Night Heron Take 2

Following another evening beaver walk on Sunday 15th June, I was walking back to my car and heard what sounded like a Night Heron calling at 10.15pm from White Bridge. Unlike the bird in mid May, I did not see it, but it was flying and I just managed to get a short recording of the call 3 times. The bird first calls immediately before the first young Tawny Owl call in the foreground and again another 2+ times.

It is intriguing to know if this is the same bird from the 18th May that has gone undetected all this time, or if it is a new bird? 

Sound recording below: 

Chris Townend · Black-crowned Night Heron, Otter Estuary NR 15 June 10.15pm

Night Heron from 18th May

Breeding Firsts

Since the excitement of the Night Heron last month, I thought I would do a quick update on the other exciting news and the joys of being a local patch birder. I have now been birding the Otter Estuary NR for 17 years and it is has changed hugely, particularly since the restoration project.

I first started birding here in Feb 2009 and it is fascinating to see the changes in bird life. The site is clearly still in a state of transition, as it has only been 18 months since the "breach" in October 2023 that reconnected the river to part of its historical floodplain.

The major winners to date seem to be Shelduck with counts in excess of 100 birds in late April  and many birds now have ducklings, but seemingly low numbers compared to such high counts of adults.? The other notable changes have included three new breeders for the site:

1 - Grey Heron - A single nest along the river and is presumably attributable to the creation of more feeding areas as a result of the restoration?

2 - Oystercatcher - Two nesting attempts by two pairs. So far one unsuccessful....

3 - Stonechat - Presumably nothing to do with the restoration project, but great to see with birds fledging 4 juveniles around Little Marsh.

Other notable birds today (9th June) were an unseasonal female Pintail and a Teal.

Our colour-ringed Curlews continue to grow in number with a new 3rd bird using the site. 

Two are Dartmoor 'head-started" birds:  

"OT" has been loyal to the site since Sept 2024

"33" appeared on 15th May 2025

The new bird is a Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust project bird:

"73" I first discovered on 31st May and is from either Dorset, Sussex or Kent - Awaiting info

Thanks to Kev Rylands for the update:

Curlew 73 is from Cranborne Chase, Dorset in 2023. First seen at Dawlish Warren 14 Sep 2023 and seen regularly until March 2025.

First breeding attempt of Grey Heron in the Otter Valley

First breeding attempt of Grey Heron in the Otter Valley

One of two Grey Heron chicks that hatched

One of the 4 Stonechat juveniles

A very smart male Stonechat

The Mute Swans at White Bridge had 2 cygnets this year

One of the Shelduck family groups

An unseasonal Pintail, 9th June

Cattle Egrets, Little Marsh from 30 April

All 3 colour-ringed Curlews, 9th June

Night Heron

An exciting and very unexpected Night Heron tonight whilst leading an evening beaver walk. 

After finding a bird at nearby  Bicton  Botanical Gardens in April 2023, I was always a little miffed it wasn’t actually on the true patch. So it was a real bonus this evening to find a bird flying around in a big loop over Big Marsh North and South at 21.33hrs. The photos were taken at 25,000 ISO, so won’t win any awards! You can see what it is though…..

As far as I am aware, it is the first record for the Otter.

Thanks for the update from Kev Rylands: This is actually the 2nd for the River Otter, the 1st being on 21st April 1960!

Night Heron, Otter Estuary NR

Night Heron, Otter Estuary NR

Little Gull, Otter Estuary NR

A nice surprise yesterday after the overnight rain on my local patch! a lovely pink flushed 2CY Little Gull. Also of note for the patch were 4 Sanderling, 1 Turnstone, 2 Ringed Plover and a Dunlin.

Little Gull - 2CY Otter Estuary NR

Little Gull - 2CY Otter Estuary NR

Bar-tailed Godwits

A great morning during the calm and drizzly conditions with the highlights being a group of 4 beautiful Bar-tailed Godwits (including 3 summer plumage males), the presumed long staying Spotted Redshank, my first Swifts of the Spring and a calling Cuckoo. The Cuckoo being only my third record on the patch.

Bar-tailed Godwits and Dunlin.

Pied Flycatcher

A surprise last night whilst leading a beaver walk was this lovely Pied Flycatcher along the River Otter. Always a treat to see one on the patch, as I think I have only seen 3 or 4 on the patch over the last 15 years! A great night for the mammals too, with 2 beavers and 1 Otter!

Spoonbill and Spotted Redshanks

 More migrants dropping in on the patch in recent days.

