Stuart Green

Black-throated Diver

Black-throated Diver

Grey Seal hauled out on the beach by The Breakwater

Guillemot in breeding plumage resting on The Breakwater

Caspian Gull may have been a no-show for me at Brixham on 31/1/26 but a Black-throated Diver showed incredibly well amongst the many GNDivers also present. 3 Purple Sandpiper, 1 Med.Gull, 1 RTDiver, Razorbill, Gannet, Kittiwake, Guillemot & Grey Seals also kept me entertained #devonbirds

Tears of joy! SCOTLAND HAS JUST PASSED SWIFT BRICKS INTO LAW unanimously!
4 years of asking England & Scotland sorts it in a month led by ACE ⁦‪ MARK RUSKELL MSP‬⁩ ♥️The RELIEF is unreal! Tell England to follow 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿by emailing PlanningPolicyConsultation@communities.gov.uk now!WOOP!

Kittiwake

Interesting post-Storm Ingrid walk around Plymouth Hoe this morning with the star bird a very smart adult Little Gull feeding in The Cattewater amongst BHGulls and 5 Kittiwake. Also 8 Purple Sandpiper at Rusty Anchor, my highest ever count here, & a male Black Redstart nearby #devonbirds

I couldn't find the Water Pipit along the beach today at Wembury but the presumed Siberian Chiffchaff was still present and showing very well #devonbirds

Siberian Chiifchaff, Wembury

Yellow-browed Warbler, Efford Marsh

Siberian Chiffchaff, Efford Marsh

The Water Pipit still present along the beach at Wembury on 5/1 along with a showy Siberian Chiffchaff amongst the collybita Chiffchaffs. The Yellow-browed Warbler also still present at Efford Marsh on 6/1 with another Siberian Chiffchaff seen amongst the collybita Chiffchaffs #devonbirds

Happy New Year to you too, hopefully will bump into you locally at some point.

Congratulations and Snap! Finished the year (without Bean Goose) on 216 and mostly local too and bizarrely my 200th bird was the Rose-coloured Starling at Wembury. Here's to 2026 being just as good if not better.

A Yellow-legged Gull along The Plym was the highlight on a quick walk this morning, presumably the same bird seen back in November & now developing full adult plumage. The female Red-crested Pochard was now back on the Saltram duck pond & also of note were 2 Mistle Thrush, 2 Goosander & Jack Snipe

The Water Pipit at Wembury Beach was still in the same place on yesterday's visit while 4 Snipe flushed out of the seaweed mass were a surprise. Not very keen on the new path and fencing put in by the National Trust, don't think I'll be seeing any Common Lizards along here now. #devonbirds

A beautiful but chilly walk at Wembury this morning, a Red Kite over heading towards Plymouth was a surprise, I eventually found a Water Pipit along the beach and a Black Redstart showed very well at the church #Devonbirds

Hundreds of the "skeletal" remains of By-the-wind Sailors (Vellela vellela) washed up on the beach at Wembury and a near adult Yellow-legged Gull on the roof of Chelson Meadow recycling centre the highlights yesterday on a day out when the sun actually appeared!

Very surprised to find a Dingy Footman attracted to the underpass lights at Marsh Mills Roundabout in Plymouth yesterday #teammoth

A pair of Lesser Scaup at Helston Boating Lake today showed amazingly well, very unconcerned by the numerous people and dogs walking by and looking very smart in the sunshine #cornwallbirds

Despite the grey and claggy skies the Lesser Yellowlegs showed very well at Truro yesterday while at Hayle the highlights were White-rumped Sandpiper, 3 Spoonbill, Spot Red, Curlew Sand, DBBrent Goose, 2 Barnacle Geese, 5 Pintail and a Kingfisher #cornwallbirds

On an enjoyable but often rainy trip to Siracusa in Sicily I managed to see a few butterflies when the sun did shine - Lang's Short-tailed Blue, Cleopatra, Clouded Yellow Sp. and a Swallowtail on a mans foot around the hotel swimming pool!

Very pleased to see the Curlew Sandpiper found yesterday at Wembury by local birder Jenny was still present this morning, busily feeding along the beach in the company of 4 Bar-tailed Godwits and 2 Sanderlings. #devonbirds

So sorry Chris, I didn't realise it was you at Blaxton this morning until I saw this post, shame the Curlew Sandpiper had moved on. Love the Osprey photos.

After a bit of a wait this morning the juvenile Rose-coloured Starling eventually appeared amongst the mobile Starling flock at Wembury, perching up in the dead tree at Mewstone Avenue/ Brownhill Lane #devonbirds

Thank you. I didn't get there until around 12:30 so just missed you again too. What a bird though!

Fantastic views of the Wryneck at Turf Locks today, present for its 5th day now and still very confiding. #devonbirds

5 Box Tree Moths in the back yard moth box yesterday morning (1 melanic form). The topiary Box Trees in the nearby park are now totally defoliated so these may be the last I'll see in my moth trap #teammoth

Interesting visit to Exmouth yesterday - 4+ Yellow Wagtails and 3 Swift at Orcombe Point, 2 Osprey, Little Tern and Great White Egret from Mudbank and a Yellow-legged Gull in the recycling centre. #devonbirds

Autumn Squill and Autumn Lady's-tresses on a windy bimble around Berry Head yesterday

A Small Blue, a Clouded Yellow and a Wall Brown from a look about around a windy Berry Head this morning #ukbutterflies

Finally found my first Devon Brown Hairstreaks today but 2 White Admirals were more of a surprise #ukbutterflies

The Bowling Green Marsh Spoonbills seen earlier in the week were initially mostly sleeping but eventually became more active as the tide dropped #devonbirds

Finally! My first Clouded Yellows of the year at Saltram today with a pair of mating Dingy Skippers a nice bonus #ukbutterflies

The Herring Gull chick that came down our chimney is almost ready to fly now so hopefully quieter early mornings to come soon. However I've noticed that one of its parents has all dark eyes, maybe a genetic abnormality or possible an indication of previous infection with Avian Flu.

A few showy juvenile Willow Warblers about on Roborough Down yesterday and all looking very lemony yellow. A few Grayling about too. #Devonbirds

A bemused Herring Gull wrapped in a towel after being rescued from our living room grate

Always curious and watching what we are up to

Ever watchful adult Herring Gull

1 of the 2 Herring Gull chicks currently in the nest on our chimney stack decided to jump down into our living room grate. Uninjured & placed on the flat roof next door, the adults continue to tend to him along with the remaining sibling up on the stack. Noisey & poop everywhere but great to watch.