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| Robin |
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| Snipe |
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| Reed Bunting |
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| Red Throated Diver |
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| Carrion Crow |
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| Carrion Crow |
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| Red Throated Diver |
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| Red Throated Diver |
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| Red Throated Diver |
After Saturday's trip around various different habitat types in Angus, Sunday was an altogether more sedate, and more local, affair. A visit to my patch and a spot of photography at City Quay with Dave the long-staying (probably not so much through choice) Red Throated Diver, resulting in some nice shots, though the rather strong wind wasn't particularly great for seeing smaller birds out in the open.
I headed out around 1210 to walk into town and from there catch a bus out towards the west end of the city. A Carrion Crow was the first species on the list for a change, though the more usual Herring Gull was right behind it, with a Starling the third bird before I had walked very far. My house(+) list currently sits at a rather decent 44 species, which given the location and lack of much cover is quite surprising. They have all been seen within a short distance of home. Common Sandpiper migrating over at night (heard calling) and Cormorant are probably the most unexpected birds on the list, though Peregrine, Buzzard, Grey Heron and Mute Swan are hardly birds you would expect to see around where I live. Magpie is the most recent addition, a bird that is really just starting to colonise Dundee.
Heading down Dens Road, a Blackbird shot across the road, followed seconds later by another, and a male Chaffinch perched in the low branches of a tree. A Woodpigeon eyed me suspiciously as I walked by where it was hunched up on a branch of a tree near the footpath. Further down towards the Wellgate Centre I heard a Blue Tit calling, and the sound helped me to pick it out in the top branches of a tree which was showing signs of Spring arriving. Feral Pigeons were in their usual place on the triangle of grass by the ring road tunnel at the Wellgate.
I had just missed the bus I wanted and being a Sunday I would have a bit of a wait for the next one, so I decided to get on a number 17 to Ninewells Hospital and walk down through the Technology Park to the Riverside Nature Park. There wasn't too much to see from the bus, mainly Woodpigeons, Carrion Crows and Herring Gulls, although I did add Lesser Black Backed Gull to the list as the bus headed along Charleston Drive. A Blackbird and a Song Thrush were feeding on the grass in Thurso Crescent as I wandered through to connect with the footpath down through the Medi-park. The strong wind was keeping the small birds in cover and there wasn't much seen until I reached my patch.
As I passed through the underpass by Invergowrie, I could hear a Chiffchaff calling but I decided against trying to see it, as the bushes where the sound was coming from were quite thick. I had a quick look into the bay as I crossed over the railway bridge and could see that the tide was almost in. From the hide, I scanned the burn outflow and pipe area and the small areas of exposed mud that I could still see. There wasn't a great variety of birds around. Around 20 Teal, a handful of Mallards, a few Feral Pigeons, one or two Carrion Crows, a Jackdaw and gulls on the outflow pipe - Herring and Lesser Black Backeds only. The only waders were a small flock of around 30 or so Redshanks roosting on the shoreline nearest to the hide.
From the hide I headed towards the Lochan, stopping to check ahead from a break in the hedge. I could see a large flock of waders together at the side of the water, and a few other birds dotted around. There were a few Oystercatchers as well as around 150 or so Redshanks in two groups by the water, though initially the Redshanks weren't too comfortable with my presence flying to the far end of the pool, before settling once again. A few more Teal and a Woodpigeon made up the numbers and they were joined by a couple of Carrion Crows before I continued my walk.
I wandered around to the car park and noticed the area below the trees which had been flooded during my previous visit (and held Mallard and Moorhen at the time) had mostly dried out. There was no sign of Moorhen either here, or later over at the slightly wetter Buzzard Wood, so the birds may have moved on somewhere more suitable. A Long Tailed Tit flitted acrobatically among the still bare branches as a Robin perched on the wire fence behind the car park. It flew down to pick something from the grass before flying back to its perch. I took a walk around the edge of the wooded area where it borders the longer grass, though it was rather quiet. I did find a Song Thrush which appeared to be either sunning itself with its wings spread, or possibly 'anting'. It flew off into the thorny bushes before I got too close. Next up was a male Yellowhammer which called from the top of a tree and a Wren skulked low down in the hedge.
I decided to see if there were any Snipe over by Buzzard Wood, discovering that my boots were in need of being replaced sooner rather later as the water found its way in, in the process. I was also hoping that Jack Snipe might still be a possibility so when a small bird flew up ahead of me I was slightly disappointed to find it was only a male Reed Bunting. It flew into the hedge line to the east of the flooded area, where it joined a couple of Greenfinches. As I walked through the mossy, wet area first one, then another and another Snipe flew out and shot off westwards, the latter two staying quite low before climbing up and over the tops of the trees beyond the long grassy area by the car park. They were just Common Snipe, but three is the most I've seen of the species here.
I did find another male Reed Bunting which posed nicely in the sun for a few photos and a small charm of Goldfinches flew into Buzzard Wood where I watched them feed in the treetops. The total for the park was only 19 species but I found number 20 as I headed out the gate at the eastern end where a male Pied Wagtail was feeding on the grass in the field.
I decided to head for City Quay to check on "Dave" the Red Throated Diver, who because of a damaged wing and a broken lock gate has become a semi-permanent fixture at the harbour. Someone had mentioned to me that they had failed to see him a few days previously, so I wondered if he had maybe moved on, on a high tide. Initially, I failed to find any sign of him, or much else in the main part of the Quay, though there were a few Herring Gulls around by the dry dock where a few birds nest each year. When I reached the outer section of the Quay, I quickly spotted the only bird in the water. It was the Red Throated Diver. It drifted closer as I watched before heading down the channel between the two sections of the Quay.
The jack-up rig which is being worked on at the harbour was raised up partially so I decided to go for a photo or two of that. Out on the river there were very few birds visible though I did spot a distant pair of Eiders. A UK Borders Agency cutter - "Valiant" arriving in the rather choppy river provided a few extra photo opportunities before I headed back out of the wind into the Quay area. A very confiding Carrion Crow allowed me to sit and photograph him trying to get into a whelk shell for a few minutes before flying to the other side of teh dry dock where he spooked a roosting Feral Pigeon.
I found Dave fishing near the frigate "Unicorn". and watched as he dived a few times but he didn't seem to be having too much success. I wandered onto the footbridge and was rewarded when he surfaced not too far away from where I was stood half-hidden by a life-ring post. 20 seconds or so later he dived again before surfacing again on the opposite side of the bridge where the strong sun on the water made photography difficult so I decided to head for home. A few Herring Gulls near the bus station and a Woodpigeon when I was almost home rounded off the day's birding.
Not the longest list for a day's birding, but some nice photos made it worth the effort.
20 species seen at the Nature Park - Carrion Crow, Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Herring Gull, Jackdaw, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Long Tailed Tit, Mallard, Oystercatcher, Pied Wagtail, Redshank, Reed Bunting, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Snipe, Song Thrush, Teal, Woodpigeon, Wren, Yellowhammer.
12 species seen outwith the park - Blackbird, Blue Tit, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Eider, Herring Gull, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Red Throated Diver, Feral Pigeon, Song Thrush, Starling, Woodpigeon.
26 species in total.