The highlights being, 5 Pale-bellied Brent Geese with 2 Dark-bellied Brents on the 11th April, an immature Spoonbill on the afternoon of the 13th April which literally spent around 5 minutes on site and today a spanking summer plumaged Spotted Redshank. This is a different bird to the long staying wintering bird which I last saw yesterday, but no sign today, so may have moved on to be replaced by today's bird. Also today my first Common Whitethroat of the year, 2 Egyptian Geese and a group of 16 Sandwich Terns off the seafront and 2 on the reserve. Finally, a new colour-ringed Shelduck - VC yesterday.

5 Pale-bellied Brent Geese and 1 Dark-bellied Brent, Otter Estuary NR 11th April

Eurasian Spoonbill, Otter Estuary NR 13th April

Eurasian Spoonbill, Otter Estuary NR 13th April

Eurasian Spoonbill, Otter Estuary NR 13th April

The overwintering Spotted Redshank starting to show signs of summer plumage 14th April, Otter Estuary NR

The overwintering Spotted Redshank 14th April with Black-tailed Godwits and Common Redshank, Otter Estuary NR

The overwintering Spotted Redshank 14th April with Black-tailed Godwits and Common Redshank, Otter Estuary NR

Full summer plumaged Spotted Redshank, 15th April Otter Estuary NR

Full summer plumaged Spotted Redshank, 15th April Otter Estuary NR

Osprey

I am enjoying a good run of Ospreys at the patch this year with 2 birds so far. This bird flew down the Otter Valley and then headed west over Budleigh Salterton yesterday morning, the 8th April.

Returning Green-winged Teal

A nice surprise this morning on the patch was this drake Green-winged Teal and presumably the same bird from last May HERE and HERE that has returned. It would be great to know where exactly it spent the winter!?

Other highlights today were 45 Black-tailed Godwit and the long staying Spotted Redshank. Plus Swallows, my first House Martin of the year in Budleigh Town and a Lesser Moorhen wannabe! 😂

Drake Green-winged Teal - Aside from white vertical flank line and absence of broad white lower scapulars re: Eurasian Teal, 
note really bright green eye stripe, as opposed to dull more purple iridescence in Eurasian Teal. Sometimes an indicator for GWT.

Nice comparison showing the difference in face markings and the subtle feature of a broader pale vent patch compared to Eurasian Teal

The breast is sometimes richer in colour compared to Eurasian Teal

A Lesser Moorhen wannabe! This yellow-billed Moorhen has been around since Feb 2024, but first time I’ve actually seen it.

45 Black-tailed Godwits and the long staying Spotted Redshank

Colour-rings, Osprey & Bearded Tit

Spring is slowly starting for us here on the Otter Estuary. Local highlights over the last few weeks have been as follows:

Little Ringed Plover - Up to 4 birds with my first of the year on 13th March.

Sand Martin: My first of the year 20th March.

Sandwich Tern: My first of the year 21st March.

Osprey: A bird fishing briefly and headed north up river at 7.25pm on 30th March.

Willow Warbler: My first of the year in the garden on 30th March.

Northern Wheatear: My first of the year on 1st April.

Other highlights have included the loyal wintering Spotted Redshank and Greenshank as well as up to 18 Black-tailed Godwits through March. Shelduck numbers have started to increase again with my all time high count for the site on 23rd March with 67 birds.

Most surprising bird so far this year was a lone male Bearded Tit that I found today (3rd April). Amazingly in the same spot as the birds that were around in October: See HERE

Colour-ringed Shelduck A41: Exciting news that this bird I saw on 28th March 2025 is the first sighting since it was ringed at Seaton Wetlands on 11/01/2020. Thanks to Ian Stanbridge for confirming the history. More can be found on this project here: https://axeestuaryringinggroup.blogspot.com/p/blog-page.html

Colour-ringed Dunlin YA: This Dunlin on the Otter was not quite as exciting! It was first ringed at Dawlish Warren in Jan 2025 and had been seen on the Otter previously, but not reported for a while. See:  https://www.dcwrg.org.uk/recoveries/dunlin

Colour-ringed Curlew: OT has made it into April! It has remained loyal to the Otter Estuary NR since Rick and I first found this Dartmoor head-started bird on 16th Sep 2024. It will be interesting to see if it stays for the summer before hopefully breeding next year as a 2 year old. We will wait and see....

More: https://www.dartmoor.gov.uk/wildlife-and-heritage/wildlife/curlew-conservation

Black-tailed Godwits on the Otter Estuary NR

Colour-ringed Dunlin on the Otter Estuary NR

Colour-ringed Curlew on the Otter Estuary NR

Colour-ringed Shelduck on the Otter Estuary NR