For weeks now on my days off I've been contemplating a very early rise and a walk to a few spots where I might see some birds, but getting up over an hour earlier than I do for work makes it easier to just roll over and go back to sleep, if I even set my alarm in the first place. By the time I do then get out of bed, those places are so much busier with dog-walkers and families out exercising, so to reduce my chances of catching anything I stay at home. However, I'm now on holiday for a week and a half so I still need exercise, so when I woke up around 0430 on Thursday morning, I decided after some thought, to get up and go.
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| Coot |
I headed out around 0500, roughly 10 minutes before sunrise. Things were unsurprisingly relatively quiet with Feral Pigeon first onto the list soon followed with singles of Herring Gull, Carrion Crow, Blackbird and Woodpigeon. A trio of Starlings and a singing Dunnock were next. A Goldfinch was singing in a tree on Graham Street. Heading into Caird Park I added Blue Tit to the list and a Lesser Black Backed Gull was with a flock of Herring Gulls on a fairway at the golf course. I managed to photograph a Roe Deer nearby without spooking it before I stopped again to try to see a singing Blackcap which proved difficult. I was distracted by a Jay in a tree much closer which despite the poor light I did manage a few photos of. The Blackcap and a Chiffchaff eventually popped out into the open.
Song Thrush, Long Tailed Tit and Wren were noted as I wandered along to the ponds where a Robin joined the list. Two drake Mallards were on the water and a Great Spotted Woodpecker flew over as I reached the road through the park. I then followed the Dighty Burn along to Trottick Ponds noting Great Tit and another Blackcap male singing along the way as well as a Song Thrush. A ringed Dipper (Black over Silver/Blue over Lime) was seen below the road and foot bridges before I reached the small local reserve. Another birder (well, he was carrying binoculars) was seen heading across the road into Caird Park. Another unringed Dipper was seen as I crossed into the reserve itself. I could hear a singing
Sedge Warbler so headed towards the song and there was my first year-tick of the day, singing away in front of me.
A Mute Swan nest was half-way along the track between the two ponds with another bird on the water. I could hear a Whitethroat singing from cover but failed to see it as I wandered a little further along the path by the Dighty Burn. A Pheasant and a Peacock(!) were heard from somewhere up the hill and a possible Garden Warbler flew off before I got a definite look at it. Another Blackcap did show quite well and a quartet of Dunnocks looked to be indulging in some avian 'swinging'. Thankfully the previously furtive
Whitethroat chose to perch up in a tall tree where it sang for a few seconds before flying off singing as it went. Another welcome year-tick.
Heading back past the ponds a (possibly ringed) Kingfisher flew in and landed on a branch at the end of the island, - a nice bonus bird. A Grey Wagtail then gave me close views at the corner of the pond. A Chaffinch was next onto the list. A couple of joggers and a dog walker arrived at the park just as I was leaving though another ringed Dipper (Orange over Silver/Blue over Black) and a Long Tailed Tit delayed me for a few extra minutes. I then headed up over the golf courses in Caird Park adding only Greenfinch and a pair of Oystercatchers to the list in the park, along with another (or possibly the same) Roe Deer.
Collared Dove and Magpie were seen as I headed for Swannie Ponds where a family of Coots (6 youngsters and 2 adults) gave nice close views. There were already a few walkers and a cyclist out and about so I didn't linger there, though I did get some photos of the Mute Swan pairs brood of 6 cygnets before a single Swallow flew over. A Pied Wagtail was spotted on my way to Baxter Park when I stopped to investigate a pair of Mallards who were loitering around a raised flower bed. A moth flew over me at the gates to Baxter Park, and thankfully it was probably the only moth identifiable from below in flight - a Cinnabar Moth.
Another Long Tailed Tit and an unexpected Mallard Pair were at the Spring site along with a Blackbird. A House Sparrow was seen as I exited the park (which already had low double figures of walkers despite the early hour) to head for home. House Martins were seen over the Dura Street car park area, and I realised that they actually nest at the primary school, and a few houses nearby. A quartet of Swifts were seen overhead as I headed along Dundonald Street and I even heard a very brief 'scream' to announce that summer was now indeed here.
A surprisingly productive early morning wander with 37 species seen including 2 year-ticks (in bold) as well as one of each of mammal and moth. I will try to vary my routes a bit to see if I can turn up anything new when I go out for my daily exercise allocation but I'm not overly confident there will be much to be added given where I can walk to and still be home before the masses break cover. Time will tell though and with birding, you just never know.....
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| Roe Deer |
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| Roe Deer |
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| Jay |
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| Jay |
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| Jay |
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| Blackcap |
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| Blackcap |
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| Wren |
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| Mallard |
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| Dipper |
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| Sedge Warbler |
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| Sedge Warbler |
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| Mute Swan & Mallard |
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| Blue Tit |
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| Mallard |
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| Great Tit |
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| Feral Pigeon |
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| Willow Warbler |
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| Whitethroat |
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| Whitethroat |
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| Robin |
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| Kingfisher |
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| Kingfisher |
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| Woodpigeon |
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| Grey Wagtail |
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| Grey Wagtail |
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| Dipper |
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| Dipper |
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| Long Tailed Tit |
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| Long Tailed Tit |
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| Coot |
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| Coot |
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| Coot |
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| Coot |
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| Coot |
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| Coot |
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| Coot |
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| Coot |
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| Mallard |
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| Mallard |
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| Mute Swan |
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| Mute Swan & Mallard |
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| Mute Swan & Mallard |
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| Mallard |
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| Swallow |
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| Mallard |
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| Mallard |
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| Mallard |
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| Mallard |
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| House Martin |
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| House Martin |
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| Swift |
Species seen - Blackbird, Blackcap, Blue Tit, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Collared Dove, Coot, Dipper, Dunnock, Goldfinch, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Grey Wagtail, Herring Gull, House Martin, House Sparrow, Jay, Kingfisher, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Long Tailed Tit, Magpie, Mallard, Mute Swan, Oystercatcher, Pied Wagtail, Robin, Feral Pigeon,
Sedge Warbler, Song Thrush, Starling, Swallow, Swift,
Whitethroat, Woodpigeon, Wren.
Mammals seen - Roe Deer.
Moths seen - Cinnabar Moth.
