0115 : Review of 2014

Goshawk (self-found)

Glossy Ibis (lifer)

Red Backed Shrike (self-found)

Yellow Wagtail (self-found)

White Billed Diver (self-found/lifer)

King Eider (Elvis)

Roseate Tern (lifer)

Blue Winged Teal (lifer)

Tawny Owl (self-found)

Well, the birding, (and the blogging after this post), is over for the year (Blackbirds, Feral Pigeons and a few Gulls excepted - the likeliest birds seen to/from/at work tomorrow). It has been a strange sort of year on the birding front with some highlights including a handful of lifers (see above) and what feels like plenty of low-lights (various species missed completely despite repeated attempts, and birding days missed through illness). My year-list spluttered out sometime in October with only 186 species seen, down 12 on the previous year.

Only four lifers were seen during 2014 - Glossy Ibis ( a long-staying bird around Loch Leven, visited twice), Blue Winged Teal (rather poor views at Loch of Strathbeg on a day which also gave me Little Gull, Little Tern and photos of Elvis the King Eider drake on the Ythan), Roseate Tern (surprisingly easy to spot among the Commons and Arctics even against the sun which hopefully bodes well for finding one of my own in future) and White Billed Diver (which I thought was a Great Northern Diver and which opinion is still divided on, though the expert opinion of Killian Mullarney says WBD and that will do for me, though it may still be rejected by SBRC when I finally get round to submitting the description and photos).

Other highlights included great photo opportunities with Dave the City Quay Red Throated Diver, small waders on the beach at Westhaven including a very curious Ringed Plover who got too close for the zoom lens at one point and the self-found Tawny Owl at Kilminning. Also the rather hurried views of Yellow Wagtail at Easthaven and Red Backed Shrike near Crail while I waited/hurried for a bus. The long-staying Iceland Gull at Swannie Ponds (and the rather less co-operative Mediterranean Gull) showed that it wasn't always necessary to travel far to see good birds too.

I always enjoy getting out and about and I'd like to thank all of those who have driven me places to see birds - in no particular order - Steph, Gus, Jacqui, Rhona, Nat, Joan, Willie & Anne, Wendy C, George, Richard & Douglas, Steve, Bob, Jon and John (hopefully I haven't forgotten anyone). I've also enjoyed leading a few bird walks at Riverside Nature Park and even surprised myself by adding five new species to my yearlist while leading one in early May (Whimbrel, Swift, Sedge Warbler, Whitethroat and Lesser Whitethroat). I managed to avoid the early morning start for the Dawn Chorus walk this year.

On the subject of the park, probably my most enjoyable day's birding of the year (from plenty contenders for that particular title) was on 31st August when the birding gods really smiled on me with 40 bird species seen by 10am. I tried to get to 50 species and succeeded. Then with only a few more species to find to equal the previous best day species-wise (53) I decided I might as well keep going and it didn't take too long to reach that target and then surpass it. By the time I had finished birding around the park I hadn't just passed the previous best by 1 or 2 species but by a totally unexpected NINE further species including a Fulmar. Looking back at the list there were a few possibilities that were missed suggesting that a higher total yet is potentially possible. Still 62 species at such a small urban site in just one day will take a bit of beating.....

I also surprised myself by managing to keep this blog going, although not always as quickly as I would have liked. My chosen 'style' of blog - telling the story of the whole day with all the species seen at all the stops, has meant hours of work for every entry, in addition to the editing of the photos taken and used in the blog, often different ones from those I upload on Flickr (and Facebook). I think the longest post was just under 4000 words and took two nights to type up. Still as long as someone, somewhere is reading it, and hopefully enjoying it then all that hard work is worthwhile. I have around 6150+ views for my 114 posts this year giving an average of around 54 views per post, though the more viewed posts are in the minority but push the average up a lot. Most get between 15 and 30 or so views. It would be nice to get more, so feel free to share the blogs via Facebook etc. Please.

As always I've probably spent rather a lot on books this year and there have been some really good ones amongst them. The Helm guide to Bird Identification is probably my favourite purchase of the year, with the Petersen guide to Seawatching not far behind (despite being an American focused book). The HBW Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World Volume 1 was a monster of a book (with price to match!) but it was great to get so much info in between 2 rather large covers and I'm looking forward to the Passerines volume even more when it is published in 2016.

