A rather chilly Saturday meant leaving a warm bed proved difficult. However, when I did eventually rise the sun was shining so I decided I really should get out and do a bit of birding. With available time short in November I decided to walk to Balmossie, via Swannie Ponds and Eastern Cemetery. Swannie Ponds was to look for ringed gulls and the cemetery was to see if any Waxwings had arrived in Dundee yet.
 |
| Redwing |
It was 1200 when I headed out, a Robin flew out across the street from below a car, and a flock of Feral Pigeons circled round overhead. A Herring Gull glided past. A Blue Tit flew across Court Street to some feeders in a garden. A Carrion Crow was near the top of the road. Walking along Clepington Road, I spotted a Sparrowhawk circling above the wasteground at Mains Terrace above a flock of Feral Pigeons, before it dived into a garden on Clepington Road. The first Woodpigeon of the day flew over the roofs and out of sight. Seconds later, a Grey Wagtail passed over headed in the same direction.
Reaching the ponds, I could see that they were largely frozen. A Blackbird, Wren and Dunnock flitted through the bushes by the path. Out on the ice were a number of Black Headed Gulls and I looked through them for rings on the legs. There were none. A few Herring Gulls were also out on the ice. On the small area of open water were most of the Mallards, as well as a single Goosander and a pair of Moorhens. The Mute Swans and more gulls were on the lower pond. There were a few slightly more wary Common Gulls on the ice behind the main group. I found one ringed Black Headed Gull - white J4U2, a Norwegian ringed bird and a returning bird, having been at the ponds for at least the past 2 winters. A second metal ringed bird was too far away to read much, before the flock flew off to feed on bread being fed to the ducks on the top pond.
I headed on towards Eastern Cemetery next. I heard plenty of House Sparrows but they seemed to be in hedges and hidden from view. At the cemetery, a Chaffinch was the first bird seen, but I could hear Mistle Thrushes calling and it didn't take too long to see some. A Coal Tit was in a tree above me and a Blue Tit showed well nearby. There were also a few Blackbirds around and the odd Redwing. A Fieldfare was feeding on Yew berries with Mistle Thrushes and a single Redwing. A Buzzard was harried by Carrion Crows as it flew off. Greenfinches and a few Goldfinches were found next. I heard a chuckling Magpie, and spotted it atop a conifer. More searching found nothing else new so I continued on to Stannergate.
There were a few Starlings around, and more House Sparrows were heard in bushes but went unseen. Along the shoreline was a single Curlew and a Cormorant was stood on the outflow pipe, next to a Herring Gull. Further along the path I spotted a Grey Heron in the lee of another outflow pipe, and took a few photos before continuing on. A Collared Dove flew along parallel to the railway line near the end of the esplanade. Along by Douglas Terrace, an Oystercatcher was on the shore but a flock of Turnstones was flushed by a dog walker. House Sparrows were in the gardens and I finally managed to see a single bird fly past.
Just beyond the lifeboat station a Rock Pipit flew up from the beach. Out in the river were a trio of Red Breasted Mergansers. A Mute Swan was in the the bay between the jettys while a dog chased the Turnstones and gulls off the beach. A pair of Pied Wagtails were on the path behind the cars as I headed towards the castle. Another Grey Heron was on rocks just offshore as well as a Redshank and Oystercatcher. I wandered onwards along the esplanade stopping to photograph a few House Sparrows in a bush by the path.
I headed into the small local nature reserve where there were a number of Blackbirds and Blue Tits in the bushes and a large skein of Pink Footed Geese overhead. Wren was heard but not seen as was a Great Spotted Woodpecker calling from across the railway line. Goldcrests were heard around the rock garden but I didn't spend much time looking for them. Ahead of me on the shore I could see a group of waders. Bar Tailed Godwits, Knot, Dunlin and Ringed Plovers. There were a few Redshanks also. Unfortunately, a large chunk of the flock was flushed by walkers along the beach.
Further on towards the mouth of the Dighty there were a number of Mallards and Wigeon. Turnstones were bathing by the sewage pipe outflow. A Grey Plover was on the spit across the burn and a Goldeneye was out on the river. A Spaniel flushed almost everything from the mouth of the burn before I had a chance to check through the gull flock properly. Way out in the river a huge flock of birds were seen on the horizon, most likely the Eiders which winter off Tentsmuir Point. With the sun close to setting I headed for the bus and home.
 |
| Black Headed Gull |
 |
| Mallard |
 |
| Goosander |
 |
| Mallard & Moorhen |
 |
| Black Headed Gull (J4U2) |
 |
| Blackbird |
 |
| Mistle Thrush |
 |
| Mistle Thrush |
 |
| Fieldfare, Mistle Thrush & Redwing |
 |
| Redwing |
 |
| Goldfinch |
 |
| Mistle Thrush |
 |
| Magpie |
 |
| Chaffinch |
 |
| Redwing |
 |
| Chaffinch |
 |
| Redwing |
 |
| Grey Heron |
 |
| Collared Dove |
 |
| Oystercatcher |
 |
| Herring Gull |
 |
| Cormorant |
 |
| Curlew |
 |
| Turnstone |
 |
| Mute Swan |
 |
| Pied Wagtail |
 |
| House Sparrow |
 |
| Grey Heron |
 |
| House Sparrow |
 |
| House Sparrow |
 |
| Woodpigeon |
 |
| Black Headed Gull & Bar Tailed Godwit |
 |
| Ringed Plover |
 |
| Bar Tailed Godwit, Black Headed Gull & Knot |
 |
| Bar Tailed Godwit & Knot |
 |
| Bar Tailed Godwit & Black Headed Gull |
 |
| Ringed Plover |
 |
| Turnstone |
 |
| Wigeon |
 |
| Grey Plover |
 |
| Wigeon |
 |
| Wigeon |
 |
| Grey Plover |
 |
| Wigeon |
46 species seen - Bar Tailed Godwit, Blackbird, Black Headed Gull, Blue Tit, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Coal Tit, Collared Dove, Common Gull, Cormorant, Curlew, Dunlin, Dunnock, Fieldfare, Goldeneye, Goldfinch, Goosander, Greenfinch, Grey Heron, Grey Plover, Grey Wagtail, Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Knot, Magpie, Mallard, Mistle Thrush, Moorhen, Mute Swan, Oystercatcher, Pied Wagtail, Pink Footed Goose, Red Breasted Merganser, Redshank, Redwing, Ringed Plover, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Rock Pipit, Sparrowhawk, Starling, Turnstone, Wigeon, Woodpigeon, Wren.
