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| Fieldfare |
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| Robin |
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| Grey Heron |
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| Carrion Crow |
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| Greylag Geese |
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| Mistle Thrush |
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| Snipe |
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| Robin |
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| Redwing |
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| Red Squirrel |
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| Great Spotted Woodpecker |
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| Buzzard |
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| Herring Gull |
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| Moorhen |
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| 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.