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| Peregrine |
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| Cormorant |
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| Meadow Pipit |
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| Bullfinch |
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| Treecreeper |
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| Greenshank and Redshank |
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| Pink Footed Geese |
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| Black Tailed Godwit |
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| Buzzard and Pink Footed Geese |
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| Woodpigeon |
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| Pink Footed Geese |
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| Pink Footed Geese |
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| Little Grebe |
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| Pink Footed Geese |
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| Herring Gull |
Another day off work with vague plans to get out and about early came to nothing owing to the warmth of my bed. However, having finally made it out of my bed for around 1045, I decided that I should try and get at least some birding done rather than waste the whole day off.I decided on Guardbridge as the best option, and rather than spend the whole time in the hide, I would explore some of the other local options.
I headed out at noon to head into town. Herring Gull, Woodpigeon, Carrion Crow and Feral Pigeon were all seen before the bus, which was running late showed up, and promptly drove right past the bus stop without stopping despite not being overloaded (a few passengers standing but nowhere near totally full). Thankfully I didn't have too long to wait for the next bus, but I would have been quicker walking into town in the first place. A Goldfinch overflew as the bus arrived at the stop.
I caught the bus to Guardbridge just after 1230, though the dirty windows made seeing birds en route difficult. I did manage to see a Cormorant flying over the Tay as we crossed the bridge and a few Jackdaws perched on a roof as the bus passed through Leuchars. As we approached Guardbridge I saw some brown birds in the field to the south of the military base, so I decided to get off the bus to have a better look.
A Mute Swan was on the Motray along with a small group of Black Headed Gulls, and a Redshank. The gulls and Redshank took flight as I walked over the bridge. I crossed the road to walk up the path. A Buzzard drifted over my head and I struggled to get the camera extricated from my bag before it was joined by a second bird and they drifted north and over the field. This helped to identify the brown birds - a flock of Curlews. Having solved that little mystery I decided to visit the small nature trail to the north of the river.
A Robin on the fence and a few Blue Tits could be seen among the bushes as I headed along the muddy track by the Motray towards where it meets the Eden. A Grey Heron, a pair of Teal and a larger group of Mallard were across the water on the seaweed covered rocks. A Peregrine perched up on the old papermill buildings. A few Black Tailed Godwits fed along the edge of the water on my side of the river. Something spooked the Peregrine and it flew round showing that it had a kill clutched tightly in its talons, before landing back where it had been.
I headed along the track parallel to the water. A few Wigeon, more gulls including Herring and Common Gulls and a single Greylag could be seen over the other side. Further on, distant Shelduck could be seen, along with more Wigeon and Teal. Redshanks, Dunlin and Curlew could be seen on the mud with a few Oystercatchers, while half a dozen Black Tailed Godwits ignored me much closer. A Carrion Crow chased a Buzzard out over the river to the east. A Song Thrush spooked behind me, flying up and over the small brae and into cover. A Cormorant flew upriver. With nothing much else around, I headed back towards the road.
A small bird with an undulating flight caught my eye and I grabbed a couple of photos which showed it to be a Meadow Pipit which was a slight surprise, but a welcome one. A little further on I heard a Grey Wagtail call and watched as it flew towards me and over my head into the sewage treatment plant area. A drake Teal hurried down river as I headed in to the small child's play area to check the gulls which turned out just to be Black Headed Gulls. A bird in the bushes feeding looked quite bulky and a quick check showed it to be a female Bullfinch. As suspected a male was feeding a little lower down but harder to see through the tangle of branches and thorns.
Blue Tits fed in the trees at the rear and movement on a tree trunk caught my attention. A Treecreeper shuffling upwards, spiralling up one trunk before flying to another. A few Chaffinches dropped in and as I wandered through to the fenceline a Wren flew across the corner of the field before dropping in behind the longer vegetation. The small pool at the end of River Crescent is always worth a wee look, so I crossed the main road to have a nosey.
The garden with the feeders was very active with Blackbirds, Blue Tits, Chaffinches all very noticeable. A Collared Dove burst out from the tree and flew up onto the roof of the house. I could hear a Greenfinch calling from the bushes opposite but it took a bit of changing position to finally see through the branches and spot the bird in question. Just in at the edge of the reeds by the bend in the river was a Little Grebe which eventually dived below the surface. The pool was mostly frozen but Redshanks fed along the edges, Mute Swans and Mallards were on what little water there was and Black Headed Gulls stood out on the ice. A few more Blue tits flitted round.
Having exhausted the possibilities to the north side of the hide, I headed for a bit of respite from the chilly air at the hide. Passing the garden again, I finally managed a view of a House Sparrow, with a few others feeding down in among the reeds by the bridge. There were plenty Feral Pigeons congregated on the papermill roof. As I neared the hide, a Magpie flew up into the trees to the north.
