At times this year has seemed to be going really slowly and at others really quickly, so I'm not sure if December feels like it has arrived early, late or bang on time but regardless it is now here and the days are running out to add to my 2018 list. Getting up out of bed at this time of year and the changeable weather are the 2 biggest stumbling blocks though the short daylight hours don't help either. On Saturday I had considered an early start and a trip to Loch of Kinnordy to try for the elusive Bittern but I slept in. When I did get up I decided not to stay in but as with last weekend options were limited with regards travel time cutting into available birding time, so I decided to repeat the route from last Sunday to see what differences better weather and a different tide state would make to the birds I saw.
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| Jay |
I headed out at 1205. Blackbird, Herring Gull and Carrion Crow were first onto the list. A Common Gull on a chimney stack was relatively uncommon. Starling and Feral Pigeon were seen as I headed up Court Street. I detoured along Mains Terrace where I added a Woodpigeon and a Bullfinch, as well as a Blue Tit and a few Jackdaws. Arriving minutes later at Swannie Ponds I found a fairly typical mix of species - Black Headed and Herring Gulls, Mallards, Mute Swans, Tufted Ducks, Coot and 3 male and 1 female Goosander. Another Common Gull was found on the lower pond and 2 of the Black Headed Gulls were regular ringed birds - white J4U2 and yellow 2CA6.
A Mistle Thrush was seen in a tree from Rodd Road and a few more were in Eastern Cemetery. A Magpie was seen in flight and a Rabbit hopped away among the gravestones. I finally found a few trees full of Redwings, probably around 40 or so in total but no sign of any Fieldfares. The local Buzzard took flight as a car passed. Near the southeast corner I spotted a single Greenfinch in a tree. House Sparrows were in a garden as I walked down towards the Stannergate and the river. Robins were heard but not seen. A Song Thrush showed well and a Goldfinch flew over. Out on the river were a number of Red Breasted Merganser, with the flat calm conditions making them easy to see.
A few Rooks and some Carrion Crows were on the shoreline. A single female Eider was relatively close in. A little further on a pair of Oystercatchers and a Redshank picked around among the pebbles and seweed. A Grey Heron waded around in the shallows and successfully caught a rather large fish despite the lack of depth to the water. A few Turnstones were seen probing around on the beach. A Wren popped out from a small bush. Out on the river a Cormorant dived for fish. At Douglas Terrace a Curlew picked around by the pipe. The first Rock Pipit of the day was seen near the lifeboat station and a Pied Wagtail showed well nearby.
Two Pink Footed Geese flew west over the castle and a Guillemot was spotted a few hundred metres out on the river. A Cormorant stood with wings outstretched on the rocks, while a Herring Gull, Carrion Crow and Oystercatcher busied themselves close by. The beach was full of dog walkers, though a Pied Wagtail pair did try to find an undisturbed section. House Sparrows were in their usual bush along the esplanade. More Pink Footed Geese were seen heading west over to the north. A detour into the nature reserve found things relatively quiet, a few Blue Tits, Blackbirds, Goldfinches and Greenfinches near the beginning of the small reserve.
Further on I had decent views of a Jay searching for acorns among the trees and bushes on the slope. By now the light was starting to fail and I headed out to scan the further reaches of the beach. A small roost of Dunlin, a number of Bar Tailed Godwits plus a few Oystercatchers and gulls were all seen out by the water's edge. I headed along to Balmossie, adding a few Wigeon and a Great Black Bcaked Gull to the list. Things were so still that it was possible to hear the Grey Seals 'singing' from a sandbank out in the middle of the river. I scanned through the gull roosts but drew a blank on anything unusual and then headed for the bus and homewards.
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| Black Headed Gull (2CA6) |
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| Goosander |
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| Black Headed Gull (J4U2) |
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| Red Breasted Merganser |
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| Grey Heron |
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| Carrion Crow |
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| Grey Heron |
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| Grey Heron |
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| Oystercatcher |
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| Wren |
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| Wren |
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| Common Gull |
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| Oystercatcher |
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| Common Gull |
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| Cormorant |
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| Oystercatcher |
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| Curlew |
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| Mute Swan |
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| Redshank & Turnstone |
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| Rock Pipit |
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| Rock Pipit |
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| Rock Pipit |
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| Pied Wagtail |
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| Turnstone |
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| Rock Pipit |
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| Pied Wagtail |
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| Pied Wagtail |
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| Pink Footed Goose |
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| Carrion Crow & Cormorant |
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| Guillemot |
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| Herring Gull |
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| House Sparrow |
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| Black Headed Gull, Common Gull & Bar Tailed Godwit |
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| Pink Footed Goose |
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| Mute Swan |
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| Jay |
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| Jay |
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| Jay |
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| Jay |
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| Goldfinch |
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| Wigeon, Common Gull, Black Headed Gull, Bar Tailed Godwit |
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| Dunlin, Common Gull |
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| Grey Seal, Herring Gull, Eider |
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| Common Gull, Herring Gull, Black Headed Gull & Bar Tailed Godwit |
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| Black Headed Gull |
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| Wigeon & Oystercatcher |
Species seen - Bar Tailed Godwit, Blackbird, Black Headed Gull, Blue Tit, Bullfinch, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Common Gull, Coot, Cormorant, Curlew, Dunlin, Eider, Goldfinch, Goosander, Great Black Backed Gull, Greenfinch, Grey Heron, Guillemot, Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Jay, Magpie, Mallard, Mistle Thrush, Mute Swan, Oystercatcher, Pied Wagtail, Pink Footed Goose, Red Breasted Merganser, Redshank, Redwing, Feral Pigeon, Rock Pipit, Rook, Song Thrush, Starling, Tufted Duck, Turnstone, Wigeon, Woodpigeon, Wren.
Mammals - Grey Seal, Rabbit.
