BIRDING FROM BUDLEIGH TO BEVERLY (AUTUMN 2025)

 

Anyone from East Budleigh, looking at this photo of an osprey on the cover of the October 2025 Parish News, would be almost certain to say that it was the work of David White. 

An accomplished photographer who lives in East Budleigh, David came to national prominence in 2018 when his photos won the competition for the BBC Countryfile 2019 calendar. 


A keen naturalist, David continues to amaze with his knowledge and photography.

Young Roger Conant didn’t have a camera, but it’s easy to imagine him admiring the local wildlife as he explored the beautiful countryside around East Budleigh, from horse rides on Woodbury Common to rambles along the River Otter. But the landscape has changed somewhat since his childhood in the early 1600s.



Glossy Ibis  Photo Chris Townend

Some two centuries ago the river was straightened and the size of the estuary was effectively halved by an earth embankment which enclosed 55 hectares – 136 acres – of land for use in agriculture. 


With climate change causing rising sea levels, the Lower Otter Restoration Project took shape between Spring 2021 and September 2023, led by the UK’s Environment Agency in partnership with Clinton Devon Estates, the family-owned business which manages a total of 25,000 acres of land, or about 10,117 hectares. One of Salem’s ghosts has a Clinton family connection, but that’s a story for another time.

A Goldcrest, the smallest European bird. Photo: David White.

The result of the Restoration Project has been to transform the Otter estuary into a haven for wildlife, including beavers and otters. But it’s birders who are increasingly filling the hides and riversides.

East Devon birders might well be tempted across the Atlantic to spot a range of species, many unknown in the UK. In Salem, at Collins Cove, said to be haunted by that ghost, 99 species have been recorded. 

Left: Ruby-throated Hummingbird, the State’s smallest breeding bird.

American Oystercatchers feed on the mudflats across the harbor in the Spring and mid- to late Summer. Beverly’s Independence Park has counted 93 species of bird. In 2025, there were four Osprey nests in Beverly Harbor and the Danvers River. 


Right: Cedar Waxwing, characterised by smooth and silky-looking plumage.

They often feed along the Beverly Waterfront. One of these nests was on a boat rack in the Beverly Port Marina. Chickadees, the Massachusetts state bird, can be found in all corners of the Commonwealth wherever there are at least a few trees.

 


Left: Northern Cardinal, a year-round resident in Massachusetts. In the winter, they use their beaks to crack open seeds and sugary fruits to survive.






Turkey Vulture, rare in the State until recently.

Images: Wikipedia

Text with acknowledgement to www.birdinghotspots.org


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