0028 : A Wee Walk (24/2/14)

Magpie

Jay

Great Spotted Woodpecker

Dipper

Using up one of my last days of annual leave from work I had intended on heading out somewhere a bit further afield than where I ended up but the weather, not for the first time, put paid to that. However, by about 3pm I decided that I had to go somewhere just to get out of the house and get a bit of fresh air, and maybe see some birds. As Kingfisher is still missing from my 2014 list I decided to try a few local spots where the birds are regularly seen - Den of Mains ponds in Caird Park and the Trottick Mill Ponds local nature reserve. Both are within walking distance of home and are under-watched generally, so with my binoculars round my neck but tucked inside my coat, off I went.

I had decided to leave the camera at home and travel light for a change, so the above photos are illustrative of some of the birds seen, but not actual photos of the birds seen on the walk. It is quite noticeable the difference in the amount of birds seen at different times of day, with early morning producing the most sightings. Mid-afternoon is generally pretty quiet and walking up to Caird Park this was very obvious. Herring Gulls were the main bird seen with a few stood on rooftops and one or two wheeling around. A Woodpigeon was perched on a rooftop in Graham Street but there was little else about. Near the bottom of Graham Street there is a large grassy area with sports pitches marked out on it. There was a small-ish flock of Gulls feeding on it. Mostly Black Headed Gulls but with a couple of Common Gulls amongst them.

Crossing the Kingsway into Caird Park I saw another Woodpigeon perched on a lamp post by the dual carriageway. A few Carrion Crows warily watched me pass below the trees they were in. On reaching the Gelly Burn I scanned the trees and bushes opposite spotting a male Chaffinch singing from the top of one and a Robin lower down. I wandered along the muddy path beside the narrow burn spooking a Dipper which flew low downstream a short distance before perching on a stone. The bird was ringed with a green and a red ring on the left leg (can't remember which was highest), and a pale blue and silver ring on the other. The burn here was barely wide enough for the bird to fly down with much clearance but obviously it is proving sufficient for this one Dipper's needs.

When I reached the top pond, there were only a few Mallards to be seen. However the lower pond was a bit more active with a Grey Heron stood motionless near one bank, 3 or 4 Moorhens scuttling around nearby and a few pairs of Mallards. A couple of teenagers passed me, with one stopping to photograph the Heron ("check thi sehz o' that hing" - "Dinna scare it" being the conversation between them). There was no sign of the Kingfisher unfortunately, so I headed off downhill towards the Dighty Burn, spying a Coal Tit in the conifers near the bottom of the hill.

I crossed the main road and walked towards the Trottick Ponds. A Robin was singing loudly from a low tree and a couple of Blue Tits flitted through the branches of another. I walked over the small footbridge into the nature reserve which still felt familiar to how it was when it was first established back when I was a lot younger, though it has had a lot of improvement work done since then. Mallards, Moorhens, Tufted Ducks and Goosanders swam around and a woman with a baby was feeding a pair of Mute Swans. I walked past following the path along the burn but didn't see much. I turned around to walk back bumping into the woman who asked what the dark headed birds were. I told her they were Goosanders and we chatted for a couple of minutes. I took the opportunity to ask about the Kingfisher and she told me where she had seen it previously. Unfortunately, like the Caird Park bird the Trottick one was hiding from me.

I could hear a Song Thrush singing from a tree across the other side of the ponds and found it through the binoculars. A path now leads around the back of the pond to link up with the main route which was new to me (it may have been that way for years), so I took the chance to get a closer view of the Thrush and to get a better view of the quieter north pool. At least 5 Moorhens were on this pond and what I assumed was a sleeping Tufted Duck warranted only the briefest of glances as my eyes wandered to a young Grey Heron stood hunched up by the water's edge among the reeds. Walking closer I glanced back at the duck and found that it was actually a male Goldeneye. A nice surprise. A Blackbird flew off from its perch on a fencepost calling loudly as it went. A Great Tit was seen further round towards the burn, feeding in the trees and another Robin was found as I headed back out from the reserve. As I reached the footbridge I heard a familiar call and stopped. Under the bridge whizzed a dark bird low above the water. The second Dipper of the day. I stopped on the bridge and scanned upstream spotting the bird stood on the bank bobbing up and down. It then plopped into the fast flowing water, disappearing under for a few seconds before popping back into view slightly further on. I watched it repeat this procedure for a few minutes then headed back towards Caird Park.

A skein of Pink Footed Geese flew northwards and I headed back to the ponds in the park for another crack at trying to see a Kingfisher. Rain was starting to blow through so I made a quick circuit of both ponds, adding a Wren at the top pond and getting close views of the Grey Heron which is obviously well used to people, choosing to only fly very short distances away from them. Still no Kingfisher though. A large-ish bird briefly landed near the top of a tall tree allowing me just enough time to view it through binoculars to confirm the ID. A rather nice Jay, and my first within Caird Park. I then walked round the side of Mains Castle and up the road towards the golf course and athletics/cycling tracks. Near the brow of the hill I could see movement in the top branches of a tree which turned out to be a Goldfinch and a Greenfinch. A pair of Blue Tits busily bustled around lower down and my eye was drawn to some movement a bit nearer me. This turned out to be a Great Spotted Woodpecker which seemed unconcerned by me standing watching it as it shuffled up the branches in its search for food. A Song Thrush singing about 6 feet away from me across a hedge was the last bird seen in Caird Park.

I decided to have a quick look at Swannie Ponds again, just in case either of the two rare gulls (Iceland or Mediterranean) had re-appeared. I crossed the wasteground off Mains Loan and was a little surprised not to hear House Sparrows chattering away from within a garden hedge. However a couple of the birds briefly popped out into view as I passed and they were added to the day list.

At Swannie Ponds, there seemed to be almost as many birders as there were birds with the vast majority of gulls appearing to be elsewhere, leaving only small numbers of Black Headed Gulls on the water. The Goosanders were still around with at least 7 more flying in as I watched (there were around 15 at Trottick, so theses birds may have come from there), giving a grand total of 14 before I left. Three Moorhens were seen and Mallard, Mute Swan and Tufted Duck were the other birds around here. A Pied Wagtail was heard and finally picked out as it ran around picking up titbits from the path.

