0076 : Visiting Dave (3/8/14)

Red Throated Diver

Red Throated Diver

Red Throated Diver

Red Throated Diver

Red Throated Diver

Red Throated Diver

Red Throated Diver

Red Throated Diver

Red Throated Diver

Red Throated Diver

Red Throated Diver

Herring Gull

Red Throated Diver

Red Throated Diver

Red Throated Diver

Red Throated Diver

Red Throated Diver

Red Throated Diver

Red Throated Diver

Herring Gull juvenile

Herring Gull juvenile

Red Throated Diver and juvenile Herring Gull

Herring Gull

Cormorants

 

Herring Gull

Herring Gull

Herring Gull

The combination of a lack of motivation and further rain forecast resulted in me staying in bed longer than intended with the result that I was undecided as to where to go birding, with the tides fairly unfavourable at Guardbridge or Riverside Nature Park. Rather than not go anywhere I decided on a local walk finishing up at City Quay to check on the state of Dave the (Red Throated) Diver's moult. With an armed police presence at City Quay for the duration of the Commonwealth Games with shooters staying at the Apex Hotel I had avoided the area, so I was hoping that I hadn't missed the chance at some summer plumage photos.

I headed out at around 0945 to walk first of all to Swannie Ponds. I wasn't expecting a large list but rather than sit in all day I thought it best to get out while I could rustle up a bit of enthusiasm for the idea. The standard Summer trio were first onto the list almost as soon as I stepped outside - Herring Gull, Feral Pigeon and Swifts. A Woodpigeon flew up from a garden and over the rooftops, while a Carrion Crow cawed loudly from a chimney nearby. A Blue Tit foraged in a tree on the corner, proving surprisingly difficult to pick out among the leaves. Starlings, a flock of House Sparrows and a Blackbird were added in quick succession as I headed up to Clepington Road.

House Martins flitted around above the former storage yard, their calls heard easily above the Sunday morning traffic noise. I headed down to the wasteground opposite the old Kieller's factory, a few Swallows flew over but otherwise it was rather quiet. It was also rather quiet at Swannie Ponds with a few Mallards and Tufted Ducks and a selection of Herring, Lesser Black Backed and Black Headed Gulls. A Dunnock hopped around below the bushes as I walked down the steps. Mute Swans with cygnets eyed me suspiciously as I passed close by as they lazed by the path between the two ponds.

I walked down through Baxter Park and then down through the houses to Broughty Ferry Road with no birds at all seen on the way. I crossed the main road and went over the old metal footbridge into the harbour area next to the Sea Cadets building. A Goldfinch overflew, but cadets out training in rowing boats meant that there were no birds in the outer part of the quay. Linnets and a Pied Wagtail were spotted before I walked in through the gate by the clock tower flats to check the main quay area.

I didn't have to look to hard to find my target here. Dave, the resident Red Throated Diver (courtesy of a damaged wing) was asleep just a little bit out from the wall. I crouched down behind one of the small posts that support the chain "fence" and snapped a few photos. Unfortunately with the sun behind the bird, conditions weren't ideal. I chose to move round, so that although the bird would be a bit further away, the sun would be behind me. This decision improved matters from a photography point of view and once Dave woke up I was treated to a range of photo opportunities with the sunshine and the colours of the buildings around the quay conjuring up some interesting patterns in the water. His moult state didn't appear to be much further on than the last time I had visited with only a small patch of brown-red on the throat although the black and white striping down the back of the neck seemed better defined. Plenty of preening and wing flapping with further bouts of rest and even some half-hearted attempts at looking for fish below the surface kept me occupied for over an hour before I decided to check out the river and leave Dave once again.

Out on the 'submarine' rock, a few Cormorants stood with their wings outspread, one or two gulls amongst them, but otherwise the river was apparently bereft of birds. With rain looking increasingly likely I decided to head for home, stopping on the footbridge for a few distance shots of Dave with a juvenile Herring Gull close by, and also a few of a perched adult Herring Gull on a lifebouy holder. A few more gulls and Feral Pigeons were seen as I walked up into town to catch the bus home just as the rain started.

Only 22 species seen but some nice photos made the outing worth heading out for.
Blackbird, Black Headed Gull, Blue Tit, Carrion Crow, Cormorant, Dunnock, Goldfinch, Herring Gull, House Martin, House Sparrow, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Linnet, Mallard, Mute Swan, Pied wagtail, Red Throtaed Diver, Feral Pigeon, Starling, Swallow, Swift, Tufted Duck, Woodpigeon.

0075 : Out Of The Rain (2/8/14)

Gannet

Manx Shearwater

Common Scoter

Manx Shearwater

Dunlin

Gannet

Gannet

Gannet

Gannet

Kestrel

Gannet

Arctic Tern

With the wet and windy weather to contend with, I figured my birding for the day was most likely to be over when I got home after the morning visit to Riverside Nature Park, however my pal, Jacqui, had other ideas. She suggested that owing to the easterlies and generally poor weather that sea-watching at Fife Ness might be worthwhile for a few hours. As she was to be quite busy in the morning she suggested the latter half of the afternoon, so we arranged to meet up around 3pm and head to the Ness for 2 hours or so, then back to Guardbridge to catch the bus around 6pm for home.

