As provisional plans to meet up with a friend had fallen through, I decided that I should probably see if I could see the Waxwings that had been found on Monday last week by Charles Rough, and which were still being reported yesterday. With hardly any of the birds around this winter again, it made sense to at least try. I decided that I would also try to add Jay to my year-list at Camperdown Park, as the species has so far eluded me this year.
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| Grey Wagtail |
I decided to get up to the street where the birds were reported, Wentworth Avenue, relatively early. I'm never overly keen on touting binoculars/cameras in built-up areas, so tend to see what I've got to see and move on again, quickly. With a bus at around 0915 I headed out at around 0910. The local House Sparrow flock were rather noisy though only 1 of them was seen. There were also a few Blackbirds around as I headed downhill to hopefully catch the bus. A Herring Gull glided over and a few Feral Pigeons passed overhead as I reached Dens Road. I added a pair of Collared Doves and a Magpie as I waited. I could hear what sounded like Bullfinches in the trees but failed to see them.
From the bus I did manage to add Woodpigeon, Carrion Crow, Starling and Black Headed Gull. There was a possible Peregrine on Cox's Stack but without hauling out my binoculars on the bus or seeing the bird in flight, I couldn't be sure. I has a rough idea where I was going to try to see the Waxwings but I didn't realise that the bus I was on, actually went the way I was headed, so I actually got off a few stops earlier than I needed to. This did mean that I got a pair of Redwings and a Goldfinch flying over and a couple of Blue Tits in trees by the side of the Crematorium. A flyover Chaffinch and a Robin were also seen as I headed into the housing scheme to look for the Waxwings.
As I wandered along the street which becomes Wentworth Avenue I heard what sounded like Waxwings calling and turned around in time to see what was either a flock of Starlings or Waxwings pass behind me and over the houses and out of sight. I contemplated detouring for a better look for about a second when I realised that ahead of me in a small tree in someone's garden were a flock of
Waxwings. I skirted round past them and crossed the road for a closer look and an angle to take a photo where the camera wasn't pointing in towards anyone's house. A quick count gave me 13 as I took a few photos in the rather dismal grey morning light. Unfortunately my lunch bag chose that moment to fall out of my opened camera bag and the subsequent thump as it hit the pavement caused the birds to fly off towards Rosemount Road.
As there was now no need to hang around I headed out onto the main road again where I discovered the birds were in the tops of some of the large deciduous trees, which is where I suspect the first flock most likely flew from given their direction of flight, which suggests that the numbers could have been as high as 40 birds (if the first lot were indeed Waxwings). I had considered walking round to Clatto reservoir but decided that I would instead head for Camperdown Park to look for Jays. A Great Tit was seen as I cut down Harrison Road and there was another in the hedge by the main road along with a few Blue Tits.
I walked in along the entrance road still debating where to look for the birds. I heard a drumming Great Spotted Woodpecker ahead of me, and soon managed to find it before it flew off back the way I'd come. Another drummed much closer as I walked on and I stopped to look for it. I actually managed to film a short video clip on my phone which shows the bird actually drumming, seemingly oblivious to me peering out from behind a nearby tree trunk. A call that I wasn't sure of persuaded me to head downhill along the edge of the park, instead of uphill around the back of the golf course.
There were plenty of birds around - Blackbirds, Blue Tits, a few Redwings, another 3 Great Spotted Woodpeckers, a few Great Tits, a Robin or two and some Woodpigeon. A Grey Squirrel was an unwelcome surprise as Camperdown is a good site for the smaller Reds. Further on down the hill I found a Mistle Thrush perched in one of the trees. A little further on I added Coal Tit. By now, the weather had taken a turn for the worse with fine drizzle falling which meant my glasses needed wiped free of water every 100 metres or so. Thankfully I had a cover for my camera with me though the light levels were poor in among the trees. A large flock of around 15-20 Long Tailed Tits were encountered as I wandered along the bottom edge of the park.
Goldcrests and a few Wrens were also seen as I wandered back up the hill along the western side of the park. A flock of Siskins were in the tops of one of the trees as I neared the side entrance. I detoured along to the duck pond where there were only Mallards and a few Black Headed Gulls and oddly a pair of Woodpigeons stood motionless in the water with their bellies partially submerged. They chose to fly before I was able to take a photo. A Song Thrush and a Robin were seen here too. Unfortunately, the top half of the park proved to be free of Jays also, and birds seemed to be keeping a low profile in general as the drizzle continued to fall. I decided to head for the Ninewells Arboretum to see if I could find Jay there.
I headed down Buttar's Loan to South Road then up onto Charleston Drive were a single Long Tailed Tit was seen in the trees across the road before I added a Pied Wagtail to the list for the day. I cut down the western side of the hospital to the Arboretum. I could hear plenty of Jackdaws and they were easy enough to see. A Grey Squirrel was also seen here. Blackbirds, Song Thrush, Blue Tit and Woodpigeons were also spotted. I could hear a Magpie from time to time but couldn't see it. I was near the small community garden when I heard it again, but this time it was countered by the harsh call of a Jay. Needless to say, I headed swiftly in that direction. As did a whole lot of Jackdaws.
The arrival of the Jackdaws seemed to spook the
Jay and it flew into the cover of a conifer at the rear of the garden. The Magpie waited at the other side with the Jackdaws sat atop the tree and others nearby. Nothing much happened. I moved to get a better view which resulted in the Jackdaws flying off. A few seconds later the Jay also flew of through the trees away from the Magpie which stayed put. Another year-tick successfully found (at last!). Despite the non-stop drizzle I decided I might as well continue on down to Riverside Nature Park for a wander round. Heading down the hill from the Arboretum I stopped to watch a skein of Pink Footed Geese fly over eastwards. A little further on I spotted a pair of Bullfinches in trees opposite but they flew off before I could get a photo.
