Week 17 - 19 - 25 April 2026

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What a wonderful week of weather it has been, yes it was a little breezy in Southwest England between Tuesday and Thursday, but the sun has not stopped shining, and the landscape (despite the recent dryness) is continuing to green up!

I've has 4 trips around the patch this week, and an additional undeclared evening trip to check how my local barn owls are getting along.

No new species were seen this week, so the total remains at 55 within a 1 mile radius of my house for the year. But the breeding season continues with my first signs at hatchlings this past week.

Among the birds seen carrying nesting material were Woodpigeons, Crows, Ravens. This included the sad site of a Raven carrying either a shiny blue chocolate bar wrapper or crisp packet in its nest. 

I've seen House Sparrows catching insects and carrying them into various nooks and crannies, and I've seen the same behaviour from many Starlings, but with the difference of hearing the calls from the young birds begging for food as the Starlings entered the house roofs (nests). So I now believe the first hatchlings of the year are in the area! A friend who's closely been monitoring a local Barn Owl pair also suspects they may have recently hatched young, as he's noticed a change in the male birds activity levels, with him emerging from the nest and hunting earlier than he has in the 2 years we've been watching him.

Starlings in evening light on the rooftops 25 April 2026
Starlings in evening light on the rooftops 25 April 2026

After been very noticeable via their "Tee-Cha" calls, many of the Great Tits must be on nests now, as the vocalisation of the species have really dropped away in the last week or so, and I'm now seeing more and hearing less of these.

Off the patch I has two trips out this week with a solo trip / dog walk around Woodbury Common on Thursday the 23 April, and had a wonderful walk with my dog and 3 year old daughter around the perimeter fence of Blackhill Quarry (now a nature hotspot) on Saturday 25 April 2026. Despite some struggles with the local list, I added a few new birds to my Devon list this week, with my first Dartford Warblers of the year on Woodbury Common (a male and female pair), my first Tree Pipet (which did a wonderful parachuting display flight) and a female Northern Wheatear. All my Devon birds are within 15 miles of my house this year, and the Devon 2026 list now stands at 104 for 2026. 

Female Northern Wheatear foraging just north of the MOD Range on Woodbury Common
Female Northern Wheatear foraging just north of the MOD Range on Woodbury Common

I hope this coming week is 50% of this last week weather wise, and I'll have another chance to watch and see some brilliant if not common birds do their thing. 



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