Two other products which have been much used this year were apps for the iphone. The much anticipated Collins Bird Guide app finally arrived and although it lacked the calls of some species it was still brilliant to have it to hand while out and about if I needed to be able to check something, although the opportunities to do so have been a bit limited.

The other even more used, and my most used app in general, is the new version of Bird Journal. The previous version was a paid for app (around £7) and was easily worth every penny. However, the latest version is free and perfectly usable despite lacking some additional features (paid for extras are £35 per year). The phone app syncs with the PC version - also free, of the software meaning you can access your information at home, or while out and about.

The app itself is a listing app with a very easy to use and fairly intuitive method of entering data. It also logs location and time (which has come in very handy for compiling this blog this year). It has completely replaced a notebook in my pocket for birding and I'm considering paying the extra so I can record butterflies, dragonflies and mammals etc in the same way as well as being able to search through my historical records (over 800 separate lists uploaded so far with less than a 100 still to upload). I highly recommend it.

So, what will 2015 bring? I'm thinking of placing less emphasis on a year-list though I will still record how many species I see. I should hopefully reach 250 'official' species for Scotland (I'm on 251 by my 'rules'). I have agreed to lead at least four more guided walks at the Nature Park so hopefully as previously these will be well attended. I enjoy getting out and about and finding birds for others and am likely to do a bit more of that this year as well as seeing what I can find for myself (keeping a separate "self-found" list is a possibility). I'm also thinking about doing a few more 'big days' at various places/times of the year, to see just what is possible in a limited time frame. Anybody that fancies joining me for any of these, or to go birding in general, feel free to get in touch.

So that was 2014......

2015 starts in a little over 24 hours from now. I bet my first bird of the new year is a Herring Gull........

Happy Birding!




0114 : A Wee Dundee "Big Day" (28/12/14)

Fieldfare

Robin

Grey Heron

Carrion Crow

Greylag Geese

Mistle Thrush

Snipe

Robin

Redwing

Red Squirrel

Great Spotted Woodpecker

Buzzard

Herring Gull

Moorhen

Stock Dove


Having spent a lot of time birding in and around various parts of Dundee this year I wondered just how many species it would be possible to see within a day in the middle of winter. I suspected that 60+ should be possible, with 70+ a reasonable target, and even 80 achievable with a lot of good fortune on the chosen day. Having discussed the idea in passing with my birding buddy, Rhona, we decided to test the idea together on the Sunday after Christmas (my last day of birding in 2014).

However, the tides were rather less than ideal with high tide times before sunrise and well after sunset. Thankfully, the weather was to be dry and sunny, though the freezing temperatures meant that we would lose out on a few possibilities where ponds were iced over.  I had worked out a rough plan and had a fairly rough idea of what species we could expect to have a chance of seeing at each location on our route. I also knew that we would miss a few but might pick up others in unexpected places. This did indeed happen to a degree allowing us to skip a few places, or spend less time than budgeted for in others.

We had decided on a start around 30 minutes before sunrise to allow us to catch the tide before it got too far out and before we were blinded by the low sun as it rose into the sky above Tentsmuir Point. Around 0815 I opened my window to check just how cold it actually was and to see if I could get a start to the list. A male Blackbird and a couple of Herring Gulls started off the list. Rhona phoned to say she was a bit lost and I gave her directions to get to mine.

A Starling overflew as I got into the car with Carrion Crow and Feral Pigeon added before we drove past Swannie Ponds which was mostly frozen. Mute Swan, Mallard, Black Headed Gulls and Herring Gulls were seen but views were too fleeting to pick out anything else. Rhona spotted a Fox crossing ahead of us as we passed DC Thomsons building on the Kingsway. We were headed for Balmossie, our best bet for a selection of waterfowl and waders in particular. Woodpigeon on a lamp post was our only new addition before we parked at the Bridge Street end of the esplanade at Broughty Ferry.

Down on the beach a few Redshanks were wandering along the water's edge with Sanderling and a few Ringed Plover scurrying around. A bit of hunting produced a Dunlin amongst the smaller waders and a small flock of Bar Tailed Godwits landed further along towards Balmossie. Rhona found a few Turnstones and through the scope I had brought with me I spotted a single Grey Plover along to the west a bit. Another then showed up right in front of us, though with the sun having made an appearance above the horizon there was a fair bit of glare off the water making it difficult to see too much detail. A couple of Common Gulls were perched on the wooden posts of one of the groynes on the beach.