I decided to take a different route home, going via Baxter Park, on the off chance of adding something else to the list. Passing the Iceland Gull's favoured spot, I turned right into a quiet street and started to walk along it when I heard the loud cackle of a Magpie. It was coming from the next street over, so I changed direction and was rewarded with a view of the bird flying off into the TA centre complex. Another flyover bird was a Grey Wagtail, headed no doubt to roost somewhere unknown. On reaching Baxter Park I could hear a Goldfinch singing and picked it out in the tree-tops. The park was otherwise rather quiet with only another few Woodpigeons seen. I stopped off at Dora's for a bag of chips to eat on the short walk home but no more birds were seen except a few Herring Gulls drifting over to their roosts.

30 species seen -
Blackbird, Black Headed Gull, Blue Tit, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Coal Tit, Common Gull, Dipper, Goldeneye, Goldfinch, Goosander, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Grey Heron, Grey Wagtail, Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Jay, Magpie, Mallard, Moorhen, Mute Swan, Pied Wagtail, Pink Footed Goose, Robin, Song Thrush, Tufted Duck, Woodpigeon, Wren.

0027 : Dundee Birding By Bus (23/2/14)

Drake Goosander

Female Goosander

Black Headed Gull (Norwegian ringed bird on right)

Dave the Red Throated Diver

Oystercatcher

Dave again

Redshanks and a Dunlin

Teal, Oystercatcher and Mallard

Black Headed Gull

Moorhen

I had decided an early start would increase my chances of seeing and photographing the Mediterranean Gull at Swannie Ponds so the alarm was dutifully set for early o'clock and I even managed to get up after a couple of extra snoozes. Having spent until almost 2am the previous night editing the photos of the Iceland and Mediterranean Gulls (plus supporting cast) this was pretty impressive going for me.


I left the house around 8.20 and the first birds seen were the customary Herring Gulls above my street. Blackbird and Feral Pigeons were next onto the list, both not being difficult to see right on my metaphorical doorstep. Further on, Carrion Crow and Blue Tit were picked up on call first then spotted and a lone Chaffinch was singing in a tree near Clepington Road. A pair of Collared Doves chased each other across the road in front of me. Knowing that there was sometimes a flock of gulls on the football pitches at the top of Caird Park, I headed down Mains Loan to see if there were any 'exotic' gulls among them. Unfortunately, when I got there the gulls had moved on, leaving a handful of Woodpigeons feeding on the grass, so I retraced my steps across the Kingsway and halfway up Mains Loan again. I crossed the wasteland and found a flock of House Sparrows in their usual hedge by a garden.

When I reached Swannie Ponds the top pond was pretty quiet although a couple of drake Goosanders were a welcome addition to the previous day's birds. A small skein of Pink Footed Goose flew over silently, although a straggler called loudly as it tried to catch up with the main group. Mallards, Tufted Duck, Mute Swan and a few female Goosanders were the only other birds visible. I walked round to scan the other pond which held around 150 Black Headed Gulls with a few Common and Herring Gulls with them. No sign of Mediterranean or Iceland Gulls though. The local RSPB group on their monthly outing showed up for 10 minutes or so but left disappointed that there was no sign of either rarity, despite the Iceland having been seen around 8am in the air.

A few other birders came and went throughout the morning, but the birds remained much the same with only a Collared Dove in the trees on the island, an overflying Jackdaw and a few Wodpigeons to help pass the time. The Goosanders were showing well, coming into feed on bread and sometimes clambering out onto the path to feed a few feet from the children and adults throwing the food for the birds.

Eventually, I decided that I should move on and I managed to catch a bus into town from where I headed down to City Quay to see what stage of moult "Dave" the local Red Throated Diver was at. "Dave" has been stuck in City Quay since at least Christmas Day 2012 when I discovered 'him' while I was out for a walk (he could as easily be a she but I have no way of knowing). A damaged wing and a long-term stuck lock gate at the entrance to the river has meant an enforced stay, although given the damage to the primaries and his almost flightless state, this is possibly not a bad thing. He gets plenty food and the local gulls generally leave him well alone (I did see him dive and surface below a young Herring Gull that got a bit too nosey for his liking). Last year, he didn't moult into summer plumage and his wingtip feathers remained little more than quills, however this year the feathers are growing in though they do not appear to be lying flat as they should be, so it may be the case that full flight capability will elude Dave for a bit longer.

A single Herring Gull and Dave were on the water between the North Carr lightship and the restaurants. Dave was preening as he seems to do a lot of the time, rearing up and flapping his wings from time to time, allowing me to see how the damaged wing is currently looking. I wandered on, spotting a few Starlings chattering away in a small tree. At the dry dock area, an Oystercatcher was sheltering from the wind behind some discarded cabling and assorted electrical bits and pieces, and a few Herring Gulls were dotted around where they nest (possibly staking their claim on territory already?). On reaching the outer quay area I was surprised to find first one, then the other, of the Little Grebes that I had seen a few weeks earlier. Less of a surprise but no less welcome were the Red Breasted Mergansers of which around half a dozen were actively hunting in the choppy waters. A couple of Black Headed Gulls were in the corner out of the wind and a Carrion Crow flew down onto the wall opposite as the rain started. Thankfully the rain didn't last too long and I headed back towards the City Centre to catch a bus out to my patch at Riverside Nature Park. A flyover Linnet and a Pied Wagtail on the other side of the quay were added before I left the harbour area.

Things were pretty quiet overall at the Nature Park with the tide state (fully out) and the wind keeping most of the small birds out of sight. A few Curlews were over the airport no doubt having been scared into the air by the airport staff. A Goldfinch and a Robin were the first birds seen within the park, and a Grey Heron lifted from the flood in front of Buzzard Wood. I explored the edges in the hope of Snipe or Jack Snipe but saw neither. A Skylark flew by and a Blackbird burst out of the bushes calling loudly in alarm. Crossing the path to the other flooded area the Mallards took flight before I got too close and wandering through the boggy areas I spooked a couple of Meadow Pipits which flew around and landed further over. A small bird burst out of the vegetation in front of me, but turned out to be just a Wren.

