Lundy - Tuesday to Thursday 21-23 June

Some photos from Shaun Barnes. A Puffin count at Jenny's Cove produced an excellent 45 birds - the first photo shows quite a few of them...

American Golden Plover?

These photos taken by Rob Jutsum last Monday at Isley Marsh, seem to show a good candidate for a first-summer American Golden Plover - albeit a rather poorly marked one...

R.Taw off Pottington Ind Est and Bradiford Reserve

14:00.

1st summer Mediterranean Gull with Black-headed Gulls on the Taw just off Bradiford Reserve, plus a male Tufted Duck with Mallard.

Cann Woods, nr Plymouth 23.6.11

At least 2 Nightjars around and some churring from 10pm but poor views compared with previous years. Single Roe and Fallow Deer.

Aylesbeare Common

Nightjar photographed today by David Jannaway

'Fraid it's a Linnet...

Ideford Common

Help needed. Is this a Woodlark? I have been known to get things wrong before and so I'd be grateful for some help

Rose-coloured Starling, Kingsheanton.

09:45.

Initially seen on telephone wire between Kingsheanton and Guineaford but it then relocated to the feeders at Old Barn Cottage.
It seems to remain on the feeders as long as there are fatballs present which it seems to demolish very rapidly.
Best times to see it according to Ann, is first thing in morning when she tops up the feeders and again later in the day when it feeds for the night.
After feeding it disappears well into the dense hazel tree behind the feeders where in spite of its pink/black plumage it is impossible to see.

Eyed Hawkmoth

Thought you may like to see some pics of a superb Eyed Hawkmoth that turned up in my Barnstaple garden last week. After a day by itself it was joined the following day by a mate and they stayed in tandem all day.

Rose-coloured Starling

Local told me it shows best in the morning, sometimes on/ off throughout the day. Please follow directions as provided by news outlets; Kingheanton is unsuitable for birder parking.

Park near 'Ring o' Bells' in Prixford (don't miss the elusive R-turn in Prixford). Walk 400m down the lane to Kingsheanton, take R-turn in village, 200m to NE corner of village. Stand at driveway entrance looking into garden of Old Barn House (Webber's sale sign) at feeders or up in trees beside them.

It showed well, briefly, this afternoon.

Teign/Teignmouth

Adult Mediterranean Gull at Passage House, along with 45 Mute Swan, 6 Great Crested Grebe, 12 Curlew, 2 Redshank, a Greenshank and Shelduck with chicks.

Thought I'd try an hours seawatch (12:15 - 13:15) from the Yacht Club and 69 Manx Shearwter, 37 Gannet & 6 Common Scoter headed south, and a Great Northern Diver was offshore.

Exmouth

Mudbank - late pm - a pale-bellied brent goose has joined the dark-bellied brent goose. Also prob fs bonaparte's gull (distant + poor light).
Seafront - c30+ common scoter (mostly drakes).
Yesterday - fs bonaparte's gull roosting on sandbar off Mudbank late pm with several black-headed gulls and c50+ sandwich tern. Also 2 great crested grebe.
18/6 - 1 great skua lingering off seafront and 2 juvenile stonechat Orcombe Point which had not bred there but presumably hadn't travelled far!
17/6 - Mudbank Lane - 1 hobby.

Thurlestone Bay

This morning 3 sp Turnstone on the rocks. 8 Sandwich Tern in the Bay with 7 Kittiwake & an ad Med Gull.

Garden Warbler singing in the trees behind my garden was unexpected

Kingsheanton Rose-coloured Starling

Stewart Beer sent this superb photo of the Kingsheanton Rose-coloured Starling (taken this morning by Brian Palmer) plus the following 'story behind the news' which is apparently destined for the North Devon Gazette...

The Devon Birdwatching & Preservation Society recently announced the sighting of a rose-coloured starling at Colyton, East Devon and unable to get there at the time I thought I had missed the opportunity to see this vagrant species, writes Stewart Beer

But then the lady owner of a property at Kingsheanton near Prixford alerted the society. Ann, a lifelong birdlover herself recognised the species as it visited her birdfeeders immediately outside the conservatory. 'My father never allowed comics in the house and my childhood leisure-reading was looking at British Birds in watercolour. On a field trip at the age of eight I was able to identify a red-backed shrike for the party of adults - they probably thought me a precocious upstart!', Ann told me.

Thurlestone Bay

In the Bay this am before the mist & rain came-

7 Sandwich Tern, 38 Manx S'water-west , 5 Kittiwake , 1 Bonxie fighting for food at 11.10 then landed on sea

Maer Valley, Exmouth

On a damp, miserable day with sea mist coming over Foxholes & High Land of Orcombe, there was a great display by some 50+ Swifts and 100+ House Martins from around 1pm for over 2 hours - then visibility really closed in. The House Martins were hawking over fields of wheat, with the Swifts at all levels inc. almost head height, twisting & turning as they caught insects. Second day running that the Swifts have been over the Maer Valley - approx 20 that I saw yesterday.

Tavy Cleave

Twenty Wheaters including a number of juveniles, 5 Whichats, a juvenile Dipper, 3 Grey Wagtails and a Peregrine.

Bickleigh

One female and 9 juvenile Goosanders on the River Exe this evening.

[from Sam Marles]

Bowling Green Marsh a.m.

60+ Black tailed Godwits, 11 bar wits, 2 whimbrel, 12 sandwich terns and Spot fly. No sign of the Bonaparte's gull - apparently it was at Dawlish Warren.

(Observations shared with Keith from Exeter).

Thurlestone Bay

Uneventful morning walk, at 12.20 put the scope up at the carpark- By 14.20 G Daw & myself had one of the largest passages of Manx S'waterat this site - 900 in the first hour & 575 in the second a total of 1475- couldn't find any Balearics amongst them .

Also a Bonxie flew into the Bay at 14.00 ,sat on the sea then flew west. 3Kittiwake east & 9 Razorbill