We wandered off towards the mouth of the Dighty to see if we could add anything else. A Curlew picked around among the seaweed and an Oystercatcher was added a little further on. Carrion Crows were dotted around among the mainly Herring and Black Headed Gulls with a few Starlings flying in. A small raft of Eiders were off the mouth of the burn with Wigeon a bit closer in. Three drake Goldeneye added to the list, displaying by tossing their heads back flamboyantly. I heard a Pied Wagtail calling and we watched it fly in and land in front of us on a small building by the main water treatment building. I spotted a female Goosander on the pebbles in the burn outflow alongside a few Mallards. Scanning through the gull flock as the tide receded found us a single Great Black Backed Gull.

We could hear House Sparrows chirping loudly from the gardens and we succeeded in seeing a few in a bush near the station. Starlings called from the roofs. I decided to scan from the footbridge over the railway and in doing so we succeeded in adding two Collared Doves and a Greenfinch along with a pair of distant Woodpigeons. We headed back to the car to move on to our next stop. En route however we had to make a slight detour as Rhona had somehow managed to leave her camera at home, so I offered the use of my old one along with a 70-300mm lens. Not perfect but certainly better than nothing. We did manage to see our first Robin of the day alongside a Blackbird as we headed for a quick pass at City Quay.

Four Herring Gulls were on the water near the lightship with a Cormorant behind the Unicorn. We stopped at the turning point for a few minutes to quickly check the outer quay. There was only one Red Throated Diver, Dave being alone again after having some company for a week or two. Also in the quay were a number of Red Breasted Mergansers and two Cormorants drying their wings. I didn't check them properly to see what race they were, but a Grey Wagtail flying past was a nice bonus bird. There was no sign of the Little Grebes. With the time now around 10am we headed on to Riverside Nature Park which if all went to plan would hopefully add a lot to our total which had already passed 30 species.

A Wren by the car park greeted us as we got organised. Dunnock and Blackbird put in brief appearances as did a Robin before we headed round towards the bay. A Fieldfare on the short trimmed grass by the path was a nice addition and a small group overflew us as we reached the bench overlooking the bay. There was quite a lot of exposed mud already and the birds were quite well spread out. Below us were a few Redshanks, a single Teal and a Grey Heron. Three Goosander were well out on the river. Mallards and more Teal were the only ducks in the bay. We set off towards the hide along the fence-line to allow us a closer look at the gull flock. A small group of Curlews flew out and we picked out a little group of Dunlin by the side of the burn. A single Cormorant was on the pipe.

The gull flock was mostly Herring Gulls and Black Headed Gulls as expected with a few Common Gulls among them, but there were no more exotic birds among them. Disappointingly, there was no sign of any Black Tailed Godwits or Lapwings and very few Oystercatchers even. Another notable absentee was Pink Footed Goose with no birds at all even off towards Kingoodie. Mute Swan was added to the list however. From the hide there was little to add with only a Blue Tit in the trees and a few Feral Pigeons to be seen in addition to the Teal and Mallards. There was no sign of any of the Dippers or even a Kingfisher.

Heading back into the park towards the Lochan we saw a few more Dunnocks, Robins and Blackbirds but little else except flyover gulls and a Grey Heron. Woodpigeons and Carrion Crows could be seen to the north around Ninewells and the Technology Park. More Blue Tits and a Great Tit were seen before we reached Buzzard Wood with Long Tailed Tits being heard but not seen. Buzzard Wood was rather quiet with mostly Chaffinches foraging around amongst the tangle of bushes and trees. A few Greenfinches were added and we heard a Magpie round the end of the trees. Rhona spied it as it flew up behind the trees but I managed to miss it. I hurried on to try and see if I could glimpse it while Rhona held back a little. I was out of luck and I'd also managed to miss a female Bullfinch feeding down on the path which Rhona had managed to get a series of photos of. I could also hear Redwings in the trees but couldn't see them. I did see yet another Fieldfare however. Things weren't going entirely to plan though.....

I was going to check the boggy area which was largely frozen for Snipe, and hopefully Jack Snipe, but Rhona managed to put her foot through some thin ice soaking her trainers so I abandoned the idea for the time being. We decided instead to do a circuit of Buzzard Wood in the hope of seeing the Magpie. A Goldfinch was spotted among the Chaffinches by Rhona. A Woodpigeon overflew but there was no further sign of the Magpie. I scanned the higher parts of the hospital in the hope of maybe seeing a perched Peregrine but there was no sign. I did succeed in picking up a skein of geese heading towards us. As they passed overhead silently I got a few photos which showed them to be Greylags rather than the more customary Pink Footed Geese.