Wandering round to look over the bay there was little to see, and there wasn't too much more having reached the bench where I scanned from. A few Teal dotted around the edges of the burn where it cut through the mud and a Redshank but very little else. I wandered further along to scan through the small group of Gulls but they were mostly Herring Gulls and a Common Gull or two. There was only a Feral Pigeon in front of the hide, though I did have a chat with a family who were interested in what there was to see (and I maybe managed to sell another copy of my ebook too).

I headed along to the Lochan next where it appeared all the birds were. Usually there are a few birds around here, but there were a flock of roosting Redshanks with a single Dunlin among them, as well as Teal, Mallard and Oystercatcher. Woodpigeon, Jackdaw and Carrion Crow plus Black Headed and Herring Gulls made up the numbers. Easily the most variety I have seen here at one time. Oystercatchers and Jackdaws rooted around in the nest field up. Not much else was seen between here and the exit except a Robin and a few Carrion Crows.

I caught a bus within a few seconds of arriving at the bus stop and headed back into town. Rather than head home I decided to try Swannie Ponds again. I bumped into Bob McCurley and Gus Guthrie at the ponds but neither had seen any of the two good gulls. The same mix of birds as the morning were around on the water, though a Lesser Black Backed Gull and three Moorhens were welcome additions to the day list. I hung around for a while but gave up a little later than the day before and headed for home around 5pm. Not a classic day, but it got me out of the house.

36 species seen -
Blackbird, Black Headed Gull, Blue Tit, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Collared Dove, Common Gull, Curlew, Dunlin, Goldfinch, Goosander, Grey Heron, Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Linnet, Little Grebe, Mallard, Meadow Pipit, Moorhen, Mute Swan, Oystercatcher, Pied Wagtail, Pink Footed Goose, Red Breasted Merganser, Redshank, Red Throated Diver, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Skylark, Starling, Teal, Tufted Duck, Woodpigeon, Wren.

0026 : Gulls, Gulls, Gulls..... (22/2/14)

Goosander

Herring Gull

Herring Gull

Lesser Black Backed Gull among Herring Gulls

Mediterranean Gull

Black Headed Gull (ringed in Norway)

Black Headed Gull (ringed in Aberdeen?)

Herring Gull

Iceland Gull

Tufted Duck

Herring Gull

Herring Gull

Herring Gull

Another longer lie in bed than intended had me wondering where to go for a spot of birding, and maybe some photography. I decided to head for the local Stobsmuir Ponds (Swannie Ponds to us locals) where I had photographed the Iceland Gull last weekend. It had come to light the following day that a Mediterranean Gull had also been photographed, but had only been identified from the photo at home later. The Iceland had been hanging around all week but the Mediterranean Gull hadn't been seen again. Anyway, the chance to maybe get some closer shots of the Iceland Gull was appealing so I had a wander up around 1130.

There wasn't much to see en route, a few Herring Gulls overhead, and a pair of Blackbirds chasing each other around. I heard an Oystercatcher before I saw it, flying over the playing fields at the DISC. A small flock of House Sparrows flying across the road from garden to garden and a Carrion Crow completed the very short in-transit list, before I arrived at Swannie Ponds.

Usually the ponds hold 3 species of gull (Common, Black Headed and Herring Gull - Lesser Black Backed too in summer), Mute Swans, Mallards, Tufted Ducks and a few Moorhens. Round about in the trees, the usual 'garden birds' can sometimes be seen, but it tends to be just a few Blackbirds rooting around in the bushes on any given day.

Arriving at the ponds, the usual suspects were all in place, out on the water. Scanning through the birds without binoculars the first semi-surprise was a few Goosanders (there had been a few last weekend) still around. Unfortunately there were no drakes, but the females/youngsters were coming close in to the bank when kids were throwing out bread for the ducks. The next surprise was a Lesser Black Backed Gull, my first of the year, and slightly earlier than my usual first sighting.

Walking a little further round I scanned the chimneys where the Iceland Gull had been perching last weekend, and there it was, stood in its favourite spot. A fairly steady stream of parents and children came down to the water to feed the birds, meaning that birds were constantly on the move, milling around in the air, or out on the water. A few Black Headed Gulls stood out on the path further round from where I was sitting and I spotted a leg ring on one. White J4U2. A bit of investigation from Gus Guthrie discovered that the bird was ringed in Norway, and this was the first sighting outwith that country. As I tried for a better photo, a different bird caught my attention. A different shape to the Black Headed Gull and with no black on the wingtips - the Mediterranean Gull. A nice adult bird with a bit of black feathering on the head. Very nice.

A second ringed Black Headed Gull - with a yellow leg ring was also seen later. This one was possibly ringed in Aberdeen, but confirmation is awaited. A Pied Wagtail fed along the path and a small group of Goldfinches overflew, while a flock of Feral Pigeons could be seen from time to time above the houses.

I put a text in to the ADBC grapevine service mentioning the Iceland, Med and Lesser Black Backed knowing that there would be birders interested in seeing the latter two (and probably still some to see the first too) and concentrated on getting more photographs while not getting too cold. There were a mixture of Herring Gull-type birds and I tried to determine whether they were all 'just Herring Gulls' or something more interesting. Unfortunately my knowledge of that particular subset of gulls is pretty limited so I took plenty photos to compare with the books, but the illustrations in the books never quite match the birds in the photos. I think that is probably one of the main reasons a lot of birders get frustrated with gulls.

Birders started to show up a wee while later but the Med Gull had vanished, though the Iceland Gull was still around, between the ponds and its favoured rooftop perch. Lots of chatting and scanning of birds along with lost of clicking camera shutters summed up the next few hours, but there was no sign of the Mediterranean Gull so most of the assembled throng of birders drifted off, leaving just three of us. Myself, Mark Caunt and a novice birder. I sat at one end of the pond and Mark was up near the other end. Mark phoned to say to give him a wave if we spotted the Med Gull. No sooner was he off the phone when I saw him edge forward for a better look at the flock of gulls on the path in front of him. I spotted what he was looking at - the Med Gull had returned.

We hurried round but the gulls flew down onto the water. The novice birder struggled to get onto the bird and while I was trying to give him directions I was missing the opportunity to get photos. Eventually he succeeded and both he and I managed to get some photos before the flock took flight again. Mark put another text out on the grapevine before heading off, and I started to head for home, although I did get a bit sidetracked with a Moorhen, some Tufted Ducks and a Goosander. A Woodpigeon flew into a tree as I walked towards the steps but flew back out again as I got closer. Saw a large flock of a couple of hundred Gulls over Caird Park but they were too far away to identify anything to species level. Overall a good day with lots of pretty decent photos taken.

