Devon Birding

Birding around Devon and the UK

Local patch

My local patch is situated near Berry Pomeroy, Totnes, in south Devon.

The habitat consists of mainly arable farmland, as well as relatively numerous hedgerows and a few substantial copses. It is a fair few miles inland, and due to the lack of any decent water-body, the main species are passerines.

It has a small stream running through it, Gatcombe Brook, which becomes a large pond/very small lake just below Berry Pomeroy Castle.

The birds in this area as a whole are rather thin on the ground, but in three to four years of extensive coverage, I have recorded 81 species.  

The pick of these include Cirl Bunting (adult male recorded in full song during the breeding season) although these are irregular visitors. Peak count of 8. Hobby's are annual summer visitors, and I have recorded Snipe displaying in a marshy area during the breeding season. Although passage is usually quiet, I have had a few vis mig watches,  with 100+ Meadow Pipits moving through per hour and smaller numbers of Skylarks and Pied Wagtails. One off passage birds include Firecrest (19th April 2006) and Reed Warbler (in spite of no classic habitat, in September 2006).

 

Regular breeding species are fairly abundant, with Raven, Buzzard, Whitethroat, Little, Tawny and Barn Owls, Spotted Flycatcher, and Green and Great Spotted Woodpeckers. Approximately 45 species are thought to have bred.

On an average May day, around 40 species should be recorded. The record day list is 50.

Below is the full species list for the Berry Pomeroy/Loventor area.

 

  1. Little Grebe
  2. Cormorant
  3. Grey Heron
  4. Little Egret
  5. Mute Swan
  6. Canada Goose
  7. Mallard
  8. Sparrowhawk
  9. Hen Harrier
  10. Buzzard
  11. Kestrel
  12. Hobby
  13. Peregrine
  14. Red-legged Partridge
  15. Pheasant
  16. Moorhen
  17. Snipe
  18. Black-headed Gull
  19. Herring Gull
  20. Lesser Black-backed Gull
  21. Common Gull
  22. Woodpigeon
  23. Stock Dove
  24. Feral Pigeon
  25. Collared Dove
  26. Cuckoo
  27. Barn Owl
  28. Tawny Owl
  29. Little Owl
  30. Swift
  31. Kingfisher
  32. Great Spotted Woodpecker
  33. Green Woodpecker
  34. Swallow
  35. Sand Martin
  36. House Martin
  37. Skylark
  38. Meadow Pipit
  39. Grey Wagtail
  40. Pied Wagtail
  41. Wren
  42. Dunnock
  43. Robin
  44. Stonechat
  45. Blackbird
  46. Fieldfare
  47. Redwing
  48. Song Thrush
  49. Mistle Thrush
  50. Reed Warbler
  51. Garden Warbler
  52. Whitethroat
  53. Blackcap
  54. Chiffchaff
  55. Willow Warbler
  56. Firecrest
  57. Goldcrest
  58. Spotted Flycatcher
  59. Blue Tit
  60. Great Tit
  61. Coal Tit
  62. Long-tailed Tit
  63. Treecreeper
  64. Nuthatch
  65. Starling
  66. Magpie
  67. Jay
  68. Jackdaw
  69. Raven
  70. Carrion Crow
  71. Rook
  72. House Sparrow
  73. Chaffinch
  74. Brambling
  75. Goldfinch
  76. Linnet
  77. Bullfinch
  78. Siskin
  79. Greenfinch
  80. Yellowhammer
  81. Cirl Bunting