With no Magpie seen I decided to check for Snipe in the frozen boggy area, one of the few areas which hadn't been severely trimmed back by cutting in the park. It wasn't looking too promising until suddenly a Snipe took flight ahead of me, flying off west before surprisingly coming back and actually overflying me quite low before heading away again. It was too quick for me to get more than a blurry tail-end shot but I was happy to get one on the list. I heard a calling Mistle Thrush and one flew past between me and Rhona who had her back turned photographing birds in Buzzard Wood. Two more Snipe flushed and I shouted to Rhona who managed to see these birds, unlike the first one. We headed back to the car to head for Ninewells Arboretum via the Botanic Gardens car park (a quick facilities stop). Carrion Crows, Feral Pigeons and Woodpigeons were seen here.

As we got out of the car by the large roundabout at the back entrance to Ninewells a Robin perched in the lower branches of a tree just feet above us. Two Jackdaws flew over as we crossed the road and a few Blackbirds fed on the red berries in the hedge. Walking up the hill to the Arboretum, we were distracted by the arrival of the charity Air Ambulance helicopter as it descended into the nearby helipad. We could see the rotors turning through the trees but I was surprised to see a Buzzard sitting in the lower branches of the trees to our right. I called quietly to Rhona who hadn't seen it, but the bird flew off into the trees before either of us got a photo. A Wren flew across the path in front of us, and on feeders in the community garden were a mix of Coal, Great and Blue Tits. A Robin posed nicely on a hospital signpost and a Dunnock showed briefly.

Carrion Crows and Jackdaws mingled in the branches of the large tree in the centre of the wood with more birds flying in to join the throng. There were a few Woodpigeons around among the trees also and we could hear a Jay calling harshly somewhere ahead of us. As we set off to try and find it my attention was drawn to an unusual call to my left. A male Bullfinch was feeding low down among the branches but again it didn't stay long enough for photos. While searching for the Jay I managed to spot a single Redwing in a smaller tree and despite the branches in the way managed a few semi-reasonable photos. Ahead of us through the trees and towards the houses we managed to see the jay perched on a branch for a few seconds. Our luck seemed to be improving a little and we headed back to the car to head for Camperdown Park.

Driving into the park a few minutes later a Carrion Crow chased a Buzzard across the road in front of us. A few Black Headed Gulls wandered around by the roadside as we came out into the open. We were headed for the golf course car park to check the feeders around the big house. A Buzzard was perched in the open at the top end of the car park, and wasn't too fussed by the arrival of the car. I couldn't get a clear photo through the branches but Rhona took a few. I got out to try to sneak closer as Rhona chose a parking spot. The Buzzard spotted me and flew off further away. Movement up in the trees produced a nice Red Squirrel, a bonus mammal sighting. The feeders were empty as expected so we wandered along to the duckpond which was largely frozen but a few Mallards wandered around on the grass.

Back at the car park we could hear a Great Spotted Woodpecker calling and after a few minutes we spotted it flying over into the top of a large conifer. It then gave us better views nearby showing it to be a male with the distinctive red nape patch. Another Buzzard showed and a Jay was heard but not seen. Our next planned stop was to be Clatto reservoir where we hoped to grab some lunch and add a few species to the list. We were more successful with the former but less so with the latter.

Blackbirds, Dunnocks and a Robin were around the car park as we drove in with Woodpigeon and Carrion Crow seen as we got out of the car. The reservior was mostly frozen with only a small area of open water out in the centre. A few Mute Swans and Goldeneye as well as Black Headed Gulls shared this piece of unfrozen water. More Black Headed Gulls, as well as a few Common and Herring Gulls roosted on the ice. Off to the left were a small huddle of Mallards but the original plan to do a quick circuit of the reservoir was quickly shelved when it became obvious that we could see most of the bird life in front of us. From the car, as we ate a quick lunch, we did get close views of a nice selection of birds with Great Tit, Coal Tit, Dunnock, Blackbird, Robin, Wren, Chaffinch and even a nice male Yellowhammer putting in an appearance.

