Juvenile Yellow-legged Gulls have been a bit thin on the ground this summer around the #Torbay Beaches this one at #Goodrinton this morning was good to see.

Checking on the small kittiwake colony, looks like 2 of the chicks have fledged since 17Jul with 4 chicks left. One Kittiwake juvenile with adults alongside just off #BerryHead & the same or another juv was seen nearby. So confirmation of fledging for the first time at Berry Head since mid 1980s.

one of my own cruises from Brixham on Kelly’s Hero 08.30am – 2.30pm highlights: 1 Wilson’s Storm Petrel, 5-6 European Storm Petrels, 2 Yellow-legged Gulls juvs, hundred ++ Common Dolphins, Sunfish, Manx Shearwaters, 50+ Mediterranean Gulls, Sandwich Terns, Common Tern

Checking today on the very precious #BerryHead kittiwake chicks the upper 3 nests with 4 chicks are virtually ready to fledge - a lot of flapping in nearly full wings. The lower nest with 2 chicks are at least 1 week behind.

At least 4x Kittiwakes nests still have young @ Berry Head. 6 young 4 well developed about a week away from fledging and 1 nest with 2x quite small still downy young. Successful fledging at Berry Head has not been documented since the 1980's!

5-6 chicks still on kittiwake nests at #BerryHead #Devon if they get to fledge it will be the first to do so on site for over 20 years!! Keeping my fingers crossed- but from 30+ nests this year still very poor productivity.

I am giving a talk on the Birds of Devon this evening 7 pm (17 June 2026) at the Quince Honey Farm, South Tawton, Devon including Dartmoor Cuckoo chicks with their Meadow Pipit foster parents. quincehoneyfarm.co.uk/experience/e...

Coots Fulica atra feeding their young at Clennon Valley Lakes, Paignton, Devon yesterday plus a very unusual family - a pair of Coots with a Tufted Duck Aythya fuligula duckling! Not sure what has happened here but fascinating to watch. Thanks @clennonvalley.bsky.social

Great seawatch at #BerryHead #Devon 0545-1025hrs Highlights: 1 ad Sabine’s Gull, 1 Little Gull, 1 Little Tern, 2-3 E Storm Petrels, 878 Manxies, 3 GN Divers, 6 Puffins, 120+ Kittiwakes including 44 1st Summers, 1 Yellow Wagtail. Lots of Octopus being caught by crabbing boat.

My best effort on the Black-throated Diver off Brixham Breakwater found the day before by @seaskywatch.bsky.social still lots of Great Northern Divers too, flocks of 80+ Shags feeding out there with again flocks of Cormorants too the bay must be full of food.

I've just advertised my spring/summer and autumn guided wildlife cruises from Torbay and Kingswear/Dartmouth #Devon including the popular 6hr Lyme Bay pelagics - for details see: mikelangman.co.uk/guided-cruis... They book up quickly...

A sinensis 'continental' Cormorant at Stoke Gabriel Mill pond #Torbay this morning.

The Yellow-browed Warbler at Broadsands #Torbay showed well from time to time in the 2nd car park - I assume it's the same bird that showed in the trees above the Cirl Bunting feeding station an hour later.

At Broadsands #Torbay a Yellow-browed Warbler was in willows and scrub at the back of the 2nd car park near to the green skip, also in same place 2 Firecrest, 1 Goldcrest and a Chiffchaff.

Boom! All the 'red-tailed shrikes' done in Suffolk this year with Isabelline Shrike at N Warren this afternoon. Made sweeter as it is a grip back for me too, having missed the previous birds. No matter what anyone says to me, I can't see such pale birds not being isabellinus

Well done Jake!!

Jacob Wood@jacob-wood.bsky.social · 9mo ago

Berry Head vismig 07:30-10:00 8 Brambling, 94 Chaffinch, 30 Goldfinch, 6 Siskin, 6 Bullfinch, 16 Starling, 3 Sparrowhawk, 2 GSW, 29 Skylark, 3 Redwing, 1150 Wood Pigeon, 4 Stock Dove and 3 SPOONBILL(!) south at 09:25. 1 Blackcap, 4 Chiff, 9 Goldcrest and 4 Firecrest in bushes. #devonbirds #ukbirding

First there for a little while - at one point I thought they might prove to be a permanent feature at Slapton!