Only 19 species seen (1 new year tick in bold) -
Blackbird, Black Headed Gull, Carrion Crow, Common Gull, Goldfinch, Goosander, Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Iceland Gull, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Mallard, Mediterranean Gull, Moorhen, Mute Swan, Oystercatcher, Pied Wagtail, Feral Pigeon, Tufted Duck, Woodpigeon

0025 : Sunday In The Sun (16/2/14)

Dipper

Hawfinch

Hawfinch

Red Kite

Red Kite

Red Kite

Red Kite

A lovely winter day of blue skies and sunshine looked on the cards when I looked out the window early on Sunday. The met office website seemed to confirm this. A good sign from a photography point of view. All it needed was for the birds to co-operate.

Sunday past was the day of the February Angus & Dundee Bird Club outing, with two sites to visit both with hopefully very good opportunities to see two rather different, but both very welcome year tick, birds. Scone Palace for Hawfinches, then onto Argaty near Doune for Red Kites.

Pick-up was the usual ADBC spot of a 9am meeting in Crichton Street, so I left the house around 8.30 to wander into town. House Sparrows chirped away from bushes and rooftops before I had got very far. Blackbirds along the path edges below overhanging bushes rooting around in the leaf litter and 'general' litter, while Herring Gulls hung in the wind above the rooftops. A Blue Tit flew over and perched atop a TV aerial, calling loudly from its lofty choice of perch. Goldfinch was next over, landing in a small tree nearby.

Both Woodpigeon and Collared Dove were added as I walked down Dens Road, the former in a tree, the latter on a lamp post. A Starling landed on a tenement chimney and a Robin perched on a fence briefly before flying off as I walked by. Two Coal Tits squabbled in the bare branches of a tree on Victoria Road and Feral Pigeons could be seen around the Wellgate area. A Carrion Crow in Bell Street completed the preliminary list.

I met up with ADBC member George Adam and managed to secure some transport for myself from him. Once 9am passed, ourselves and another car full of birders headed for the next meet-up point. Quarrymill, near Scone Palace where the majority of the group would be. Black Headed Gulls were on the football pitches on Riverside Drive, and a Cormorant stood with wings held out on a sand bank in the Tay near the railbridge. A single Seal lazed on a smaller sand bank behind. A few Oystercatchers foraged on the grass by the roadside near the Technology Park and a male Chaffinch flew across the road in front of the car, the good light making identifying it easier than normal for a flyover small bird from a moving car. Not much else was identified en route to Perth, except a few Rooks in roadside fields and some Gulls in a flooded field below the Friarton Bridge the most visible birds, although a pale fronted bird caught the light above Kinnoull Hill before landing in a tree.

The car park soon filled up at Quarrymill as the numbers grew. A steady stream of Great Tits, Blue Tits and Chaffinches flew in to the feeders, though conversation and catching up meant the birds didn't receive too much attention from the assembled birders. A Sparrowhawk was pointed out as it disappeared behind the trees being mobbed by a Crow. A second Sparrowhawk buzzed over our heads, though a few of the group thought it was a Kestrel, though my not particularly good photos showed that Sparrowhawk was the right call. I took the decision to quickly pop down to the burn to see if I could see a Dipper, and there was one feeding just beside the bridge. I managed a few photos in decent light, which made a pleasant change. A few others hurried down but the shout went up that we were about to leave, so it was mostly about turn. Five minutes later we were still stood around in the car park....

Normally we walk into Scone Palace grounds to search for Hawfinches but this winter the grounds are open and parking is free, so a convoy of cars filed in to find a few more birders staring into the trees with at least one Hawfinch in their view. Unfortunately the group leader didn't seem to notice and the group marched off up past the Palace and onto the main driveway to search for Hawfinches among the mature trees of the Palace grounds. There were a few birds heard and flying birds seen before a decent view of a Hawfinch was had. Trying to give directions to a small bird perched on a branch in a tall tree among lots of other tall trees isn't easy and not everyone managed to see this one. Walking on, other Hawfinches were heard 'ticking' in the trees and small groups of 2 or 3 birds were found and photographed. Scopes were set up to allow better views for members who had never seen one of these rather chunky finches before. I wandered off through the trees to try and get the sun behind me so that I could get more than just a silhouetted shape, as had happened in the past. Thankfully I did manage a few shots, and saw plenty others moving around in the trees above. The group fragmented with some watching one group while others tried for a different angle and others searched in other parts nearby. I walked nearer the drive way gate and a Song Thrush flew low past me. I then lost sight of the main body of the group so headed back to try and catch up with them which I did quite quickly.

Walking back towards the Palace, we managed to see a Great Spotted Woodpecker near the top of a tall tree and I spotted a male Pheasant near a pen which held a Peacock, but there was little else to see except a Goldcrest and a Coal Tit in the low branches of an overhanging conifer. A Carrion Crow did fly over and an unidentified Gull circled over the trees as we sorted out the plans for getting to Argaty. A handsome Peacock strutted by on the grass behind the car park allowing a few nicely detailed photos in the sunshine while we waited.

A few Swans could be seen in flooded fields by the A9 as we headed roughly southwest from Perth and a pair of Roe Deer could be seen not far from the Perth-Glasgow railway line. There was quite a lot of snow on the ground and the hills to the north and the south were mostly white standing out well against the largely blue sky. As we neared the turn-off for Doune the cloud cover had increased but the light still looked decent for photographing the Kites at the feeding station. Driving up to the farm a pool on the left held a few Goosanders but not much else.

We ate our packed lunches around the car park as we watched for Red Kite numbers to increase, the first bird already being watched as we drove in. The birds drifted in from all directions as feeding time drew nearer. A few smaller birds were seen in the car park vicinity, mostly Chaffinches, though I did find a female Bullfinch feeding on buds in a small bush behind the picnic tables. A Robin shared the bush but there was no sign of any male Bullfinch.

