I've decided to set myself a target of seeing 125 species in Dundee this year. I managed 114 last year without properly exploring everywhere the city has to offer for finding birds. Already this year, I've widened the possibilities to include a few more potentially decent spots. With almost 2 months down I've managed to rack up a total of 85 species though there are some species which have so far eluded me and there are birds that I didn't manage to see last year which have put in an appearance already. One of these species is Gadwall, which thanks to Lainy McCormack, I found out had been seen at Swannie Ponds. I should have gone for the bird on Wednesday afternoon after the parcels I had to wait in for had arrived but decided not to.
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Black Headed Gull
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However, as I was not looking like being particularly busy at work and with a half-week break coming up to start March off I asked if I could finish at 1500 on Friday. With a positive answer gratefully received I headed home to pick up my birding gear. Lainy had confirmed the bird was still around having photographed it on Thursday afternoon, so fingers were crossed that it would still be around. I headed out just after 1600 noting Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Jackdaw and Carrion Crow before I'd left my street. Blue Tit was heard nearby and as a Sparrowhawk sped over Court Street with a Carrion Crow in hot pursuit a few Feral Pigeons flew from the tenement roofs.
A Woodpigeon landed on a lamp post and a Wren was heard singing on Clepington Road. A Great Tit flew across the road near the Forfar Road crossroads. When I reached Swannie Ponds I found most of the birds towards the far end of the top pond. Unfortunately there was a crowd of young girls (probably around 10-12 year old or so) also hanging around in the same area. I left the camera and binoculars in the bag and had a slow wander round the pond. A Bullfinch was heard calling from a tree near the southeast corner. Black Headed and Herring Gulls hung in the wind overhead. A few Mallard and Coots were near the small ramp halfway round.
There seemed to be lots of Tufted Ducks about as well as a few Goosanders still lingering. As I passed the girls I was able to pick out the Gadwall with a small group of Mallards. A Common Gull was swooping down repeatedly to pick something off the water. On the island tucked in below the trees at the north end were the local pair of Mute Swans as well as a Grey Heron. By the time I had reached the end I'd started at, most of the girls had moved down to the lower pond.
A Chaffinch and 5 Greenfinches perched together in one of the trees near the corner I'd heard the Bullfinch. I wandered along again to the area where the Mallards and Gadwall as well as some of the Goosander were coming to where some bread had been dumped in the water. Once I had passed the girls I took out the camera and took a series of photos of the Gadwall drake as well as some of the other birds. I wandered back again to head for home with the low sun shining in my eyes. I detoured via Mains Terrace but only added Starling and Blackbird there with Goldfinch spotted before I made it home around the same time I'd have been getting home had I finished work at my usual time. I had managed to see 23 species including the hoped for year-tick (in bold). Worth starting my half-week holiday early for.
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Gadwall
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Gadwall
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Gadwall
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Gadwall
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Gadwall
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Gadwall
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Mallard
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Gadwall
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Grey Heron
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Mute Swan
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Coot
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Common Gull
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Coot
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Goosander
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Mallard
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Gadwall
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Woodpigeon
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Grey Heron
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Coot
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Mallard
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Tufted Duck
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Tufted Duck
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Tufted Duck
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Black Headed Gull
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Herring Gull
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Black Headed Gull
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Herring Gull
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Herring Gull
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Herring Gull
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Herring Gull
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Herring Gull & 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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Herring Gull
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Herring Gull
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Birds - Blackbird, Black Headed Gull, Blue Tit, Bullfinch, Carrion Crow, Coot,
Gadwall, Goldfinch, Goosander, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Grey Heron, Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Mallard, Mute Swan, Feral Pigeon, Sparrowhawk, Starling, Tufted Duck, Woodpigeon, Wren.
