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| Jay |
Windy conditions and a general feeling of malaise kept me from getting out birding on Saturday. As it was forecast to be much lighter winds on Sunday I decided I would get up early and have a walk up the Law for some vis-migging. I was hoping things would be starting to pick up a little on that front and that the conditions would see more birds on the move, whether they were arriving or leaving. Once I got bored or things quietened down I would head home to shed some layers and dress accordingly for more birding elsewhere in warmer than early morning temperatures. That was the plan at least.
I struggled to sleep, even though it was after midnight when I went to bed. Having set my alarm for 0500 I didn't want to get up when the time came around all too quickly. I had an extra 40 minutes in bed then got organised and was out the door around 0620 for the 15 minute or so walk to the summit of Dundee Law. A singing Chaffinch was a slight surprise first bird on the list with one of the (most likely) Collared Dove pair which is nesting in my street following quickly after along with more expected species such as Feral Pigeon, Herring Gull, Blackbird, Dunnock and House Sparrow. A calling Oystercatcher was heard and a flyover Meadow Pipit called as it passed overhead unseen.
Woodpigeon, Pied Wagtail, Starling, Blue Tit, Carrion Crow and Wren were noted on the walk up from Dens Road. As I neared the hill, I spotted a large-ish bird approaching from the direction of the river. It turned out to be a Cormorant, which then flew off eastwards over the city. A group of 4 Meadow Pipits and 2 single birds passed over northwards while a Chiffchaff sang from the trees on the slopes of the hill. A Magpie put in an appearance before the first Meadow Pipit of my vis-migging session headed past northwards. Meadow Pipits made up the majority of the birds I saw moving with around 40 individuals noted throughout the entire session. I suspect there were many others a bit too far out, or below the hill-top height that I failed to see, or hear.
A few Woodpigeons and Lesser Black Backed Gulls were noted before a Jay was spotted in the trees on the north side. A photographer, Billy from Glasgow, who had been sat in his car when I arrived wandered over for a lengthy chat which helped to fill the sometimes long gaps between the birds. Unfortunately, it also meant that I wasn't able to completely focus on the birds so it is likely I missed some though I did sometimes interrupt the chat to take a photo of a passing bird. A pair of Greylag Geese headed north around 2 hours after I'd arrived with the first Sparrowhawk of the morning noted around 0900. A mixed skein of 20+ Greylags and Pink Footed Geese looked like they were contemplating landing near the hill but they continued on to the north instead at 0915. Bullfinches were heard calling from the trees to the east at 0925.
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| Woodpigeon |
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| Sparrowhawk |
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Greylag Goose & Pink Footed Goose
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Meadow Pipit
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A Greenfinch flew past the south side of the hill, though it appeared to be a 'local' movement rather than any sort of migrant. Another Sparrowhawk was noted around 0935 with the first Buzzard sighting following on around 10 minutes later. It was mostly Meadow Pipits in the intervening period before I added a Siskin around 1035. Both Buzzard and Sparrowhawk were noted again but weren't really tempting me to linger much longer. However as I set off for the steps at around 1140 I happened to look up and spotted a pair of Sparrowhawks displaying. I then spent the next 30 mnutes watching them and another much higher flying pair as they displayed in a very similar fashion to Goshawks.
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| Magpie |
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Lesser Black Backed Gull
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I then got talking to an elderly gentleman with binoculars and an interest in nature who turned out to be an artist and poet, though he doesn't have any online presence so I've not been able to check out any of his work. We watched the Sparrowhawks and Buzzards and the odd passing Meadow Pipit as we chatted. Around 1250 I spotted a corvid approaching from the east. Surprisingly it turned out to be a Raven and it gave us decent views before it headed off in the direction of the Sidlaws. The elderly gent called it a day around 1300 and I gave it another 10 minutes before heading down the steps where a Robin was singing from a bush by the path. Discovering the toilets open the need to go home was postponed and I headed back up to the hill-top again in the hope that the slight increase in temperature might see more raptors moving.
I did manage to add a very distant Osprey over the northeast of the city and there were sporadic sightings of Meadow Pipits, Sparrowhawks and Buzzards as well as a few more Lesser Black Backed Gulls and the odd very distant skein of unidentified geese. Eventually after 8 hours at the top of the hill I called it a day at 1440. Another pair of displaying Sparrowhawks were seen as I crossed Dens Road on the walk home. Although it hadn't been particularly productive from a vis-migging perspective with little in the way of variety it had still managed to be a relatively enjoyable day of 'lazy-ish' birding. The Raven in particular, despite not being a Dundee tick was a very welcome surprise. The displaying Sparrowhawks were also nice to watch.
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| Osprey |
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| Buzzard |
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Buzzard & Carrion Crow
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| Sparrowhawk |
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| Raven |
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| Magpie |
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Carrion Crow
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| Buzzard |
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| Goldfinch |
Birds - Blackbird, Blue Tit, Bullfinch, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Collared Dove, Cormorant, Dunnock, Goldfinch, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Greylag Goose, Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Jay, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Magpie, Meadow Pipit, Osprey, Oystercatcher, Pied Wagtail, Pink Footed Goose, Raven, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Siskin, Sparrowhawk, Starling, Woodpigeon, Wren.
Butterflies - Peacock.
