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| Blackcap |
Following on from two trips up the Angus Glens with Paul and Matt, it was back to birding in Dundee once again for Sunday's outing. I intended to walk out along the Dighty Burn and to investigate the track I found a while ago out behind the houses at Clearwater Park which I suspected might be good habitat for a variety of warbler species, including Lesser Whitethroat, hopefully. The weather forecast was quite good, starting off bright and sunny but clouding over a bit later as the wind picked up. Once I'd checked out the 'warbler track' I'd decide whether or not to continue on to Balmossie.
My early start was pushed back by over an hour through tiredness. I headed out at around 0715 and headed in the direction of Swannie Ponds. Collared Dove, Swift, Siskin, House Martin and Chiffchaff were all relatively decent finds on the walk there. There was a Grey Heron fishing and a Pied Wagtail flew past, otherwise it was as to be expected though the local Mute Swans now have a rather large family of 9 cygnets to look after. I continued on down the Kingsway and along Longtown Road to Douglas Road and Drumgeith Road. I reached the Dighty Burn a little over 30 minutes after leaving the house.
A Dipper flew upstream and a Blackcap sang from across the far side of the burn. An early surprise was a Kingfisher speeding by in the direction of the bridge. An Orange Tip butterfly flitted around in the warm early morning sunshine. The first Willow Warbler of the day could be heard singing from the top of a nearby tree. Moving on I added Pheasant and Long Tailed Tit before I reached the reedbeed area where unsurprisingly Sedge Warbler and Reed Bunting were easy to find. I spooked a Roe Deer on the far bank which hadn't seen me. A Rook flew over.
I wandered slowly along the burn noting a Buzzard, Grey Wagtail and Swallow as well as a singing Whitethroat. Swifts, House Martins and Swallows zipped around high overhead. Things were surprisingly quiet on the burn itself where I only managed to find a single adult and juvenile Dipper in sharp contrast to recent visits where Dippers have been very visible almost everywhere. I checked out the area opposite Sainsbury's but it was much quieter than of late also. Having walked along the back of the southern half of West Pitkerro Industrial Estate I walked back along Barlow Avenue to Baldovie Road then after checking the small hidden pond where a Moorhen was seen I walked along Drumsturdy Road until I reached the path for Brae Stables. I found Tree Sparrows and nesting Stock Doves on the walk along the track.
I reached the other track I thought looked like it should be good for warblers and wandered slowly up it. Sedge Warbler and Whitethroat could be heard singing and making short song flights. Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff and Blackcap provided background music and were joined by a reeling Grasshopper Warbler. My suspicion had been correct, it was rather good warbler habitat. Unfortunately I failed to find any Lesser Whitethroats or Garden Warblers. I did add Skylark, Lesser Redpoll and Yellowhammer however. I decided not to continue on to Balmossie and instead walked back the way I came, getting good views of a Buzzard over the fields, to Baldovie Road and then back along the Dighty. The only addition was a Common Gull though there was a moment of drama when a Carrion Crow swooped down and killed a recently fledged Starling and carried it off held in its beak. I wandered up through Eastern Cemetery but it was very quiet there, as it often is outside of winter when thrushes make use of the availability of plenty berries.
I decided I might as well take a look at Spring Grove in Baxter Park rather than head straight home so early in the afternoon and was surprised to see a Wood Mouse where the Vole usually is. I watched it, and a second one, as they scurried around before a bit of movement caught my eye on my side of the small trickle of water that runs through the fenced off area. It was the(?) Vole. A bit later a scruffier and greyer looking Vole also showed up (and possibly a 3rd). Looking at photos at home I realised that the scruffy grey one was a Field Vole and comparing it with the original vole it appears that my ID was likely wrong and that it too was most likely a Field Vole (though it does appear to show some pro-Bank Vole features - though these may actually be down to my interpretation of ID features from books/websites).
I spent most of my time watching and photographing the rodents but there were also plenty of birds around with Coal Tit the only one not seen elsewhere. The bird in question looked very grey (possibly a continental race bird?) and bathed just a few feet in front of me. Orange Tip and Large White butterfly were also spotted. I eventually headed up to Swannie Ponds for a quick look, where the cygnets had a large audience as they slept on the path between the two parents. I made it home at around 1545 having noted a total of 58 species of bird, 2 of butterfly and 4 of mammals. The Wood Mouse was my 10th mammal species seen in Dundee this year. While not a classic day out it was good to be able to confirm my suspicions about the likelihood of warblers behind Clearwater Park. Hopefully, the vegetation along both sides of the track won't end up being replaced by houses as seems to be happening in so many of the city's less manicured 'green areas'. Time will tell.
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| Dipper |
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| Rook |
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| Robin |
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Grey Wagtail
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| Mallard |
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Stock Dove
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Lesser Redpoll
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| Yellowhammer |
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Sedge Warbler
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| Whitethroat |
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| Buzzard |
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House Martin
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| Goldfinch |
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| Swift |
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| Chaffinch |
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Carrion Crow and Starling
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| Dunnock |
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Blue Tit
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Large White
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Coal Tit (continental ssp.?)
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| Magpie |
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Hoverfly sp.
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Orange Tip
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Wood Mouse
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House Sparrow
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| Woodpigeon |
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Field Vole
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House Sparrow
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| Blackbird |
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| Greenfinch |
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Mute Swan
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| Coot |
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Lesser Black Backed Gull
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Grey Heron
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Birds - Blackbird, Blackcap, Black Headed Gull, Blue Tit, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Coal Tit, Collared Dove, Common Gull, Coot, Curlew, Dipper, Dunnock, Goldcrest, Goldfinch, Grasshopper Warbler, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Grey Heron, Grey Wagtail, Herring Gull, House Martin, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Jay, Kingfisher, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Lesser Redpoll, Linnet, Long Tailed Tit, Magpie, Mallard, Moorhen, Mute Swan, Oystercatcher, Pheasant, Pied Wagtail, Reed Bunting, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Rook, Sedge Warbler, Siskin, Skylark, Song Thrush, Starling, Stock Dove, Swallow, Swift, Tree Sparrow, Tufted Duck, Whitethroat, Willow Warbler, Woodpigeon, Wren, Yellowhammer.
Butterflies - Large White, Orange Tip.
Mammals - Field Vole, Rabbit, Roe Deer, Wood Mouse.
