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Bill Coulson @devonshirenature.bsky.social · 6h

Turtle Dove - I've never seen one until this beauty was flagged up by Mark Vanstone, showing well in a pony paddock in Gillard Road, Brixham.

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Bill Coulson @devonshirenature.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

Gannets in huge numbers in a feeding frenzy off the South Devon Coast. Also involved were Common Dolphins, plus a few Manx and Balearic Shearwaters. Photographed from Kelly's Hero on a pelagic trip out of Brixham led by Mike Langman.

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Bill Coulson @devonshirenature.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

Minke Whale (pics 1+2) swimming past Kelly's Hero of Brixham, which was out on a pelagic today led by Mike Langman. It was great to see one close up. As well as this enormous whale there were lots of Common Dolphins feeding on the plentiful baitfish in the bay.

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Bill Coulson @devonshirenature.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

Found on Dartmoor yesterday: Penny Bun, Boletus edulis, 2 of them, edible but left in place. Parasola plicatis sl. Fly Agaric Amanita muscaria, emerging. Brown Birch Bolete Leccineum scabrum sl Please let me know if I'm wrong on any of these.

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Bill Coulson @devonshirenature.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Very active and widely spread pod of Common Dolphins feeding around Berry Head yesterday afternoon.

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Bill Coulson @devonshirenature.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Visit to the Lower Otter and we found a Spotted Redshank, Wigeon whistling happily and a pair of Little Grebes in the river.

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Bill Coulson @devonshirenature.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Thanks Nick, was a great evening all round.

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Bill Coulson @devonshirenature.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Dicranomyia goritiensis a rare crane fly found mainly, but not exclusively, on south western cliff and rock faces where water seepages occur. Its larvae feed on the available algae. Thanks John Walters for finding this one near Start Point, Devon.

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Bill Coulson @devonshirenature.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Mediterranean Oil Beetle Meloe mediterraneus, a rare nocturnal beetle, this one the first-found of the season. Thanks to John Walters who led us to Gt. Mattiscombe and Susan Williams who spotted the beetle in a clump of grass.

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Bill Coulson @devonshirenature.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Start Point last week: Great Green Bush-cricket Tettigonia viridissima. Speckled Bush-cricket Leptophytes punctatissima. Vertical on the walls of Start Point Lighthouse. Dark Bush-cricket Pholidoptera griseoaptera.

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Bill Coulson @devonshirenature.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Some great birds seen on the River Dart from the African Queen Dartmouth on a trip led by Mike Langman. Osprey, a juvenile, resting in a dead tree. Peregrine Falcons, female and male, at the mouth of the river. Kingfishers, several seen, this one a male.

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Bill Coulson @devonshirenature.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Garfish are currently the baitfish of choice for Grey Seals, Gulls and Gannets. They skitter across the sea in a state of panic when being chased by Tuna.

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Bill Coulson @devonshirenature.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

Weekend spent on the South Devon coast watching Atlantic Bluefin Tuna catching Garfish.

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Bill Coulson @devonshirenature.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

Stupendous numbers of Clouded Yellows in Old Mill Cove, nr. Froward Cove. Way over 50 seen in the lower damp part of the valley. Included one helice form (in 1.) They were nearly all nectaring on the fragrant Water Mint.

Clouded Yellow Colias crocea on Water Mint Mentha aquatica

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Bill Coulson @devonshirenature.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

Migrating Spotted Flycatchers, 5 or 6 birds, feeding over the field behind Brownstone Farm. Medium sized Adder in front of my toes as I was scanning the stubble at Froward Cove. Convolvulus Hawkmoth caterpillar a migrant moth. Its caterpillar will pupate in soil but will not survive our winter.

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Bill Coulson @devonshirenature.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Common Dolphins feeding off Berry Head early this evening. I snapped one putting a great deal of power through its tail to breach with both height and distance! Another Dolphin chasing fish and breathing hard.

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Bill Coulson @devonshirenature.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

Pleased to meet you too yesterday Roy. The set with the Wild Boar, fox and deer was that in the forest of Dean?

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Bill Coulson @devonshirenature.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

Some of the birds from yesterday's pelagic led by Mike Langman on Kelly's Hero out of Brixham. Arctic Skua looking for Kittiwakes to harass. Manx Shearwater Yellow-legged Gull Juvenile Gannet

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Bill Coulson @devonshirenature.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

Hi Roy, what on earth has that fox got hold of?

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Bill Coulson @devonshirenature.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Cirl Buntings, Froward Cove today looking for, and failing to find, the Ortolan Bunting. Pic 1 Cirl B. f. with Yellowhammer f. on rhs. Pic 2 Cirl m. Large Mullein plants at Froward, one of the food plants of the larval Mullein Moth. I found this stunning adult Mullein Moth on my front door.

Female Cirl Bunting lhs and female Yellowhammer on rhs

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Bill Coulson @devonshirenature.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

I've not seen this before - a Common Dolphin with a fish in its beak. Clouded Yellow on Buddleia and Common Blue f. All above at Berry Head yesterday.

