On Sunday evening, I got a message from Lainy letting me know she'd had really good close views of a Great Northern Diver down on the Tay earlier in the afternoon around the time I'd been seeing White Tailed Eagle and Peregrines at Eastern Cemetery around a mile and a half to the west. Although, they do turn up on the river, mostly in winter, I don't recall hearing of one being close in to shore before on the Tay. Most of the relatively few photos I have of the species are of quite distant birds. On Monday while I was at work, Lainy found the bird was still around, but had now been joined by a second bird. I would have to hope that they would still be around on Wednesday, though the weather forecast was not promising with heavy rain forecast for much of the day. I had seen a rather distant Great Northern Diver earlier in the year from Balmossie, so for once, getting decent photos would be the main priority if I decided to try for them, rather than just adding the species to the year-list.
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| Great Northern Diver |
The weather forecast had improved slightly by the time Wednesday came around, though it was raining quite heavily when I headed out shortly after 1000. The forecast was actually for things to improve in the afternoon, though there was still a chance of showers. It was also on the cold side. I had dressed accordingly though and hoped that at some point the rain would stop and allow my jacket the chance to dry out rather than me getting soaked through which never makes for an enjoyable time. Herring Gull and Feral Pigeon were the only birds on the list before I reached Baxter Park where a number of Black Headed and Common Gulls were standing around on the grass. Blackbird, Woodpigeon and Blue Tit were also seen as I passed through the park.
Moving on, with the rain showing little signs of abating I added Carrion Crow, House Sparrow and Magpie as well as a flyover Siskin. A flock of Redwing were seen over Eastern Cemetery. I reached the end of the Stannergate area at around 1035 noting a flock of Long Tailed Tits in the trees on the other side of the road. A small charm of Goldfinches were flushed by two boys that probably should've been at school, walking along the fenceline at the eastern end of the docks. A Redshank was down on the shore. A Dunnock and a Robin were spotted as I walked on, in the fenced off area by the railway line. A Grey Heron was down at the water's edge and a Cormorant was picked out further out in the river.
A Wren's rattling call rang out from cover as I continued on. Thankfully, the rain had eased by this time, though it hadn't yet completely stopped. A Grey Seal broke the surface out on the river as I scanned through a mix of Red Breasted Mergansers and Eiders on what was a rather flat calm Tay - which is certainly the best conditions when birding the estuary. A Great Black Backed Gull was seen in flight before a Red Throated Diver flew past me around mid-channel, landing near the end of the docks. A Chaffinch was seen in the gardens to the north of the railway line and a Mistle Thrush was perched in one of the trees near where I'd seen a Mistle Thrush on my last walk along this stretch.
Down by the water, an Oystercatcher was picking around. A Rook flew northwards and a Guillemot was seen on the water as I neared Douglas Terrace. The rain had finally stopped and the walk to Broughty Harbour and Castle was fairly quiet with nothing new being added, though it did start to rain again briefly at one point. A trio of Red Breasted Mergansers sleeping at the water's edge to the west of the lifeboat station were wakened by a large-ish fish flapping about at the surface just a few feet away, though it had submerged again when the Mergansers set off to look for it. Curlew, Turnstone and another Grey Heron were in the harbour along with a Redshank and Oystercatcher. A Herring Gull successfully stole a crab from an Eider and landed on the small rocky outcrop off the harbour's outer wall.
A Rock Pipit and a Pied Wagtail were noted as I headed inside the Castle walls. The raised viewpoint would allow me to better check the river and with a bit of luck hopefully find the birds I was looking for. I was joined soon after by a woman who asked me if I knew the names of the birds that were around. This then led to an enjoyable hour of pointing out various birds to Abby (hopefully I have the spelling correct), who has recently moved up from London and was interested to find out what birds there were to be seen in her new home area, although she was more of an enthusiastic beginner, rather than a birder as such. During the time we were chatting we had some close views of Rock Pipits, had flypasts of Goldfinch and Pied Wagtail, picked out distant Bar Tailed Godwits, as well as Cormorant, Shag, Eider and Red Breasted Merganser on the water and a Grey Heron flying by. Two Red Throated Divers were also seen in flight, as well as Herring Gulls, a young Great Black Backed Gull and Black Headed Gull.
I loaned Abby my small scope I'd brought with me, which made things a lot easier (and gave her some idea of what she may be asking her other half for as a Christmas present this year). As we were watching the various birds I was still hoping to pick up the Great Northern Diver and I eventually succeeded in catching a glimpse of a bird just as it dived. I finally managed to catch the bird on the surface confirming the ID and getting Abby onto what was her second Diver species of the day, before it did the usual Diver vanishing act. We refound the bird much closer to the castle and it looked like it might pass by heading west, but it did another vanishing act. We eventually headed down to the harbour where we found Oystercatchers, Turnstones and Redshanks feeding in the sunshine. We then said our cheerios and headed off in opposite directions.
I headed for the area where the Diver had been seen earlier and soon picked it up, in the usual Diver zone - not too far offshore but beyond where the waves begin to break. I waited for the bird to dive and moved position until I got to a place where I could sit down on the sand and wait for the bird to resurface. The floats on the shore at the 'swimming area' gave me something to break up my outline and also to rest my camera on, and I was able to get a nice selction of photos as the bird fished close to shore. Dog walkers and their pets on the beach would send the bird a bit further out as they passed but it would return after a few minutes to its preferred area. I spent a bit of time getting a variety of photos, including one or two as it struggled to swallow a small-ish flatfish before I decided to head for home.