Entering the hide I was hit by a huge wave of heat, and the unexpected sight of a cycle in the small passage behind the door. I put my camera down on the windowsill only to be asked by the birder whose cycle it was "you're not going to open the window are you?". I replied that I was intending to as it is useless trying to take photos through the double glazing. However, as the other person had been in first I instead took off multiple layers and kept the window closed. The heaters continued to blast out more heat than was required, especially as the other hide user still had his coat and wooly hat on! Not sure how he'll cope with the more traditional style hides (the ones with the wee wooden flaps rather than windows which open to the elements, and no heating whatsoever, and which the option of keeping them closed means you see no birds, only a cold, dark wooden shed.). We were joined by an older birder with a scope and we settled down to see what was about.
At least 6 Tree Sparrows were on the feeders to the left. Black Headed, Herring and Common Gulls were near the bend in the river. Mallards were on the river and a large flock of Teal were hauled out on the far bank. Black Tailed Godwits and Redshanks fed along the edges, and a single Greylag lay out in the middle of the mud. The Peregrine could be seen perched up on the papermill. A few Oystercatchers could also be seen further over on the mud. A drake Goldeneye dived out on the river, but it was pointless attempting to photograph it through the closed windows. A single Great Black Backed Gull was picked out stood on its own. Blue Tits came down to the feeders.
A bit more scanning added Wigeon, Shelduck and Carrion Crow. A wee while later the first Great Tit popped in to the feeders. We were joined by a family group, - a young mother, her Dad and two young kids The kids initial enthusiasm wore off quite quickly but their Granddad did manage a reasonable spell of birding before having to move on. A Greenshank landed down below the front of the hide, but was joined immediately by a rather aggressive Redshank which chased it along the shoreline. A Curlew flew in and landed opposite the hide. One of the local Buzzards flew across the river to circle up above the conifers. A Grey Heron landed on our side of the river just beyond the papermill fence where it stayed for a short while before flying to the far bank where the sun was shining.
I picked out a very distant Lapwing and our first skein of Pink Footed Geese of the afternoon flew overhead. A Cormorant fished on the river below us. Surprisingly a couple of USAF aircraft did a practice approach ach at Leuchars - both converted bizjets (a Learjet and a Gulfstream). These were slightly more interesting than the birds at that point with little happening and with the window closed I wasn't even able to pick up birds by call, which usually helps add a few species here (a good warning of an impending Kingfisher flypast for one). Coal Tit and Chaffinch came to the feeders. A few Starlings flew up from the saltmarsh, and a Little Grebe appeared on the water out front. I picked up the Peregrine quite far out as it headed towards Balgove Bay, putting up a few distant flocks of waders as it went.
The older birder was first to leave with the cyclist not too far behind. With the time nearing 4pm and closing up time I decided to have a scout down to the south of the bridge, maybe adding Snipe to the list. Before I left, Buzzard and Magpie both flew across the river, in opposite directions. Woodpigeon was seen as I headed out of the park. From the footbridge I counted 8 Little Grebes, the most I've seen here. Mallards swam around nearby and a single Grey Heron stood hunched up in the water, with Redshanks along the bank.
I crossed the road to walk down the muddy track on the south side of the river. A few Blackbirds flew out from the trees. A few Black Headed Gulls lifted from the side of the Eden. I could hear geese and was rather surprised to see that the fields to the south were filled with hundreds of the birds. Once I had a clear view from beyond the trees I estimated between 800 & 1000 birds, all Pink Footed Geese as far as I could see. I discovered a previously unknown small bridge taking me across the small burn to get a better view of the geese, but some of the birds flew so I doubled back on myself and into the trees where a few more Blackbirds were seen. A few Black Tailed Godwits and Redshanks fed down on the mud and a large flock of a few hundred Woodpigeons wheeled round above the fields behind the houses opposite. A Buzzard perched on a fence post of the field containing the geese and with the sun setting I headed back to catch a bus for home. More Pink Footed Geese and gulls flew in to roost, as well as a small flock of Curlews.
The bus when it arrived was standing room only until Leuchars station but I made it back to Dundee where a Carrion Crow over Reform Street was the final bird of the day. Not a great day out with only 47 species seen, but I did manage to add 5 year ticks, taking me to 79.
Species seen (new in bold) - Blackbird, Black Headed Gull, Black Tailed Godwit, Blue Tit, Bullfinch, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Coal Tit, Collared Dove, Common Gull, Cormorant, Curlew, Dunlin, Goldeneye, Goldfinch, Great Black Backed Gull, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Greenshank, Grey Heron, Grey Wagtail, Greylag Goose, Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Lapwing, Little Grebe, Magpie, Mallard, Meadow Pipit, Mute Swan, Oystercatcher, Peregrine, Pink Footed Goose, Redshank, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Shelduck, Song Thrush, Starling, Teal, Tree Sparrow, Treecreeper, Wigeon, Woodpigeon, Wren.