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Single Red Kite soaring in thermal with two Ravens, just west of Sourton Down services on the A30 at 13.05 today. Drifted off to the east.

Over Furzeham heading due North 9.20am 31/05/22

a meeting of the Mid Devon Branch ,  with a walk around the farm and over to Sousons and up the valley, weather held and we had good sightings of the birds, altogether 40 birds were seen, and a few extra were heard, but i don't count these unless seen, thanks (Faye). the best of the birds were,   wheatear, whinchat, cuckoo, whitethroat, reed bunting, nuthatch, willow warbler, redpol, treecreeper, redstart, treepipit, blackcap and as we were coming back to the farm, high up we saw a red kite.        a good day alround.

Lower Tamar Lake this morning.

1 Willow Tit, 6 Great Crested Grebe, 1 Cormorant, 3 Swift, 1 Coot, 1 Moorhen, 2 Coal Tit, 1 Grey Wagtail, , 2 Canada, 2 Bullfinch, 1f Reeb Bunting, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker.

A red kite seen over Kingskerswell 10.25am this morning, being chased by a sparrowhawk.

Four Bee-eaters flew south-west, low over our heads, as we walked back over the flanks of Trentishoe Common after doing some surveying for the National Trust. As always, heard before we saw them, and a fleeting moment, with the loose migrating flock gone from view within a minute. Totally unforgettable though! Also 13 passage Red Kites, in the space of about an hour or so, thermalling over the hill in ones, twos and threes before drifting off high to the east-north-east.

Apologies for the late post. Frustratingly without 4G for 36 hours…

Single Red Kites seen at 10.20 near Challacombe Farm and at 11.50 between Grimspound and Headland Warren. Could have been the same bird. 

Two Red Kites over Holwell Tor (Nr Haytor, Dartmoor) visible between 12.30pm and 1pm.

Red kite at top of Chelston 335-340pm slowly circling and heading north.

3 kites spotted over sandygate/ clyst marshes. today 12am 30th May

Unfortunately a very sick looking Great Northern Diver was present all morning close to the Drake's Island landing stage.

Yesterday (Sunday) another Red Kite sighting at Northam over Borrough farm NT property adjacent to the River Torridge. A single bird flying north along the River Torridge valley.

A very confiding juv. Raven, 2 Wheatears, Stonechats, Tree Pipit, at least 2 Cuckoos, Swifts and Swallows

Raven

Wheatear

Two Red Kites over Tower View viewed from my rear garden at Old Torrington Road this afternoon about 2.45pm

1 Red Kite over Roundswell this afternoon 14.45.

2 more red kites over Wonford from the playing fields.

Squawking Herring Gulls alerted my attention and looking up saw 5 of the local nesting birds harassing a Red Kite flying over the roof tops....

Good morning all, 8:35 am this morning 2 red kite flying over Affaland(clawton) drifting slowly west , one of which doing a good impression of a black kite but it was a red kite.

Apologies for delay. Three Red Kites spotted yesterday, Saturday, on car travel west of Oakhampton two of which were in very close proximity to each other. All flying north / north west.

Walk around Hartland and Bursdon Moor area yesterday  Two, maybe three, Red Kites amongst the many Buzzards. On the coast path Whitethroats, Willow Warblers, Chiffchaffs, Linnets, Wheatears amongst others, on the sea Gannets and Fulmars, and in the woods Tree Pipit, Blackcaps, Spotted Flycatcher and Raven.

Red Kite mobbed by Jackdaws

Spotted Flycatcher

Red kite sighted this morning at 09.30 over Preston, near Newton Ferrers.

at least 5 Cuckoos in area including a female, three pairs of Wheatear, and a singing Pied Flycatcher in Cadworthy Wood

A Red Kite over house going NW at 1420 today

Red Kite over Wembury 08.45

A little late reporting but 4 swifts over Exeter St David's station on 25th May.

Late out today, and met a birdwatcher who had walked down to Sherpa main pond and seen lots of Canada Geese with 'something else' which he thought might be a Greylag. A small bell went off in my small brain and after looking round the reserve, I took a similar walk and after 20 or 30 minutes a few more Canadas appeared over towards Chivenor, and the last one on the left showed it was a real alarm bell when it morphed into the elusive Pink-footed Goose! I called Andy and he also managed to see it. Also present at least 4 Swifts, a Swallow (yes only one) and the white Reed Bunting. The drake Pochard still present on Wrafton Pond.