I popped in to make use of the "facilities" while the rest of the group headed up hill to the hide. Unfortunately this was to be an error of judgement on my part as the east side of the hide was filled up when I got there meaning that the better photo opportunities would not be happening in front of me without a little bit of luck. However, as I had managed plenty of shots previously of the "main action", I decided the use the opportunity to try for shots that were different from the ones I already had. While waiting for the feeding to start, I managed to get shots of two different birds perched, one on a dung heap and another on a post. A few Magpies and Carrion Crows, Rooks and Jackdaws were all around, their numbers increasing along with the Kites which circled and effortlessly glided and soared above the hide.

A Buzzard was the first bird to swoop down for food on 'my' side of the hide when the feeding began, with a Magpie grabbing some meat a few seconds later, Unfortunately for me the Kites refused to come down in front of my lens. The rapid fire clicking of 'machine-gunned' camera shutters across the hide suggested there was plenty happening out that side, but I concentrated on the few birds that were nearby. I did manage a few shots of Kites eating on the wing, transferring food from their talons to their beaks. The light was very good, but unfortunately the snow of the day before had melted depriving us of the reflected light onto the undersides of the colourful Kites. Soon enough the decision was being made that our time was over, despite the few of our group on the same side of the hide as me having seen no swooping for food (although the option of swapping sides had been on offer). This was disappointing but not unexpected. Making our way back down to the car park House Sparrows cheeped and chattered from a bush by the farm buildings.

Heading back down the road we added Mute Swans at the pool where the Goosanders were. A few more Swans (most likely Mutes) were in the flooded fields by the dual carriageway, and a small gaggle of Greylags were spotted in a field close to the road. Just as before there were very few birds seen en route back to Dundee, though we did manage to see a single Magpie perched in a tree between the Doubletree Hilton and the NCR building.

Only 33 species seen (but 2 year ticks - in bold) -
Blackbird, Black Headed Gull, Blue Tit, Bullfinch, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Coal Tit, Collared Dove, Cormorant, Dipper, Goldcrest, Goldfinch, Goosander, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Great Tit, Greylag Goose, Hawfinch, Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Magpie, Mute Swan, Oystercatcher, Pheasant, Red Kite, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Rook, Song Thrush, Sparrowhawk, Starling, Woodpigeon.

0024 : They Came From The North... (15/2/14)

Great Northern Diver

Lesser Redpoll

Redwing

Peregrine

Iceland Gull

Iceland Gull

Goosander

The plan for Saturday was to get out and about and maybe add Red and Black Grouse to the yearlist with a trip up at least one of the Angus Glens. Having made plans with my photography pal, Wendy Clark (who is getting into birding slowly and has a life list of 120 so far) to try and get some nice landscape shots in addition to wildlife, the wild weather of Friday night looked like potentially causing problems to my provisional route plan. When Wendy arrived to pick me up she remarked that the Sidlaws were white which didn't bode well. However, things turned out (better than) ok in the end.....

I left the house at around 8.30 to pop round to the local shop to pick up provisions for the day's expedition around Angus, seeing Blackbird, Herring Gull and Carrion Crow before Wendy arrived. We decided to head for Monikie Country Park first where a Great Northern Diver had been found on Monday by local birder, Charles Rough, who has also been responsible for finding some very good birds at Riverside Nature Park (Red Backed Shrike and Blue Headed Wagtail to name two), where he is one of the regulars. The weather was overcast and quite windy but it wasn't raining and the forecast was for it to brighten up as the day went on. Passing Swannie Ponds (Stobsmuir Ponds) Mallards were the only definite addition. Travelling down the Kingsway we added Woodpigeon, and Collared Dove on a rooftop on Arbroath Road. Further on, a flock of Oystercatchers were poking around on the football pitches at Dawson Park.

Nothing else was added before we reached Monikie with the strong winds keeping most birds in shelter. There was more to see at the park however with Long Tailed Tits and Blue, Coal and Great Tits coming to the feeders by the Ranger's building, as well as a Robin. Black Headed Gulls and a few Common Gulls perched on the posts of the jetty on the main reservoir, with Mallards in their usual corner, looking for passing people with bread of which there were very few around. Out on the water, there were a few Goldeneye but no sign of the Diver. We walked along between the two main pools stopping to scan near the edge where possible, spooking a Grey Heron and a few Moorhens, unintentionally from close in to shore. Scanning over the water from a more exposed spot we did manage to see a black bird out on the water which turned out to be a Cormorant. However, some more searching did produce relatively distant views of the Great Northern Diver. A year tick for me and a lifer for Wendy. It swam back in the direction from which we'd came out of sight behind the island. We decided to walk back via the north pond, to get a few more birds for the day list. There were a couple of drake Pochard, some Tufted Ducks and Wigeon in addition to the more numerous Goldeneye.

We headed back towards the corner where the Mallards congregate to see if we could get better views of the Diver, adding Chaffinch, Blackbird and Woodpigeon en route. The Diver was swimming towards us but after a spot of preening and a typically Diver spot of wing flapping it turned around and swam away from us. A few dives took it far over to the south side close in to the bank. We walked along the raised bank to about the halfway point checking the lower pool, where a few Coots and Teal were, as we walked. A Song Thrush fed down on the main path, and a pair of Mute Swans could be seen between the jetty and the Mallards. A few Carrion Crows flew over as we watched the Diver swimming and diving repeatedly, all the time getting further away. I decided to try and see if it would come in closer at the far corner of the pond, but Wendy decided to head back to wait in the car out of the cold wind. Unfortunately, despite waiting for 10 minutes or so, the bird stayed quite well out on the water, so I headed back to Wendy waiting at the car park. A Great Spotted Woodpecker flew from tree to tree near the large wooden tower in the trees but there was nothing else of note.

We decided to head towards Forfar to see if the snow was any worse there. If it was we would avoid the glens and maybe try Kinnordy instead. Once again there wasn't much to see on the journey, except for a small group of Jackdaws in a field. Arriving at the top car park at Forfar Loch we found the path through the trees quite muddy and wet, so chose to walk downhill and back up via the path from the Leisure Centre. This was to prove quite fruitful with a large flock of Redwings being the undoubted highlight. Blackbirds rooted around in the leaf litter, and Chaffinches, Coal Tits and Blue Tits were quite actively feeding in the shelter of the trees. A few Woodpigeons clattered noisily out of the large trees by the water as we headed up to the wooden platform to scan the eastern end ofthe loch. A Wren flew across the path in front of us and out of sight and a Robin did likewise but wasn't quite as inconspicuous in the low branches of the bush it chose to land in. Goldfinches called from the bushes by the platform but were hard to surprisingly hard to see among the tangle of branches.

