Cirl Bunting at Labrador Bay RSPB Reserve.

Saturday 2nd August 2025.

The male Cirl Bunting at Labrador Bay RSPB Reserve.

After my wife kindly dropped me off at Matt & Emma’s house, the three of us then made our way to Cornwall and for tomorrow’s Pelagic from Falmouth. However, there was a slight change of plan as the guys wanted to hopefully pick up the Cirl Buntings on the way there at Labrador Bay RSPB Reserve, near Torquay, then onto our Premier Inn Hotel booked in Truro. We had sightings of Common Buzzard, Sparrowhawk and Kestrel on the way there and to be honest, the traffic was very good all the way there.

Labrador Bay RSPB Reserve, nr Torquay, Devon.

The view from the top of the Car Park overlooks Labrador Bay.

It only took a few hours to get to The RSPB Reserve and parking up within the small car park that overlooked Labrador Bay to the south, the guys had all the info that the Cirl Buntings would be showing here from the Car Park. Well, that wasn't quite true for us as we soon found a footpath that led us to a large open space that was surrounded by hedgerows and a small wooded area to the west. The view here was stunning as was the light and it didn't take too long to find our Cirl Bunting; a nice plump male bird. We could hear at least two singing birds in the distance, but they were a long way off, but a bird flew out of the grass and landed nicely for us in the hedgerow and we had our Cirl Bunting ‘ticked off’!

One of the Info Boards put up for the Visitors.

The Bunting performed nicely for us and long enough for a few photos and a bit of film footage until it flew back down into the grass. Other birds we saw here included a couple of Whitethroats flicking about in the hedgerows, a Willowchiff calling nearby and a small flock of House Martins distantly down in the valley below. Over the dead calm sea, we saw at least one distant adult Gannet and a Shag over the water. Very happy with Cirl Bunting added to our year list, we then made our way to the Hotel in Truro.

The male Cirl Bunting at the RSPB Reserve this afternoon.

Earlier today, both Geoff and Andy managed to hear at least one Quail over at Gander Down, near Winchester. Matt & Emma had heard them a little earlier than the guys in the morning and put them conveniently onto where the Quails were calling from. There were at least three birds calling in the area, but I am glad Andy finally caught up with one.