Bird Watching

Fancy giving bird watching a go but don’t know where to start? South Devon is home to thousands of birds, thanks to its unique landscape and river systems, which attract a significant variety of bird species every year. The area is also a world-class location for watching migratory birds. Whether you are an experienced ornithologist or fledgling twitcher, this part of the West Country offers stunning scenery and excellent resources for the enthusiastic birdwatcher and their chicks.

There is a wealth of opportunities for bird watching on the Exe estuary, a protected site with an international reputation as a Mecca for birdwatching. The estuary is protected by a number of environmental directives and organisations including being both a RAMSAR site  (an international agreement designed to preserve wetland sites) and a Site of Special Scientific Interest. Even the most inexperienced newbie will be able to see a diverse range of birds on this stunning marine location. The Exe estuary is a spotter’s delight, with Brent geese, elder, grebes, divers, skuas and dunlin plentiful and remarkably tolerant to the presence of their two-legged watchers.

See the mass migrations

Get here at the tail end of summer around September or in early spring around mid-March, and you can see one of South Devon’s finest spectacles. All along the Exe thousands upon thousands of waders gather before their mass migration to northern climes. It’s a magnificent sight and one that will inspire your kids to take up bird watching with a passion.

Don’t think you need to be a full-on twitcher to enjoy the beauty of South Devon’s estuaries either – the sheer diversity is visually stunning and an integral part of the West Country’s natural environment. While Dawlish Warren on the Exe estuary is the landmark spot for bird watching, South Devon offers a wealth of locations for watching our feathered friends. Look out for the little egret, curlew and whimbrel on the many pretty creeks and inlets on the Kingsbridge estuary, while other locations include reedbed areas and the southern fringes of Dartmoor. Hides are available at many spots, so if you want to learn to tell a dunlin from a duck, pack your binoculars and head to South Devon.