Our next planned stop was to be Trottick Ponds with Dipper the target species here with the likelihood of Moorhen and possibly Tufted Duck also. With the time now after 1pm we were lagging behind on the hoped for species list and were running short of time for adding significantly to the list. Unfortunately there was no sign of any Dippers on the Dighty from the footbridge into the small local reserve. A Blackbird and a Great Tit showed up towards the frozen ponds. A Grey Heron flew in to land on the far bank of the north pond. The necks of Mute Swans could be seen as we approached. A few Moorhen scurried across the ice away from us to join the swans and Mallards by the small area of open water. Rhona took a few photos of the Heron before it flew off again. House Sparrows chirped noisily from the bushes along the back gardens of the houses.

Black Headed Gulls and a few Common Gulls roosted together out on the ice of the southern pond. We decided to do a quick circuit in the hope that maybe we would find a Dipper further up the burn. Carrion Crows flew over and we spotted a Buzzard sitting out in the open on a tree by the ruins of an old house. It seemed unconcerned as we wandered along behind it and then stopped to get a few photos of it. The winter light illuminated it brilliantly against the blue sky and it peered over at us before lazily flying off to the north. We headed down towards the burn but again there was no sign of any Dippers. A flock of Woodpigeons flew up from the opposite banking and a few from by the water where they had been drinking. Another Wren and a Blue Tit were seen before we headed back to the car. We stopped and scanned a few times but drew a total blank on Dippers.

We headed the short distance up into Caird Park to check the ponds. On arrival though we found a cross country race in progress and a few children shouting loudly around the bottom pond. We headed across the bridge to check out the graveyard instead. A Jay flew up from the burn towards the graveyard. A Coal Tit showed just above us. Woodpigeon was seen from the graveyard and a Blue Tit was in the Yew in the centre. Carrion Crow, Wren and Robin were seen as we headed back to the car to head for Swannie Ponds.

It was now after 2pm and the list wasn't growing anything like fast enough. My hoped for target of around 70 species was looking increasingly doubtful but there was still time to attempt to add to it. Swannie Ponds was largely frozen with the usual mixture of birds around on the ice. Black Headed, Common and Herring Gull along with Mallards. The Mute Swans family, a few Mallards and a single pair of Tufted Ducks shared the small patch of rather crowded water. I scanned for any of the ringed Black Headed Gulls, and eventually found one which photos showed to be a new bird with the BTO metal ring on upside down. The resident Moorhens put in an appearance out on the ice towards the island. I photographed a young Herring Gull as it attempted to pick up a piece of broken ice, unsurprisingly failing to do so. A Robin, Dunnock and Blackbird were seen here, in addition to some flyover Feral Pigeons above the nearby houses.

Having already seen Mistle Thrush, Fieldfare and Redwing we decided to miss out eastern Cemetery and headed to Stannergate instead. Carrion Crows were dotted around as we arived. Two Redshanks fed along the shoreline with an Oystercatcher closer in. Black Headed and Common Gulls were in the water. I picked up a distant Red Breasted Merganser and even further out a few Cormorants flew upriver. Further along to the east a few Herring Gulls could be seen. With the sun getting lower in the sky we hurried into Broughty Ferry for a quick scout around the local nature reserve between the esplanade and railway line.

It was rather quiet unsurprisingly and being out of the weak sun it was rather chilly. Birds were in short supply though a flock of Linnets were in the trees across the railway line. As with elsewhere, Dunnock, Blackbird, Robin and Blue Tit were all seen. House Sparrows were also in the gardens. A Starling called from the top of a tall conifer, the sun catching the irridescense of the bird's feathers. I stopped to take a photo of what I assumed to be Woodpigeons huddled up in a tree. These turned out to be Stock Doves. A late surprise addition here, having missed out on them at the Nature Park earlier in the day. A Great Tit and another Robin were seen before we headed back to drive along to the eastern end of the esplanade for one last check of the Dighty burn outflow area before we ran out of daylight.

A dog walker was feeding the gulls on the beach, with mostly Black Headed Gulls and Carrion Crows swarming around her and her dog. A few Herring Gulls and Common Gulls lounged around nearby, some in a few pools, others out on the mud. Bar Tailed Godwits were strung out along the shoreline further out, along with some Redshanks and Oystercatchers. Out on the water it was possible to pick out a few ducks by their shape - Wigeon, Mallard, Eider, Goldeneye and a single Red Breasted Merganser. Unfortunately nothing new for our list. With the sun having set and the temperature rapidly dropping we headed back towards home. As we headed along Clepington Road just after the Forfar Road junction a Sparrowhawk flew up and out from a garden and over the top of the car. One last welcome tick for our day list.

