As the Tay reedbeds had been an option for the day before and with Grasshopper Warblers apparently trickling into the country, myself and Nat decided that a walk to see if we could find any Grasshopper Warblers (and maybe a bonus Bearded Tit or two) would be a worthwhile way to spend a Sunday. With a reasonable weather forecast at the very least we'd have a good few hours in the very welcome sunshine.
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| Tree Sparrow |
Nat picked me up at 0830. It was cold but sunny as we set off for Errol. Blackbird, Herring Gull and Woodpigeon got the day's list started off with Feral Pigeon soon after. Carrion Crow was added as we left Dundee. Starlings, Oystercatcher and a few Herring Gulls were by a pool in a field near Grange. When we arrived in Errol there were a few House Sparrows chirping from the gardens and roofs while a Collared Dove flew up into a tree. We walked down Gas Brae adding Jackdaws to the list. The small community garden held a calling Yellowhammer as well as a few Blue Tits. In the field behind there were numerous Rooks picking around. From the trees near the corner we could hear Tree Sparrows calling loudly and we eventually had good views of one 'singing' in the sunshine. A small charm of goldfinches flew in as Swallows swooped low over the fields hawking for insects.
There were Chaffinches as well as Tree Sparrows in the mature Oak (if memory serves me well) trees further down the track. Nat spotted the first Skylark of the day as it climbed skywards. When we walked down past the house at the junction of the paths to the open area beyond, a Buzzard flew out across the reedbed away from us and a Roe Deer broke cover and hurtled across the grass and into the reeds on the other side. A Dunnock showed among the bushes, while from a small tree a pair of Linnets watched us warily. A party of Sand Martins raced away across the reeds and a couple of Lesser Redpolls called as they too overflew. Unfortunately there were no reeling Grasshopper Warblers, despite lots of listening and hoping.
A Great Spotted Wooodpecker was seen on the feeders in the garden of the house, while a Great Tit flew into the trees nearby. We headed up the path below the trees to walk along to the pools at Port Allen a bit to the west. There were plenty of birds calling though not all were easy to see. A wren sang loudly from a tangle of bushes and the first Robin of the day perched in a tree above.Higher in the branches was a Coal Tit picking around acrobatically, with another close by in another tree. A male Reed Bunting called from the lower reaches of another bush. Walking on we eventually managed to spot a Chiffchaff which had been calling loudly but which we struggled to find. Nay eventually picked it out among the branches.
I spotted a pair of Treecreepers, one dark and one paler, climbing up a tree trunk almost side by side and our first Willow Warbler of the day put in an appearance. The wood echoed to the sounds of birds with various warblers probably the loudest. Blackcap eluded us however, despite much searching, the birds seeming to know we were looking and moving further on ahead of us with only glimpses of what might have been the birds on offer. We reached the open area which becomes a nettle bed later in the Summer from where it is possible to look out on a huge expanse of reeds. I spotted a male Marsh Harrier quartering over the reeds well to the east though the bird was headed in our direction. Unfortunately before it got close enough for a reasonable photo it had turned back eastwards. A bird well out over the river wasn't the hoped for Osprey but was merely a Lesser Black Backed Gull.
Walking a short distance further west we reached the corner of the first pool. We could hear a Sedge Warbler calling loudly but at best all we could see were a glimpses of bits of bird through the reeds. We had planned to stand atop the banking that runs around the pool and watch for birds flying above the reeds, or perched on the tops. Instead we wandered along a bit, not intending to go very far. Out on the water were a number of Tufted Ducks, a few Mallards and around 10 or so Goldeneye. As we walked along the banking a bird suddenly flew out low across the water. A pale-ish blue back and wings - a male Sparrowhawk. It flew across to the other side before sweeping low along the edge and then up through the low branches on the opposite bank before briefly landing on a fallen tree. It took off again, cutting through the trees before sweeping upwards to land higher in a tall tree, out of view from where we stood.
