As the weather forecast for Wednesday after a wet start was decent enough for a spot of birding I decided to head for Balmossie in the afternoon. Although I would be too early for the evening's high tide I figured there was a reasonable chance of adding Rook to my year-list, and a slight chance of something else. I decided that I would take a small spotting scope with me to scan through the gulls and waders and also anything off shore. I hoped that things would be much quieter than at weekends when it is virtually a waste of time trying to do any birding there due to the lockdown limitations meaning everyone and their dog, proverbial and real, are heading to the same places.
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Herring Gull
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I headed out at around 1220 with Swannie Ponds my first port of call. There was still quite a lot of ice there and a similar mix of species to other visits recently with Goosander and Moorhen still around in addition to the usual species. A Sparrowhawk did succeed in putting all the gulls up but disappeared over the houses to the north before I managed to get my camera out of the bag. Goldfinch, Chaffinch and Bullfinch were added at Eastern Cemetery though there was no sign of any Redwings, Fieldfares or Mistle Thrush. At the Stannergate I added Song Thrush and Robin to the list before continuing along the esplanade to Broughty Ferry and Balmossie.
Out on the river I picked out a few Red Breasted Mergansers while a few Turnstones, Oystercatcher and a Curlew picked around by the water's edge. I chose not to linger with still a few miles worth of walk ahead of me. A Buzzard was spotted above trees to the north of the main road about 10 minutes further on. Female Eiders were spotted out on the river and a single Redshank was seen by the water's edge near Broughty Castle. A few Pied Wagtails were seen at the beach just beyond the castle despite the number of people around in the same area.
A surprise was a Pipit flying over that I managed to get a photo of which turned out to be my first Meadow Pipit of the year rather than a Rock Pipit which is more common in winter in this general area at Broughty Ferry. A single Goldeneye drake was spotted out on the water as I continued on eastwards. With the beach looking quite busy I decided I would be as well diverting into the small nature reserve. This did allow me to add a few more passerines - Dunnock, Coal Tit, Blackbird, Redwing, Greenfinch and Wren. Stock Dove was heard (but not seen) calling from one of the gardens beyond the railway line.
Heading back towards the shore I picked out a distant Bar Tailed Godwit and a few gulls. A trio of Rooks were seen feeding near the path as I neared Balmossie and the mouth of the Dighty Burn. A small flock of Dunlin and Ringed Plover were picked out before a family walking along the beach succeeded in flushing them and practically everything else nearby. I added a pair of Wigeon near the burn but with all the gulls bathing and feeding offshore and only a small flock of Redshanks and a few Turnstones close by I decided not to spend too much time hanging around and headed back the way I'd came.
A Linnet flew by and a Cormorant was picked out flying upriver quite far offshore. A nice surprise, and my third year-tick of the day was a Stonechat in one of the small fenced off sections of the dunes near to a small track from where I was able to get a few photos. At the Castle I added a pair of Shags to the list for the day before a Rock Pipit showed briefly in the harbour area. The walk back along the esplanade proved fruitless except for a Sparrowhawk male which appeared over Douglas Terrace and stayed mostly in view for at least the next half mile or so before a second bird appeared and began displaying.
I chanced upon a few Rabbits as I stopped to put my camera and binoculars away at the road bridge over the railway just off Broughty Ferry Road. By now the light was going rapidly which unsurprisingly meant I added nothing else between there and home. I ended the outing having seen or heard 51 species of bird, including 3 year-ticks (in bold) and a single mammal species. Not the worst afternoon's birding given the 3 year-ticks but quite a frustrating one given the amount of disturbance to the birds on the beach and the ongoing construction work of flood defences from Douglas Terrace to Broughty Castle restricting views of the shore.
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Black Headed Gull (J4U2)
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Redshank
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Eider
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Eider
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Oystercatcher
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Black Headed Gull
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Black Headed Gull
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Herring Gull
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Herring Gull
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Black Headed Gull
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Carrion Crow
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Meadow Pipit
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Pied Wagtail
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Pied Wagtail
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Goldeneye
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Magpie
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Bar Tailed Godwit
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Bar Tailed Godwit
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Turnstone
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Rook
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Rook
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Black Headed Gull, Dunlin & Ringed Plover
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Wigeon
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Redshank & Turnstone
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Turnstone
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Bar Tailed Godwit
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Bar Tailed Godwit
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Bar Tailed Godwit
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Bar Tailed Godwit
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Bar Tailed Godwit
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Bar Tailed Godwit
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Bar Tailed Godwit
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Cormorant
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Stonechat
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Eider
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Starling
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Shag
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Shag
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Pied Wagtail
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Pied Wagtail
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Rock Pipit
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Sparrowhawk
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Black Headed Gull
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Sparrowhawk
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Sparrowhawk
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Sparrowhawk
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Birds - Bar Tailed Godwit, Blackbird, Black Headed Gull, Blue Tit, Bullfinch, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Coal Tit, Common Gull, Coot, Cormorant, Curlew, Dunlin, Dunnock, Eider, Goldeneye, Goldfinch, Goosander, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Linnet, Long Tailed Tit, Magpie, Mallard,
Meadow Pipit, Moorhen, Mute Swan, Oystercatcher, Pied Wagtail, Red Breasted Merganser, Redshank, Redwing, Ringed Plover, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Rock Pipit,
Rook, Shag, Song Thrush, Sparrowhawk, Starling, Stock Dove,
Stonechat, Tufted Duck, Turnstone, Wigeon, Woodpigeon, Wren.
Mammals - Rabbit.
