26th, one at Sowton village on 28th, one again at Ottery on 2nd March and another the same day at Rockbeare.

On the Barnstaple end of Penhill Marsh just off Anchor Wood were a good number of Brent geese 50+ I believe. Just beyond those was a single Redshank, about 10 Curlew and Cormorant fishi

Brent Geese

Redshank

In the field adjacent to the lane to Penhill were seven Cattle Egrets. My photo shows just two of them.

Mandarins - 3 males and 2 females on River Ply at SX 517 577 and further up the river at SX 520 604 - 9 males & 3 females afternoon 2 March.  

Single curlew high over, east towards the Dart at about 1700, calling frequently. (First in 11 yrs!)

Black Redstart still present. Also Blackcap singing.

Black Redstart

Highlights:

4 x White-fronted Goose (2 fields down from RSPB car park (from Station Lane)); Ruff on lagoon; many Chiffchaff, 1 possible Siberian Chiffchaff; Peregrine; 1 female Kingfisher (Turf Hotel).

2 Black-tailed Godwits out on the scrape and one Spoonbill, which was showing off it's very smart headgear! 2 Gadwall on the reserve pond, plus both Little Grebes. One Chiffchaff - migrant or over winterer? Looked very fresh.

Highlights during a walk this morning were: 2 Treecreepers, 6 Stock Doves, 3 Red-breasted Mergansers (1 drake), 2 Goosanders (1 drake) & a Common Sandpiper.

Greylag goose in the Southcott valley close to the flooded area holding various gull species including 3 Lesser Black backs.

Black Redstart , female  taking insects from below the weather vane on the Royal hotel , viewed from the old station platform.

Thirteen Cattle Egrets with cows in Warleigh Estate, west of section of very muddy footpath in Horsham Lane. Yesterday during WeBS count at Lopwell Dam a Comma butterfly.

While biking on Silford Rd. I flushed a Snipe out of the muddy road side.

Hard to tell who was most startled - bird or I ! 

2 days ago another Snipe at the edge of the the industrial complex at Daddon Prk/ building site behind Premiere Inn. 

Cold wind this afternoon with little showing .Few stonechat pairing up ,crossbills in pines up hill from 4 pines car park. 

Great Crested Grebe sewage works 16:30

Pair of Little Grebe fishing happily, Egret and Heron

A Bar-tailed Godwit on Blaxton Meadow on this morning's high tide, together with 130 Redshanks, 80 Dunlins, 7 Greenshanks, an adult-summer Mediterranean Gull & a Polish-ringed Black-headed Gull (awaiting details). Also around the site, 15 Mandarin Ducks (8 drakes), Red-crested Pochard (female), 3+ Goosanders (1 drake), 2 Red-breasted Mergansers (1 drake), Shag, Peregrine, 4+ Stock Doves, Green & Great Spotted Woodpeckers, Stonechat, 2 Grey Wagtails & 10 Roe deer.

Bar-tailed Godwit

garden tick: Yellowhammer. They seem very scarce here.

Bullfinch singing; Redwing attempting song

A synchronised roost count at dawn on 27 February resulted in a count of 55 Goosanders (including 18 ad males) on Dartmoor sites, slightly down on the 72 counted in December and well down on the 100 or so of a decade ago. The total comprised 29 at Venford, 8 at both Avon Dam and Upper Shaugh Lake, 7 at Fernworthy, 2 at Burrator, 1 at Meldon and none at Hennock. Elsewhere in Devon, there was incomplete coverage, with a max of 11 at Tamar Lakes and single figure counts from the Plym Est, Queens Marsh (Dartington), Shobrooke and Stover, and none at Blue Waters or on the Taw Est. Thanks to all who made the early start - a beautiful morning with or without Goosanders..

Female LTD present most days last week, and here again this morning. Diving to feed, and occasionally preening, in the area between the weir and the Port Royal Pub.