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| Long-tailed Tit |
With March already a whole week underway, there was surely a chance of finding an early returning Chiffchaff somewhere, rather than one of the over-wintering ones, which are mostly harder to find than the Blackcaps that also stay for the winter these days. In addition, I really needed to try to get Jack Snipe on my #2026Dundee150 list before they disappear for the summer. They are never particularly easy to find, and a thermal imager is more or less a necessity unless you want to wander back and forwards through suitable habitat, looking for a tiny, beady black eye staring back at you, in a very well camouflaged head, likely half-buried in the surrounding vegetation. A needle in a haystack might actually be easier to find (at least here in Dundee, where these birds are very scarce).
I was a bit later than intended heading out. A proper early start would avoid any prior disturbance by dogs. However, it was around 0805 by the time I eventually got out, meaning it would be around 0830 before I reached Trottick Ponds to start my search for the elusive wee wader. House Sparrow, Herring Gull, Woodpigeon, Starling, Blue Tit, Carrion Crow, Dunnock and Magpie were all noted as I headed up towards Clepington Road. Blackbird and Lesser Black-backed Gull were seen when I got there. I detoured through the new houses to check the SuDS pools for the development, just in case there might be a Jack Snipe in one of them. There wasn't.
Bullfinch, Wren, Goldcrest and Siskin were all found on the former 18-hole golf course along with Crossbill. Mallard and Moorhen were at the ponds, as usual. Trottick Ponds added Black-headed Gull, Long-tailed Tit, Mute Swan and Little Grebe, but there was no sign of any heat-source when I used the thermal imager to try to find Jack Snipe though the presence of a Grey Heron possibly explained their apparent absence. Wandering on I heard a Chiffchaff singing and soon picked out a second bird too. A welcome new bird for my #2026Dundee150 list. Chaffinch, Great Tit, a pair of Reed Buntings and a skein of overflying Pink-footed Geese followed soon after, before I headed out through the houses on the eastern side of the small reserve.
Buzzard, Song Thrush, Grey Wagtail, Common Gull, Greenfinch, Pied Wagtail and a pair of Roe Deer relaxing in the early morning sunshine, made for a relatively productive haul before I reached the Forfar Road, though there was no sign of any Tree Sparrows or Linnets which was slightly disappointing. Once across to the Fintry side of the road, I saw the day's first Rabbits along with Robin, Skylark, Linnet, Yellowhammer and Feral Pigeon. A few Rooks overflew as I crossed the road towards Middleton Woods. I failed to find anything new at the woods but did succeed in finding a few Pheasants in the adjacent fields. I cut down along the edge of Ballumbie Golf Course but failed to add anything new there too.
My next new bird for the day was a Sparrowhawk which flew low along the far bank of the Dighty Burn hunting for prey as I was walking in the opposite direction. I didn't manage to get any photos due to the vegetation between the bird and me. A couple of Oystercatchers flew around calling noisily as I continued on along the burn. The day's first Dippers were seen on the burn behind Sainsbury's. Coal Tit, Stock Dove, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Curlew and Goosander were all found along this particular stretch of the burn before I headed up to Dawson Park. Unlike the previous week's visit there was nothing to keep me there so I continued on down to the Tay, seeing Collared Dove on the way.
Eider, Cormorant, Turnstone and Redshank were added as I wandered back along to the Stannergate. I rounded off the day's birding with a trip up through a rather quiet Eastern Cemetery and finally a visit to Swannie Ponds. As well as the expected locals, I found 2 silent Chiffchaffs sharing a tree and a nearby Goldcrest too, which I did evntually manage to get a few 'record shots' of. Tufted Duck and Coot at the ponds were both new for the day and took my total to a fairly decent 57 species of birds (including one - in bold, which was new for my #2026Dundee 150 list) and 2 of mammals. I also managed to get a few half-decent photos, which is always a bonus, though my legs were beginning to 'feel it' before I made it home around 1400 or so.
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| Little Grebe |
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| Siskin |
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| Reed Bunting |
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| Chaffinch |
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| Great Tit |
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| Grey Heron |
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| Song Thrush |
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| Roe Deer |
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| Yellowhammer |
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| Skylark |
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| Buzzard |
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| Dipper |
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| Blue Tit |
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| Curlew |
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| Dunnock |
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| Redshank |
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| Lesser Black-backed Gull |
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| Goosander |
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| Goosander |
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| Chaffinch |
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| Chaffinch |
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| Goosander |
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| Goldcrest |
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Common Gull |
Birds -Black-headed Gull, Blackbird, Blue Tit, Bullfinch, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Coal Tit, Collared Dove, Common Gull, Coot, Cormorant, Crossbill, Curlew, Dipper, Dunnock, Eider, Goldcrest, Goldfinch, Goosander, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Grey Heron, Grey Wagtail, Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Linnet, Little Grebe, Long-tailed Tit, Magpie, Mallard, Moorhen, Mute Swan, Oystercatcher, Pheasant, Pied Wagtail, Pink-footed Goose, Redshank, Reed Bunting, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Rook, Siskin, Skylark, Song Thrush, Sparrowhawk, Starling, Stock Dove, Tufted Duck, Turnstone, Woodpigeon, Wren, Yellowhammer.
Mammals - Rabbit, Roe Deer.
