The Quiet Joy of Watching Birds
Birdwatching has a reputation problem. Somewhere along the way it became associated with anoraks, twitching, and a particular kind of eccentric seriousness that puts normal people off. This is a shame, because the reality is nothing like the stereotype. Birdwatching is simply the practice of paying attention to the natural world — of slowing down, looking up, and noticing what is actually around you. And in Devon, what is around you is extraordinary.
Devon sits at a crossroads of migration routes, climatic zones, and habitat types. Its south-facing coastline catches birds arriving from continental Europe and Africa. Its estuaries — particularly the Exe — are internationally important wintering grounds for tens of thousands of waders and wildfowl. Dartmoor's uplands host species that have been pushed out of much of lowland England. And Lundy Island, sitting in the Bristol Channel, is home to one of England's most celebrated puffin colonies.
You do not need expensive optics or an encyclopaedic knowledge of bird calls to enjoy this. A pair of binoculars and a willingness to stand still for a while will get you started. And if you are looking for ways to meet people, birdwatching groups are some of the most genuinely welcoming communities you will find.
The Exe Estuary
The Exe Estuary is Devon's birdwatching crown jewel. This internationally protected wetland — designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest, a Special Protection Area, and a Ramsar site — hosts more than 20,000 birds each winter. It is one of the most important estuaries for wintering birds in Britain, and it is right on Exeter's doorstep.
The estuary stretches from Exeter in the north to Exmouth and Dawlish Warren in the south, and its mudflats, saltmarshes, and shallows provide feeding and roosting grounds for a remarkable diversity of species.
What You Will See
The star of the Exe Estuary is the avocet — an elegant black-and-white wader with a distinctive upturned bill that it sweeps through shallow water to catch invertebrates. The Exe is one of the UK's most important wintering sites for avocets, with hundreds arriving from their breeding grounds in East Anglia and the continent from October onwards.
The estuary is also a significant wintering ground for dark-bellied Brent geese. These small, dark geese migrate from their breeding grounds in Arctic Siberia — a journey of several thousand miles — to spend the winter feeding on eelgrass beds in the Exe's shallows. Watching a flock of Brent geese come in to roost at high tide, calling to each other in their low, rolling murmur, is one of Devon's great wildlife spectacles.
Beyond these headline species, the estuary holds huge numbers of dunlin, oystercatcher, lapwing, black-tailed godwit, curlew, grey plover, and redshank. Wigeon, teal, and pintail gather on the sheltered water. Peregrines hunt over the flats. And if you are very lucky and very patient, you might spot a short-eared owl quartering the marshes at dusk.
RSPB Bowling Green and Goosemoor, Topsham
If you visit one birdwatching spot in Devon, make it this one. Bowling Green Marsh sits on the junction of the River Exe and the River Clyst, close to the charming town of Topsham, about five miles south of Exeter. It is the main high-tide roost for the northern end of the estuary and one of the best places to watch birds in the entire south-west.
The RSPB manages the reserve, which has a wheelchair-accessible bird hide on the marshes and a viewing platform (reached by steps) with panoramic views down the estuary. The Lookout is open Wednesday to Sunday, 10am to 4pm, subject to volunteer availability — the hide itself is open at all times. The volunteers are friendly and knowledgeable and happy to help you identify what you are seeing. Entrance is free, with donations welcomed. Note there is no public access to the lagoon and grazing marsh, and only registered assistance dogs are welcome in the Lookout; dogs on leads are fine on the permissive path to the Clyst viewing platform. You can take in two reserves in one trip here — RSPB Goosemoor sits just east of Bowling Green Marsh, under the railway bridge.
In autumn and winter, the marsh comes alive with flocks of redshanks, greenshanks, and dunlins, hundreds of curlews finding their roosting spots, and the occasional peregrine sending the whole lot scattering in a spectacular display of aerial panic. Little grebes, pintails, and black-tailed godwits are regulars.
Getting there: The nearest parking is at the council car parks at Holman Way (75 spaces) and the Quay (24 spaces) in Topsham. You can also walk or cycle from Exeter along the Exe Estuary Trail — a lovely flat route that is an outing in its own right.
Combine a morning at Bowling Green Marsh with lunch in Topsham. The Lighter Inn on the quay has estuary views and good food, while the Lord Nelson at the top of the high street is a 200-year-old pub with bags of character. If you are feeling adventurous, take the ferry across to the Turf Hotel — a legendary pub accessible only on foot, by bike, or by boat.
RSPB Exminster and Powderham Marshes
Just five miles from Exeter city centre, Exminster and Powderham Marshes offer a circular walk through marshland, wetland, and arable fields managed specifically for farmland birds. The wetland bird spectacle is at its best in winter, when hundreds of ducks and flocks of lapwings, curlews, and black-tailed godwits can be seen on the marshes.
In spring, the marshes become particularly important for nesting lapwings and redshanks — both species that have declined dramatically across much of England. Star species include Brent goose, Cetti's warbler (listen for its explosive burst of song from the scrub), northern lapwing, sedge warbler, and Eurasian wigeon.
