It has been a while since I last posted a non-outing blog post, but with a bit of spare time available I thought I might as well post something and hope that whoever reads it might find it of interest. My birding "history", or more correctly the recording of my birding, consists of a number of different lists. The main one is my life list, now at over 250 species - the actual number depends on just what I count, and don't count. My Scottish list which is really my life list minus the sole species I've seen in England that I've yet to see up here - Ring Necked Parakeet, is the one I look to add to as often as possible. With the odd Parakeet, and even sometimes more than one, being seen in Dundee hopefully it won't be too long before both the Scottish and Life lists are equal in length again.
 |
| House Sparrow |
I've also got my Riverside Nature Park list (as well as taking on the responsibility for the park list as a whole - currently at 137 species, of which I've seen 121 of them) as well as a "Dundee" list that includes those species on the RNP list and extends a little beyond the city as far as the edge of Barry Buddon in the east and Kingoodie in the west - basically as far as the unbroken urban area extends. Within that I also have a "work" list of species seen either from work, or that would be visible from work if I'd been at work (White Tailed Eagle and Osprey both seen from Riverside Nature Park are in that particular group). The work list currently sits at 39 species.
There is one other main list that I actively keep, and hope to add to every time I look out the window, but rarely do. This is my 'house list'. This consists of the birds seen from my windows, but as my view is a bit limited by surrounding buildings I include any bird that I see within identifiable distance if I was at home. So larger birds from a bit further away go on the list but smaller birds need to be a lot closer. One other unique feature of this particular list is that I count 'heard only' birds on it. Every other list that I keep the birds must be seen to be added. During migration times it is possible to hear birds calling at night as they fly over the city and as long as they are identifiable they go on the list. I've also discovered that in Autumn Meadow Pipits are regularly heard and sometimes seen usually heading roughly southwest in the direction of Dundee Law, usually early in the morning, though this may also be before traffic noise and general background noise drowns out the calls from above.
It isn't just Meadow Pipits that I've heard migrating over in Autumn, I've also had Tree Pipit and a Yellow Wagtail pass overhead, both while waiting for my bus to work. Learning bird calls (and songs) has opened up a whole new range of 'sightings', both for my home list but also for all the rest of my lists too. It is just a pity that it took so long for my brain to register the sounds and match them to the correct species. There are a few other 'heard only' birds on the list, including a couple of migrating waders - a Dunlin, and a Common Sandpiper. The latter was heard around midnight while leaning out of my window trying to work out whether or not I could hear distant thunder. The most recent addition was a Tawny Owl heard around 4am one morning when I was feeling ill and had opened my window for some fresh air when I couldn't sleep.
Around half the birds on the list are the 'everyday' species, the ones that I don't have to try too hard to see - Herring Gulls, House Sparrows and Blackbirds are probably the most frequently seen of those. Then there's Carrion Crows, Feral Pigeons, Woodpigeons and Starlings. In summer, Swifts provide the soundtrack as they scream around above the surrounding streets while Lesser Black Backed Gulls complement the Herring Gull numbers, and in winter Pink Footed Geese, and sometimes Greylags, and Redwings pass overhead regularly, while Robins seem to sing at all time of night and day throughout the dark and cold winter months. There are a few other species that are less frequently seen but I know they are around at various times of year - Collared Doves, Oystercatchers, Blue Tits, Sparrowhawk, Chaffinches, Black Headed Gulls, Dunnocks and Jackdaws. Magpies are increasingly common, not just around my home but throughout the city and to an extent the local area too. Wrens are heard far more often than they are seen.
Despite being in quite an urban area I've managed to see 4 species of raptor - the Sparrowhawks being the most frequently seen, usually the flap, flap glide flight as they circle up looking for a prospective target before vanishing behind buildings. Buzzards are not exactly regular but are no longer a surprise when they are seen. Kestrel and Peregrine have also both been seen. I suspect that Osprey could be seen passing over with a lot of luck. Other larger birds seen overflying have included Grey Heron, Mute Swan and a Cormorant which came from the north and headed in the direction of the Tay early one Saturday morning. Mallards are another slightly unexpected species that I've seen on their way somewhere. A few Common Gulls join the other gull species as they perch atop the chimneys and rooftops nearby for a few months usually around late Summer.
One Christmas day a few years ago I watched a flock of Fieldfares flying around the local area, sometimes stopping in one of the few trees visible from my window. Goldfinches are fairly regular these days. Slightly more surprising are the Linnets that sometimes turn up. A pair of Grey Wagtails was another surprise species as they chased each other around early one Spring morning. In addition to the Swifts that arrive in May and leave early in August, there are sometimes a few House Martins and Swallows that show for a short while, usually as they are moving through.
There are a few other species that I've been lucky enough to chance upon once or twice and which I've been pleased to be able to add to the list. Long Tailed Tits, Pied Wagtail, Rook, Siskin and Song Thrush take the list to its current total of 48 species. Hopefully I will soon get the list to a nice round 50 species, though I have no idea what numbers 49 and 50 are likely to be. Great Tit maybe? I've also had a singing Chiffchaff in Autumn just outside the 'home' range. Anyone fancy predicting what will be the next addition?
Despite what appears at first glance to be a rather unpromising area for birds - there are few 'gardens' around and not too many bushes and trees in general, by paying attention I've shown that those looks are actually deceiving and that there is a bit of variety around. Not always easy to see, but it is there. If I can get almost 50 species on my 'home' list it should be possible for almost anyone to get at least 20 or 30 species without trying too hard. I recently seen a photo of a Bittern perched on a windowsill of a block of flats in the middle of a city. Ok, it was Bulgaria but still it shows that almost anything can turn up almost anywhere, so keep those eyes and ears open......
 |
| Carrion Crow |
 |
| Woodpigeon |
 |
| Blue Tit |
 |
| Grey Heron |
 |
| Blackbird |
 |
| Kestrel |
 |
| Robin |
 |
| Starling |
 |
| Swallow |
 |
| Mute Swan |
 |
| Mallard |
 |
| Oystercatcher |
 |
| Wren |
The 'house list' as it currently stands (heard only records in bold) - Black Headed Gull, Blackbird, Blue Tit, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Collared Dove, Common Gull,
Common Sandpiper, Cormorant,
Dunlin, Dunnock, Fieldfare, Goldfinch, Grey Heron, Grey Wagtail, Greylag Goose, Herring Gull, House Martin, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Kestrel, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Linnet, Long Tailed Tit, Magpie, Mallard, Meadow Pipit, Mute Swan, Oystercatcher, Peregrine Falcon, Pied Wagtail, Pink Footed Goose, Redwing, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Rook, Siskin, Song Thrush, Sparrowhawk, Starling, Swallow, Swift,
Tawny Owl,
Tree Pipit, Woodpigeon, Wren,
Yellow Wagtail.
