Been very quiet of late, migration is just a trickle of birds. Female wheatear was tucked behind a bank shivering, sky looked amazing the other morning ! And my local Jackdaws looking stunning but one had had enough and was resting it's head 🙄😂. #UKBirding #Devonbirds. #Birds.
Caspian Gull showing well in Brixham Harbour this evening from viewing platform near Rockfish. It appears to be the first bird that turned up here in the winter influx that also visited the Axe Estuary last month with distinct pale markings on one side of bill. #ukbirding #devonbirds #caspiangull
Good morning at stantaway farm with Mid Devon birder, shame about lack of migrants but seems quiet everywhere today.Hares showed well,was 8 in this group but 4 saw me and in hedge asap🙄.Great views looking back towards sidmouth.Quick look at frogmore scrape and 1 shelduck. #UKBirding. #Devonbirds
The spring passage is in full flow on my patch (Woolacombe dunes), after yesterdays Chiffchaff, today there were a dozen or so Linnet. As well as the usual suspects; robin, wren, stonechat, dunnock, jackdaw, magpie, blackbird, crow & herring gul #ukbirding #devonbirds
Cetti's Warbler peering out from within a leafy, twiggy tangle.
14 Chiffs and 6 Blackcaps in a ten mile circuit from home felt like slim pickings, but nice reward at the end: my first Axminster Cetti's Warbler near the football ground. 😎
#DevonBirds
Local today quick look at sidmouth sea front,getting out of car heard sarnie terns some fishing some on sewer bouy. Quick look at little marsh otter NR still a few teal about.Then stantaway farm & Brandy head distant GND & razorbills also single wheatear & swallow in off. #UKBirding #Devonbirds
Scoping from Hope’s Nose, 7:15-8:30
Sandwich Tern distantly in flight
Sandwich Tern distantly in flight
Brown-lipped Snail (Cepaea nemoralis)
More local Torquay birding yday, first short seawatch of the spring
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Hope’s Nose; 80+ manxie, 4 sandwich tern S, 1 RTD S, & common dolphins. + siskins heard
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Failed to see a dipper near Dartington but got this NFY brown-lipped snail, and Kiera’s first swallows of the yr!
#devonbirds #ukwildlife
More colour from saltram and right partner, wrong partner landing at nest hole. 😲. I wouldn't want to mess with a beak like that !!. #UKBirding #Devonbirds
Great morning at saltram but dipped bonaparte's and just had one shot of GWT at exminster marshes when birds were flushed towards sun. Loads of colour in the other species at saltram. The blue parakeet was different !!!.And RCP always close, only 2 mandarin seen. #UKBirding #Devonbirds.
Male wheatear.
Singing stonechat.
Very windy at dawlish warren today, the highlights were at least 5 wheatear and 2 beautifully plumaged little grebes on the pond. Also 10+ sandwich terns, single red throated diver, reed buntings, curlews, stonechats. Feels like spring despite the wind!
#devonbirds #ukbirds
Breeding male Palmate Newt
Out-of-focus BOC of a Skylark that had come in off the sea on an otherwise uneventful vismig
Comma
Grey-patched Mining Bee (Andrena nitida)
From my local area of Torquay in the past week - red kite, 5+ firecrest, 1 RTD, guilles & fulmar, nuthatch, GSW drumming, 35+ greenfinch, 2 skylark & 1 linnet in off sea, 3 palmate newt, 4+ porpoise, grey-patched & yellow-legged mining bees, 1 carder, and a comma.
#devonbirds #wildlife
2 Spoonbills asleep on little marsh, Budleigh Salterton
Violet Oil Beetle (Meloe violaceus)
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Sand Crocus at dawlish warren, pretty much the UK’s only site for them
From recent days; lesser spotted woodpecker, spoonbill, wheatear, goosander, marsh tit, red kite, palmate newt, brown hare, porpoise, violet oil beetle, bloody-nosed beetle, 4 species of mining bee, & red-speckled anemone. All from south devon. Just passed 300 sp for my animal yearlist!
#devonbirds
Good views of the local peregrine think we both had same idea ie waiting for wheatear to come in off the sea.!! Which a few did eventually, such stunning birds, worth the pain going out there as couldn't get pic of sidmouth ones.Cracking close up of a dunnock I've ever had. #UKBirding #Devonbirds.
