On Wednesday, I headed out to walk to Camperdown Park for some birding. I didn't make it very far (less than quarter of a mile) and turned around and took a slightly different route back home. My heart just wasn't in it. For Saturday I decided I would get up really early and head to Riverside Nature Park to try for Woodcock pre-sunrise. A late night on Friday put paid to that but I decided that I was still going to get out birding at some point on Saturday. By the time I got organised it was almost 1300 but I headed out anyway with only a general idea of my plan for the afternoon's birding.
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| Common Sandpiper |
Herring Gull, Feral Pigeon, Starling, Carrion Crow, Black Headed Gull and Magpie got the list started in my street with only a Blue Tit added on the walk up Court Street. Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Chaffinch, Jackdaw and Wren were found in the trees and bushes at the Mains Terrace/Castle Terrace junction. As I neared Swannie Ponds a Sparrowhawk flew over relatively low from the gardens on the north side of the road, through the tall trees opposite and out of sight. Mute Swan, Mallard, Tufted Duck, a trio of Goosander, Coot and a single Common Gull were all noted along with a few more Black Headed and Herring Gulls.
I continued on to Eastern Cemetery via the top gate again. House Sparrow was added on the way there but the cemetery was, pardon the pun, pretty much dead. A Great Tit was heard but other than 4 Grey Squirrels all headed in the same direction in the space of 10 seconds or so, a few Woodpigeons and Carrion Crows there was nothing to see. I continued downhill to the Stannergate in the hope of adding a few waders or waterfowl to the list. Robin, Redwing and Blackbird were under the trees on the slope by the start of the cycle path. The only bird visible on the Tay was a single rather distant Cormorant. A Dunnock flew across the road and a trio of Rabbits were filmed on my iphone feeding on the grass by the storage tank.
My camera was still in my backpack with only the Redwings almost tempting me to take it out, though I knew they were unlikely to stay in one spot long enough for me to get any photos. Moving on, I added Long Tailed Tits as they fed with Blue Tits on the other side of the railway line. I reached City Quay around 1430 to find that the outer quay area was almost empty of birds with only a single Oystercatcher to be seen. A small-ish bird which seemed to cock it's tail upwards a little was glimpsed among the scrub near the gates into the Sea Cadets area. I figured it was most likely a Blackbird and after a rather quick search which failed to produce anything I moved on again.
I wandered up towards the Submariner's memorial between the houses and the business units. With 2 'robot' Peregrines perched on the roof to deter birds (the birds seem to get used to them....or the Herring Gull that was perched a few feet behind one of them certainly seemed to have done), I wasn't expecting there to be much to see, except possibly in the water. I really didn't expect what I found. A bird I hadn't noticed took flight from the ground ahead of me and flew over to the wall on the other side of the channel. A quick look through the binoculars provided a surprise - what appeard to be a Common Sandpiper! In winter, any 'Common' Sandpiper needs checking in case it is a Spotted Sandpiper from North America which tend to turn up in winter, when the Common Sandpipers are much further south. However this winter there has been a Common Sandpiper at Guardbridge, and my bird also proved to be a Common Sandpiper. Nevertheless, it was an unexpected year-tick.
I took out the camera and got some photos. As I was messaging Keith and Lainy, the bird flew back across to where I'd inadvertantly spooked it from. I used the memorial to hide me from the bird and spent the next hour or so getting lots of photos. The bird fed relatively close to where I was half-hidden, picking about among the mossy gaps between the cobblestones. A pair of Pied Wagtails also dropped by, scurrying around on the paving stones. A Magpie flew past and spooked the Sandpiper and it flew off round the corner into the outer quay area. I had a quick look for it there but failed to find it again. I suspect my 'Blackbird' from earlier could possibly have been the Sandpiper given the movement of the rear end that I'd glimpsed. I moved on again. There was a single rather wary Cormorant in the inner part of the Quay as well as few Herring Gulls.
At the eastern end of the Quay a Grey Heron flew in to roost at the half-sunken boat. I scanned out across the river but the only birds I could find were a group of Red Breasted Mergansers bobbing around beyond Submarine Rock. I added another Pied Wagtail near the Apex Hotel and a wander to check the spire of St Paul's Cathedral for Peregrine proved rather fruitless. By this time, the light was starting to go, so I headed for home. What had been a fairly dull wander had been enlivened greatly by finding the Common Sandpiper (though it transpired the bird had been present since at least 28th of December, with the finder unaware that Common Sandpipers really shouldn't be here in winter). I ended the day having recorded 33 species with 1 year-tick (in bold), which took my Dundee list to 73 (72 being a Tawny Owl at Balgay Hill on my way to work).
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Pied Wagtail
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Common Sandpiper
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| Common Sandpiper |
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| Common Sandpiper |
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| Common Sandpiper |
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| Common Sandpiper |
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| Common Sandpiper |
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| Common Sandpiper |
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| Common Sandpiper |
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| Common Sandpiper |
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| Common Sandpiper |
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| Common Sandpiper |
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| Common Sandpiper |
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| Common Sandpiper |
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| Common Sandpiper |
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| Common Sandpiper |
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| Common Sandpiper |
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| Common Sandpiper |
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Common Sandpiper
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| Common Sandpiper |
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| Common Sandpiper |
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| Common Sandpiper |
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| Common Sandpiper |
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| Common Sandpiper |
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| Common Sandpiper |
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| Common Sandpiper |
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| Woodpigeon |
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| Woodpigeon |
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Grey Heron
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Red Breasted Merganser
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| Cormorant |
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| Cormorant |
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Herring Gull
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Herring Gull
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Birds - Blackbird, Black Headed Gull, Blue Tit, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Common Gull,
Common Sandpiper, Coot, Cormorant, Dunnock, Goldfinch, Goosander, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Grey Heron, Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Long Tailed Tit, Magpie, Mallard, Mute Swan, Oystercatcher, Pied Wagtail, Red Breasted Merganser, Redwing, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Sparrowhawk, Starling, Tufted Duck, Woodpigeon, Wren.
Mammals - Grey Squirrel, Rabbit.