Out on the water a mixture of waterfowl swam - Coots, Goldeneye, four Gadwall, Mallards, Mute Swans, Tufted Ducks and closer in to the shore, two Little Grebes and a few Teal. A Magpie flew noisily past allowing us a few photos and a Grey Heron went in the opposite direction. On the small 'beach' to the right was a roosting flock of Oystercatchers with a Cormorant drying off amongst them. Another Cormorant was perched off to our left. A Yellowhammer called from the top of a small bush allowing Wendy quite close with her camera for a few photos. The Magpie flew on ahead of us, perching briefly up in a mature tree.

We walked along towards the sailing club spit, stopping and scanning where possible. More Tufted Ducks and Goldeneye were evident in small groups. A large raft of Goosanders were bunched up together out on the water and we counted around 60 of them, a mix of drake and ducks in a roughly 50/50 split. A Moorhen swam jerkily through the reeds untroubled by the two of us stood not far away. A few Feral Pigeons dashed over at speed, and over the fields a few Carrion Crows cawed noisily. Reaching the fork in the path down to the sailing club, I spotted a small flock of birds feeding on the ground by a puddle. They flew back up into the trees above as we got nearer. Looking through the binoculars I discovered my second year tick of the day - Lesser Redpolls. I had forgotten that Forfar Loch was a good place to find them, so it was a pleasant surprise to be able to add them. Unfortunately a few anglers were fishing which meant the end of the spit was empty of the usual gulls, so we headed back to the car walking along the road allowing us to add House Sparrows and getting close views of Yellowhammer, Chaffinch and Blue Tit as well. A Redwing showed well just beyond the car and I managed a few photos before it hopped further in below the bushes and low trees.

We took a bit of a detour up one of the glens but found it very quiet with only a few displaying Buzzards and no sign of any Grouse at all, although Wendy took the opportunity to take a few landscape shots of the snowy mountains to the north. We headed towards Loch of Kinnordy next, receiving a text about an Iceland Gull just 10 minutes walk from home at Swannie Ponds, as we passed through Kirriemuir. The car park at Kinnordy was very quiet with just one car parked up. Unfortunately, so was the loch - with not many birds out on the open water, though round the fringes some were visible. Coot, Cormorant, Goldeneye, Mallards, Mute and Whooper Swans, Teal, Tufted Duck were dotted around in small numbers. An Oystercatcher flew past, piping loudly. From the swamp hide, Greylags could be seen feeding along the field edge with a few in the water. Further round some Wigeon were in with the Mallards and Goldeneye but there was no sign of a hoped for Shoveler. We walked back along to the East Hide where a Grey Heron in the reeds opposite was the only addition. We decided to try and see Brambling at the feeders before heading back to Dundee to try for the Iceland Gull. As we exited the hide a Buzzard circled above the field spooking a male Pheasant which ran downhill while another appeared not to notice at all. The usual mix of birds hurried in and out of the area around the feeders -Chaffinches, Great Tits, Blue Tits, Coal Tits, Robins and Blackbirds but no Bramblings. Suddenly above the trees a flock of Rooks and Jackdaws noisily announced their arrival. I spotted a slightly slimmer bird above the group, but lost sight of it above the trees. A few seconds later I spotted what was probably the same bird - a male Peregrine. Probably what had put up the Rooks and Jackdaws in the first place. It glided over rather lazily giving us the chance to get a few photos. A fluffed-up Woodpigeon sat hunched in a tree above the path but we avoided walking below it and headed back to the car.

We had intended on heading further west but time was getting on, so we headed back towards Dundee and the hoped for Iceland Gull at Swannie Ponds. Once or twice this winter I've walked up to the ponds which usually hold a mixed flock of gulls (mostly Black Headed, but with a few Common and Herring Gulls amongst them) in the hope of finding an Iceland or Glaucous Gull but had drawn a blank. When we arrived, another birder who was just about to leave, Richard Blackburn, hurried over to let us know what the bird had been doing a short while before and what best to look out for (thanks, Richard). The usual mix of bird species was on the water and round the edges- Blackbirds in the bushes, Mallards, Tufted Ducks, Mute Swans and a few Moorhens with Black Headed and Common Gulls in attendance also. Rather surprisingly there were also three Goosanders - a drake and 2 redheads. These weren't particularly shy and were coming close in to the families feeding the ducks, which allowed us to get some nice photos. The gull flock swooped around as the parents and small children tried to only feed the ducks. It wasn't particularly easy to determine what was what in the melee, but the outstretched wings of a landing bird had no black on them and there in the water in front of us was the Iceland Gull (a 2nd year bird?). The light was quite harsh with strong contrast against the shaded areas behind making it tricky to get good photos. The bird flew off around the back of the island and circled round again, before disappearing off towards Pitkerro Road and Baxter Park. We could see a few gulls in the distance but they weren't the Iceland Gull. I did spot a very distant tussle between a Carrion Crow and a Sparrowhawk though. Wendy then pointed a gull perched on a chimney stack, which turned out to be our bird. We wandered over getting a few photos as we approached. The bird looked down at us but stayed where it was, and we were able to get some decent perched shots. We left the gull in peace and wandered back to try for a few more Goosander photos before calling it a day and heading for home as the light started to go. All in all, a pretty good day.

49 species seen (year ticks in bold) - Blackbird, Black Headed Gull, Blue Tit, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Coal Tit, Collared Dove, Common Gull, Coot, Cormorant, Gadwall, Goldeneye, Goldfinch, Goosander, Great Northern Diver, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Great Tit, Grey Heron, Greylag Goose, Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Iceland Gull, Jackdaw, Lesser Redpoll, Little Grebe, Long Tailed Tit, Magpie, Mallard, Moorhen, Mute Swan, Oystercatcher, Peregrine, Pheasant, Pochard, Redwing, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Rook, Song Thrush, Sparrowhawk, Starling, Teal, Tufted Duck, Whooper Swan, Wigeon, Woodpigeon, Wren, Yellowhammer.

