Short birdwatching visit · RSPB
Labrador Bay
- Tier
- Worth a special trip
- Best season
- year-round
- Headline birds
- Cirl Bunting
- Parking
- A council car park at the entrance has about 50 spaces and cycle racks.
- Hides
- Views are open-air from public routes and the entrance area.
- Step-free
- Not stated by the operator
Between Maidencombe and Shaldon · TQ1 4TP
Labrador Bay combines a coastal view over Lyme Bay with farmland managed for Cirl Bunting. The mix of scrub, grassland, woodland and low-intensity arable land also supports Yellowhammer, Buzzard and Peregrine. It is a good choice for a shorter south Devon birding stop, especially if a wide sea outlook appeals as much as a walk through fields. The reserve is a working farm, so remain on permitted paths and give livestock room. Choose the walk to suit the group: the coastal slopes are demanding, while the upper route is a gentler option.
When to go and where to look
Labrador Bay is a deliberate Cirl Bunting destination in the RSPB's account, with the retained notes also naming Yellowhammer through the year. Choose one of the graded public routes that suits your group: the upper field walk and the longer South West Coast Path circuit make different demands. Watch the managed farmland from the permitted route and allow time for birds to appear naturally around the field edges. Do not enter crops or move towards a feeding group. The coastal outlook adds value to a patient visit, but current route conditions and access instructions still determine where to walk.
Sources: RSPB visitor guide and facility details · Visitor routes and access. Planning reviewed 2026-10-25.
Birds and seasons
- Cirl Bunting · Headline bird — Typically year-round Source for Cirl Bunting
- Yellowhammer — Typically year-round Source for Yellowhammer
- Buzzard — Typically year-round Source for Buzzard
- Peregrine — Typically year-round Source for Peregrine
Plan your visit
- Hides and viewpoints
- Views are open-air from public routes and the entrance area.
- Paths
- Three graded routes include an upper field walk and a longer South West Coast Path circuit.
- Toilets
- No reserve toilets; seasonal public facilities are identified at Maidencombe.
- Parking
- A council car park at the entrance has about 50 spaces and cycle racks.
- Dogs
- Dogs are allowed on public paths and bridleways under control around livestock.
- Access notes
- Natural surfaces, steep sections, steps, gates and stiles affect the longer routes.
- Step-free access
- Not stated by the operator – check before travelling
Getting there: The council car park is beside the entrance on the A379 between Shaldon and Maidencombe.
Sources
Social preview photograph: Common Starling standing in grass in Oxfordshire. Charles J. Sharp · CC BY-SA 3.0. Resized and converted for the preview.
Nearby special trips
- Swell Wood · 42.5 straight-line miles
- West Sedgemoor · 42.5 straight-line miles
- Isley Marsh · 47.3 straight-line miles
Continue birding nearby
Nearest full guide: Dawlish Warren National Nature Reserve, 6.2 miles away in a straight line.
- Bowling Green and Goosemoor · 10.8 miles in a straight line
- Swell Wood · 42.5 miles in a straight line
- West Sedgemoor · 42.5 miles in a straight line