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Bill Coulson @devonshirenature.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

I should have described it better as the "last remaining seagoing passenger carrying paddle steamer"

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Bill Coulson @devonshirenature.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Waverley, the worlds last remaining passenger carrying paddle steamer entering Torbay this morning from Dartmouth. Built in 1946 on the Clyde to replace the PS Waverley sunk at Dunkirk attempting to evacuate our soldiers in 1940. An impressive sight.

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Bill Coulson @devonshirenature.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

Ivy Bees Colletes hederae making their appearance, males first, in the last days of August at Berry Head. They nested in the relatively soft streaks of red devonian sandstone of this limestone quarry. New to UK Falk says of them "not discovered on the mainland until 2001 (Dorset)."

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Bill Coulson @devonshirenature.bsky.social · 29/08/2026

Yellow-legged Gull (juve) out in Lyme Bay, seen on Wednesdays pelagic cruise on Kelly's Hero out of Brixham and led by Mike Langman.

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Bill Coulson @devonshirenature.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

Autumn Squill Prospero autumnale on Berry Head. A few showers of rain had to have helped them out of the ground. In areas of low footfall they flower profusely, where the headland is well trodden numbers decrease dramatically. A Hummingbird Hawkmoth finds them very welcome! Thanks Nigel.

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Bill Coulson @devonshirenature.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

Little Gull (imm) resting on the sea, a really pretty and unusual little sea bird. Over 100 Common Terns rafting in the bay and numbers of Kittiwakes. All seen on the pelagic trip out of Brixham led by Mike Langman on Kelly's Hero.

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Bill Coulson @devonshirenature.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

Shearwaters seen from Kelly's Hero on a pelagic trip led by Mike Langman out of Brixham. 1. Sooty Shearwater 2. Balearic Shearwater 3 + 4. Manx Shearwater

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Bill Coulson @devonshirenature.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

Excellent pelagic trip today, led by Mike Langman, who spotted three Great Skuas on the sea. We were on board Kelly's Hero out of Brixham. Bonxies as they are known, have been heavily depleted by avian flu and are much rarer than they were a few years ago.

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Bill Coulson @devonshirenature.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

Juvenile Osprey at Slapton Ley NNR this morning. Pic 4 shows it being buzzed by one of the two Hobbies in Ireland Bay.

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Bill Coulson @devonshirenature.bsky.social · 23/08/2026

Two of the four Wheatears I saw passing through Berry Head yesterday.

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Bill Coulson @devonshirenature.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

Have been trying to get an answer to this question Mark and had been hoping that the info in this Irish fishing link might help. Not sure that it does. Next time I find these at Slapton I will pick up a couple to test out. www.sfpa.ie/LinkClick.as...

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Bill Coulson @devonshirenature.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

Risso's Dolphin, a young one I think, caught an Octopus off Berry Head this morning and brought it to the surface.. Risso's have no top teeth and only a few front lower teeth so the Octopus is normally swallowed whole, by suction! Things would not have ended well for this Octopus this morning.

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Bill Coulson @devonshirenature.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

I think this Risso's Dolphin is a young one. It has caught an Octopus which is intent on not being eaten. It dived and we didn't see the final outcome but it probably didn't end well for the Octopus. Risso's have no top teeth and only a few lower ones so they swallow their prey whole!

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Bill Coulson @devonshirenature.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

No they're much too nice for that 😀

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Bill Coulson @devonshirenature.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

Lyme Bay is happily full of Octopus which is their favourite food. So yes I guess they are very pleased.

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Bill Coulson @devonshirenature.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

An unusual state of affairs? A Common Dolphin keeping company with a Risso's Dolphin seemingly relaxed in each others company for a minute or two. Berry Head this morning.

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Bill Coulson @devonshirenature.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

At least a dozen very loud tail-slaps from this Risso's Dolphin at Berry Head this morning. Communicating what? The pod was starting to move south but some were left behind in Torbay, was this a "come on pod, we're leaving?" In slo-mo so no sound! Thanks Mike L for the WhatsApp message.

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Bill Coulson @devonshirenature.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

Hornet Robberfly Asilus crabroniformis, five seen in Coronation Meadow at Greenway NT this afternoon. At just over an inch long they are big enough to supplement their diet with of flies with grasshoppers! The largest of the robberflies and an impressive insect.

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Bill Coulson @devonshirenature.bsky.social · 15/08/2026

There was another Grayling close by, presumably a member of the opposite sex so that might have been a factor.

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Bill Coulson @devonshirenature.bsky.social · 15/08/2026

Grayling Hipparchia semele, a very lovely butterfly seen here in photo 1 on heather at Bovey Heath this morning. They're not often seen with their wings open like this one in Photo 2 taken on Little Haldon Heath.

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Bill Coulson @devonshirenature.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

Millions of small fish, roughly 7cms long, washed up along the high tide line at Slapton Sands yesterday. These were small Herring/Whitebait chased in by Mackerel. Hundreds of well fed gulls including lots of Med. Gulls, juvenile to adult ages.

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Bill Coulson @devonshirenature.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

Migrant Hawkers at Slapton Ley NNR yesterday.

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Bill Coulson @devonshirenature.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

In the evening sunlight, a trio of Common Dolphins breaching off Berry Head last night. Hummingbird Hawk-moths nectaring on Red Valerian at Berry Head.

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