Mark D@seaskywatch.bsky.social · 9mo ago

Slapton Ley (higher Ley Street Gate end), 4 Great White Egrets roosting. Start Pt 3 Black Redstarts (2 f/imm type, one m)

With a SE mod breeze and rain in early Nov should drop something in the bushes. Still gutted I left a few minutes too early on our seawatch Mark, I’ve seen many more Pallas’s than Leaches Petrels off Berry Head!!

Mark D@seaskywatch.bsky.social · 9mo ago

Well done Mike! Shame I couldn't make Friday you predicted it would be good!!

A Pallas's Warbler showed up briefly in the bottom of Berry Head quarry today but no sign afterward, despite 2hrs of searching! Also 2 Chiffchaff, 2 Firecrests and 8-10 Goldcrests. Also from a few days ago in 5th Nov at Clennon Lakes Torbay a Siberian Chiffchaff with an influx of 16+ chiffchaffs

‪Berry Hd 0700-1100: Leach's Storm-petrel (10:20), 2 Manx, juv Arctic Tern, 16k Kittiwakes, 27 Med Gulls, 35 Cn Gulls, c6,000 Razorbill/Guillemot, juv (pale type) Pomarine Skua, 5 Arctic, 5 Bonxie, 2 GN Diver, Red-t Diver, c20 Cn Dolphin, 4 H Porpoise, 2 ABF Tuna with @clennonvalley.bsky.social

Must be a really good year for cage fungus I clocked up 9 this morning around Berry Head including 3 in one clump! @jacob-wood.bsky.social

On the way back from the #BerryHead seawatch yesterday @jacob-wood.bsky.social spotted this cage fungus growing on the side of the quarry track. He then found another 6 or 7 near to the navigational beacon !

Berry Head #Devon seawatch with @jacob-wood.bsky.social 0740-10.40am: 4800 + auks sp. 11 Puffin, 2 Sooty, 2 Balearic & 12 Manx Shearwaters, 1200+ Kittiwake, 64 Med Gulls, 1 Y- l Gull, 1 Arctic Skua, 8 Gadwall. @seaskywatch.bsky.social arrived as we were leaving….

Osprey, a juvenile, with a freshly caught Mullet seen over the River Dart yesterday on a great cruise on the African Queen from Kingswear/ Dartmouth. Guide Mike Langman @clennonvalley.bsky.social

River Dart cruise on African Queen. Guide Mike Langman. @clennonvalley.bsky.social Yellow Flagged Curlew C5 over a red band on left leg. On right leg is an orange (?) ring. I'll do a bit of digging, it may be a headstarted bird. 2. Peregrine overhead. 3 + 4. Lots of Buzzards over the river.

A few places going on my rescheduled, very last, River Dart 'Osprey cruise on Monday 6th October at 11.30am cruise lasts for 4 hrs cost £43 . Tuesdays Cruise: Osprey, Kingfishers, Hobby, Peregrine, Great Egret, Little Egrets, Harbour & Grey Seals Stunning scenery etc..etc..!

Back from Mallorca - now struggling to identify this very plain looking Lizard - it doesn't seen to match the descriptions of the two true lizards found on the island.. Any one help with identity..? It was probably about 8'' or more in total length. it looks more like an Algyroides - introduced?

Brilliant pelagic trip yesterday led by @clennonvalley.bsky.social on Kelly's Hero out of Brixham. Grey Phalarope Sabine's Gull juvenile Sooty Shearwater European Storm Petrel

Rare treat ! White-beaked Dolphins seen on a @clennonvalley.bsky.social pelagic trip on Kelly's Hero out of Brixham. These White-beaks were just off Berry Head. @Saunders

Berry Head 12:30-17:00, first 3h unwisely spent in hide with 0 sightings other than a bloxworth snout (📷), then 90 mins at the quarry where @clennonvalley.bsky.social found me a bonxie (year ✅), plus 25+ balearics, 15+ manxie, 1 c tern, 1 guille, 70 kitt, 6 fulmar, & cmn dolphins #devonbirds