I was supposed to be heading out birding with Ian again on Monday but having struggled to fall asleep when I went to bed, I managed to sleep through my alarm which meant I had to message Ian when I woke up 10 minutes before the bus I was meant to catch was due to tell him I wouldn't make it. As things turned out, Ian had to curtail his trip north anyway - though he did manage to see one of his target species before doing so. Being off work on holiday for a week, I decided around 1330 that I should probably head out for some exercise at least, rather than wasting the whole day sat at home. I decided I would walk to the Stannergate via Swannie Ponds and Eastern Cemetery, and if I felt energetic enough I would continue out to Broughty Ferry and maybe Balmossie.
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Carrion Crow
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Things were very quiet on my walk to the Swannie Ponds with only a Blackbird and a Feral Pigeon seen. Things were marginally better at the ponds with a number of Black Headed Gulls, a few Herring Gulls, Mallards, a few Coots and the local Mute Swan family around - though they seem to have lost a cygnet since I saw the family a few months ago. In addition I added Magpie, Song Thrush, Grey Heron, Woodpigeon, Chaffinch, Carrion Crow, Blue Tit and 2 Buzzards squabbling off to the north west. I attempted to see if there were any of the regular ringed birds around and found Norwegian ringed Black Headed Gull white J4U2 and had fleeting views of another metal ringed Black Headed Gull before I set off in the direction of Eastern Cemetery.
As I wandered in the side gate of the Cemetery a Sparrowhawk flew over, slow enough that I was able to get my camera out and grab a few photos. A few Swallows zipped over as I wandered slowly through noting a Grey Squirrel and a Stock Dove, plus a Robin and a flyover Starling. At the Stannergate I checked out a gull roost at the eastern end of the harbour but it was mainly Herring Gulls and Black Headed Gulls though there were a couple of lingering Lesser Black Backeds around too. A few Goldfinches flew around as I wandered down to scan along the shoreline. A small flock of Turnstones were picking around among the stones and seaweed as were a number of Carrion Crows including a very striking individual with a full span white mid-wing stripe which was very obvious in flight. Unfortunately the one photos shoing the wing markings wasn't quite in focus.
A distant Curlew was spotted when I heard it calling as it was flushed from the beach by walkers. A few Pied Wagtails and a single small group of 4 Siskins headed west. A single Linnet was then added and I noticed that a few Woodpigeons and a Stock Dove were flying across the river, in both directions, which was interesting. A Jackdaw was seen in among the gull roost as I scanned through them again hoping for something interesting among the Gulls, Crows and Herons, but I failed to find anything too unusual. I headed for home around 1630 adding a couple of Rabbits and a flock of Long Tailed Tits in the Cemetery taking the total for the day to 29 species of bird and 2 of mammals. Although it wasn't a particularly productive outing, it was nice to get out in the sunshine for a few hours. Later at home a calling Gull alerted me to the presence of a large female Sparrowhawk which I grabbed a few poor photos of from my front window.
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Buzzard
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Buzzard
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Buzzard
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Buzzard
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Sparrowhawk
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Carrion Crow
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Carrion Crow
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Herring Gull
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Woodpigeon
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Turnstone
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Turnstone
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Turnstone
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Turnstone
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Stock Dove
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Herring Gull
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Herring Gull
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Herring Gull
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Lesser Black Backed Gull & Carrion Crow
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Herring Gull
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Herring Gull
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Herring Gull
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Sparrowhawk
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Sparrowhawk
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Sparrowhawk
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Species seen - Blackbird, Black Headed Gull, Blue Tit, Buzzard,
Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Coot, Curlew, Goldfinch, Grey Heron, Herring
Gull, Jackdaw, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Linnet, Long Tailed Tit,
Magpie, Mallard, Mute Swan, Pied Wagtail, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Siskin,
Song Thrush, Sparrowhawk, Starling, Stock Dove, Swallow, Turnstone,
Woodpigeon.
Mammals - Grey Squirrel, Rabbit.
