Other than my one trip to Trottick Ponds for my exercise walk when I managed to add Sedge Warbler and Whitethroat to my year-list, the only real birding highlight of my week and a half off work was a Buzzard being forced down into a tree behind my flat by the combined efforts of the local gulls and crows who were not happy at its presence in their airspace. It did eventually escape and made it onto my 'garden list' (which doesn't really exist as the 'garden' is really just a tiny communal drying green with a few small trees at the edges and 1 large one looming above - and I have to practically lean out my window to see it). It was also the second Buzzard I'd seen over my street that morning - which has probably been the biggest surprise during the past few months while birding from home.
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| Long Tailed Tit |
I was back at work on Monday the 18th and rather surprisingly managed to see a total of 24 species though the first Swifts on the commute list and a Bullfinch were as good as it got. Tuesday's total was only 20 species with Swallow and a Goldcrest the highlights. Collared Dove and the discovery of a Treecreeper's nest, when the bird flew past my face and into the tree (trunk - actually a hollow behind a bit of bark on a tall conifer) in Balgay Cemetery, were the main bright spots among the 22 species noted that day.
On Friday 22nd of May I only managed a mildly disappointing 20 species with Long Tailed Tit being the closest thing to a highlight. There were a few other species that were heard only but the greenery on the trees is now at full thickness so with limited time available in the mornings a few species aren't being seen (or noted) - usually Blackcap, Goldcrest and Chiffchaff being the main culprits. On Monday the 25th I only managed to see a disappointing total of 17 species but that was tempered by the unexpected addition of a pair of calling Common Crossbills as I walked round the western side of the Law to trek down the Law steps. An unexpected treat to see them passing low overhead southwards at around tree-top height at 0700 in the morning.
Tuesday the 26th's total was only 19 species of birds despite blue skies and sunshine. The numbers of butterflies was disappointingly low with only a probable Small Tortoiseshell seen in Balgay Cemetery on the first half of the walk home. A surprise later though was a Ruby Tiger moth which crash-landed on the pavement in front of me near the Hilltown end of Byron Street. I managed to scoop it up but it flew off before I could get a photo with my phone. Crossing Dens Road near the corner of Dens Park a butterfly flitted along the grass verge in front of me. I thought it would be one of the whites but as I stepped closer the bright orange of the wingtips showed it to be an unexpected Orange Tip male - my first of the year. A Green Veined White was another new year-tick for my shorter than usual Lepidoptera list.
Certainly not the most productive 6 days' worth of sightings but the Crossbills, the Ruby Tiger and the Orange Tip show that there is still potential for surprises on my work commute. Things will continue to get a bit quieter as the singing stops and young birds appear more and more. Only 30 species of bird listed in the time covered by this post along with 2 each of mammal and butterfly and 1 species of moth. All photos used here are from previous outings.
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| Magpie |
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| Song Thrush |
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| Common Crossbill |
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| Woodpigeon |
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| House Sparrow |
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| Collared Dove |
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| Dunnock |
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| Blackbird |
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| Robin |
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| Blue Tit |
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| Herring Gull |
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| Swallow |
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| Lesser Black Backed Gull |
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| Great Tit |
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| Bullfinch |
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| Treecreeper |
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| Oystercatcher |
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| Goldfinch |
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| Swift |
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| Chaffinch |
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| Starling |
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| Jackdaw |
The 30 species seen - Blackbird, Blue Tit, Bullfinch, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Coal Tit, Collared Dove, Common Crossbill, Dunnock, Goldcrest, Goldfinch, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Long Tailed Tit, Magpie, Oystercatcher, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Song Thrush, Starling, Swallow, Swift, Treecreeper, Woodpigeon, Wren.
Butterflies seen - Green Veined White, Orange Tip.
Mammals seen - Grey Squirrel, Rabbit.
Moths seen - Ruby Tiger.