I reached the park at around 1235. A Woodpigeon was on the ground in the roadside field along with a Mistle Thrush. Within a minute or so a Magpie had taken their place. A Buzzard flew off westwards across the park, and a pair of Blue Tits landed in a tree at the end of the small wooded area just inside the park. A Carrion Crow was in the trees in Buzzard Wood. A Dunnock and a pair of Redwings picked around below the trees along towards the western end of the rear of Buzzard Wood. There were a number of Redshanks feeding around the pools in the field along with a Pied Wagtail. A Black Headed Gull was seen flying over towards the Lochan.
A Siskin and a Chaffinch flew overhead and a pair of male Blackbirds squabbled along the hedge that splits the roadside fields. I wandered back along the rear of Buzzard Wood where I watched a Goldcrest and a Blue Tit feeding among the branches, and a pair of Chaffinch males perched in a tree. As I walked towards the boggy area to search for Snipe, I spotted a flock of Curlews over the airport. There were at least 3 Snipe among the rather saturated area in front of Buzzard Wood. One of them took off without calling but photos showed it to just be a Common Snipe and not a Jack Snipe.
A Wren was also seen among the vegetation and a Robin was in Buzzard Wood along with a few more Redwings. Wandering further round I bumped into my niece and nephew out with their gran and grandad and pointed out a Magpie, Chaffinches and Herring Gull while we chatted. A Song Thrush and a Great Tit were seen before I made it round to the bay where mist out on the river made the landscape seem strange with Fife invisible and the mist merging with the sky to make a soft grey-white ethereal look. A pair of Cormorants could be seen in the bay and looking towards the burn mouth I could see that the tide had already receded enough to leave some mud. Gulls, mostly Herring, were on the pipe along with a Great Black Backed Gull, a Grey Heron and another Cormorant.
I headed round to the hide where I added Mallard, Teal, Dunlin and Common Gull. I scanned through the waders as best as I could, but couldn't find anything other than Redshanks. I walked along to the Lochan where there were more sleeping Mallard and Teal as well as a number of Teal active over the far side. A pair of Mute Swans swam around in the middle along with a few Black Headed Gulls. A Grey Wagtail landed just in front of the hide screen by the edge of the water. A Grey Heron stood in the shallows at the eastern end. Scanning along the far shore I found a single Black Tailed Godwit, in addition to a few Redshanks. There was also a sleeping Oystercatcher. A Pied Wagtail was seen further across the field and a pair of Stock Doves briefly touched down nearby before flying off again.
With little likelihood of adding much else I decided to head for the bus back into town. My watch had decided to stop working so I decided to buy a new one then head for Swannie Ponds before heading home, in the hope of maybe finding an Iceland Gull or at least a new ringed Black Headed Gull. A Goldcrest showed very close as I stood at the bus stop but didn't stick around for a photo. I reached Swannie Ponds at around 1520 and there were plenty of gulls on the water and along the path. Mostly Herring Gulls and Black Headed Gulls from what I could see. The young Mute Swan was on its own and there were Mallards, a few Tufted Ducks, a single Coot (where has he been?) and a drake Goosander on the water.
As I headed round to check the gulls on the path they all flew off, before I could get a photo of the yellow ringed bird I was able to make out among the birds on the path. A Moorhen appeared from behind the island to join the Coot, and the adult Mute Swans were seen down on the lower pond. A Magpie flew up onto the island and I headed for home. A Sparrowhawk flew over as I walked along Clepington Road but there were no further additions before I made it home.
A total of 52 species seen (36 at the park, and 37 outwith) including 2 welcome year-ticks (in bold) and despite the almost constant drizzle, a relatively enjoyable day's birding around the western edges of Dundee.
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| Waxwing |
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| Waxwing |
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| Great Spotted Woodpecker |
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| Mistle Thrush |
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| Black Headed Gull |
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| Magpie |
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| Blue Tit |
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| Snipe |
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| Snipe |
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| Cormorant |
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| Carrion Crow & Buzzard |
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| Buzzard |
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| Buzzard |
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| Buzzard |
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| Grey Heron |
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| Teal, Mallard, Redshank, Dunlin & Common Gull |
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| Grey Wagtail |
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| Grey Wagtail |
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| Grey Heron |
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| Black Headed Gull, Teal & Oystercatcher |
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| Teal & Black Tailed Godwit |
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| Mute Swan |
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| Stock Dove |
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| Teal |
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| Goosander |
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| Goosander |
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| Moorhen & Coot |
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| Mute Swan |
Species seen outwith Riverside Nature Park - Blackbird, Black Headed Gull, Blue Tit, Bullfinch, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Coal Tit, Collared Dove, Coot, Goldcrest, Goldfinch, Goosander, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Great Tit, Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Jackdaw,
Jay, Long Tailed Tit, Magpie, Mallard, Mistle Thrush, Moorhen, Mute Swan, Pied Wagtail, Pink Footed Goose, Redwing, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Siskin, Song Thrush, Sparrowhawk, Starling, Tufted Duck,
Waxwing, Woodpigeon, Wren.
Species seen at Riverside Nature Park - Blackbird, Black Headed Gull, Black Tailed Godwit, Blue Tit, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Common Gull, Cormorant, Curlew, Dunlin, Dunnock, Goldcrest, Great Black Backed Gull, Great Tit, Grey Heron, Grey Wagtail, Herring Gull, Jackdaw, Magpie, Mallard, Mistle Thrush, Mute Swan, Oystercatcher, Pied Wagtail, Redshank, Redwing, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Siskin, Snipe, Song Thrush, Stock Dove, Teal, Woodpigeon, Wren.
