Brent
Bird
Survey
Photos by Steve Hopper
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You can contact us through the form at the bottom of this page.
Get involved
- You don't need to live in the parish but any bird records you submit must be !
- Submit as few or as many sightings as you wish - every record adds to our knowledge
- Record sightings in your garden, out walking, at work or any other occasion
- We need records of rare and common birds so don't ignore Blue Tits or Starlings
Our Next Talk will be on ..... tbd..
NEW!!! Brent Birders Monthly Newsletter
aka Reay's Random Records
Each month Peter will publish some of the highlights of the previous month's records - all forms of wildlife, - both birds and non-birds - garnered from our monthly meetings in the SSB Hub in the Old School Community Centre. These informal meetings are open to all and are held at 3pm on the first Tuesday of each month.
Newsletter list archive:
September 2024
October/November 2024​
Here's the latest newsletter content:​
Brent Birders Monthly Bird Highlights
DECEMBER 2024
• Barn Owl. Several sightings from Overbrent in early Dec.
• Blackcap. One on feeder in Springfield Road, late Dec.
• Firecrest. Seen and heard at Stidston on several dates.
• Golden Plover. In Spurrell Cross to Three Barrows area, up to about 200 circling overhead on 16 Dec, with a smaller number seen on the ground.
• Goosander. Pair on R Avon at Brent Mill 13 Dec. Max of 26 (nine males) roosting at Avon Dam on 25 Dec. A synchronized Devon roost count on 14 Dec found 132 (lower than in December in other recent years), of which 40 were on Dartmoor, with 16 of these at the Avon Dam.
• Fieldfare. Three, Forder Lane on 10 Dec, was the only record. Remains very scarce this autumn/winter.
• Herring Gull. Max count (from photo) was at least 400 feeding in the barley field off Palstone Lane on 6 Dec and resting on the Hope Wood site. None there on 17 Dec or subsequently, but small numbers persist on village roofs and chimneys.
• Little Grebe. Two at Somerswood Lakes on 16 Dec.
• Mallard. Unusually, none on mid-month counts at either Avon Dam or Somerswood Lakes.
• Mistle Thrush. One singing at Lutton on 6 Dec was the first.
• Moorhen. Ten at Somerswood Lakes on 16 Dec.
• Song Thrush. Widespread singing from 24 Dec on.
• Skylark. About 50, seen in both cattle pasture and stubble on 8 & 10 Dec.
• Snipe. One flushed from a field near Harbourneford Cross on 18 Dec.
• Starling. About 100 between Harbourneford Cross and Marley on 8 Dec, but just two on 10th and none subsequently; and none in Palstone barley field after 2 Dec.
• Stonechat. Male in rough area of field below Lower Green off Palstone Lane on 12 Dec, but not subsequently. Pair on Brent Hill.
• Wigeon. Unusual absence at Somerswood Lakes (recorded there every winter since at least 2012).
• Woodpigeon. Flock of about 200 in Palstone barley field on 17 Dec. None seen on 24th or subsequently.
• Yellowhammer. Several still present in hedge in Palstone Lane on 2 & 17 Dec, but not subsequently.
JANUARY 2025
• Barn Owl. Recorded from Charford and Overbrent on several occasions.
• Blackbird. One singing off Hillside on 17 Jan, but none subsequently.
• Blackcap. None for second consecutive winter in Brakefield garden, but singles in gardens at Clobells, Corn Park and Moorland Park.
• Cetti’s Warbler. One seen and heard at Palstone on 25 Jan. Only the second record for the parish – and Dartmoor.
• Chiffchaff. At least one on the sewage works filter bed on 9 Jan.
• Cormorant. One in tree at Somerswood Lakes on 3 Jan.
• Dipper. Recorded on the R Avon at Avonwick and in the village area, but not above Shipley.
• Fieldfare. In fields with Redwing north of Aish Ridge on 20 Jan, and 150-200 there in mixed flock on 31 Jan, but very scarce this autumn/winter.
• Firecrest. One on sewage works filter bed on 9 Jan, with several Goldcrests. Continuous presence in woods at Didworthy, and one in a Clobells garden on 26 Jan.
• Golden Plover. Small numbers, with up to six on ground and 20 in flight, in Hickley Plain/Brent Fore Hill area in early Jan, but there were 200, just outside the parish, on 31 Jan.
• Goosander. Pair on R Avon at The Island on 21 Jan. A synchronized Devon roost count on 11 Jan found 179, of which 51 were on Dartmoor, with 20 of these at the Avon Dam.
• Great Black-backed Gull. One on dean lamb at Overbrent.
• Greenfinch. Singing on and below Brent Hill on 25 Jan.
• Kestrel. One seen on several occasions at Overbrent.
• Little Grebe. Four at Somerswood Lakes on 3 Jan.
• Mallard. None at Avon Dam, a few at Somerswood and elsewhere.
• Meadow Pipit. Small flocks of about 10 seen on both Brent Hill and the field next to Headlands.
• Shoveler. A male at Somerswood Lakes on 3 Jan. First for site and only the second parish record; a pair at Avon Dam in Mar 1959 appears to be the only other record.
• Snipe. Singles flushed from fields near Harbourneford Cross and Aish early Jan and two on Corringdon Ball on 31 Jan.
• Stonechat. Pair on Brent Hill until 15 Jan, and one below Glasscombe Corner on 31 Jan.
• Wigeon. One female at Somerswood on 3 Jan with a few Mallard was the only record.
• Woodcock. Records of singles from The Island, Didworthy and Glaze Valley.
• Wren. Considered to be scarcer than usual.
• Yellowhammer. Present at regular garden site in Didworthy but in reduced numbers.
OVERALL, 66 species were recorded during the month, slightly less than the average of 68.3 for January over the last 10 years
Records provided by Mark Bancroft, Nicky Cozens, Phil Dean, Paul Heatley, Sylvia & Pete Hamilton, Kerry Honnor, Mike Goss, Laurette Guest, Mike Ingram, John Luscombe, Dave MacDiarmid, Chris & Andy Morgan, Keith Male, Ken Neal, Richard Oram, Gaynor & Adrian Platt, Peter Reay, Graham Royle and Dave Scott.
Brent Birders January and May 2024 -
THE RESULTS


