DEVON

NORTH DEVON: Lundy had 300 Manx Shearwaters and a Black Redstart (1st), and Osprey (2nd), an Osprey, 97 Puffins and a Redwing (7th), a Grasshopper Warbler (8th), a Redstart (9th), a Black-crowned Night Heron (13th-21st), and there was a large fall of migrants (20th), including 85 Willow Warblers, 29 Blackcaps, 16 Chiffchaffs, 16 Sedge Warblers including one French-ringed bird, two Grasshopper Warblers, two Ring Ouzels, a Redstart, a Pied Flycatcher, two Green Sandpipers and 107 Puffins. Further records were 88 Willow Warblers, 24 Blackcaps, 16 Chiffchaffs, 18 Whitethroats, a Lesser Whitethroat, three Spotted Flycatchers, a Pied Flycatcher, a Ring Ouzel and a Yellow Wagtail (24th), a Merlin, three Whimbrel and two Grasshopper Warblers (26th), an Osprey, six Whimbrel, a Red-necked Grebe, 25 Willow

Warblers, 12 Blackcaps, seven Sedge Warblers and four Whitethroats (28th), and a Red-necked Grebe, a Cuckoo, a Garden Warbler, three Pied Flycatchers and 500-plus Swallows (29th). A Little Tern and seven Whimbrel were at Skern (25th). A Richard’s Pipit was at Hartland Quay (23rd). Bursdon Moor had two ringtail Hen Harriers, a Merlin and a Short-eared Owl (2nd), a Cuckoo and two Bullfinches (28th), and another Short-eared Owl (30th). At Fremington (3rd), there were six Cattle Egrets, a Cetti’s Warbler and a Glossy Ibis. Four House Martins were at Braunton (5th), followed by a Reed Warbler (6th), six Common Sandpipers (9th), a Sedge Warbler (11th), 63 Willow Warblers, 27 Chiffchaffs, five Whitethroats, two Lesser Whitethroats, 23 Blackcaps, a Grasshopper Warbler and a Tawny Owl (19th), a Swift (21st), and a Common Sandpiper, two Little Ringed Plovers and a Tawny Owl (23rd). A Red Kite was over Tiverton (6th). Morte Point had a Redstart (8th), five Whitethroats (19th), and three Whimbrel (26th). Two Pied Flycatchers and a Ring Ouzel were at Tarr Steps (13th). On the Taw Estuary (14th), there were two Whimbrel and two Common Sandpipers. Rillage Point had 17 Sand Martins, 43 Swallows, seven House Martins, 36 Meadow Pipits, 145 Linnets, 92 Goldfinches and a Lesser Whitethroat (14th). A Cuckoo was at Bideford (21st), and Barnstaple had 12 Whimbrel, two Whitethroats and a Sedge Warbler (23rd). A Sandwich Tern was at Woolacombe (11th). A Pied Flycatcher was at Watersmeet in the Lyn Valley (10th).

SOUTH DEVON: The Great Grey Shrike was still at Soussons, Dartmoor (1st), and one at Colaton Raleigh the same day. Berry Head had a Firecrest and a Black Redstart (1st), a Cuckoo (2nd), a Cirl Bunting (7th), three Puffins (8th), a Grasshopper Warbler (14th), a Yellow Wagtail, a Whimbrel and a Great Northern Diver (21st), five Whitethroats and 10-plus Wheatears (23rd), and a Pomarine Skua, two Arctic Skuas, four Great Skuas, three Puffins, 15 Manx Shearwaters, six Great Northern Divers, a Red-throated Diver, a Sandwich Tern, 56 Kittiwakes and five Common Gulls (30th). Hembury Wood had a Tree Pipit (1st). A Great Grey Shrike was at Emsworthy, Dartmoor (2nd), where was a Cuckoo, a Redstart and four Wheatears (13th). West Charleton

