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| Black Headed Gull |
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| Black Headed Gull |
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| Black Headed Gull |
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| Cormorant |
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| Red Throated Diver |
Before I set off and while checking the weather from my window I managed to see the first three species of the year. First up as usual was a Herring Gull, perched on a chimney. Feral Pigeon was next followed by Carrion Crow, two of which were also around the chimney tops in the next street from mine. I eventually headed out at about 11 o'clock with only a vague plan of where to go, while not planning on going too far from home.
It was very quiet with only a couple of Herring Gulls seen until I reached Clepington Road where I added a Woodpigeon perched in a tall tree behind a tenement block and a Black Headed Gull which flew past while a second perched on a fencepost on the opposite side of the road. Ahead of me, the local Feral Pigeon flock wheeled around in the rain. With very little evidence of the smaller birds I decided to give both Caird Park and Mains Loan a miss and to head directly to Swannie Ponds.
There was still a lot of ice around at the ponds with slightly more open water than my last visit. There were also more Tufted Ducks than last time. Mallards lazed around the edges and Black Headed Gulls and Herring Gulls stood or lay around on the ice. A Dunnock was on the path at the bottom of the steps but flew into the bushes when I arrived. I scanned through the gulls but saw no sign of any of the ringed birds and no Common Gulls either. Walking further round meant I could see the far end of the pond where there appeared to be more open water with the Mute Swan family visible. A single Moorhen wandered across the ice.
With the rain starting to get a bit heavier I decided to give Eastern Cemetery and the potential 'winter thrushes' a miss and to head down through Baxter Park to City Quay and then back home. I hoped that I might pick up some of the smaller birds in the park, or at least around the edges where gardens with bushes and feeders backed onto the park. Another Dunnock was in a bush by a garden with Collared Doves flying in to land on the roof of the house. A Blue Tit flew past me into a Yew tree. The light was really poor and it was hard to make out much detail on the bird shapes in the bushes. A Blackbird was the next spot. Down by the small 'rock garden' area there were a small group of mostly male Blackbirds foraging around and they alarm called loudly as I stopped to watch before they settled down again. I heard but didn't see a Pied Wagtail.
I had hoped that I might see a Robin here but another Blue Tit was all I could muster here. Down on the main grassy area were a number of Black Headed Gulls with a few Herring Gulls gliding in the wind overhead. A Woodpigeon and a few Feral Pigeons were the only other birds seen in the park though there were plenty rather bored and wet looking dog walkers out and about in the rain. I crossed the road and headed downhill through the housing scheme. A small flock of Starlings flew past as I walked towards Broughty Ferry Road. The rain was getting a bit heavier and the wind seemed to be picking up also.
I crossed the main road and the small footbridge over the railway line taking me into the harbour area near the Sea Cadets HQ buildings. Scanning ahead of me I could see a few Black Headed and Herring Gulls stood on the harbour wall along with a single sleeping Oystercatcher. A Blackbird was a bit closer foraging around between the cobblestones. I checked the rather choppy waters for any sign of Red Throated Diver but drew a blank. There was at least one Cormorant hunting in the quay with another hauled out on a wooden platform near the lock gates.
As I walked towards the corner of the quay, the gulls and Oystercatcher took flight, as did a Grey Heron which I hadn't noticed but had evidently been roosting among the Buddleia and other weeds behind the sheds. Scanning around once again, found me the Little Grebes. First just one, then both birds swimming together. The wind and rain were both increasing in strength but I needed to know whether Dave the Diver was still around or whether he had moved on, as his recent visitor appeared to have done. I headed in to check around the Unicorn but again there were only a few Cormorants around, with one perched on top of one of the lamp posts. A Carrion Crow flew past. I crossed the footbridge to head back to the outer quay area to scan again, in case Dave had been hidden below the harbour wall when I had hunted earlier.
A Cormorant dived below the surface as I arrived by the outer quay. The other, white fronted youngster was still hauled out, wings held outstretched, on the wooden platform. It decided it didn't like the look of me and slipped into the water. A grey and white shape in the water caught my eye. Dave. He was still around, and Red Throated Diver made it onto my year-list again. A flock of Linnets overflew, above the flats, heading west into the wind. Something upset the Blackbirds in the harbour with lots of alarm calling going on but no visible sign of any birds. I headed along the edge of the river in case there were any Mergansers or Eiders to be seen but there were none.
I decided to head for home up past the deserted bus station and through the underpass then up towards Victoria Road. A male Blackbird was seen here and a Carrion Crow was up on a tenement roof. Another was seen as I neared home. While making a cup of tea at home, to warm myself up I heard House Sparrows and Starlings calling from out in the back garden. I looked out from my bedroom window but they were too well hidden in the thick cover of the large conifer tree. Two Collared Doves, a Feral Pigeon and a Blue Tit did however put in brief appearances before I went back to my cup of tea.
Not the most productive of walks, but despite the wet weather I succeeded in getting the year-list started with 20 species seen and a couple of others heard only. The forecast is better for the next few days so hopefully the list will grow a bit quicker before I have to go back to work again.
Species seen - Blackbird, Black Headed Gull, Blue Tit, Carrion Crow, Collared Dove, Cormorant, Dunnock, Grey Heron, Herring Gull, Linnet, Little Grebe, Mallard, Moorhen, Mute Swan, Oystercatcher, Red Throated Diver, Feral Pigeon, Starling, Tufted Duck, Woodpigeon.