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House Sparrow
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I had intended that the weekend which covered the transition from April into May would be a 'big weekend' spent birding in Dundee, trying to see (or hear) as many different species of bird as possible. Originally I had planned to squeeze all the effort into a single day but the logistics for doing so on foot meant it wasn't really feasible, so a whole weekend seemed like a better plan. I would spend one day doing the eastern end of the city, the other the western end. Unfortunately, a combination of factors conspired to make even that best left for another time. Some of the expected summer migrants had not yet shown up in enough numbers to be reliably seen and in addition the weather forecast for Saturday afternoon was for heavy rain. So the 'big weekend' plan was shelved too. However, I could still get out and about on Saturday morning to squeeze in some birding and with a bit of luck perhaps add something new to the Dundee 140 list.
Sedge Warbler would be the main target species and can usually be reliably found at Trottick Ponds, at least once the birds have returned. There were 'Sedgies' being reported from other parts of Scotland on Friday so I decided I would head for Trottick Ponds and then on to Clatto to try for Lesser Whitethroat and Garden Warbler. The habitat in places looks like it has potential for the first and the second was found by Lainy there last year, though I suspected it might yet be slightly early for them to be back. I headed out at just after 0700 for the walk down through Caird Park to Trottick Ponds. There was nothing particularly unusual seen or heard on the way to the park.
Goldcrest, Coal Tit, Blackcap, Jay, Siskin, Chiffchaff, Moorhen and Grey Heron were all to be found within Caird Park before I wandered down for a look at the Dighty Burn in search of Kingfisher or any recently fledged Dipper youngsters. I found neither. Movement caught my eye on the golf course and when I looked to see what it was I found that it was a slightly unexpected Mistle Thrush. A Grey Wagtail was perched on the nursery building at the end of the old road. A Dipper was seen on the Dighty near the entrance to the Trottick Ponds nature reserve. Long Tailed Tits were seen in the trees and although the numbers were low there were the expected Mallard, Mute Swan, Coot and Moorhen around the ponds themselves.
There was no sign of any Sedge Warbler though. This was rather disappointing but as with a few other species recently at some point there will be a Sedge Warbler around where I looked for one. I did some more birding around the area adding Song Thrush, Willow Warbler, Whitethroat, Pheasant and Bullfinch. A Rook overflew and a Great Spotted Woodpecker was heard drumming and calling. I spotted a Treecreeper on a tree trunk by the footbridge at the western end of the reserve which seemed to be acting strangely. I suspected there was a second bird around that I couldn't yet see. It flew back across the burn to another tree and I followed it, though I naturally, and sensibly used the bridge.
I saw a Treecreeper on the tree trunk and watched it slowly climb up the trunk. It then flew a foot or so higher and mated with what was obviously the first bird I'd seen, which had been raising its wings over its back and fluttering them a little while calling quietly. I was able to grab some quick photos which showed the act in progress, something I don't think I've previously seen anywhere in books or online, though granted it isn't something I've ever looked for. I had a chat to a couple of different walkers about the wildlife around Dundee as I headed for the exit onto Harestane Road. A Swallow flew over north as I chatted to the second of the two walkers. Around 0900 I set off for Clatto Reservoir.
There were a few House Martins hawking for insects over the houses betwen Dunavon Gardens and Starthmartine Road. I reached the dirt track up to Clatto around 20 minutes after leaving Trottick Ponds. Yellowhammer, Pied Wagtail and Skylark were all noted on the walk up along with Peacock and Small Tortoiseshell butterflies. I wandered up the narrow muddy path at the top of the track and was sure I could hear a singing Sedge Warbler from within the fenced off area behind the 'new' house. I went up the side and was able to hear the 'song' much clearer. It was a
Sedge Warbler (107). However, it proved impossible to see as although the bird was moving around it remained out of my rather limited line of sight. I messaged Lainy to let her know, but she was feeling ill so wasn't going to be able to do any birding that day.
I checked round the general area again and added a single Linnet to the list for the morning. I then had a look for Garden Warbler where the birds were last year but a pair of Blackcaps were as good as it got there. A look at the reservoir added Tufted Duck, Great Crested Grebe and Common Gull with a Sparrowhawk briefly circling overhead. I had a chat to another walker there who was also a photographer (not carrying a camera though) and had a bit of an interest in the wildlife around. There was a tussle between a pair of Buzzards over the trees to the north before they drifted out over the northwestern corner of the water. A third Buzzard drifted over a bit higher as the original pair circled. A Green Veined White butterfly flitted by as I watched the Buzzards.
As the sky was beginning to look a bit threatening I called it a day at around 1115 and headed homewards. I failed to add anything new on the walk back home and thankfully the rain stayed away until after I'd actually made it home. I ended the morning's birding having seen, or heard, a total of 54 species with 1 new for the year and Dundee 140 list (in bold). There were a few species I'd missed out on that could've edged the list closer to 60 species, including a Common Sandpiper Lainy has seen recently around the reservoir, along with the 'missing' warbler species. Still, it was a decent enough morning's birding and the Treecreeper photos were interesting 'behaviour' shots that I will likely struggle to get again.
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| Moorhen |
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| Rook |
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| Bullfinch |
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| Treecreeper |
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| Treecreeper |
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| Mallard |
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| Jay |
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Small Tortoiseshell
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| Swallow |
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| Yellowhammer |
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Pied Wagtail
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| Chiffchaff |
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| Buzzard |
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Great Crested Grebe
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Blue Tit
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Birds - Blackbird, Blackcap, Blue Tit, Bullfinch, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Coal Tit, Common Gull, Coot, Dipper, Dunnock, Goldcrest, Goldfinch, Great Crested Grebe, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Grey Heron, Grey Wagtail, Herring Gull, House Martin, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Jay, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Linnet, Long Tailed Tit, Magpie, Mallard, Mistle Thrush, Moorhen, Mute Swan, Oystercatcher, Pheasant, Pied Wagtail, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Rook,
Sedge Warbler, Siskin, Skylark, Song Thrush, Sparrowhawk, Starling, Swallow, Treecreeper, Tufted Duck, Whitethroat, Willow Warbler, Woodpigeon, Wren, Yellowhammer.
Butterflies - Green Veined White, Peacock, Small Tortoiseshell.
Mammals - Grey Squirrel.