As things turned out, I had been a bit too optimistic with my prediction of around 70 species, I only managed to see 58 species (Rhona's Magpie took the seen list to 59) and Long Tailed Tit and Goldcrest being heard only would have taken us past the 60 mark.

It was a worthwhile experiment and it might be interesting to compare the list with other times of year. For the purposes of the list Dundee was from the Dighty outflow at the eastern end to the Invergowrie Bay burn at the west with the northern limits being the edges of the housing schemes and industrial estates along the periphery. Any bird seen, and identified while we were stood 'in' Dundee counted, no matter how far away it actually was (a hypothetical White Tailed Eagle over Tentsmuir Point would've been 'allowed').

Species seen - Bar Tailed Godwit, Blackbird, Black Headed Gull, Blue Tit, Bullfinch, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Coal Tit, Collared Dove, Common Gull, Cormorant, Curlew, Dunlin, Dunnock, Eider, Fieldfare, Goldeneye, Goldfinch, Goosander, Great Black Backed Gull, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Grey Heron, Grey Plover, Grey Wagtail, Greylag Goose, Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Jay, Linnet, (Magpie), Mallard, Mistle Thrush, Moorhen, Mute Swan, Oystercatcher, Pied Wagtail, Red Breasted Merganser, Redshank, Red Throated Diver (only 1 again), Redwing, Ringed Plover, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Sanderling, Snipe, Sparrowhawk, Starling, Stock Dove, Teal, Tufted Duck, Turnstone, Wigeon, Woodpigeon, Wren, Yellowhammer.









0113 : Festive Finds (25/12/14).

Carrion Crow

Black Headed Gull

Herring Gull

Herring Gull

Herring Gull

Christmas Day 2014 dawned bright and clear. Well, I assume it did, as I was asleep at the time, but when I did get out of my bed, just before mid-day it looked to be a lovely cold but clear typical Dundee winter day. As I was going to my Mum's for Christmas Dinner I declined my brother's offer of a lift in favour of taking the rather more scenic route on foot and seeing if I could see anything of interest on my way.

Before I left the house I spent a few minutes watching from my living room window. A Jackdaw flew onto the rooftops opposite, half-hidden in the shadows. A Blackbird could be seen wandering around a bit closer. A small group of Carrion Crows flew up onto the roofs and a Herring Gull stood on the chimneys. The Crows and a pair of Jackdaws took flight and a Feral Pigeon flew over my roof. I could hear House Sparrows chirping loudly but it took a few moments before I saw any. Two birds were being chased away by a male Blackbird for some reason.

Once I was organised I decided to head for Swannie Ponds. I changed my mind before I had gone too far as to which route to take, and headed uphill. A Starling called from a chimney and a Herring Gull glided over. As I wandered along Clepington Road I could see a flock of Feral Pigeons swooping around above the houses further on. A Black Headed Gull flew over my head westwards. Crossing Forfar Road I spotted a Woodpigeon perched in one of the taller trees. A Magpie flew out from the same area and over the road into the gardens opposite.

The ponds themselves were largely frozen, though there was still a decent amount of open water at the near end. The Mute Swan family and many of the Mallards were in the water, with the majority of the Black Headed Gulls out on the ice and the path, with a few Herring Gulls of various ages nearer the island. A few Tufted Ducks were diving near the edge of the ice a little further round. I managed to see two ringed Black Headed Gulls, one white ringed bird (likely J4U2) and a metal ringed bird. Unfortunately only having the SX50 with me the detail on the photos wasn't sufficient to determine which bird it was. I spotted two Common Gulls on their own further around. It was largely Black Headed Gulls on the frozen lower pond too. I did hear a Wren calling from the island and a possible Long Tailed Tit call.

I headed out of the park and crossed the road heading for the Kingsway taking a shortcut down a small street. House Sparrows flew over and a Woodpigeon was perched in a tree in someone's garden. As I neared the Kingsway two Collared Doves flew out of a tree on the central reservation. A Blue Tit flew into a smaller tree a little further on. On reaching the opposite side of the road, I saw movement in a small bush by the church. A Robin appropriately enough for Christmas Day and a Blackbird. There wasn't too much else seen before I reached my Mum's except a few more Blackbirds and a Starling or two. While sat in my Mum's living room I did see Starlings, Feral Pigeon, Herring Gull and Carrion Crows.

