Having been to Fife Ness on Saturday, I decided against going back with Dundee RSPB on Sunday. Instead, I checked to see if Barry Buddon was open to the public. Given its location, it should get birds passing through. My thoughts were that with winds from the southeast, there was a chance of birds being blown in from off the sea, as well as birds heading south potentially stopping off, or at least passing over. As it happened my luck was in, there was no live firing taking place so the range area was open to the public.
 |
| Stonechat |
I had slept a little longer than I planned on, having been up very early yesterday, so it was around 0920 before I headed out. Once again there wasn't too much around on the walk to the bus stop with only Woodpigeon, Feral Pigeon and Herring Gull seen though there were plenty of Robins heard along the route. While waiting for the bus I did manage to add a few extra to the list. A Coal Tit was flying around across the road. A Goldfinch flew over and a pair of Dunnocks flew into the bushes opposite.
From the bus I added a Blackbird near Baxter Park, and then a Mistle Thrush in the very top of a tall tree by the Dundee High School playing fields. Carrion Crow and Starling were seen on Craigie Avenue. Mute Swans were on the Dighty towards Monifieth and Jackdaws were seen on Monifieth High Street. Swallow, Black Headed Gull and Rook were picked up between Monifieth and Barry village and Collared Dove and House Sparrow were seen in the village. A Blue Tit was spotted as I walked down the end of Carnoustie. I had just taken my binoculars out of my bag when a Jay flew over. A Pied Wagtail was next, and the first few Skylarks passed over higher up. Grey Wagtail was heard then seen flying over. A few Chaffinches were with a flock of House Sparrows.
More Skylarks passed over as I entered Barry Buddon range and I hadn't gone too far before a second Jay and the first, but not last, Great Spotted Woodpecker of the day flew across the road. A Willow Warbler was picked up on one side of the track and a pair of Chiffchaffs were in the trees on the other side of the road, though their calls did sound a bit odd, not the typical call. A distant Buzzard was added and a flyover flock of Lesser Redpolls circled round. I decided to head out towards the lighthouses and the coast. A Stonechat was added out in an open area, as well as a Great Tit in the trees alongside some Goldcrests. The first Robin actually visible for the day popped up in the trees nearby.
Walking out the long road to the lighthouses, I added Meadow Pipit to the list. Once I finally made it to the edge of the dunes, I sat down, though with rain blowing through and the wind picking up, it wasn't particularly pleasant. Nevertheless, I started scanning. A Cormorant (probably a Sinensis race bird) flew past and further out I added a few Gannets. A Curlew flew out across the beach while just offshore were a few Eiders. A Great Black Backed Gull was next to fly through. Well out on the water was a Red Breasted Merganser. Sandwich Terns were also still around and a Common Gull drifted by on the wind. A Kestrel glided by just before I decided to head round to beside the main lighthouse.
There was a Red Throated Diver just offshore still in breeding plumage as well as a couple of Eiders. A pair of Curlews were down on the beach. Unfortunately, so were a couple of dog walkers kicking a ball for a couple of dogs. No matter how secluded an area seems to be, there always seems to be a dog walker has got there first. Needless to say, there were no more birds on the beach, though an Oystercatcher did fly through from the direction the dogs and owners were going in. I had some lunch then headed back inland. A skein of Pink Footed Geese flew over, also heading inland. Meadow Pipits and Skylarks, the odd Carrion Crow, and a few Buzzards were all I managed to add until a Reed Bunting flew up near the area known as 'Happy Valley' on the annual Barry Buddon nature groups outings.
Near the golf course a Magpie flew over from the golf course to some trees across the far side of a firing range. A number of Curlews were roosting in the middle, far enough away from a child and his father practicing their golf from the raised part of the range end. When I eventually made it to the eastern end of the range complex, the sea was quite rough and birds were few and far between until I looked properly. There was a flock of Common Scoters and a pair of Razorbills on the water and another Red Throated Diver. Further out there were Gannets passing while closer in Sandwich Terns were fishing among the waves.
I didn't linger very long choosing instead to walk along the edge of the golf course adding a few more Stonechats, a flock of Linnets and some House Sparrows. I stopped to photograph an Agusta 109 helicopter which had landed behind the hotel on the grass beside a car park and which the locals were stopping by to take photos of their kids beside it. Once they'd cleared away I got a few nice photos with my phone, as my lens was a bit lengthy for the close proximity of the helicopter. A quick check of the shore added Redshank and Grey Heron to the list before I wandered up to wait for the bus back to Dundee.
I had debated walking along to Craigmill Burn but my legs felt quite heavy already so I decided against it. On the way home I contemplated a stop at Balmossie, as well as waking up past Swannie Ponds and finally the option of heading out to Riverside nature Park to catch the tide coming in. If I'd done that I would have added a new bird to my own list of birds seen from the park, as Stuart Green found a Little Stint (and a few Curlew Sandpipers too). Instead I went home for a rest and to decide where to go tomorrow despite a less than favourable weather forecast. There was one other addition to the list as a Sparrowhawk flew high over near the bottom of Craigie Avenue. A Grey Wagtail flew over Reform Street as I walked up to catch the bus from the city centre home.
Not as good a day out as I'd hoped but still a variety of species seen, and birds definitely moving through (though mostly Skylarks), so the theory was sound. 53 species seen and a few others heard only (Wren and Long Tailed Tit).
 |
| Carrion Crow |
 |
| Buzzard |
 |
| Curlew |
 |
| Kestrel |
 |
| Red Throated Diver |
 |
| Cormorant (probable Sinensis race) |
 |
| Eider |
 |
| Buzzard |
 |
| Pink Footed Goose |
 |
| Skylark |
 |
| Buzzard |
 |
| Meadow Pipit |
 |
| Swallow |
 |
| Curlew |
 |
| Magpie |
 |
| Common Scoter |
 |
| Stonechat |
 |
| Linnet |
Species seen - Blackbird, Black Headed Gull, Blue Tit, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Coal Tit, Collared Dove, Common Gull, Common Scoter, Cormorant, Curlew, Dunnock, Eider, Gannet, Goldcrest, Goldfinch, Great Black Backed Gull, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Great Tit, Grey Heron, Grey Wagtail, Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Jay, Kestrel, Lesser Redpoll, Linnet, Magpie, Meadow Pipit, Mistle Thrush, Mute Swan, Oystercatcher, Pied Wagtail,Pink Footed Goose, Razorbill, Red Breasted Merganser, Redshank, Red Throated Diver, Reed Bunting, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Rook, Sandwich Tern, Skylark, Sparrowhawk, Starling, Stonechat, Swallow, Willow Warbler, Woodpigeon.
