At present it is proving a little bit harder to actively target new species for my year-list in Dundee with the Spring migrants not yet here and winter migrants that I've yet to see in rather short supply. However, there was one bird I had a feeling might be around at the one location I knew could be relied on to see one. The species was Great Crested Grebe and the location was Clatto Reservoir. It does help to have a bit of local knowledge, so rather than potentially waste an hour's walk each way I messaged Lainy McCormack to ask if the Clatto birds were back yet. She replied in the affirmative so I decided to head there on Saturday afternoon. Lainy said she'd meet me there for a chat, so I gave her my estimated time of arrival and set off at about 1215.
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Sparrowhawk
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Things were relatively quiet as I headed westwards across the city. Goldcrest was heard singing at one end of the Miley and a few Long Tailed Tits were noted as I crossed the Kingsway. A pair of Oystercatchers passed overhead from the Fire Station before a Pied Wagtail flew across the road. At the Ardler village pond I added Mallard, Mute Swan, Blackbird and House Sparrow. At the west end of the pond I had good views of a pair of Siskins and a male Reed Bunting. A little further up the road a large pale Sparrowhawk flew across the road. As it did so I spotted a Buzzard above the trees. Another 2 Buzzards were seen hanging in the air high above me. A Common Gull was added to the list as I headed down to the car park to meet up with Lainy and Adam.
We spent around 20 minutes chatting by the car, adding only Bullfinch, before moving down to where we had a view of the reservoir. There were lots of walkers around but it was easy to add birds out on the water - Black Headed Gull, Goldeneye, Coot, Goosander, Tufted Duck and a single Little Grebe. There were also around 70 Lesser Black Backed Gulls as well as a decent number of Herring Gulls. A Moorhen was stood on a branch in one of the groups of trees out in the reservoir. There was however no obvious sign of any Great Crested Grebes from where we were standing. A pair of Grey Wagtails flew by a few times. Eventually after around half an hour I spotted 2 Great Crested Grebes near the trees where Lainy had said they would likely be. Mission accomplished.
The temperature had dropped a bit and the wind had picked up, making it feel rather chilly. Lainy and Adam headed home and I wandered off towards Templeton Woods. Coal Tit and Robin were seen in the trees as I left the reservoir and a skein of Pink Footed Geese headed north overhead as I passed the farm buildings. A pair of Great Spotted Woodpeckers were heard near the car park in the woods - one drumming and one calling but I failed to see either. I did manage to see a Treecreeper though as it climbed quickly up the trunk of a tall conifer. I then headed into Camperdown Park but a bunch of folk on trail bikes (including one with a younger child on the back) caused a change of plan and I headed back out to walk down the road to the Kingsway.
A Jay was spotted in a tree just over the wall but flew off before I managed a photo. In a hedge across the road a bit further on I spotted a Robin and a pair of Bullfinches. In a tree a bit beyond the hedge were another two male Bullfinches. As I reached the main entrance to the park a Sparrowhawk flew over, so I quickly got the camera out again and grabbed a few photos. I added Dunnock, Greenfinch and Wren on the walk home, finishing the day with 43 species including the year-tick (in bold) that had made the afternoon's effort worthwhile.
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Grey Wagtail
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Tufted Duck
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Lesser Black Backed Gull
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Grey Wagtail
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Little Grebe
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Great Crested Grebe & Black Headed Gull
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Goldeneye
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Goldeneye
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Goldeneye
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Goosander
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Mute Swan
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Mute Swan
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Lesser Black Backed Gull & Herring Gull
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Great Crested Grebe
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Buzzard
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Buzzard
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Carrion Crow
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Pink Footed Goose
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Pink Footed Goose
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Treecreeper
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Treecreeper
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Woodpigeon
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Robin
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Bullfinch
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Bullfinch
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Bullfinch
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Bullfinch
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Sparrowhawk
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Sparrowhawk
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Birds - Blackbird, Black Headed Gull, Blue Tit, Bullfinch, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Coal Tit, Common Gull, Coot, Dunnock, Goldcrest, Goldeneye, Goldfinch, Goosander,
Great Crested Grebe, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Greenfinch, Grey Wagtail, Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Jay, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Little Grebe, Long Tailed Tit, Magpie, Mallard, Moorhen, Mute Swan, Oystercatcher, Pied Wagtail, Pink Footed Goose, Reed Bunting, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Siskin, Sparrowhawk, Starling, Treecreeper, Tufted Duck, Woodpigeon, Wren.