A small group of Pied Wagtails were nearby on the beach and a Shag was noted on the river. A Grey Wagtail flew past near the harbour and the usual Starlings and Feral Pigeons were on the roofs around the Gray Street/Beach Crescent/Fisher Street junction. As I headed back along the waterfront it was the same mix of birds seen along the shore and out on the water though a pair of Common Gulls did give good views as they swam and wandered down on the pebbles at Douglas Terrace. A few Turnstones a little earlier had also given similar close views. A cyclist stopped and asked if I'd seen anything good. I told him about the Diver. he then asked if I ever see the White Tailed Eagles. I told him that I had and when he asked when, he was rather taken aback when I told him I'd seen one and even moreso when I told him where, and showed him a photo. He's been trying to see the birds without success from all of the usual spots in Fife. I told him there's a lot of luck involved but that days with lots of blue sky (and thermals?) seem to be the best times to see the birds in the skies over Dundee.
We headed off in opposite directions after more chatting about birds in general. I had been hoping to check City Quay on my way home but time was increasingly looking like it wouldn't be on my side. As I headed along past the sailing club buildings I spotted a bird on the water not too far offshore. It was a Diver, but slightly disappointingly it turned out to be a Red Throated. I took some photos of it regardless as it swam past. Continuing on again, I had just spotted another bird a bit further on, when a walker asked if I was looking for a Diver. I told him I'd just spotted one - the second Great Northern Diver, in more or less the same area as Lainy had found the birds earlier in the week. Although I didn't get his name, he was to be doing a low tide bird count along the stretch of the river at the weekend. He didn't have binoculars with him so was pleased to have his suspicion of Great Northern Diver confirmed for the bird he'd just seen.
I crouched down on the shore as the bird swam closer, moving a short distance when the bird was underwater, and grabbing some photos when it was briefly on the surface. The markings on the bill matched one of the birds Lainy had found (and I suspect the earlier bird I'd seen was the other). The bird continued east towards Douglas Terrace where it appeared to spend some time diving for crabs at the outflow pipe there. I wasn't sure how long it would take me to walk to City Quay, though I figured there would probably be just enough light to make out any birds on the water there. I was correct, though I think the sun had set by the time I did get there and the gloom had been added to by the return of the rain. Things were disappointingly quiet at the Quay with only a trio of sleeping Guillemots and a drake Mallard noted before I headed for home.
All in all, a surprisingly successful day's birding though with the Great Northern Divers the main focus, only 39 species were noted. The Diver photos were easily my best yet of this species and it was good to get some close views similar to those I've had previously of Dave the Red Throated Diver at City Quay and a Black Throated Diver at a mostly icebound Forfar Loch years ago. I've just got to hope that my next White Billed Diver is one close in, down on the water, giving similarly good views. Wishful thinking perhaps.....but then I wouldn't have thought I'd ever find one, let alone three separate birds, passing Fife Ness. Fingers are crossed for completing the set - ideally as part of my Dundee 2022 list....
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Red Throated Diver
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Red Throated Diver
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Great Black Backed Gull
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| Cormorant |
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Red Breasted Merganser
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Red Breasted Merganser
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Mistle Thrush
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| Oystercatcher |
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Grey Heron
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Red Breasted Merganser
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| Rook |
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| Guillemot |
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Red Breasted Merganser
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| Eider |
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Red Breasted Merganser
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Herring Gull & Eider
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| Eider |
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Red Breasted Merganser
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Grey Heron
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Grey Heron
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Herring Gull & Cormorant
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Rock Pipit
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Bar Tailed Godwit
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Great Northern Diver & Eider
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Eider & gulls
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| Shag |
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Rock Pipit
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Red Throated Diver
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| Goldfinch |
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Red Throated Diver
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Red Throated Diver
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| Shag |
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| Turnstone |
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Herring Gull
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Pied Wagtail
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Red Breasted Merganser
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Red Breasted Merganser
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Great Northern Diver
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Pied Wagtail
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Pied Wagtail
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| Shag |
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Red Breasted Merganser
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| Turnstone |
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| Turnstone |
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Common Gull
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Common Gull
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Common Gull
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Common Gull
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Common Gull
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Common Gull
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Common Gull
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Black Headed Gull
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Red Throated Diver
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Red Throated Diver
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| Great Northern Diver |
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Birds - Bar Tailed Godwit, Blackbird, Black Headed Gull, Blue Tit, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Common Gull, Cormorant, Curlew, Dunnock, Eider, Goldfinch, Great Black Backed Gull, Great Northern Diver, Grey Heron, Grey Wagtail, Guillemot, Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Long Tailed Tit, Magpie, Mallard, Mistle Thrush, Oystercatcher, Pied Wagtail, Red Breasted Merganser, Redshank, Red Throated Diver, Redwing, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Rock Pipit, Rook, Shag, Siskin, Starling, Turnstone, Woodpigeon, Wren.
Mammals - Grey Seal.