0023 : How's That Yearlist Doing?.....(13/2/14)

Twite

King Eider

Raven

Waxwing

Snow Bunting

With less than 50 days gone of the year so far, my 2014 yearlist is already shaping up quite nicely, with a total of 121 reached already (and a couple of prospective additions this coming weekend on an ADBC outing to Scone Palace and Argaty Farm). At the same point last year, my total was only 109.

Having to work during the week, and lack of transport has meant that I've already missed a few really good birds locally including Red Necked Grebe and Great Northern Diver at Monikie, Cranes near Meigle and Kirriemuir, Iceland Gull and Jack Snipe at my patch of Riverside Nature Park, Little Auks and Little Gulls off Tentsmuir, Firecrest and Siberian Chiffchaff at Dalgety Bay, Slavonian Grebes at Clatto and Piper Dam and Smews at various locations.

However I have been lucky enough to see some very good birds already as well, the best being the female King Eider at Ruddon's Point which I wasn't expecting to be able to pick out from other Eiders, but which when the time came was very easy to tell apart from its more common cousins. Finding my first Waxwings of the winter in Dundee City Centre was a surprise. Good views of Water Rail last weekend at Balgavies Loch was a bonus too, as were Monday's flyover Crossbills at Tentsmuir.

Knowing where to look for certain species has played its part as has a bit of luck and hopefully this pace will continue for a while yet. Hopefully soon I will get up the glens and see both Black and Red Grouse. There isn't a huge amount of easier species left to get at this time of the year, but the summer visitors will start to trickle in at the end of March and beginning of April. That is when the second phase of the birding year kicks in and there are a slew of 'new' ticks to be had. Hopefully including some off-course rarities on days when I can get to them, and at locations that makes it less of an expedition to reach.

The list at present consists of -

Red Throated Diver, Black Throated Diver, Little Grebe, Great Crested Grebe, Fulmar, Gannet, Cormorant, Shag, Grey Heron, Mute Swan, Whooper Swan, Pink Footed Goose, White Fronted Goose, Greylag Goose, Canada Goose, Barnacle Goose, Brent Goose, Shelduck, Wigeon, Gadwall, Teal, Mallard, Pintail, Pochard, Tufted Duck, Scaup, Eider, King Eider, Long Tailed Duck, Common Scoter, Velvet Scoter, Goldeneye, Red Breasted Merganser, Goosander

Sparrowhawk, Buzzard, Kestrel, Merlin, Peregrine, Red Legged Partridge, Grey Partridge, Pheasant, Water Rail, Moorhen, Coot, Oystercatcher, Ringed Plover, Golden Plover, Grey Plover, Lapwing, Knot, Sanderling, Purple Sandpiper, Dunlin, Snipe, Woodcock, Black Tailed Godwit, Bar Tailed Godwit, Curlew, Redshank, Greenshank, Turnstone, Mediterranean Gull, Black Headed Gull, Common Gull, Herring Gull, Great Black Backed Gull, Kittiwake, Guillemot, Razorbill

Feral Pigeon, Stock Dove, Woodpigeon, Collared Dove, Barn Owl, Green Woodpecker, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Skylark, Meadow Pipit, Rock Pipit, Grey Wagtail, Pied Wagtail, Waxwing, Dipper, Wren, Dunnock, Robin, Stonechat, Blackbird, Fieldfare, Song Thrush, Redwing, Mistle Thrush, Goldcrest, Long Tailed Tit, Coal Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Treecreeper

Jay, Magpie, Jackdaw, Rook, Carrion Crow, Raven, Starling, House Sparrow, Tree Sparrow, Chaffinch, Brambling, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Siskin, Linnet, Twite, Crossbill, Bullfinch, Snow Bunting, Yellowhammer, Reed Bunting, Corn Bunting.

Not bad. :-)

0022 : Tentsmuir Travels 2 - (10/2/14)

Bar Tailed Godwits

Skylark

Raven

Greenshank and Common Gull

Snow Buntings

Snow Bunting

Skylark

Long Tailed Tit

Fieldfares

Redwing

Mistle Thrush

Stonechat

With a reasonable weather forecast and a day off work my intention had been to get up early and head out around sunrise but my snooze button kept winning the battle between lying in bed for another ten minutes or getting up to get out. Eventually I made it up and headed out a while later once I got organised. I had been undecided where offered the best bet to add some new birds for the year but I dcided to fall back on Tayport to Leuchars around the edge of Tentsmuir Forest. Even if I didn't get anything new there were Snow Buntings, waders and other possibilities to photograph.

Leaving the house, as usual Herring Gulls were one of the first birds on the list, a few gliding around in the cold wind. I chose not to go back upstairs for a warmer scarf, figuring that the trees would provide a bit of protection from the wind. This proved to be mostly true thankfully. I jumped onto a bus into town, adding Feral Pigeon and Carrion Crow en route to the bus station. From the bus to Tayport I managed to see very few birds with only a few Starlings, including one on the Tay bridge, and a few Woodpigeons.

Arriving at the turning circle I got into a brief chat with the bus driver owing to my choice of headwear - a Yes Scotland hat. He was undecided but not a fan of Alex Salmond. Gave him a few arguments for, before he had to get on with his return journey. Scanning from the path, I could see waders and Shelducks on the beach. Mostly Dunlin, but with Bar Tailed Godwits in decent numbers, some Redshanks and at least one Knot. The odd Oystercatcher and Curlew completed the wader collection. A few Mallards swam just offshore, with Eiders much further out on the river. A few gulls, mostly Black Headed and Herring Gulls flitted about, with a couple of Carrion Crows chasing around. I walked across the salt marsh to see if there were any Snipe around but found none. A couple of Meadow Pipits did fly up calling as they went, and a single Chaffinch overflew back towards the town.

Further on, a few Wigeon were out on the river and a female Red Breasted Merganser flew out of a small pool just behind the concrete blocks on the sand, having obviously been aware of me before I was of her. I could see a large flock of Oystercatchers, some Cormorants and gulls out on Lucky Scalp island as well as a huge flock of gulls and Eiders feeding en masse in a long line towards the Broughty Ferry side of the river. Not sure what the source of the food was but the number of birds suggested there was plenty of it. A single Wren flew across the path in front of me as I neared the fence line for the start of Tentsmuir Point nature reserve and there were a few more Cormorants drying their wings out towards the river on the sand.

