With a couple of days off work to use up the last of my annual leave entitlement I had hoped to get out birding each day. The weather for Monday was sunny, with blue skies and not a cloud in sight when I got up in the morning. Unfortunately I had to wait in for a parcel from DHL, which seem to always get delivered around 1500 by which time the chance to get anywhere particularly worthwhile is rather limited by the amount of daylight remaining at this time of year. It was as expected just before 1500 when the parcel finally arrived, so I grabbed my gear and headed out with the intention of popping up to Caird Park and possibly Trottick Ponds.
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Grey Wagtail
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Herring Gull, Feral Pigeon, House Sparrow, Woodpigeon, Carrion Crow and Starling were all seen on the walk up to Graham Street where a Greenfinch was heard but not seen in the trees by the football pitches. A Robin sang from a garden opposite but also went unseen. Heading into Caird Park, I added Goldfinch and Great Tit. With the golf course open again my options as to where to try were rather more limited than hoped. I headed for the ponds. A skein of Pink Footed Geese headed north and a Blackbird was seen rooting around among the Brambles as I avoided a dodgy looking character with a rather large dog off the lead up on the path. A Goldcrest and a surprise hooting Tawny Owl were both heard.
Reaching the half way point at the ponds a Grey Wagtail flew past me before I headed up the hill to double back to check for the Owl. A Magpie and Chaffinch were noted. There was no sign of the Owl, though I suspect I might have had a better chance of success had I picked up the thermal imager before leaving the house. A single Moorhen was seen on the ponds. I decided to cut my losses and head to Swannie Ponds rather than trying to avoid the groups of teens that seemed to be everywhere as well as a few dodgy characters. A Buzzard drifted over as I cut through the golf course car park and a pair of Long Tailed Tits were seen in the bushes by the side of the road as I set off up the hill.
A pair of Siskins flew over as I neared the Kingsway. A Wren was heard on the wasteground at Mains Terrace as I took a short cut across. A few Jackdaws were seen perched up on the chimneys nearby. As I reached the ponds, the temperature dropped drastically as the rather unseasonal haar rolled in. I made a quick circuit noting Coot, Mallard, Tufted Duck, Goosander, Mute Swan and Grey Heron. The gulls were nowhere to be seen. I headed for home, a lot colder than I had been when I left the house, adding a heard-only Pied Wagtail on the walk home. Only 30 species noted, and as the camera stayed out of sight, no photos were taken. Those featured here are all from my archives. Although perhaps not the greatest of wanders it ensured that I squeezed in some birding on a day off, and finding yet another Dundee Tawny Owl was an added bonus.
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Long Tailed Tit
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Mallard
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House Sparrow
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Jackdaw
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Great Tit
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Mute Swan
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Starling
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Woodpigeon
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Greenfinch
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Magpie
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Feral Pigeon
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Goldcrest
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Grey Heron
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Moorhen
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Herring Gull
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Tufted Duck
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Coot
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Goosander
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Pied Wagtail
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Carrion Crow
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Robin
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Buzzard
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Birds - Blackbird, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Coot, Goldcrest,
Goldfinch, Goosander, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Grey Heron, Grey Wagtail,
Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Long Tailed Tit, Magpie, Mallard,
Moorhen, Mute Swan, Pied Wagtail, Pink Footed Goose, Robin, Feral
Pigeon, Siskin, Starling, Tawny Owl, Tufted Duck, Woodpigeon, Wren.
