Mark D

A brilliant day wish I could get dow! And then there was what was seen off Estaca today!!!

Interesting how low Balearic numbers are often this time of year is the N Cornwall peak, largely gone from Devon waters - every year is different!

Did you weigh, fantastic sharks!🦈

Thanks Paul👍

ID help please? This caterpillar was wandering along the tide line of the Dart, pretty smart!

Osprey juv with fish river Dart, Bow Creek

So this young Osprey lingers into October, off soon?

Dart Estuary, Bow creek juv female Osprey caught fish.

Pelagic out of Brixham yesterday was very quiet! Highlights distant Pom skua, 3 Med Gulls, 2 Common Gulls, Sandwich Tern although lots of Kittiwakes. On the Breakwater jetty a returning Purple Sandpiper

Fantastic and gutting as we arrived about 20 mins too late🤨

Dart Estuary near Bow Creek. 2 juv Ospreys one caught fish

Had to pass Bide yesterday, so dropped onto Maer Lake, amazed to see 3 Great White Egrets! Also 5 Med Gulls, Curlew, 6+ Lapwings, many Teal and far too many Canada Geese

Driving home from Widecombe (Dartmoor) last night a Nightjar/Nighthawk
flew in front of cars headlights for a while. Quite a dark looking bird with quite pointed wings and only small white flashes in wings, thin tail . Looked more Nighthawk!

Despite seeing over 24000 Balearics off Devon over the years, never one like this before. Plumage was very pale brown/grey uppers with just a slight ghosting of the normal plumage - underwing , belly etc.

Berry Head pretty quiet but standout bird was a leucistic Balearic Shearwater. Also c20 Balearic, Manx, 8 Arctic Skua, Bonxie, 9 Sandwich Terns. Also some ABF Tuna boils and jumping individuals. With @jacob-wood.bsky.social

Glossy Ibis

Glossy Ibis

Cattle Egrets

A continental feel or a changing Britains?! Both Glossy Ibis and Cattle Egrets at West Charleton Marsh 18/09/25

Actually 8 cattle egrets and different from WCM

Slapton: 5 Cattle Egrets, 16+ Med Gulls

West Charleston marsh ( like spain!) , Glossy Ibis (same bird as Frogmore Creek 06/08) and 8 Cattle Egrets.

Start Pt: Balearic 31
Manx 72
Common t 3
Sooty 4
Sandwich 5
0730-1000
Also Hobby and Convolvulus Hawmoth(grounded)

Start Pt 0730-1430: 24 Great Shearwaters, 11 Sooty, 43 Balearic, 730 Manx, 12 Fulmar, 6 Med Gulls, 3 Common Tern, Arctic Tern, 6 Sandwich Terns, Whimbrel, Puffin, 9 Common Scoter, ABF Tuna

Balearics picking up at last!

The sunrise at Berry Head yesterday, it promised much and delivered many Balearics. Once upon a time 654 would be a Devon record but not so these days, with our changing climate and seas!

Berry Head record went earlier in the summer with a passage count of nearly 2000. We had record numbers with an estimated 2,500-3,000 between Berry Head and Start Point.

Big movement of Balearics a long S coast

Interesting , down the coast at Berry Head we had 650+ but most were in 1st 1.5 hrs, so likely to be different to yours! Is that a record count for Selsey Bill?

With @clennonvalley.bsky.social and @jacob-wood.bsky.social

tot: Berry Hd 0700-1700: 652 Balearic, 64 Manx, 15 Fulmar, 13 Arctic Skua, Pomarine, 2 Bonxie, 2 juv Little Gull, 2juv/1w Common Gull, 1w Yl Gull, 1000+ Kitts, 8 Med Gulls, 23 Sandwich Tens, 12 Cn Terns, 2 Cn Scoter, Yellow Wagtail, 5 WB Dolphins, 20+ Cn Dolphins, 2 H Porpoise, 9+ ABF Tuna #seabirds

Additions @clennonvalley.bsky.social

About time to
www.rarebirdalert.co.uk/v2/Content/B...

Maybe a bit too sunny and west in the wind. You will still see something, but not ideal conditions