1 Balearic Shearwater. A bit of a surprise but it passed my kayak only a few feet away so no doubt about id.

8 Manx shearwater

1 non-BP Great Northern Diver on water

Brilliant day out for the wife and I starting at 0730 at Emsworthy and walked the site across to the Lawn not leaving until 1500. The weather was fantastic, bright and sunny. The birds were very obliging firstly hearing the cuckoo and at the end finding two. One of which was chased off by a meadow pipit. Other sightings include Redstart, Wheatear, Linnet, Skylark and a Yellow Wagtail and a pair of Marsh tit by Becca brook. Garden and Willow warbler where the Mire leads down to the stream in the valley. We also had Whitethroat, Stonechat, Nuthatch, Mistle Thrush, Kestrel, Buzzard and Pheasant. And an app suggesting it heard a Goldcrest? What a tremendous day it was!

Eds: If the 'Yellow Wagtail' was by the Becca Brook it was almost certainly a Grey Wagtail (which are Yellow!). Yellow Wagtail is a rare bird on Dartmoor.

2 Buzzards, 2 Mistle thrush, a high flying Swift, a Raven, a Wheatear and a solitary Whinchat. Swallows and Sand martins over the nearby Portworthy Lake.

Mistle Thrush

Wheatear

Certainly four possible as many as five Nightjar at Heathfield this evening, three of them coming remarkably close, best views that I have ever had of these birds.

Only record shots as shooting at silly high ISO levels to negate the need to use flash photography.

Nightjar

Nightjar

Sanderling, Ringed Plover and 5 Dunlin this PM. All in the huge pit at the top of the down.

Yesterday on the Warren beach a mixed flock of around 70 Sanderling and Dunlin. 6 Turnstones on sea wall

Sanderling

Sanderling and Dunlin

Obliging Redstart in full voice and a Swallow enduring the heavy rain on the East Devon Field Trip to Warren House Inn-Golden Dagger/Challacombe Farm area of Dartmoor yesterday.

Redstart

Swallow

Some Whinchat pictures from the East Devon Branch Field Trip to Warren House Inn-Golden Dagger/Challacombe Farm area on Dartmoor on 23rd May.

Whinchat

Seen circling over Bonfire Hill at 10.45am

2 Red Kites flying in through in towards Plymouth city.

4 Red Kites flying over the dockyard from the south, heading over to Cornwall to catch a thermal.

Yesterdays field walk attended by 11 members (East Devon Branch) found plenty of Whinchat and Cuckoo plus others between heavy rain showers. After lunch a visit to Challacombe Farm, birds were few although a nice Redstart was present.  A Robins nest with young was found in a wall and a pair of Nuthatch seen visiting a nest site.  Rain stopped play shortly afterwards.

A Red Kite flying north at 14.10.

Over the last few days on Anstey Common near Hawkridge we've seen four Red Kite five Yellowhammer seen and heard about 8 Willow Warbler. Today, our 1st this year, we heard, then saw, being mobbed by three LBJ's, a Cuckoo. Shortly after that two Lesser Redpoll, 

Lesser Redpoll 

Red Kite circling over 42 Commando camp at Bickleigh near Plymouth 12:13 pm.

1 Red Kite north over Torquay viewed from Chelston 2.14-2.20pm after being seen from Livermead a few minutes before 

Red Kite over flying west at noon today.

Five of the group of 8 kites over Woodbury Castle at 1830 this evening. Possibly includes the 4 birds seen by Jonathan Ruscoe over Marsh Green circa 15 minutes earlier.

Kites

Good numbers of Manx Shearwaters on both ferry crossings and the usual numbers of all three Auks. Gannets, Fulmar and Kittiwake a bit thin generally. The round island trip had us seeing hundreds of Guillemots and Razorbills and plenty of Puffins - mostly on the cliffs and on the water around Jenny's cove. 2 Peregrine.

On the island Willow Warbler and Chiffchaff plus a few Spotted Flycatcher in Milcombe, 4 smart Yellow Wagtails 2m, 1f and one Blue-headed in Barton Field with the sheep - Tree Pipit and a few Sika Deer n the centre of the island and the usual Meadow Pipits, Linnets Skylarks Wheatears and Stonechat scattered about. Biggest surprise was a female Mandarin Duck (new to Lundy) on rocks by the jetty as we left! A few Common Dolphin and a lone Porpoise on the way back.

3 Sanderling, 2 Ringed Plover (in huge pit at top of the down). 2 Cuckoo also around this eve.

3 red kites low over the ridge about 3.15pm.

Four more Red Kites together over the village at 18.05 drifting south in what appeared to be a family group.

Although not totally bird relate, I now know we have blackcaps nesting amongst our mix of trees, but yesterday produced a common lizard and an emperor dragonfly as well. At home in Old Torrington Road, my nest box has been taken over by a colony of bumble bees which is most welcome.

Aylesbeare Common. A short walk around the common produced a Cuckoo calling at 09.30 followed by a brief sighting before it flew off towards Hawkerland. Also present 3 Siskin, Green Woodpecker, Tree Pipit, Stonechats and usual residents.

Back at home (Marsh Green) this afternoon, Red Kites put in an appearance with two at 15.35 heading NW and one drifting SW at 16.10 (could be same bird).