The car park has 30 spaces including 5 Blue Badge bays, on an uneven gravel surface. Dogs are not allowed at Powderham Marshes, which is a permissive rather than a public footpath, and must be on leads elsewhere on the reserve. There are no toilets on site — the nearest are patrons-only at the Swan's Nest Inn and the Turf Hotel, about 500m away, and the Turf closes in some winter months.
Getting there: Take the Station Road exit from the Swans Nest roundabout off the A379, pass the Swans Nest Inn, go over the railway bridge, then turn immediately right to the signposted RSPB car park.
Dawlish Warren National Nature Reserve
Dawlish Warren is a sand dune spit extending across the mouth of the Exe Estuary — a remarkable natural formation that creates a sheltered harbour for wildlife. The reserve is a large expanse of protected grassland, sand dunes and mudflats, with an exceptionally rich flora and tens of thousands of wintering wildfowl and wading birds.
A bird hide is situated about a mile north-east of the Visitor Centre, providing excellent viewing for wading birds and wildfowl in winter. Viewing is best two hours either side of medium-high tides, when the rising water pushes the birds closer to the hide.
Look out for sandwich terns, Arctic terns, curlews, black-tailed and bar-tailed godwits, Brent geese, and red-breasted mergansers. In spring and summer, the dunes are alive with butterflies and wildflowers, and the reserve is home to the nationally rare Warren crocus.
The Visitor Centre (free entry) opens afternoons only — Wednesday to Friday 2pm to 4pm and weekends 2pm to 5pm through the main season, weekends only in winter, and occasionally closed when the wardens are working on site. It is a good starting point for understanding the reserve's habitats and what to look for.
Getting there: Dawlish Warren is easily reached by train — the station is right beside the reserve — or by car (there is a pay-and-display car park). The train journey from Exeter along the coast is spectacular in itself.
Lundy Island
Lundy sits off the north Devon coast in the Bristol Channel, and its very name comes from the Old Norse word for puffin. For such a small island it punches extraordinarily above its weight for birdwatching.
The Puffins
Lundy's puffin population has recovered markedly following a successful rat eradication programme completed in 2006. The puffins return to the island between March and August, with April to July being the best months for sightings. The best viewing spots are Jenny's Cove and St Philip's Stone on the west coast, where you can watch puffins feeding, socialising, and raising their chicks — adorably known as pufflings.
Puffins are smaller than most people expect, and they tend to be viewed from a distance, so bring good binoculars or a camera with a decent zoom. But even without close views, there is something deeply joyful about watching these small, determined birds whirring in from the sea with beaks full of sand eels.
Other Seabirds
Lundy's cliffs host impressive colonies of guillemots, razorbills, kittiwakes, fulmars, and shags. Manx shearwaters breed on the island and can be seen offshore — along with the occasional gannet, storm petrel, and, in spring and autumn, a procession of migrant passerines that drop in to rest on their journeys between Africa and northern Europe.
Getting There
The MS Oldenburg sails between late March and October from either Ilfracombe or Bideford — which port depends on the tide, and some sailings leave from one and return to the other, so check your ticket carefully before you drive. The crossing usually takes a little under two hours each way, and day trips allow several hours on the island.
Book in advance — the Oldenburg has limited capacity and popular sailing dates sell out weeks ahead, particularly in puffin season.
A day trip to Lundy is one of the best day trips from Exeter you can do. The combination of the boat journey, the island walk, the seabird colonies, and the Marisco Tavern (Lundy's own pub) makes it a genuinely memorable outing. Allow a full day — you will need to leave early and will return in the evening, tired and salt-sprayed and very happy.
Dartmoor
Dartmoor is the largest upland area in southern England, and its moorland and woodlands support a bird community that is internationally important. If the Exe Estuary is about spectacle and numbers, Dartmoor is about rarity and atmosphere — the chance to see species that have been lost from much of lowland England, in a landscape that feels genuinely wild.
Parts of north Dartmoor — including the ground around Black-a-Tor Copse — fall inside the MOD's Okehampton, Merrivale and Willsworthy training ranges, where live firing takes place. Check the six-week firing programme on GOV.UK or ring the firing information line (0800 458 4868) before you go, and never cross a boundary marked by red and white poles when a red flag is flying by day or a red lamp is lit at night.
Ring Ouzels
One of the last remaining populations of ring ouzels in southern England can be found on Dartmoor. These handsome birds — slightly smaller and slimmer than a blackbird, with a distinctive white crescent on the breast — are mainly upland breeders, and the steep valleys and rocky tors of Dartmoor make an ideal habitat. They arrive in late March and April and breed through the summer before heading south to the Atlas Mountains of North Africa for winter.
Ring ouzels are shy and not easy to find, which is part of the appeal. Walking the high moor in April, scanning the boulder fields and gulleys, and suddenly spotting that white crescent against dark plumage — it is a genuine thrill.
Cuckoos and Meadow Pipits
Cuckoos are another Dartmoor speciality that has become increasingly rare elsewhere. They arrive in late April, and their unmistakable call — which gave them their name — is one of the great sounds of the Devon spring. On Dartmoor, cuckoos lay their eggs in the nests of meadow pipits, and you can often see them being mobbed by smaller birds trying to chase them away.