The South Brent Parish Bird Survey (SBPBS) began in 2014, and now monitors the birds of the parish, in both winter and the breeding season, by ensuring that all 52 1-km squares are visited at least once each January and May to record the species seen and heard. In 2024, around 20 observers paid 199 square visits in January and 253 in May, producing 1,790 and 3,263 records respectively, the numbers of square visits being the highest for both months since the survey began. Another feature of the year was that it was the first in which there was widespread use of Merlin, the bird id app, on mobile phones. Observers were advised to only record ‘Merlin birds’ if they had also seen or heard the bird themselves, but it almost certainly enhanced the detection of some species, such as Goldcrest and Treecreeper, especially in May.
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The report can be downloaded here (pdf format)
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The following submitted square visit records in 2024: Jo Brooks, John & Sylvia Caddick, Julia & Michael Cady, Nicky Cozens, John Day, Phil Dean, Mike Goss, Reg & Kath Hambly, Sylvia & Pete Hamilton, Paul Heatley, Kerry Honnor, Steve Hopper, Leonard Hurrell, Mike Ingram, Dave MacDiarmid, Andy & Chris Morgan, Richard Oram, Dave Pakes, Gaynor & Adrian Platt and Peter Reay. Casual records were also received from Laurette Guest, Lesley Austin, John Luscombe, Dave Scott, John Widdicombe and Mike Wilson. Thanks to all.
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Brent Bird Survey - 10 Year Summary
We previewed the 10-year celebratory survey to you at the talk by Richard Archer in May 2024. Now here it is in glorious technicolour available for you to read on your screen or to download, print out and treasure for ever!!
It shows the distribution and phenology of all 143 bird species recorded in the ten years of the bird survey. ​​Our thanks go to all of you for your hard work in collecting the data essential to this survey.
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The Birds of South Brent Parish
before, during and beyond the 2014–16 survey
2022 ADDENDUM
Our book "The Birds of South Brent Parish" was published in March 2018, and although it included records from 2017 and early 2018, it is now out of date by nearly five years. We have now produced an Addendum to accompany the latest small print run of the book.
The Addendum includes:
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Additions to the parish list from historical records
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Other taxa recorded only since 2017, but not added to the parish list
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Additions to the parish list since the publication of TBOSBP
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Species on the parish list recorded since 2017, but not during 2014–17
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Other notable records since 2017
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Notable additional breeding records since 2017
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The occurrence of non-annual species 2014–2022
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New monthly occurrences
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Gains and losses, ups and downs
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The focus is on additions to the parish list and records of other rare and scarce species since 2017, but also includes occurrences in new months, new breeding records and some other observations of change. Additional records now bring the parish bird species total to a remarkable 165.
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If you already have a copy of "The Birds of South Brent Parish" or plan to buy one of our new limited print run or would just like to see an overview of the birds recorded on the parish you can download the Addendum pdf here.​

Reports
Since the start of the Brent Bird Survey in 2014 several exciting reports have been written summarising sightings of new and exotic species in the parish as well as those which are rather more familar but equally exciting. These reports can be downloaded from the links below (BBS = Brent Bird Survey ; BBGBS = Brent Birders Garden Bird Survey):
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A crib sheet for breeding codes, grid references and square numbers
This Crib Sheet may be useful to all observers out there. It converts between Ordnance Grid References and the square numbering used by the Brent Bird Survey. It shows the geographic layout of the squares. It also shows the codes to be used in the breeding part of the survey.
I print it out in A6 size as this fits neatly inside the back cover of my field notebook but you can resize it to whatever page size you wish. If you're not sure how to do this let me (Phil) know. You can reach me either directly or via the "Contact Us" form at the bottom of this web page.
You can download the Crib Sheet here.
Contact us:
Please feel free to send your comments, questions or feedback via the form below
© 2014 by South Brent Bird Group Proudly created with Wix.com
Downloads:
Parish Map - pdf
2025 Bird Recording Form -
2025 Non-Bird Recording Form -
2025 Recording Guidelines - pdf
Observers Crib Sheet - pdf
Brent Bird Survey Report 2014 - pdf
Brent Bird Survey Report 2015 - pdf
Brent Bird Survey Report 2016 - pdf
Acknowledgements:
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Thanks to the BTO for permission to use their photographs on the results charts
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Thanks to Steve Hopper and Keith Male for permission to use their bird photographs on this site.

Click on the links below to go directly to the latest survey data.
Survey Overview:
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