Marsh had an Iceland Gull, a male Garganey, and a Bittern (2nd), two Cirl Buntings (5th), and a Grasshopper Warbler, a Whimbrel and a Reed Warbler (15th). A Tree Pipit was at Bolt Head (3rd). Goosemoor had a Spotted Redshank (3rd). A Red Kite was at Starcross (4th). At Exmouth (4th), there was a Long-tailed Duck still, a Whimbrel, and eight Knot, there was a Red Kite over (7th), and an Arctic Tern, two Little Terns, a Black Tern, seven-plus Common Terns and a Great Skua (30th). Haytor had a Red Kite and a Peregrine (4th). The Exe Estuary had a Short-eared Owl, three Sandwich Terns, a Reed Warbler and 15 Shovelers (6th), and five Sedge Warblers and a Cetti’s Warbler (16th). Labrador Bay RSPB had 45 Common Scoters and two Sandwich Terns (7th), and 65 Common Scoters, two Long-tailed Ducks and several Cirl Buntings (16th). Baggy Point had six Wheatears (7th). An Osprey fished at Coombe Cellars (7th). Yarner Wood had two male Redstarts (7th), a Tree Pipit, four Pied Flycatchers, two Redstarts, a Tawny Owl and several Yellowhammers (9th), a Wood Warbler and several Pied Flycatchers (18th), eight Redstarts and 12 Pied Flycatchers (25th), a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, four Pied Flycatchers, a Tawny Owl, Wood Warbler, a Siskin and a Tree Pipit (26th), and a Hobby and three Mandarins (29th). Challacombe Downs, Dartmoor had 10 Wheatears, four Reed Buntings, two Siskins and a Great Grey Shrike (7th). Exminster Marshes had a Short-eared Owl (9th & 19th), and a Hobby and a female Marsh Harrier (25th). A Pied Flycatcher was at South Zeal (9th). An Osprey was at Occombe Point (11th). Torbay had six Common Scoters, a Sandwich Tern and 10 Gannets (11th), 40-plus Common Scoters (12th), and three Cuckoos (26th). Beckabrook, Dartmoor had a Cuckoo, a Pied Flycatcher, a Tree Pipit and two Redstarts (11th). Bowling Green Marsh RSPB had a female Marsh Harrier, 3,000-plus Sand Martins, 12 Swallows, three Common Sandpipers, 52 Knot, three Whimbrel, 35 Shoveler, two Cetti’s Warblers, an Osprey and a Peregrine (12th), seven Blackcaps, seven Cetti’s Warblers, a Little Tern, six Sandwich Terns, a Little Ringed Plover, 75 Bar tailed Godwits, 40 Knot, five Whimbrel, 400-plus Sand Martins and 60 Grey Plovers (15th), 20 Knot, four Little Terns, 60-plus Whimbrel, 45 Grey Plovers and three Ruff (16th), a Grasshopper Warbler, a Spotted Redshank, a Mediterranean Gull, 15 Knot, 40-plus Grey Plovers, six Whimbrel, and five Cetti’s Warblers (19th), and a Black Tern, a Curlew Sandpiper, an Avocet and four Cetti’s Warblers (30th). Cudlipptown had a Hobby (14th), when Lee Abbey had a Cuckoo, Saddle Tor Dartmoor had a Ring Ouzel, and Prawle Point a Serin. A Cuckoo was on the East Dart River (15th). Prawle had four Great Skuas, a Black-throated Diver, a Whimbrel, nine Sandwich Terns, and eight Wheatears (15th), and a Red Kite, 40-plus Willow Warblers, 75-plus Wheatears and a Pomarine Skua (22nd). There were 150-plus Golden Plovers and two Dotterel near Yes Tor, Dartmoor (16th). Topsham had a Grasshopper Warbler, two Cetti’s Warblers, three Ruff and 25 Whimbrel (17th), two Swifts and a Sanderling (21st), a Cuckoo, 1,200-plus Dunlin, 100 Ringed Plovers, a Hobby, three Ruff, two Avocets, 15 Sedge Warblers, 16 Reed Warblers and a White Wagtail (22nd), 101 Whimbrel, an Avocet, three Swifts, 15 Knot, 30 Grey Plovera, 10 Whimbrel, three Ruff and three Mediterranean Gulls (26th), and a Hoopoe, three Ruff, a Mediterranean Gull and 21 Whimbrel (29th). Mountsland Common, Dartmoor had a Whinchat (17th). On the River Barle, near Dulverton (18th), there was a male Pied Flycatcher and a Wood Warbler. Fingle Woods had five Pied Flycatchers and a male Redstart (18th), and three Redstarts and four Tree Pipits (21st). A Cuckoo was at Dartington (20th), and two were nearby at Hound Tor. At Saunton (20th), there were five Whitethroats, 15 Willow Warblers, 24 Grey Plovers and three Whimbrel. Peter Tavy had a Red Kite over and a Redstart (21st). A Whinchat and a male Pied Flycatcher were at Avon Dam (22nd), when Shaldon had a Grasshopper Warbler, five Wheatears, 10 Blackcaps and a Yellow Wagtail, and Burrartor three Redstarts, six Wheatears and two Cuckoos, followed by two Cuckoos and an Osprey (24th). A Red Kite was at Start Point (23rd), when Berrynarbor and Dartmeet had Cuckoos, South Brent a Cuckoo and four Wheatears, and Wembury a Curlew Sandpiper. Meldon Woods had a Cuckoo, a Black Redstart and several Pied Flycatchers (25th). Soussons, Dartmoor had a Great Grey Shrike, at least four Cuckoos, six Whinchats and a Crossbill (28th), and five Cuckoos and 15 Whinchats (29th). A Turtle Dove was at Beesands (29th). Teignmouth had a Pomarine Skua, a Great Skua, an Arctic Skua and four Great Northern Divers (30th).

