As is often the case these days, my intention to get up early and head for Riverside Nature Park to attempt to see the Yellow Legged Gull fell by the wayside when I stopped the alarm and went back to sleep for a few hours. I woke up to a message from Ian asking if I was at the park, as he was there. As he'd sent the message to me an hour earlier, I'm sure he worked out that I wasn't there. I answered anyway to let him know that I'd failed to get up when the alarm went off. Then I finally got out of bed. I couldn't be bothered with the long walk to the park so weighed up my options. I considered staying in but then something happened....
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Coal Tit (possibly 'continental' ater ssp.?)
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It looked like quite a nice day outside so I was spending some time just stood at my open living room window. There were some birds around, mostly the larger locals - Woodpigeon, Feral Pigeon, Herring Gull, Carrion Crow, Magpie and Lesser Black Backed Gull. I heard and then saw a pair of Blue Tits. A Grey Wagtail called but went unseen. Then a very distant bird caught my eye. The flight seemed powerful and purposeful but not particularly hurried. It reminded me of a sighting I'd had last year of a bird at a similar distance with exactly the same flight action. I grabbed the camera. I had a very good idea of what it was and so did the two Herring Gulls attempting to see it off. I managed to eventually get it into some sort of focus and grabbed a few photos of an adult White Tailed Eagle. Having seen the pair just a few days before, I was surprised to get another sighting so soon.
I decided I was going to go out for a walk after all. Hopefully my decent luck would continue. Initially I was going to go to Balgay Hill but changed my mind and decided to head up Arklay Street and along to Swannie Ponds. To the north I saw a Sparrowhawk being harassed by a Carrion Crow. Chaffinch, Collared Dove, Jackdaw, Dunnock, Great Tit and House Sparrow were all noted on the walk via Mains Terrace to the ponds. Unsurprisingly it was most of the regulars that I found there - Herring Gull, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Black Headed Gull (in very short supply), Coot (including one nesting in a clump of daffodils on the island), Mute Swan (female on a nest of sticks on the island), Mallard, Tufted Duck and still a few Goosander. There was no sign of any Common Gulls or Moorhens however. Long Tailed Tits were in the trees by the main road.
I wandered down to Baxter Park next where Goldcrest, Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Wren, Song Thrush and Blackbird were noted near the top end. A surprise was a small flock of Redwings feeding among the leaf litter behind a clump of bushes. I watched them for a few minutes though the strong shadows made photography a little tricky before I continued down to the Spring Grove. There was plenty to see with close views of Blue Tit, Dunnock, Blackbird, Wren and Woodpigeon. A little more wary were Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Great Tit and Coal Tit, mostly staying further back. Around 1445 I decided to continue down to City Quay. A Small Tortoiseshell butterfly was seen on the way.
Unlike recent visits the Quay was rather quiet though Oystercatcher was eventually added as was a pair of Pied Wagtails. Checking the river and Submarine Rock I found at least 7 or 8 Cormorants and more than 50 Herring Gulls. Further scanning of the Tay added a pair of Eider between the bridge and Submarine Rock. Rather than continue elsewhere I decided to head for home having seen a total of 36 species including those seen from home earlier in the day. I had some great photo opportunities in Baxter Park particularly and any day with White Tailed Eagles has to be a good one. However, if I'd actually got up out of bed as planned I might've managed to see the Yellow Legged Gull (as Ian did).
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White Tailed Eagle & Herring Gull
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White Tailed Eagle & Herring Gull
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Coot
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Mute Swan
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Redwing
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Redwing
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Redwing
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Redwing
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Redwing
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Dunnock
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House Sparrow
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House Sparrow
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House Sparrow
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House Sparrow
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Dunnock
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Dunnock
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Chaffinch
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Blue Tit
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Blue Tit
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Chaffinch
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Coal Tit (possibly 'continental' ater ssp?)
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Coal Tit (possibly 'continental' ater ssp?)
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Blue Tit
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Blue Tit
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Blackbird
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Dunnock
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Lesser Black Backed Gull
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Blue Tit
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Blue Tit
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Blue Tit
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Great Tit
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Goldfinch
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Wren
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House Sparrow
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Wren
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Wren
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Wren
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Wren
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Woodpigeon
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Dunnock
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Blue Tit
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Chaffinch
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Song Thrush
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Eider
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Cormorant & Herring Gull
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Birds - Blackbird, Black Headed Gull, Blue Tit, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Coal Tit, Collared Dove, Coot, Cormorant, Dunnock, Eider, Goldcrest, Goldfinch, Goosander, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Grey Wagtail, Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Long Tailed Tit, Magpie, Mallard, Mute Swan, Oystercatcher, Pied Wagtail, Redwing, Feral Pigeon, Song Thrush, Sparrowhawk, Starling, Tufted Duck, White Tailed Eagle, Woodpigeon, Wren.
Butterflies - Small Tortoiseshell.
