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| Starling |
Although I do want to get out birding on all of my days off work at this time of year, there are days when the motivation to actually do so is far from easy to find. Friday the 12th of September was one of those days. My plan had been to head out to Broughty Ferry and Balmossie, but a combination of the weather, not having much energy and just feeling a bit 'not quite right' made it a struggle to get out of bed, and then following that, to get organised to head out birding. It was just after mid-day by the time I'd talked myself into going outside and actually done something about it.
Herring Gull, Feral Pigeon and Woodpigeon got things underway but it was very slow progress from then on with Blue Tit heard as I walked along Dundonald Street, followed by Chiffchaff, Carrion Crow and Lesser-black Backed Gull being added near the Frankenstein Steps. Goldcrest was another 'heard only' species further along Broughty Ferry Road. Robin and Long-tailed Tit were the final additions before I reached the Stannergate, though I did have to shelter from a heavy shower of rain in a bus shelter on the way. Down by the river, I found Curlew, Redshank, Grey Heron and Black-headed Gull. Continuing on eastwards got me Cormorant, Turnstone, Oystercatcher, Goosander, Common Gull and Razorbill before I made it to Douglas Terrace.
I stopped to photograph a flock of mostly juvenile Starlings by the lifeboat station and a Pied Wagtail was seen at Beach Crescent. A Shag was spotted out on the river, off Beach Crescent. From the castle, I was able to find Great Black-backed Gull and some distant Bar-tailed Godwits (104 were counted down on the beach when I reached them a little later). A few Sandwich Terns were seen fishing just off the western side of the castle. With not much happening, I pushed on to Balmossie to see if I could find anything worthwhile there. Guillemot, Linnet and Goldfinch were seen on the walk along but things were otherwise rather quiet. Things improved slightly at the burn mouth with Grey Wagtail, Eider, Mute Swan, Jackdaw, Rook and Wigeon all being picked out down on the shore.
My plan had been to search methodically through the gulls on the shore, having read up on ID pointers for Caspian and Yellow-legged Gulls before I left the house. However, now that I had some gulls in front of me, I really didn't feel like it, with my mind seemingly elsewhere. I spotted a bird in flight, high above the river to the southwest and heading towards the burn mouth. It looked like a goose... and it was. It circled round and landed by the burn, allowing me to see it was a lone Greylag Goose. A Siskin called as it headed over westwards. A few distant Gannets were seen before I packed up and headed back along towards the castle. Sanderling and Ringed Plover were noted before I unintentionally put up a Painted Lady butterfly from the path-side vegetation. A Magpie was seen at the rock garden and a detour through the nature reserve got me Coal Tit and Great Tit for the day's list.
House Sparrows in the dunes behind the lifeguard station and a Grey Seal out in mid-river off the castle were new for the day as I rather wearily wandered onwards in the direction of home. Collared Dove was found at Craigie Avenue, near Arbroath Road then a Small White butterfly flitted past me in Baxter Park. I finished the afternoon's birding with a fairly disappointing total of 45 species of birds, 2 of butterflies and 1 of mammals. The reason for such a low total may have been that things are normally quieter in the afternoon, or that my concentration just wasn't at my usual sort of level, or even a combination of both. Either way, I've definitely had better day's birding and I almost felt like I might've been just as well to stay at home.
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| Goosander |
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| Herring Gull & Cormorant |
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| Razorbill |
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| Oystercatcher |
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| Shag |
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| Grey Heron |
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| Pied Wagtail |
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| Great Black-backed Gull |
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| Sandwich Tern |
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| Curlew |
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| Bar-tailed Godwit |
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| Guillemot |
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| Bar-tailed Godwit |
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| Greylag Goose |
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| Greylag Goose |
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| Greylag Goose |
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| Black-headed Gull & Common Gull |
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| Ringed Plover |
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| Redshank |
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| Bar-tailed Godwit |
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| Sandwich Tern |
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| Black-headed Gull |
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| Pied Wagtail |
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| Goldfinch |
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| Common Gull & Sandwich Tern |
Birds - Bar-tailed Godwit, Black-headed
Gull, Blue Tit, Carrion Crow, Chiffchaff, Coal Tit, Collared Dove, Common Gull, Cormorant, Curlew, Eider, Gannet, Goldcrest, Goldfinch, Goosander,
Great Black-backed Gull, Great Tit, Grey Heron, Grey Wagtail, Greylag Goose, Guillemot, Herring
Gull, House Sparrow,
Jackdaw, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Linnet, Long-tailed Tit, Magpie, Mute Swan, Oystercatcher, Pied
Wagtail, Razorbill, Redshank, Ringed Plover, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Rook, Sanderling, Sandwich Tern, Shag, Siskin, Starling, Turnstone, Wigeon, Woodpigeon.
Butterflies - Painted Lady, Small White.
Mammals - Grey Seal.
