Having to work for 4 hours on Christmas Day meant a 3.6 mile walk to work (and another home again afterwards). I was hoping for dry and mild weather for the walk there to allow me to squeeze in some birding of sorts along the way. Unfortunately, when I woke up I discovered that the previously forecast rain in the late afternoon had become heavy rain all day. I would still have to walk to work and I'd get rather wet into the bargain but it meant that I'd be taking a less meandering route than I had considered taking. No camera or binoculars would be taken either so I would be reliant on just my eyes and ears for ID.
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| House Sparrow |
With the walk taking around 55 minutes I set off just before 1120, giving me 15 minutes extra time on the way. It was raining steadily when I got outside but there were a few birds around. I could hear Redwings calling nearby but didn't have time to investigate properly. A Woodpigeon was perched on a lamp post and a Blackbird was on the roof of a house opposite. Herring Gull was added a few minutes later with a few birds perched on more lamp posts. A Carrion Crow and a small flock of Feral Pigeons were next on the list as I passed Dens Park stadium. I added a Dunnock and a Robin as well as another Blackbird in Maryatt Street.
It was some time before I added anything else with a Blue Tit heard first on Loons Road, though I also had a possible Peregrine perched on the ledge of Cox's Stack and a possible Mistle Thrush in a tree full of berries as I walked down the hill. Black Headed Gulls and a few Herring Gulls were seen on the grass at Lochee Park. There are usually a few Common Gulls with them but there were none obvious. As I crossed the road at the other end of the park, I found a couple of House Sparrows perched on the corner of a roof adding another species to the list.
As I crossed Ninewells Avenue I spotted a few birds flying into a berry laden bush and suspected they might be Redwings. I was unable to see most of them but thankfully there was a single bird sitting just behind the fence that I could see well enough to confirm that I was correct with my suspicions. As I neared work I spotted a small flock of Long Tailed Tits flitting around in trees by the path I was on, taking my total to 12 species for the 55 minute walk. Not a great return but given the poor conditions not unexpectedly low.
Four hours later as I exited work to head for home again, it was still raining but was now also rather dark, so I wasn't expecting to add anything to the list but I could hear a skein of Pink Footed Geese overhead and thankfully there was enough reflected light on the low clouds that I was able to make out the skein taking the total to 13 species.
Highlights were probably the Long Tailed Tits and the Redwings and in better weather I suspect I could have added another few species at least to the list, even sticking to the same route.
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| Carrion Crow |
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| Pink Footed Geese |
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| Black Headed Gull |
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| Herring Gull |
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| Woodpigeon |
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| Feral Pigeon |
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| Blackbird |
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| Robin |
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| Redwing |
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| Dunnock |
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| Blue Tit |
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| Long Tailed Tit |
Species seen - Blackbird, Black Headed Gull, Blue Tit, Carrion Crow, Dunnock, Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Long Tailed Tit, Pink Footed Goose, Redwing, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Woodpigeon.
(All photos used on this post are from previous outings, as no camera was taken with me owing to the conditions).