There were a few Reed Buntings but nothing else in the reeds as far as we could see or hear, but we decided to see how far round we could get. Within the next few weeks the 'path' becomes too overgrown to get very far so we took the opportunity to explore. Out on the river we could see a number of Teal, as well as a Grey Heron and a Cormorant. A Curlew picked around in the mud and Nat spotted a drake Goosander. I found what I think was Otter spraint in a few places, at one point at the top of a 'slide' into the water. We eventually made it all the way round unhindered though the brambles at the end will soon be impassable I suspect.
A Pied Wagtail flew up ahead of us, landing on the roof of one of the houses up from the burn.A singing Blackcap was finally found high up in the tree tops. A pair of Great Crested Grebes had appeared out on the water from wherever they had been hiding. We walked a little way along the edge of the second pool to an area where I've had Grasshopper Warbler a few years ago. Unfortunately it was rather quiet again with not even a Sedge Warbler (though there was a Chiffchaff and Blackcap). We headed back towards the trees to walk back to Errol. It was more of the same however, with similar species to those seen earlier though we did manage clearer views of the Sedge Warbler this time. Nat had missed the male Sparrowhawk so she was quite pleased to see a female circling up just as we were about to leave the 'nettlebed' viewpoint.
Walking back up Gas Brae we had a Meadow Pipit fly over calling as it went, and a Song Thrush was seen at the community garden. We had a spot of lunch in the car before deciding to head for Kingoodie and another spot nearby where I'd seen Grasshopper Warbler in the past. We added a pair of Magpies on the way and arriving at Kingoodie we parked at the western end of the village. Out in the bay were a number of gulls including Black Headed Gulls, and a few Teal plus a number of Redshanks. There were House Sparrows chirping loudly from the banking at the road with some perched on the fence at the top. We wandered along the road then under the railway and along a track, where a pair of Chaffinches mating was the only thing of note. Once again we drew a blank on Grasshopper Warblers, though a couple of Siskins dropped into a tall tree near where we were searching.
Coming back we found a pair of Long Tailed Tits in the trees by the railbridge. We watched a few Linnets and Goldfinches bathing in the small burn and a Wren on the track behind them. A Pied Wagtail perched on a small shed roof. With time increasingly against us and the tide almost fully in we made a very quick visit 20 minute to Riverside Nature Park barely scratching the surface, though we did manage to see 11 species in the short time, Stock Dove being the only new addition. The others being Carrion Crow, Blackbird, Swallow, Woodpigeon, Goldfinch, Mallard, Robin, Chaffinch, Herring Gull and Song Thrush.
Not the most successful of outings, but as the saying goes - you win some, you lose some (and it is still early for both Grasshopper Warbler and Bearded Tit anyway - plenty time to get both). 56 species seen in total and plenty fresh air. A few butterflies on the wing too - mostly Peacocks and Small Tortoiseshells.
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| Woodpigeon |
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| Blue Tit |
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| Yellowhammer |
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| Great Spotted Woodpecker |
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| Treecreeper |
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| Wren |
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| Sparrowhawk |
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| Goldeneye |
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| Blackcap |
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| Sparrowhawk |
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| Peacock butterfly |
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| Swallow |
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| Long Tailed Tit |
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| Teal |
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| Grey Heron |
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| Black Headed Gull |
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| Redshank |
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| Pied Wagtail |
Species seen (those also seen at Riverside Nature Park in italics, only at Riverside Nature Park in bold italics) -
Blackbird, Blackcap, Black Headed Gull, Blue Tit, Buzzard,
Carrion Crow,
Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Coal Tit, Collared Dove, Cormorant, Curlew, Dunnock, Goldeneye,
Goldfinch, Goosander, Great Crested Grebe, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Great Tit, Grey Heron,
Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Lesser Redpoll, Linnet, Long Tailed Tit, Magpie,
Mallard, Marsh Harrier, Meadow Pipit, Oystercatcher, Pied Wagtail, Redshank, Reed Bunting,
Robin, Feral Pigeon, Rook, Sand Martin, Sedge Warbler, Shelduck, Siskin, Skylark,
Song Thrush, Sparrowhawk, Starling,
Stock Dove,
Swallow, Teal, Tree Sparrow, Treecreeper, Tufted Duck, Willow Warbler,
Woodpigeon, Wren, Yellowhammer.