Perigrine on the lookout early this morning at Beer head, Devon.Great couple of hours waiting for the wheatear to come in off sea. Nice to catch up and chat to Mike. #UKBirding. #Devonbirds.
Bull Point this morning: modest movements of finches, Meadow Pipits & Pied/alba wagtails. Highlights: 1 Swallow W at 07:30, 2 Sand Martin, 5 Common Scoter W. Grounded migrants = 16 Chiffchaff, 2 Willow Warbler, 2 Blackcap, 8 Wheatear, 13 Stonechat. Also 7 Peacocks & 1 Comma #devonbirds #ukbirding
Blackbird
Sand Martin
Sand Martin
Kestrel
Lots of birds enjoying the sunshine today at Seaton Wetlands. It has also brought the first significant wave of Summer migrants across including these sand martins that were already prospecting and preparing nest sites. #Birds #DevonBirds #WildlifePhotography #UKWildlife
Local again today birds started close but got further away as day went by,Back to Otter NR this morning the 2 spoonbill were asleep,Oyster catcher was close, little egret & first cattle egret of yr further away then was at Sidbury when this distant barn door went by. ! #UKBirding #Devonbirds. .
Dotted Bee-fly
Gooden’s Nomad Bee (?)
Nice walk around Prawle Point today. 6 Wheatear (4m, 2f) on beaches and a Red Kite. Also Adder, Brown Hare and lots of bees. Many Cliff Mining Bees nectaring on Alexander’s, 40-50 Gooden’s Nomad Bees (?) and 2 Dotted Bee-fly (Bombylius discolor) on coastal path. #devonbirds
Interesting to see if this is the Budleigh bird relocating north? Be good to see flight shots to compare….. #DevonBirds #UKBirding
Second time lucky with the Bonaparte's Gull at Blaxton Meadow this morning. Another very nice addition to my Devon List #UKBirding #RareBirdsUK #DevonBirds
I was lucky this afternoon the 2 spoonbill at the fabulous otter Nature Reserve were down on south marsh right nr west path. Really pleased as couldn't walk up to top end after Dartmoor this morning. #UKBirding #Devonbirds #Otternaturereserve..
A lovely couple of hours birding with the Greenland White-Front, Avocet, Wheater & Water Pipit all still present on a glorious Spring Evening down at South Huish Marsh #DevonBirds #UKBirding
Now a male marsh harrier north over Hillhead towards Paignton 15:35 #devonbirds #devonbirding
Red kite headed east over Hillhead, Brixham and currently over Mansands, 14:00 #devonbirds #devonbirding
Great to be able to visit dartmoor for annual lesser spotted woodpecker 1 bird seen briefly nice to meet Judah at last and give him lift up t'moor.And his first ever LSW.Then quick visit to mutters moor for wheatear,3 birds at distance in the valley but was hurting so home. #UKBirding #Devonbirds.
2 male Wheatears together
Male Wheatear
Dark-edged Bee-fly (Bombylius major)
My first Wheatears of the year at Berry Head this evening. The kids and their mum saw a black Adder in the quarry that I missed whilst chasing the Wheatears! Also a few more Dark-edged Bee-fly in the garden today #devonbirds #ukbirding
Looking east from Bull Point just before sunrise
Classic spring Wheatear sitting on the very edge of the headland facing out north out to sea
Bull Point: busiest morning of spring passage so far, with 3 Sandwich Tern W, 18 Sand Martin, 11 Chiffchaff and a Wheatear. Plus migrating finches (incl 44 Goldfinch & 62 Linnet), wagtails (15 Pied & 11 unidentified albas) and small numbers of Woodpigeons. Mostly before 08:00. #devonbirds #ukbirding
Some pics of cirl bunting and dartford warbler. I like the 2nd pic of the dartford even though it landed behind me and into the sun 🙄 look at those legs !!! 😂. #UKBirding #Devonbirds.
Sun out on mutters moor and great to see 3 dartford warbler up and singing even though this one had to cling on in the wind !! #UKBirding #Devonbirds.
Nice to see sun out & plenty of birds singing. This male cirl bunting was one of 5 seen at mutters moor today also seen, 7 very mobile yellow hammer (most I've seen there), 3 dartford warbler the 2 resident Raven lots of chiffs moving through + normal fare. #UKBirding #Devonbirds.
