Dawlish Warren

Nice photo of adult Yellow-legged Gull from Simon Thurgood...

Thurlestone Bay

A F Marsh Harrier over Bobs carpark at 13.00, also 11 Swallow. 2 Wheatear at S H Marsh.

Thurlestone marsh - 1 Kingfisher, 11 wigeon . 50 Teal, 2 Water rail 1 Pintail, Cettis Warbler, Chiffchaff, 20 Siskin

Axe Estuary

Cattle Egret still present on river late afternoon, plus 4 adult Med Gulls

Soar

Starehole Bottom: 3 ring ouzel; 3 firecrest; merlin; 8 cirl bunting.

O/wise quiet.

Painted Lady on wing.

Colyford Common

A nice Jack Snipe this morning with 7+ Common Snipe, our first of the autumn. Otherwise over head passage limited to a few flocks of Skylarks and the odd Siskin and Redpoll. No sign of the White-front or Cattle Egret.

Northam Burrows CP

Sandymere 11:00 still 4 Snow Bunting although very skittish due to lots of kite surfers around.  A great sight off the headland by the 8th green was 300-400 Golden Plover circling around in the sun.









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In my Barnstaple garden the other evening was this stunning looking male Sparrowhawk. Managed to grab a few shots through a DG window before it was off. Not as good as a Wryneck or Short-eared Owl but always nice to see in the garden (although the Finches and Sparrows may not agree).

Hackney Marsh

First fieldfare this morning with two overhead at Hackney Marshes. Little else of note ... water rail calling in the distance by Passage House, four lapwing, a few little egret as always and nice views of a kingfisher in the reeds by the road bridge.

Earlier this week, a nice surprise was the Newton Abbot town centre dipper singing from down on the River Lemon and clearly audile above the morning traffic noise. Seen this bird quite a few times, but never heard it sing.

Slapton Ley&Slapton Sands

From 10 am to 4 pm. Strong wind, cloudy sky.
Slapton Ley: 30 Gadwall, 15 Great Crested Grebe, over 2000 gulls (mostly GBBG on the lake amongst them 1 ad Common Gull, 5 singing Cetti's Warbler...
Slapton Sands: 3 Sandwich Tern, 2 indet. skua were chasing Kittiwakes far from the shore, 15 Kittiwake, 4 Razorbill, 1 Common Gull, 1 Weathear, 30 Gannet, 15 Shag, 5 Barn Swallow...
The human disturbance was very high on the shore so I couldn't read any ringed gulls.

Beesands Ley

Black Swan, 41 Canada Goose, 3 Great Crested Grebes, 2 Shoveler, Wigeon, 2 Teal, 33 Gadwall, 24 Tufted Duck, Pochard, 55 Coot, Water Rail and 2 Swallows.

Start Point

07:30-08:30. Fresh to strong S-SW wind.
Light passage soon fizzled out, all moving south.
12 Swallows, 10 Meadow Pipit, 20 Alba Wagtails, 50 Linnet, 70 Goldfinch, 4 Chaffinch, 8 Siskin, Lesser Redpoll, Brambling and 2 Reed Buntings.

Upottery Airfield, Smeatharpe

Great Grey Shrike still present this morning along with 2 wheatears and 3 stonechats. Around 150 golden plovers in the area but not settled. Light passage of skylarks heading west.

Some Notable Garden Birds

Why do we bother going out birding!??

This Wryneck has been present in a Dawlish garden for the past two days, thanks to Graham Thomas for these images...


And this was a surprise garden tick for Peter Cummins in his Ilfracombe garden on 14th October...


Has anyone else had a Short-eared Owl IN their garden!???

Also a brief Lundy update; a 'new' Yellow-browed Warbler and a Firecrest today [Luke Phillips]

Upottery Airfield, Smeatharpe

Further to Andrew's post the Great Grey Shrike was still showing well tonight around 17.45. 54 lapwings also present and the first big flock of fieldfare with around 150.

Soar

06:30-17:00. 95%+ cloud cover at dawn. Moderate wsw wind going sw by mid morning. Sunny, bright afternoon.
Walked out to Bolt Head in the dark for the vis mig which never happened. Best were 5 Lesser Redpolls, 10 Crossbills and 2 Reed Buntings. The only common species to show well were alba wags with 129 but these may have come from a small local roost. Siskins still going strong with 77 seen during the day. Elsewhere just a Merlin, Water Rail, Golden Plover, 2 Swallows, Wheatear, 3 Ring Ouzels ( 2 bottom of Starehole Valley, 1 Soar Mill Cove ), 8 Chiffchaffs and 9 Goldcrests.
Drew a blank on Siberian Rubythroat and Scarlet Tanager.

Woodbury Common

1545 - 1745 - lapland bunting sw of grenade range. Also 40 fieldfare and small numbers of meadow pipit, redpoll, reed bunting and skylark.
The lap circled around calling and was briefly joined by 2 other bunting sp, possibly also laps but not calling.

Smeatharpe

The Great Grey Shrike showed well around the field with plastic wrapped bales at Smeatharpe Airfield. Go up the weedy runway that runs west from the central junction and view north.

Also counted 163 Golden Plover (more hidden in furrows), a Kestrel, two Wheatears, a few Skylarks and lots of Meadow Pipits. The place looks good for a rare bunting, lark or pipit soon.

Thanks Doug.