I decided to have an hour or so in the hide at Guardbridge prior to meeting Jacqui so I left the house at around 1320 to catch the bus into town. As it was raining quite heavily, I decided against walking to the bus station. Birds were in short supply even though the bus was rather later than it should have been which resulted in me missing my connection with only Swift and House Sparrow on the afternoon list.

En route to Guardbridge, Swallow and Sand Martin were spotted from the bus as we passed St Michaels, with Woodpigeon also added as we arrived in Leuchars. A Mute Swan was seen as we crossed the Motray Water. As the bus slowed down to let me off I added Herring Gull on the former paper mill buildings. A Pied Wagtail scurried across the wet grass by the bus stop and a Robin showed below the trees near the hide. Blue Tits were on the feeders.

Once inside the hide I scanned around out front with the binoculars. Black Headed Gull, Curlew and Oystercatcher were all fairly obvious, with Grey Heron and Redshank picked up soon after. The two Pink Footed Geese were roosting by the water on the far bank. Great Tits joined their smaller cousins on the feeders to the right hand side of the hide. A few Lapwings were spotted  and among the Herring and Black Headed Gulls loitered a Great Black Backed Gull. Half a dozen Canada Geese were seen further downriver. The rain began again limiting the opportunities to add to the list, although a Common Gull flying by did make it onto the rather short list. I headed out to wait for Jacqui at around 1455, spooking a Blackbird as I opened the gate to the car park.

With roadworks on the bridge beginning traffic was relatively heavy so Jacqui picked me up on the main road and we somehow got lucky and made it through the traffic lights without any real delay. The only addition to the list as we headed towards Crail was a flock of Starlings at Kingsbarns. As we crossed the golf course at Balcomie Links, we could see the white shapes of Gannets out above the grey waves.

We headed into the Fife Bird Club hide, opening two of the shutters. Gannets were most in evidence with a fairly steady northwards passage of streams of the birds from the Bass Rock across the Forth. A Common Tern headed north a few minutes later. I picked up the first Fulmar of the afternoon skimming low above the water not too far offshore. I heard then spotted a Greenshank as it flew off low from the rocks. A Shag headed out to sea from the rocks off to the north. A Great Black Backed Gull glided by, closer in. The first Sandwich Terns, an adult and a juvenile, called noisily as they too passed on their way northwards.

After around 20 minutes I picked up the first of the hoped for Manx Shearwaters, a small party skimming low over the waves before pulling up then sweeping back low again in an arc. We continued to see small groups pass by at a rate of maybe once or twice every 5-10 minutes. A rough estimate by the end of our seawatching session gave us around 80 birds in total. The first Kittiwake passed by a minute or two later, their flight almost tern-like. Auks were in rather short supply, but both Guillemot and Razorbill were added 10 minutes later as they headed low over the water towards the Isle of May.

Five Common Scoters sped north low, two males and three females or juveniles. Two birds flying out eastwards over the sea turned out to be Feral Pigeons which soon turned back and headed off inland again apparently having thought better of a possible adventure at sea. The Gannets, Terns and Manxies kept our interest up although photo opportunities were somewhat limited by the poor light and the distance of the birds, but we did still snap away a few times, Jacqui taking the opportunity to familiarise herself with her new Tamron 150-600mm lens. One or two Oystercatchers added to the variety as they sped by.

Five Dunlin flew by low just offshore, waves crashing behind them. We were treated to a few Gannets diving for fish quite close in which is always worth watching. A bit of rain blew in through the windows but we were mostly out of the worst of it. An Arctic Tern gave us another species just before 5pm. Rather surprisingly our next new bird was a juvenile Kestrel over the rocks out front. One or two Herring Gulls drifted by, and we eventually added Eider to the list before calling it a day around 1725 and heading back to Guardbridge where Jacqui dropped me off and I caught the bus back to Dundee.

39 species was the total for the afternoon, with the Manxies being the highlight. Slight disappointment at a lack of Skuas, though there is still a month or two to try and get them onto the year list.

Arrctic Tern, Blackbird, Black Headed Gull, Blue Tit, Canada Goose, Common Gull, Common Scoter, Common Tern, Curlew, Dunlin, Eider, Fulmar, Gannet, Great Black Backed Gull, Great Tit, Greenshank, Grey Heron, Guillemot, Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Kestrel, Kittiwake, Lapwing, Manx Shearwater, Mute Swan, Oystercatcher, Pied Wagtail, Pink Footed Goose, Razorbill, Redshank, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Sand Martin, Sandwich Tern, Shag, Starling, Swallow, Swift, Woodpigeon.

0074 : The Early Bird (2/8/14)

Buzzard

Buzzard

Buzzard

Stock Dove

Stock Dove

Juvenile Gulls

Herring Gulls

Black Tailed Godwit, Black Headed Gulls and Herring Gull

Sand Martin

Dunlin and Redshanks

Chiffchaff(?)

