The weather forecast for the weekend was dire. Heavy rain for the majority of both days. Weather warnings were in place with regards the possibility of flooding. The one potential plus was the wind was from the east. As is usually the case though as things progressed, the forecast changed and from around 1000 on Sunday the rain was going to stop. That meant the possibility of finding migrants that had arrived on the easterlies but then taken shelter from the conditions, possibly a Yellow Browed Warbler or something rarer. My indecision however was the determining factor. Should I head for the Law and check the trees on what was in effect a little wooded island in the sky, then do likewise for Balgay Hill then onto Riverside Nature Park, or should I head to Eastern Cemetery which is usually great for finding thrushes, then down onto Broughty Ferry Road to check the sycamores that run parallel to the river between the railway and the road before heading for Broughty Ferry and the small local nature reserve? I chose the latter route.
  |
House Sparrow
|
I headed out just after 1000 with some light rain lingering for a short while but with the sky already looking far less threatening. A Grey Wagtail flew up onto on the roof of the industrial units at the bottom end of Court Street. I headed for Baxter Park, having decided to give Swannie Ponds a miss. Although there were birds around in the park the majority were expected species. The one exception was a Jay in the trees near the eastern entrance. Potentially a migrant bird. A small flock of Redwings flew over. I walked along to Eastern Cemetery passing the large gardens though without adding anything of note.
Things were busier at the cemetery than they usually are, which seemed like a good sign. Song Thrush and Goldcrest were found, both potentially migrants. A Sparrowhawk zipped through before I had taken the camera out of my bag. A few seconds later I spotted the bird sat on a tree, not too far away with 2 Jays in close attendance. I ducked back out of sight and extricated the camera from the bag but needless to say all 3 had gone when I looked again. There were more Redwings passing over as well and a single Yellowhammer was a big surprise, being more than a little out of place. Stock Dove a few minutes later was less of a surprise.
As things were so busy I lingered much longer than I had intended continuing to add birds - some expected ones such as Magpie, Greenfinch, Mistle Thrush, and some less so like Skylark and Meadow Pipits passing overhead. Goldfinch was another one from the former category though Pied Wagtail and Grey Heron were probably more likely the latter. Rabbits and Grey Squirrels were also much in evidence with the Squirrels in particular burying nuts among the open areas among the lines of gravestones. A Great Black Backed Gull flew over. A Sparrowhawk tussled with a Magpie. Eventually I headed out of the park and walked down to a rather noisy Broughty Ferry Road.
A Red Admiral butterfly flitted past me on Dalgleish Road. The trees along the south side of the main road seemed disappointingly quiet apart from a few Tits, Wrens and Robins. A Goosander flew over heading inland. At the Stannergate Rooks and Jackdaws were plentiful though a quick check of the gull roost proved disappointing. Out on the river another Goosander and a Cormorant dived for fish with a small flock of Black Headed Gulls on the water beyond them. A small skein of Geese arrived from the north, continuing out across the river southwards. I recorded these at the time as Pink Footed Geese but while deleting photos in November I realised that they were actually Taiga Bean Geese (an unexpected Dundee tick for me). A Buzzard circled to the north but was only a Common rather than the Rough Leggeds that could be picked up about now with a lot of luck.
I decided to walk back along the cycle track which would give me another chance at the trees rather than continue to Broughty Ferry. A Common Gull was added on my second check of the gull roost. Not unexpectedly things weren't much better along the railway line though the traffic noise was a little lighter. A Willow Warbler was noted in a small tree across the railway line. By now my bag was feeling really heavy and I was overdressed for what was now bright and warm sunshine so I decided to head for home. A Buzzard was spotted circling over the houses around Kenilworth Road as I was approaching the eastern exit from the harbour. I took a slightly circuitous route honewards however. A Great Spotted Woodpecker was spotted flying into tree tops opposite the playing fields on Arbroath Road.
Baxter Park was quieter than it had been earlier in the day with the sunshine and blue skies bringing out more people and dogs. Long Tailed Tits were seen near the small overgrown 'dell'. Things were relatively quiet at Swannie Ponds as well with the usual few gull species plus Mallards, Mute Swans and Coots. It would appear that the Coots have maybe hounded out the local Moorhens that were always around by their weight of numbers and size advantage. I eventually made it home around 1600 having seen a total of 44 species of bird, plus 1 of butterfly and 2 of mammals. I was relatively successful in my hunt for obvious migrants though not the hoped for Yellow Browed Warbler.
 |
Yellowhammer
|
 |
Stock Dove
|
 |
Grey Squirrel
|
 |
Woodpigeon
|
 |
Woodpigeon
|
 |
Song Thrush
|
 |
Dunnock
|
 |
Wren
|
 |
Wren
|
 |
Robin
|
 |
Grey Squirrel
|
 |
Greenfinch
|
 |
Redwing
|
 |
Magpie
|
 |
Magpie
|
 |
Magpie
|
 |
Rabbit
|
 |
Starling
|
 |
Magpie
|
 |
Meadow Pipit
|
 |
Woodpigeon
|
 |
Great Tit
|
 |
Jay
|
 |
Jay
|
 |
Robin
|
 |
Dunnock
|
 |
Jay
|
 |
Song Thrush
|
 |
Robin
|
 |
Mistle Thrush
|
 |
Greenfinch
|
 |
Robin
|
 |
Carrion Crow
|
 |
Carrion Crow
|
 |
Chaffinch
|
 |
Redwing
|
 |
Redwing
|
 |
Dunnock
|
 |
Coal Tit
|
 |
Coal Tit
|
 |
Sparrowhawk
|
 |
Wren
|
 |
Blue Tit
|
 |
Song Thrush
|
 |
Grey Heron
|
 |
Song Thrush
|
 |
Grey Squirrel
|
 |
Grey Squirrel
|
 |
Sparrowhawk
|
 |
Sparrowhawk & Magpie
|
 |
Greenfinch
|
 |
Magpie
|
 |
Magpie
|
 |
Great Black Backed Gull
|
 |
Rook
|
 |
Rook
|
 |
Goosander
|
 |
Black Headed Gull
|
 |
Taiga Bean Goose
|
 |
Buzzard
|
 |
House Sparrow
|
 |
Robin
|
Species seen - Blackbird, Black Headed Gull, Blue Tit, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Coal Tit, Common Gull, Coot, Cormorant, Dunnock, Goldcrest, Goldfinch, Goosander, Great Black Backed Gull, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Grey Heron, Grey Wagtail, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Jay, Long Tailed Tit, Magpie, Mallard, Meadow Pipit, Mistle Thrush, Mute Swan, Pied Wagtail, Redwing, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Rook, Skylark, Song Thrush, Sparrowhawk, Starling, Stock Dove, Taiga Bean Goose, Willow Warbler, Woodpigeon, Wren, Yellowhammer.
Butterfly - Red Admiral.
Mammals - Grey Squirrel, Rabbit.