Meadow pipits themselves are present on Dartmoor in internationally important numbers. Along with stonechats, skylarks, and linnets, they form the soundtrack to any walk across the open moor.
Other Dartmoor Species
Dartmoor's ancient oak woodlands — particularly Wistman's Wood, Black-a-Tor Copse, and the Dart Valley — hold pied flycatchers, redstarts, wood warblers, and dippers. Buzzards are common everywhere, and you have a good chance of seeing a raven — their deep, croaking call is unmistakable once you know it. In winter, hen harriers occasionally hunt the moor, and merlins — Britain's smallest falcon — can sometimes be spotted dashing low over the heather.
Slapton Ley
Slapton Ley National Nature Reserve is the largest natural freshwater lake in the south-west of England, separated from the sea by a narrow strip of shingle beach known as Slapton Sands. The combination of freshwater, reedbed, marsh, woodland, and open coast makes it one of Devon's most diverse birdwatching sites, with a long and varied recorded species list.
In spring and summer, reed warblers, sedge warblers, whitethroats, blackcaps, and Cetti's warblers establish breeding territories in the reedbeds. From October onwards, up to 100,000 starlings gather to roost in the reeds, creating spectacular murmurations — vast, swirling clouds of birds that twist and fold against the evening sky before plunging into the reedbeds. It is one of the most extraordinary natural spectacles in Devon.
Winter also brings opportunities to spot kingfishers, bitterns, water rails, and bearded tits among the reeds. Two bird hides at the southern end of the Lower Ley — Torcross Hide and Stokely Bay Hide — provide comfortable viewing. The reserve is managed by the Field Studies Council; for the murmuration, the classic spot is Slapton Bridge about an hour before sunset, best October to December.
Getting Started: The Social Side of Birding
Birdwatching is often portrayed as a solitary activity, but in Devon it is anything but. The county has an active and welcoming birding community, and joining it is one of the easiest ways to get started — and to meet people who share your interest in the natural world.
Devon Birds
Devon Birds (formerly the Devon Bird Watching & Preservation Society) was founded in 1928, making it one of the oldest ornithological societies in the country. The society organises lectures, field trips, and research, and publishes newsletters and reports for members. Their field outings are open to members of all experience levels and are led by knowledgeable and patient guides who genuinely enjoy helping beginners identify their first avocet or spot their first peregrine.
Membership supports the society's conservation work, including managing a network of reserves in the county. Their website (devonbirds.org) also has excellent bird sighting reports that tell you what is being seen where — invaluable for planning a visit.
RSPB Exeter and District Local Group
The RSPB's Exeter and District Local Group runs a programme of walks, talks, and events throughout the year. Their guided walks at Bowling Green Marsh and Exminster Marshes are beginner-friendly — you will be walking with people who have been birding for decades but who remember exactly what it was like to not know the difference between a dunlin and a redshank. That shared experience of learning together creates connections quickly.
Why Birding Builds Friendships
There is something about birdwatching that lends itself to friendship. Perhaps it is the shared excitement of a good sighting — the whispered "there, on the left, second post" followed by the moment of recognition. Perhaps it is the patience required, which creates space for conversation. Perhaps it is the fact that birders tend to be curious, observant people who notice things — not just about birds, but about the people around them.
Whatever the reason, birdwatching groups tend to be genuinely kind. There is no snobbery about equipment or experience. People share their binoculars, point out what they have found, and celebrate each other's discoveries. It is the kind of low-pressure social activity that works beautifully for people who find crowded social events overwhelming.
If you are new to birdwatching, the best way to start is simply to visit one of the Exe Estuary reserves — Bowling Green Marsh or Exminster Marshes — on a day when the RSPB volunteers are in the Lookout. When they are there, they usually have telescopes set up pointing at the most interesting birds and are delighted to show you what they have found. Binocular hire and guided walks are sometimes suspended, so bring your own binoculars if you have them — but you do not need a field guide and you do not need to know anything at all. Just turn up and look.
A Year of Birdwatching in Devon
Devon offers remarkable birdwatching in every season:
Spring (March–May): Migrant birds arrive from Africa — swallows, house martins, cuckoos, warblers. Ring ouzels return to Dartmoor. Puffins appear on Lundy. The Exe Estuary hosts passage waders heading north.
Summer (June–August): Breeding season on Dartmoor and in the woodlands. Seabird colonies on Lundy at their peak. Nightjars churr on the Pebblebed Heaths near Exmouth. Swifts scream over Exeter's rooftops.
Autumn (September–November): Migration in reverse — summer visitors head south, winter visitors arrive from the north and east. Wader numbers build on the Exe. Starling murmurations begin at Slapton Ley. Rare vagrant birds sometimes appear on the coast.
Winter (December–February): The Exe Estuary at its best — avocets, Brent geese, and thousands of waders. Short-eared owls on the marshes. Fieldfares and redwings in the hedgerows. Dartmoor stark and beautiful under winter light.
Wherever you are in the calendar, there is always something worth seeing. All you need to do is step outside and pay attention.