Just 17 species seen in total but considering the time of day and the route taken a not too bad haul. Species seen - Blackbird, Black Headed Gull, Blue Tit, Carrion Crow, Collared Dove, Common Gull, Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Magpie, Mallard, Mute Swan, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Starling, Tufted Duck, Woodpigeon.

0112 : Let's Go Round Again (20/12/14)

Tufted Duck

Tufted Duck

Moorhen & Tufted Duck

Mallard

Herring Gull

Common Gull

Mistle Thrush

Coal Tit

Redwing

Fieldfare

Greenfinch

Mistle Thrush

Grey Heron

Cormorant

Cormorant (Sinensis race)

Red Breasted Merganser

Pink Footed Goose

Herring Gull

Red Breasted Merganser & Red Throated Diver

Red Throated Diver

Red Throated Diver

Grey Heron

Cormorant

Black Headed Gull

Common Gull

Herring Gull

Mallard

Herring Gull

Robin

Black Headed Gull

Carrion Crow

Tufted Duck

Herring Gull

Black Headed Gull (JN69)

Blue Tit

Long Tailed Tit

Black Headed Gull & Feral Pigeon

With strong winds forecast I decided against taking a bus trip over to Fife, instead once again remaining local, and seeing what I could find within the city of Dundee, and mostly on foot. As things transpired the strong winds failed to fully materialise but as I did succeed in getting some nice photos it wasn't a wasted day out. I decided to follow a broadly similar route to the previous weekend's outing, but chose to not visit Caird Park as most of the likely species were possible elsewhere en route.

I left the house at around 0930 to the sight of a few Herring Gulls hanging in the wind overhead with others sweeping over with the wind behind them. A Carrion Crow flew over and a small group of Feral Pigeons huddled together on one of the tenement rooftops. A Starling glided over and a Woodpigeon was perched in a small tree in a garden. Two Jackdaws chased one another over. A Black Headed Gull flew above Clepington Road while Feral Pigeons flew into land on another tenement. My usual detour along Mains Terrace provided distant views of a small skein of Pink Footed Geese heading inland, and there was no sign of the usual House Sparrow flock. Only a handful of Feral Pigeons were seen instead.

Swannie Ponds was the next stop and as always the Black Headed Gulls and Mallards outnumbered everything else, with around 50 Mallards and at least a similar number of Black Headed Gulls present. The Mute Swan family were swimming around the edge of the pond, while the small group of Tufted Ducks were congregated up the far end past the island. A mixture of ages of Herring Gulls held back a bit further out, lazing around. A Robin showed briefly on the path before flying back into the bushes. A Goldfinch overflew and a Wren flew across the road and perched on the wall opposite before disappearing over the other side seconds later.

Some scanning with the binoculars found me a Common Gull, though there were no rarer gull species around, though I did find the regular ringed birds among the flock of Black Headed Gulls (JN69, J4U2 and 2XLD) along with another bird with a single metal leg ring which I eventually identified as another Norwegian bird - 6181458, from photos. I didn't realise that this bird had also been around earlier in the year. A Woodpigeon overflew, and the resident Moorhens appeared out on the water.

As I was leaving to head for Eastern Cemetery I noticed a single Oystercatcher had dropped in to forage on the grassy area bordering the ponds. A bit of a surprise though I expected to see one later anyway (but didn't as things worked out). A small flock of House Sparrows chirped in the bushes by the TA depot at Rodd Road with a few more flying in to join them as I passed. On reaching the gates of the cemetery I noticed that it was a lot quieter than the previous week with only a Blackbird to be seen initially. Wandering a bit further in did produce a handful of Redwings. Herring Gull and Feral Pigeon both overflew.

A Goldcrest foraged among the branches of a small tree about halfway through the cemetery and a few Blue Tits were in another tree nearby. Towards the southeast corner I could see larger birds flying around from tree-top to tree-top. These did appear to be thrushes and indeed they were - Mistle Thrushes, Redwings and a couple of Fieldfares though in much lower numbers than the previous week's visit. One of the Mistle Thrushes showed quite well picking berries from a Yew tree in flight then landing on the grass to eat them. I did manage close views of both Redwing and a much closer Mistle Thrush. A Coal Tit fed among the branches of another Yew. A Chaffinch and a Greenfinch as well as a few Woodpigeons were seen befre I headed down towards Stannergate.

