With the expected UK-wide Coronavirus 'lock-down' now in place the opportunities to do some birding are going to be even more limited than they already were. However, as I apparently fall into the essential workers category I have to go to work as usual - though with the chamce that I may not be doing my 'normal' job when I get there. The roughly 3.25 mile walk there, and the same back however does give me the chance to get some exercise and squeeze in something resembling birding on the way - though I am 99.9% reliant on my eyes and ears (small binoculars have been used once this week for a high soaring Buzzard) for the sightings.
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| Treecreeper |
So to catch up with the latest "on foot commute" trips here's a quick summing up of Thursday, Friday, Monday and Tuesday's efforts. Thursday's walk to work provided a couple of new additions to the species seen list with an alarm calling Mistle Thrush the main morning highlight plus a Grey Wagtail in the city centre on the way home (via some shopping for necessities). A soaring Sparrowhawk being harassed by a Carrion Crow just before I reached home was also a nice bonus. Friday was disappointing on the numbers front but a small flock of Whooper Swans heading northwest were a nice bonus as I neared work.
Monday proved to be the best day by a long way so far with a total of 30 species seen, including a trio of 'new' species for the 'walking to work' list as well as most of the usual suspects, though the majority of Black Headed Gulls have now moved on to breeding sites (none seen on Monday, a single bird seen on Tuesday). A Bullfinch on Dens Road was a decent 'early' bird along with the majority of the regulars mostly in their 'usual' places. Heading along Ancrum Road I spotted a high-flying Peregrine heading towards Cox's Stack. Peregrine was an expected addition that had eluded me thus far.
A little further on a small brown bird flew past me and round to the rear of a tree trunk. I suspected Treecreeper and although the bird was on the underside of a branch rather than the trunk where I expected to find it, it soon flew down to the next tree giving me good views and confirmation of another 'new' bird. The aforementioned high flying Buzzard being harassed by a Herring Gull prompted the deployment of the small 8x binoculars I had in my bag. A slight detour on the way home added the hoped for Jay to the list for the day. A bit further on I heard a Great Spotted Woodpecker calling and spotted it overhead in flight. Another expected, but welcome addition. Another slight detour nearer home added Jackdaw taking the day's list to 30, 6 ahead of the previous best 'day' total.
Tuesday resorted back to the more usual sort of numbers with a Grey Wagtail overflying Ancrum Road the best bird seen, though a lone Black Headed Gull near the more numerous Common Gulls may well be the last seen there for a while. Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Willow Warbler, Swallow, House Martin and maybe a Wheatear are likely to be the next batch of new additions though habitat for any of those is rather limited on my routes to/from work (unless I take a fairly large detour - more likely on my way home). An overflying Osprey is also not out of the question. I've now seen 40 species of bird and a single mammal species on the walk which is a decent return. (All photos used in this post are older photos).
Species seen - Thursday 19th March (24 species) - Blackbird, Black Headed Gull, Blue Tit, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Coal Tit, Common Gull, Dunnock, Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Grey Wagtail, Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Long Tailed Tit, Magpie, Mistle Thrush, Oystercatcher, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Sparrowhawk, Starling, Woodpigeon, Wren.
Friday 20th March (20 species) - Blackbird, Blue Tit, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Coal
Tit, Common Gull, Dunnock, Goldfinch, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Herring
Gull, House Sparrow, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Long Tailed Tit, Magpie,
Oystercatcher, Feral Pigeon, Starling, Whooper Swan, Woodpigeon.
Monday 23rd March (30 species) - Blackbird, Blue Tit, Bullfinch, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Coal
Tit, Collared Dove, Common Gull, Dunnock, Goldcrest, Goldfinch, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Herring
Gull, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Jay, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Long Tailed Tit, Magpie,
Oystercatcher, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Song Thrush,
Starling, Treecreeper, Woodpigeon.
Tuesday 24th March (24 species) - Blackbird, Black Headed Gull, Blue Tit, Bullfinch, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Coal
Tit, Common Gull, Goldfinch, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Grey Wagtail, Herring
Gull, House Sparrow, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Long Tailed Tit, Magpie,
Oystercatcher, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Song Thrush,
Starling, Woodpigeon.
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| Robin |
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| Blackbird |
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| Herring Gull |
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| House Sparrow |
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| Common Gull |
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| Black Headed Gull |
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| Pink Footed Goose |
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| Carrion Crow |
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| Pied Wagtail |
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| Blue Tit |
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| Great Tit |
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| Dunnock |
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| Chaffinch |
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| Collared Dove |
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| Starling |
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| Buzzard |
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| Mistle Thrush |
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| Song Thrush |
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| Long Tailed Tit |
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| Sparrowhawk |
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| Goldfinch |
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| Great Spotted Woodpecker |
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| Coal Tit |
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| Peregrine |
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| Woodpigeon |
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| Jackdaw |
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| House Sparrow |
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| Bullfinch |
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Grey Wagtail
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| Lesser Black Backed Gull |
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| Greenfinch |
The 40 species seen so far - Blackbird, Black Headed Gull, Blue Tit, Bullfinch, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Coal
Tit, Collared Dove, Common Gull, Curlew, Dunnock, Goldcrest, Goldfinch, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Grey Wagtail, Herring
Gull, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Jay, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Long Tailed Tit, Magpie,
Mistle Thrush, Oystercatcher, Peregrine, Pied Wagtail, Pink Footed Goose, Redwing, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Song Thrush,
Sparrowhawk, Starling, Treecreeper, Whooper Swan, Woodpigeon, Wren.
Mammals seen - Grey Squirrel.