With high winds from the east and heavy rain forecast from mid-morning onwards I knew that if I wanted to try and get any birding done I would need to be out and about early. Not always the easiest thing to do after a hard week at work, but I somehow managed to get up and out the house for around 0730 to head for Riverside Nature Park.

Herring Gull and Feral Pigeon were seen almost as soon as I set foot outside with Swifts overhead, Woodpigeon on a lamp post and the tinkling call of a Goldfinch flying over before I had got much further. I added Collared Dove to the list as I walked down Dens and a Carrion Crow flying across Victoria Road added another species to the list. Somehow I managed to catch the bus in town earlier than hoped and was out at the park for before 8am.

I decided to walk along the fenceline first to check out the bay, in the hope that the tide was right for seeing waders. A Woodpigeon over the trees in the park began part 2 of the list. Carrion Crow and Oystercatchers overflew in the direction of the park. I spotted a Buzzard on one of the roadside lamp posts and managed a quick photo of the perched bird before it took flight and flew towards the eastern end of the park. A Robin was near the western end and a few Swifts shot over westwards.

Unfortunately, the tide wasn't yet far enough out for any uncovered mud, so there were no waders to be seen, only a few sleeping Mallards by the burn outflow and some Herring Gulls on the water. A couple of Feral Pigeons flew down to near the Mallards. A Pied Wagtail called as it flew from near the bay into the main body of the park. Lesser Black Backed Gull was next onto the list, and a Swallow zipped by at pace. Two Stock Doves took flight as I neared the Lochan, heading over the main road towards the gardens beyond.

A calling Meadow Pipit drew attention to itself as I wandered round towards the car park. It was very quiet in the trees here, rather surprisingly, so I pressed on towards Buzzard Wood. A few Chaffinches, Goldfinches and a family group of Long Tailed Tits showed here. I looped back round to the car park, spotting a Wren in the bushes behind before having a very close view of a male Sparrowhawk which flew over from the recycling area into the trees behind me. A cawing Carrion Crow alerted me to something happening just as the hawk flew out from the trees at around 10 feet up and passed about 5 feet in front of me. Great to see, unless of course you are on the menu.

I headed back round towards the bay via the Lochan, getting a few photos of a Stock Dove as it lifted from the long grass just to the west. I had seen it landing there, so I was prepared for it bursting skywards. In the bay, the tide had receded a bit, exposing some of the mud. The predominant species was now Black Headed Gull, though there were still plenty Herring Gulls around also. A Blackbird flew out from the trees by the hide, and a few Jackdaws were down on the pipe. Two Mute Swans were in the burn outflow paddling against the flow. A Song Thrush flew into the rose bush down from the hide. Lapwings began to fly in to join the other birds in the bay.

I managed to find a Common Gull among the flock of gulls, the first of the day. Redshanks began to fly in to feed out on the mud. A Greenfinch in the trees was a slightly unusual find for this part of the park. The first Sandwich Tern showed as it flew over the mud in front of the hide. I had heard a few already but couldn't pick them out among the mass of white birds around. A Black Tailed Godwit appeared as if from nowhere, obviously having flown in when I was looking at something else, but a welcome addition all the same. A Starling glided over as I searched the bushes behind the hide for smaller birds.

A Cormorant was spotted out over the river. A while later with a change of location, nearer the bay, by the fenceline, I added a flock of Dunlin and also Common Sandpiper to the list for the day. Further round the path, four juvenile Shelducks were seen, first on the water, then flying off towards Kingoodie a short while later. I headed back towards the Lochan hoping that something had perhaps dropped in, but only succeeded in adding a Yellowhammer in the bushes nearby. Rain was beginning to threaten, so I decided to head back towards the eastern end via a circuitous route. A few Sand Martins flew through following the line of the river westwards on their migration journey back towards Africa,

A few Linnets flew up from the compost area as I neared the car park again. In the trees behind, I found a rather scruffy warbler, which I suspect was an adult Chiffchaff (though it could easily be a Willow Warbler), and a Coal Tit. In addition to the Chaffinches, Buzzard Wood produced a Blue Tit and surprisingly a House Sparrow. With the rain starting to fall, I headed off to catch the bus home.

42 species seen in the park in a little over 2 hours was quite a good return, and although nothing new for the year list was added, it was still a worthwhile early morning visit.
Species seen - Blackbird, Black Headed Gull, Black Tailed Godwit, Blue Tit, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff (or Willow Warbler?), Coal Tit, Common Gull, Common Sandpiper, Cormorant, Dunlin, Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Lapwing, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Linnet, Long Tailed Tit, Mallard, Mute Swan, Oystercatcher, Pied Wagtail, Redshank, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Sand Martin, Sandwich Tern, Shelduck, Song Thrush, Sparrowhawk, Starling, Stock Dove, Swallow, Swift, Woodpigeon, Wren, Yellowhammer. (also Collared Dove and Swift en route).