It was much quieter at Stannergate too with the tide further in and thus less beach for the birds to forage on. Further along a dog walker ensured a lack of waders. There were a few Carrion Crows around and out on the water a couple of Black Headed Gulls and a single Common Gull. Herring Gull was seen further along to the east but there were no birds out on the river to be seen. I almost managed to miss a Grey Heron roosting out by the point with the glare from the sun making it quite hard to pick out as it stood motionless among the rubble and rocks. The small flock of local Linnets flew around and I did pass them perched in a tree as I wandered back up to the main road to try and catch a bus into town. A Goldcrest appeared about a foot in front of my face foraging in a garden hedge at the end of the bridge over the railway before it took flight across to the other side of the road.

I had a ten minute wait for the X5 bus but the only birds seen were a couple of domestic white pigeons. A few more Feral Pigeons were seen near the bus station and when I arrived at City Quay there were no birds visible out on the water. Three Fieldfares overflew westwards, a first for me here. A few Cormorants roosted on the wall by the dry dock along with a Herring Gull. I crossed the footbridge and headed along to check out the outer quay area. A Robin perched on the chain behind the Unicorn and a Grey Heron was roosting opposite, unnoticed when I was across the opposite side of the quay. A few Starlings picked among the cobblestones, and a Blackbird flew towards the flats where I could hear more House Sparrows chirping away. Another small skein of Pink Footed Geese flew over low, being blown further to the east by the wind which was a bit stronger down by the river than it had appeared to be further inland.

Ahead of me on the water I could see the strong white glow of a bird on the water which I suspected was probably Dave in his winter plumage. Checking with binoculars confirmed this to be the case and the second Red Throated Diver was also still in attendance suggesting it may stay a while yet. A small group of Red Breasted Mergansers flew in and I spotted a few more further over towards the boat wrecks. I eventually picked out one of the Little Grebes although it seemed to spend most of its time underwater. A Rock Pipit flew by and a Grey Wagtail went in the opposite direction a few minutes later. The local Linnets put in a brief appearance. A Cormorant surfaced not far in front of me and appeared to be a continental (Sinensis) subspecies bird. These birds which may or may not be from mainland Europe (or England) seem to be overwintering in the area now. It would be interesting to find out where they are appearing from.

I decided to head back into town to catch a bus back to Swannie Ponds to check through the gulls again while the light was still reasonably good. I checked the river on my way out but there were only Cormorants to be seen, roosting out on the 'submarine'. The birds at Swannie Ponds were the same as earlier (Mallard/Tufted Duck/Mute Swan/Moorhen/Black Headed Gull/Common Gull/Herring Gull), though a Dunnock was an addition to the list as it hopped around on the path among the gulls and ducks after a family had spent some time feeding the birds on the water. A Collared Dove overflew and two Robins showed well in the trees by the corner of the pond though the light wasn't great for photos. A Carrion Crow posed for a photo before flying down from the railings onto the grass.

I spent some time trying to photograph the metal ringed Black Headed Gull, discovering later at home that I had actually been photographing a second single metal ringed bird. This one appeared to be a British ringed bird but frustratingly I only managed two photos which showed enough detail to read some of the details. The code started with E and appeared to contain the sequence "683" although the 6 could be a 5. I will need to try again to get photos of this bird, assuming it sticks around. A flock of Feral Pigeons circled around over the houses to the north as the gulls all took flight.

As I was contemplating leaving to head for home I heard the unmistakable calls of Long Tailed Tits near the Clepington Road side of the pond and hurried round to try and see them. With the bare branches of the trees this turned out to be quite easy, and a pair of Blue Tits kept pace with the Long Tailed group as they made their way around the perimeter trees. The low sun gave the birds a warmer glow than even the usual pink flush and after a few minutes I did indeed head for home after a Pied Wagtail overflew giving me one final tick for the day.

Herring Gulls and Feral Pigeons as well as a few Carrion Crows, Starlings and Blackbirds gave me something to look at before I reached home. I managed a total of 39 species though nothing too unexpected/surprising but still enjoyed the day out.

Species seen - Blackbird, Black Headed Gull, Blue Tit, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Coal Tit, Collared Dove, Common Gull, Cormorant, Dunnock, Fieldfare, Goldcrest, Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Grey Heron, Grey Wagtail, Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Linnet, Little Grebe, Long Tailed Tit, Mallard, Mistle Thrush, Moorhen, Mute Swan, Oystercatcher, Pied Wagtail, Pink Footed Goose, Red Breasted Merganser, Red Throated Diver, Redwing, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Rock Pipit, Starling, Tufted Duck, Woodpigeon, Wren.