THURLESTONE BAY: A pale-bellied Brent Goose flew east (17th). An Egyptian Goose was on South Huish Marsh (8th). In a very good spring for Garganey, there was a male (1st), a male on South Huish Marsh (6th-19th), joined by a pair (19th), then two on South Efford Marsh (30th). A flock of seven Eider flew east (30th). A male Velvet Scoter was in the Bay (7th), and there were 25 Common Scoters (30th). Two Red-throated Divers flew east (8th), there was a Black-throated Diver (6th) and two (17th), and single Great Northern Divers (6th & 16th) and two (17th). The first two Manx Shearwaters were seen (8th) but maximum was only 91 (30th). Gannets peaked at 360 (30th). Cattle Egrets were present throughout with a site record of eight on South Huish Marsh (19th), and there was a Great White Egret on South Huish Marsh (2nd). A Spoonbill flew onto South Huish Marsh (5th). A Red Kite was over the north marsh at Aveton Gifford (24th), a female Marsh Harrier was over Thurlestone Marsh (4th), and the first Hobby was over Thurlestone Marsh (28th). A female Montagu’s Harrier was watched flying in off the sea (30th), a very rare patch record (my first in 14 years). Waders included single Little Ringed Plovers (8th & 11th), 10 Ringed Plovers (15th), Grey Plover on four days with four (20th), the first Sanderling of the year (5th), a Purple Sandpiper on the rocks (7th), five Dunlin (15th), a Ruff on South Huish Marsh (1st), two Snipe (14th), two Black-tailed Godwits (2nd), 19 Bar-tailed Godwits (29th), the first two Whimbrel (8th) building to 59 (29th), a Green Sandpiper on South Efford Marsh (4th), four Greenshanks (7th), four Redshanks (3rd), and 10 Turnstones (15th). The first two Arctic Skuas flew east (20th), with three (30th), two Great Skuas flew east (30th), a Little Gull flew east (18th), a third-year Caspian Gull was on South Huish Marsh (6th), a second-year Iceland Gulll on South Huish Marsh (1st-4th) and probably the same bird (12th-20th), and a first-winter Glaucous Gull was there (1st-4th). A Little Tern flew east past Hope Cove with eight Sandwich Terns (30th), single Common Terns (7th & 29th) were the only records, and three Arctic Terns flying east (29th) were also the only ones. A Puffin flew east (3rd). A Cuckoo was heard in South Milton Village (28th). A first patch record of Alpine Swift was seen (1st), first Swifts were three over Aveton Gifford (23rd), and hirundine maxima were 50 Sand Martins (8th), 155 Swallows (8th), and 20 House Martins (8th). A Wood Warbler was in a Thurlestone garden (25th), there were single Garden Warblers (17th & 24th), the first Whitethroat (27th), single Grasshopper Warblers (14th, 20th & 21st), the first Sedge Warbler (8th), the first two Reed Warblers (7th), a Redstart (7th), the first Whinchat (a male, 23rd), and there were low numbers of Wheatears until 30 (18th) and 18 (24th) – at least five of the former were Greenlands. There were single Tree Pipits (8th & 23rd), two Water Pipits (1st), and only two Yellow Wagtail records (21st & 22nd).