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Mute Swan
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I was a bit later getting out of my bed on Christmas Eve than I had intended. Wet weather was due around 1600 and at some point I would have to visit family to drop off Christmas gifts. I wanted to squeeze in some birding too, so I decided I might as well take a circuitous route involving some birding on the way to doing the Christams deliveries. My options were relatively limited due to the time constraints imposed by the double-whammy of limited daylight and impending inclement weather as well as my destination but I came up with a plan that would hopefully get me a few relatively interesting birds without adding too much extra walking to the journey.
I headed out just after 1145 noting Herring Gull, Feral Pigeon and Woodpigeon almost immediately. Jackdaw, House Sparrow, Blue Tit, Magpie, Starling, Carrion Crow, Blackbird, Robin, Great Tit and Collared Dove made for a productive though unspectacular 10 minute walk to the Kingsway. I watched a Jay fly out from the top end of Caird Park and over the houses on my side of the dual carriageway. A Sparrowhawk was seen over the golf course as I wandered downhill. Both Coal Tit and Wren were heard down by the Gelly Burn. A pair of Dippers were chasing each other up and down the narrow channel of the burn. A Long Tailed Tit flock was flitting around in the trees just north of the path and a few Redwings overflew.
I wandered down the burn to the ponds where the usual Grey Heron was stood in a large puddle across the path where the pond had overflowed. I heard a Kingfisher call and saw it fly off towards the other pond. A few Moorhens and a pair of Mallards were also on the top pond. An unexpected Goosander splashed down and the Grey Heron caught what appeared to be a vole which was quickly swallowed. I took my time checking the lower pond knowing there was a good chance the Kingfisher would be around there somewhere. It was and I found it perched in one of the smaller trees near the bridge at the bottom end. It also posed on the bridge railing briefly before flying down the burn where I managed another very brief view.
A Grey Squirrel was foraging for what I assume were pre-buried goodies opposite the 9-hole golf course. I then wandered along the Dighty to Trottick Ponds. The usual expected mix of species were there - Black Headed Gulls, Mute Swans, Goosander, Moorhens, Mallard and Tufted Duck. I heard a Great Spotted Woodpecker calling from the trees over the burn but failed to find it. Chaffinches, Blue Tits, Great Tits, and Coal Tits were in the trees round by the reedbed. A small flock of Siskins circled round a few times and a smaller group of Bullfinches flew over. I managed another brief view of the Water Rail, and was also able to get a recording of it calling a few times. A rather unexpected Cormorant headed over westwards.
Initially there didn't appear to be any Snipe present but as I moved around up on the high banking on the west side, one took flight and flew off to the south. Despite having the thermal imager with me I failed to pick out any birds with it down among the reeds and water. I tried a few other spots around the reeds which did result in a few more Snipe making rapid exits. A Jack Snipe flushed from near the burn and very quickly dropped down again in the more central area. Knowing where it flew from increases my chances of getting the same bird in January, hopefully without flushing it next time. I will probably try an early morning visit to increase the chances of the thermal imager having a decent contrasting heat source to pick up on.
As I headed back to the road, I had good views of a Mistle Thrush which flew up into a tree by the track I was walking on. As I wandered along the old road I spotted a Buzzard on the fence at the bottom end of the golf course. Unfortunately, the lens on the camera had chosen to steam up (seemingly from the inside - which isn't great news) and although I managed a few photos from behind the hedge, they were very poor due to the fogging issue. I managed to add one further species as I was leaving my Mum's house when a Grey Wagtail flew over. It almost feels like the distribution of Grey Wagtails within the city, especially in winter, is increasingly more varied than the Pieds. I made it home before the forecast rain started having managed a reasonable total of 40 species. Any day with Jack Snipe and Water Rail has to be a pretty decent day, so I'm glad I decided to take the long way round.
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| Dipper |
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Long Tailed Tit
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| Dipper |
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Grey Heron
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| Moorhen |
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| Goosander |
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Grey Heron (with vole sp.)
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| Moorhen |
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| Goosander |
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| Kingfisher |
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Grey Squirrel
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Black Headed Gull
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| Cormorant |
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| Snipe |
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| Snipe |
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| Jackdaw |
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| Moorhen |
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| Buzzard |
Birds - Blackbird, Black Headed Gull, Blue Tit, Bullfinch, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Coal Tit, Collared Dove, Cormorant, Dipper, Goldcrest, Goosander, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Great Tit, Grey Heron, Grey Wagtail, Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Jack Snipe, Jackdaw, Jay, Kingfisher, Long Tailed Tit, Magpie, Mallard, Mistle Thrush, Moorhen, Mute Swan, Redwing, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Siskin, Snipe, Sparrowhawk, Starling, Tufted Duck, Water Rail, Woodpigeon, Wren.
Mammals - Grey Squirrel.