English Channel approx 20nm off Start Point

Out on a fishing boat yesterday approx 20nm SE of Start Point. Good numbers of Bonxies, with c30 around the boat. One Arctic Skua (pale phase adult), 2 Mediterranean Gulls (ads) in with numerous Kittiwakes, 2 Little Gulls (ad and 1w), 2 European Storm-petrels. Best of all a Leach's Storm-petrel passed by a distance, quite a white-rumped bird - I managed to get a couple of shots (see below, fully cropped- this bird could easily be called something else if seen briefly on a seawatch!). Photos below: Leach's, Bonxies, Arctic Skua and Med Gull.

Rillage Point to Widmouth Head (nr Ilfracombe)

Exellent visible Chaffinch migration this morning. Over 1,200 in 45 minutes from 09.00, in groups of 10 to 80, the majority flying WSW along the coast, though some flocks seemed to be arriving off the sea, perhaps having left the Welsh coast earlier this morning. Also passing over: a smattering of Siskins, Linnets, Goldfinches, Greenfinches, Meadow Pipits, Starlings, and Skylarks, 8 Pied Wagtails and 2 Grey Wagtails.

Upottery Airfield, Smeatharpe

With the sad and shocking news posted by Gavin this seems almost incidental.
However, the Great Grey Shrike is still present this morning along with 3 wheatear, 2 stonechat and around 200golden plover.

Polite request to visting birders: Please do not bring cars on to the airfield. There is plenty of parking just outside  the main entrance by the sillage heaps halfway along the main road. Alternatively take the lane up past the stock car stadium for approximately half a mile and park carefully on the lane. Climb over the bank to your right to access the opposite end of the weedy runway. The bird favours the hawthorns at the back of the field with the big black hay bales although it can roam widely to past the control tower. It also occasionally moves to the rough pasture the other side of lane and can be best viewed from the bank. Please stay only on the runways and do not enter any fields.
 Thanks - Doug Stannard

Devon Peregrine Poisoned - RSPB Press Release

 © RSPB

West Country bird of prey death toll rises

Peregrine death near Buckfastleigh brings poisoning incidents
 in Devon and Cornwall this year to eight

Devon and Cornwall Police and the RSPB are appealing for information following confirmation this week that a young peregrine falcon found dead at a quarry near Buckfastleigh had residues of both carbofuran and aldicarb. These banned pesticides are suspected to have contributed to the bird’s death.

This brings to eight the number of birds of prey killed in poisonings this year in the West Country. In March four goshawks and a buzzard were found dead to the west of Exeter and in July two peregrines were found near St Just in Cornwall.

The bird, a young female peregrine, was found by environmental consultants from URS Scott Wilson at Whitecleaves Quarry near Buckfastleigh on 21 July.   Peregrines at this site have been targeted previously, with dead birds found in 2005, 2004 and 1992. On each occasion the birds had been poisoned.

Following the discovery, Natural England‘s Wildlife Incident Investigation Scheme (WIIS) was notified and began an investigation. The body was sent for analysis and it was confirmed last week that both had residues of the banned substances aldicarb and carbofuran. The latter was also identified in the previous cases this year.

Wildlife conservationists have mounting concern over the presence of these chemicals in the wider countryside.

Ivan Lakin, Natural England’s Wildlife Adviser in Devon said: “Peregrine falcons have suffered from illegal poisoning in Devon for 20 years – often tricked into consuming poisoned ‘live bait.’ The poison which we have seen used in many of these cases was banned more than a decade ago and it can be potentially as dangerous to the public, children and pets as it is to birds of prey. 

“We treat such incidents seriously and will continue our work with other agencies under the Wildlife Incident Investigation Scheme, with the main objective of stopping illegal persecution and prosecuting people responsible for these senseless crimes.”

Tony Whitehead, spokesperson for the RSPB in the South West said; “I was truly shocked to see the images of the dead bird. Peregrines at this site have a long history of persecution. In 2005 a bird was found dead on the body of a pigeon. The pigeon had its wings purposely clipped and it had been doused with poison. In 2004 a peregrine was found dead near to a pigeon spiked with the poison malathion. And in July 1992 a peregrine was found dead alongside another pigeon similarly treated with malathion.

”This has been a truly awful year for birds of prey in the West Country. Whatever the motives of the people that carry out these deliberate acts, we must not forget that they are nothing more than common criminals. They show no regard for these magnificent and much loved birds of prey and also show little regard for the safety of people and their pets walking in the countryside. This needs to be stopped.”

PC Josh Marshall, Wildlife Crime Officer in Devon said: “This strikes a chord with me as I visited the site this year and watched the birds at the site while the female was incubating.

Nationally, bird of prey persecution is continuing to be a major problem, particularly this year in the south west and in Devon. In terms of wildlife crime, we welcome the fact that bird of prey persecution has been identified as a key priority for wildlife crime enforcement. Investigations can be complex and are often initially out of the public eye until analysis results are obtained, then as in the case, we frequently appeal for anyone with information to come forward to assist with our enquiries.”

Anyone found guilty of an offence against birds of prey can be liable to a fine of up to £5000 (per offence) or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months, or both.

If anyone has information regarding this they can call 101 quoting crime number JA/11/423.  Alternatively if members of the public wish to remain anonymous they can call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. The public can also contact the RSPB on 0845 466 3636. All information is handled in the strictest confidence. The RSPB is offering a reward of £1000 for information leading to a conviction.