Devon Birds

The society was formed for birdwatchers and ornithologists in Devon, England, in 1928, making it one of the oldest ornithological societies in the country. It organises lectures, field trips and research, and publishes newsletters bimonthly and reports three times a year. It is a registered charity, number 228966.{{EW charity|228966}} The society's logo is a Montagu's harrier. The differences between the hen harrier and the Montagu's were first described by George Montagu, a naturalist based in Kingsbridge.

It is responsible for, or is involved in, a number of reserves. These include South Milton Ley;{{cite web | title=South Milton Ley SSIs | work=English Nature | url=http://www.english-nature.org.uk/citation/citation_photo/1002854.pdf | accessdate=24 March 2009}} a site at Prawle Point;{{cite web | url = http://www.birdsofbritain.co.uk/reserves/devon.asp|title = Prawle Point reserve}} a hide at Fernworthy Reservoir on Dartmoor; a site at Bradiford; and a ringing hut at Slapton Ley, data from which has been passed to the British Trust for Ornithology since 1960 for inclusion in national and international records and studies.{{cite web

|url=http://www.slnnr.org.uk/birds/dbwps.html

|title=Devon Bird Watching & Preservation Society – Slapton Ley

|publisher=The Field Studies Council

|accessdate=24 March 2009}}

The society is a member of the Devon Biodiversity Steering Group{{cite web

|url = http://www.devon.gov.uk/index/environmentplanning/natural_environment/biodiversity/devon_biodiversity_action_plan/biodiversity_partnership.htm

|title = Biodiversity Partnership

|publisher = Devon County Council

|accessdate = 24 March 2009

|url-status = dead

|archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20100312090251/http://www.devon.gov.uk/index/environmentplanning/natural_environment/biodiversity/devon_biodiversity_action_plan/biodiversity_partnership.htm

|archivedate = 12 March 2010

}}

and provides data to various environmental plans initiated by Devon County Council—for instance, in 2005 it contributed data to the Devon Biodiversity Action Plan.[https://web.archive.org/web/20120306004302/http://www.devon.gov.uk/index/environmentplanning/natural_environment/biodiversity/devon_biodiversity_action_plan.htm]See, for example, the maps on p.2 of the [http://www.devon.gov.uk/dbap-freshwater-reedbed.pdf Fresh Water Reedbed Plan] and the [http://www.devon.gov.uk/dbap-birds-curlew.pdf Curlew Plan] In 1993 and 2003 the society was a major partner in the barn owl surveys undertaken in Devon by the Barn Owl Trust,{{cite web

|url=http://www.barnowltrust.org.uk/content_images/pdf/Devon_Barn_Owl_Survey_2003.pdf

|last=Ramsden

|first=David

|author2=Howells, John

|title=2003 Devon Barn Owl Survey Report

|year=2003

|publisher=The Barn Owl Trust

|accessdate=24 March 2009}}{{cite news

|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/low/england/2843059.stm

|title=First barn owl census for decade

|publisher=The BBC

|accessdate=24 March 2009 | date=12 March 2003}} and in 2009 it is helping fund a project to boost the birds' numbers in West Devon.{{cite news

|url=http://docs.newsbank.com/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info:sid/iw.newsbank.com:UKNB:WMNB&rft_val_format=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:ctx&rft_dat=12634C65498082A8&svc_dat=InfoWeb:aggregated5&req_dat=0FE8B94B8C8CAAB1

|title=Trust hopes nesting box scheme will boost barn owl numbers

|date=6 February 2009

|work=Western Morning News

|publisher=Financial Times Information Limited

|accessdate=24 March 2009}} (Subscription required for online access)

In 2002 it was reported in the national press that Gordon Vaughan, a chairman of the society, and one of Devon's most respected ornithologists,{{cite news

|url=http://docs.newsbank.com/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info:sid/iw.newsbank.com:UKNB:WDPB&rft_val_format=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:ctx&rft_dat=115A366A8A642030&svc_dat=InfoWeb:aggregated5&req_dat=0FE8B94B8C8CAAB1

|title=Respected birdwatcher spotted new UK species

|date=23 November 2006

|work=Western Daily Press, Bristol

|publisher=Financial Times Information Limited

|accessdate=24 March 2009

}} (Subscription required for online access) had discovered that dormice, newly emerged from hibernation, were eating the eggs of pied flycatchers, a rare bird in Devon.{{cite news

|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/environment/hungry-and-merciless-devons-killer-dormice-decimate-rare-bird-colony-652312.html

|title=Hungry and merciless, Devon's killer dormice decimate rare bird colony

|work=The Independent

|accessdate=24 March 2009

|last=Lean

|first=Geoffrey

| location=London

| date=26 May 2002}}{{dead link|date=August 2021|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}

Past and present

• Tony Soper – DBWPS President 1969–1970
• Dr. Janet Kear OBE – DBWPS President 1995–2003

• Bi-monthly Bulletin [https://web.archive.org/web/20090519201759/http://www.devonbirds.org/publishing]
• Devon Birds published three times a year and incorporating the Annual Report [https://web.archive.org/web/20090106064356/http://www.devonbirds.org/node/119]

• Lundy - Conservation work part funded by Devon Birds
• South Milton Ley - SSSI part managed as a nature reserve by Devon Birds

{{Reflist}}

• [http://www.devonbirds.org/ Devon Birds website]
• [http://www.lundy.org.uk/bibl/bibsection.php?topic=6 Lundy Field society bibliography]
• [http://www.birdsoflundy.org.uk/ Funding of Lundy Field Society work via Devon Birds publication]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Devon Birdwatching And Preservation Society}}

Category:Bird conservation organizations

Category:Ornithological organisations in the United Kingdom

Category:Environment of Devon

Category:Environmental organisations based in England

Category:Organisations based in Devon

Category:Scientific organizations established in 1928

Category:1928 establishments in England

Category:1928 in the environment

Category:Charities based in Devon

Category:Conservation in England