I decided against walking out to the beach across the dunes, instead heading for the stand of deciduous trees where I sometimes find Green Woodpeckers. Unfortunately I was out of luck with only a single unexpected Song Thrush to show for my efforts here. I did spot a 'tumbling' Raven which a few minutes later was calling loudly from the top of a conifer not too far away. Good to see these big corvids without having to travel up to the glens, always a welcome addition to a day's birding. I walked along the edge of the trees but only succeeded in seeing two Mistle Thrushes which flew up into the trees loudly protesting against being disturbed. A Skylark flew up half-heartedly singing as it passed overhead.

I reached the fence for the southern end of the nature reserve and decided to get my boots a bit wet by crossing the channel where water from the pools flows out to the sea. Thankfully I found a narrow point, around 6 feet wide and got away with getting across in just two steps. Once across I scanned the pools, where a couple of Common Gulls and a Greenshank stood, but little else. I walked along the dunes hoping for Snow Buntings but the cold wind in my face was making my eyes water which wasn't helping. Thankfully before I had travelled much further I spotted movement off to my right as a small flock landed by the edge of the pool. Snow Buntings, calling softly as they leapfrogged over each other in small groups, moving forward slowly, drinking and feeding. They seemed to be carrying their tails cocked up to keep them from getting wet, which made them look slightly odd. I managed to edge quite close but two walkers on the other side of the water caused enough concern for the birds to fly back to the dunes.

I headed in that direction as well, and found the birds ahead of me, so I used the slope of the dunes as cover to try and get ahead of them, so the sun was behind me. Unfortunately the birds spotted me a few times before I managed to see them and I had to repeat the process. Eventually I was able to get photos of a few birds feeding on the seed heads of the grasses in the dunes, pulling one seed off at a time and eating it. I left the birds in peace after a few minutes and ploughed on southwards into the wind. A couple of Carrion Crows warily fed down on the beach as I passed.

There was a lot of residual water in among the dunes, so it was hard to judge the best path through. I did manage to find another 3 or 4 Skylarks in the grassy areas but there was little else. I did scan the sea a few times, adding Common Scoter and Red Throated Diver to the day list, as well as Great Black Backed Gull. Surprisingly, I found a pair of Mute Swans feeding in one of the flood pools among the dunes.

I decided to head inland at Kinshaldy car park and walked up through the small copse of trees by the burn outflow. A Coal Tit called quietly as it fed in the trees and a finch flew over which I managed a photo of, showing it to be a Greenfinch. Towards the other end of the car park a couple of Blue Tits and a Blackbird were seen.

The access road was a lot quieter than it is at the weekend, though there were a few cars using it. It was good to be out of the wind at last, and it was possible to hear birds calling from time to time. I found a small flock of Long Tailed Tits and Goldcrests feeding low in the trees near a bend in the road. I had mentioned to Steph the day before that I hadn't seen any Long Tailed Tits for a few weeks.
I could see movement in the field for the horses near the barrier across the road. It turned out to be a large-ish flock of winter thrushes. Mostly Fieldfares, but also a few Redwings and Mistle Thrushes. Woodpigeons and Starlings shared the field with them. I managed a glimpse of a small group of Crossbills that flew over calling noisily as they went. A nice unexpected addition to the yearlist.
By the house next to the barrier I added Robin and Chaffinch with a couple of Blue Tits, at least one Coal Tit and a Blackbird.

My plan was to continue along the road to a junction where a path cut across the forest to Earlshall Muir where I was hoping to see Stonechats, although I had failed at my previous attempt. One of my toes which I have broken in the past was beginning to hurt quite badly but as there are no bus stops or taxi ranks in Tentsmuir Forest, I just had to put up with it. There was very little to see as I cut through the forest, a pair of overflying Siskins and a woodcock which flew out from the forest and flew along the track ahead of me before dining back in at another gap in the trees.

The open area between the edge of the forest was bereft of birds, with only a couple of unidentified finches flying around near the trees to the west of the path. I could hear Teal in some of the flooded areas but couldn't see them. When I reached the boardwalk I scanned over the open area, and at the second attempt found a female Stonechat. New bird number 2 of the day. Added a male near the corner of the path down towards the gate as well.

A singing Coal Tit was in the trees opposite the open area near the motocross track, but there was no sign of any Woodcock here. There were a few birds in the field at the farm, but no sign of the usual Buzzard by the track.  A few Fieldfares and a mixed flock of finches - Linnets, Goldfinches and Chaffinches, were feeding in the grass, with the finch flock being particularly restless.

A Robin was on the fence near the farm buildings. A few Woodpigeons were all that was feeding in the field, but a flock of Rooks did fly in across the far side. Nearing the houses on Ealshall Road at the edge of Leuchars I was hoping for Tree Sparrows but only managed to add House Sparrows in the hedges bordering the road. Three Greenfinches were in oneof the mature trees and a Blue Tit flitted around. A Blackbird rustled around below the hedge, tossing leaf litter around as it foraged for food.
A pair of Jackdaws perched up on the chimney of one of the houses and a Stock Dove flew off from its perch in a tree in the garden of the house nearest the crossroads by the school. A few more Blue Tits popped back and forwards across the road into the trees either side. Not much else was seen as I headed back to the bus stop except for a flock of Starlings and a few more Jackdaws. I didn't have long to wait on a bus, although I did at one point think the bus was going to reach the stop before I managed to cross the road. Thankfully a gap in the traffic allowed me across and I headed back to Dundee.

51 species seen (2 new for the year in bold) - Bar Tailed Godwit, Blackbird, Black Headed Gull, Blue Tit, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Coal Tit, Crossbill, Common Gull, Common Scoter, Cormorant, Curlew, Dunlin, Eider, Fieldfare, Goldcrest, Goldfinch, Great Black Backed Gull, Greenfinch, Greenshank, Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Knot, Linnet, Long Tailed Tit, Mallard, Meadow Pipit, Mistle Thrush, Mute Swan, Oystercatcher, Raven, Red Breasted Merganser, Redshank, Red Throated Diver, Redwing, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Rook, Shelduck, Siskin, Skylark, Snow Bunting, Song Thrush, Starling, Stock Dove, Stonechat, Wigeon, Woodcock, Woodpigeon, Wren.