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| Goosander |
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| Iceland Gull |
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| Iceland Gull |
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| Iceland Gull |
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| Mute Swan |
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| Tufted Duck |
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| Iceland Gull |
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| Iceland Gull |
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| Iceland Gull |
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| Iceland Gull |
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Having not been feeling 100% for a few days my provisional plans for today were shelved early this morning and I had a few more hours in bed. As the weather, and light, looked pretty good when I did get up I decided to go for a walk and if I was feeling ok maybe head further afield. However, as has been the case lately I ended up spending all afternoon in the one place. Swannie Ponds once again.
I left the house around quarter to 1, and headed in the direction of the ponds. Before I had got too far I had seen the usual species - Herring Gulls and Feral Pigeons, that always seem to be around close to home. A Carrion Crow was next up and a Common Gull was perched on a lamp post on Clepington Road. A Robin was singing loudly from a tree in a communal garden area but I didn't look too hard to try and see it, and headed for the ponds.
On reaching the ponds, I could see the usual mixture of birds on the water - Mallards, Tufted Ducks, Goosanders (recent additions to the usual species) and gulls. A pair of Mute Swans were further round. I scanned through the gulls, finding Herring Gulls, Common Gulls, Black Headed Gulls and 2 Lesser Black Backed Gulls. There was a wide variety of markings on display, with the Herring Gull immatures in particular appearing to have no two birds look identical. I look through them in the hope that there will be a rarity, but my "Herring Gull complex" knowledge is pretty limited and it would need a Yellow Legged Gull with obvious yellow legs before I would have any chance of 'claiming' one. However, it doesn't stop me checking...
Wandering round the pond to near the path junction of the two ponds, I had a look over towards the houses on Pitkerro Road to see if the Iceland Gull was still around. It was. On its favourite chimney perch. It seems to spend the majority of its time up there, out of the way of the other gulls, coming down to feed on bread only a handful of times throughout the day and usually not lingering at the ponds too long.
A few Goosanders were swimming quite close in, so I made good use of the sunshine and took some photos catching the sheen of the head feathers. The Iceland Gull swooped down over the ponds a while later allowing me a few flypast shots as it passed but returned once more to the chimney.
The afternoon followed a similar pattern with the Iceland Gull spending most of its time away from the ponds on the rooftops, but coming closer for a short while, from time to time. A few birders dropped in, more in hope of seeing the Mediterranean Gull than the Iceland Gull, but it was only after they had all left that the Iceland Gull decided to spend around 10 minutes or so at the ponds. Firstly feeding from the edge of the path amid a frenzied flock grabbing at discarded bread, then flying round and then joining another feeding flock, before settling out on the water amid the Herring Gulls. Thankfully, the light stayed good for most of this time and I added some nice photos to my growing collection of Iceland Gull photos.
There weren't too many other birds around at the ponds, with a couple of Blackbirds and a Dunnock or two in the bushes, and flyover Green and Goldfinches, as well as a couple of single Starling sightings. A 'chacking' Jackdaw and later 2 Carrion Crows added to the over the top sightings. A couple of Woodpigeons flew with their characteristic undulating flight from the far side of the pond into the trees behind me, and as I was showing a father and son birder duo, who I met a few weeks ago at City Quay (when the Little Grebes were there initially), a closer view of the Iceland Gull on one of the spotlight poles a skein of Pink Footed Geese flew over towards the Tay.
Only 20 species seen today, but an enjoyable day anyway.
Blackbird, Black Headed Gull, Carrion Crow, Common Gull, Dunnock, Goldfinch, Goosander, Greenfinch, Herring Gull, Iceland Gull, Jackdaw, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Mallard, Moorhen, Mute Swan, Pink Footed Goose, Feral Pigeon, Starling, Tufted Duck, Woodpigeon.