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| Nuthatch |
If you are a regular reader of this blog you've probably noticed there has been a bit of a lull lately despite me being on holiday for the first week of the past fortnight. My Tuesday trip to Riverside Nature Park instead of Balmossie that week, when nothing seemed to go right, 'scunnered' me. I did make a very brief trip up to the top of the Law on the Friday morning but I only lasted a rather bird-less half an hour before giving up and returning home. The following day I did venture out but I decided to focus on insects and spent a couple of hours searching for those around the Law, paying little attention to the few birds that were around. Other than my walks to and from work, which have been relatively quiet too, I've just not been in the mood to get out birding at all. I needed to take a break from visiting the same places over and over. The two recent trips to the Angus Glens may have played their part at emphasising just how 'same-y' things felt like they had been getting.
Thankfully, Lainy messaged me on Thursday with some news that prompted me to attempt to make the effort to get up early on Saturday morning and to head for Clatto Reservoir. The Garden Warblers had returned. They would help me claw back one of my 'missing' species and take me to just 30 species short of my 140 target. If I managed to see them, of course. Although they have been singing throughout the day, I figured an early start would be my best bet. My alarm was set for 0415. When it went off, I actually got up and organised and was out and heading for Clatto around an hour later. The walk was relatively unproductive with Pied Wagtail, Collared Dove, Oystercatcher, House Martin and Swift the main highlights.
I reached the dirt track at the northern edge of the city around 0610. Yellowhammer, Whitethroat and Pheasant were quickly noted along with another Pied Wagtail on the wires and singing Willow Warbler and Skylark. Chiffchaff and Song Thrush were heard near the top of the track. Blackcap, Sedge Warbler and Long Tailed Tits were added as I headed down through the trees towards the area where the Garden Warblers were active last year. A Grey Squirrel, a Roe Deer and a Great Spotted Woodpecker visiting a nest were next onto the list. I set the Merlin Sound ID app going and it picked out a Garden Warbler among the songs and calls that I could hear.
I ventured out into the open and soon found the
Garden Warbler (110) singing from the top of a tree. I tried to get a video clip but the warbler moved. When it reappeared at the top of the tree I started filming, only to find that the bird I could see was actually a Willow Warbler rather than what had been a Garden Warbler. Thankfully, it reappeared and I managed a short clip of the bird singing. A Dunnock and a Song Thrush were noted before I wandered down to the field edge again and along to the west. A quick check of the Reservoir gave me Grey Wagtail, Mute Swan (with 6 cygnets), Moorhen and Great Crested Grebe. There were a handful of Herring Gulls and Lesser Black Backed Gulls on the water too.
I had another look at the Garden Warbler and saw a Buzzard circling to the north. House Martins and Swifts passed high overhead. I decided I would head out along the track to the farm then into Templeton Wood. I had decent views of Swallows hawking over the fields and around the farm buildings. A pair of Skylarks tussled a few feet above the ground. I added Siskins along the edge of the wood to the north of the park. I followed the track down through the trees running parallel to the houses. Thankfully I found a gap in the fence in one of the small cul-de-sacs and continued down the main road to Ardler Pond. Mallard, Mute Swan, Moorhen and a very welcome Dundee 140 tick, in the shape of a pair of
Little Grebes (111 - possibly the ones normally at Clatto). A Common Gull was perched atop a nearby lamp post.
I continued on southwards. I decided that rather than head for Riverside Nature Park I would visit Balgay Hill instead. Although I was unlikely to add anything unusual there were 2 or 3 species I could reasonably expect to see. Stock Dove was added quickly and within half an hour I had also added both Nuthatch and Jay. I found an area where Nuthatches were coming close to the path and ended up spending a bit of time photographing them. An elderly gent left some food out for the birds which brought in Coal Tit, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Woodpigeon and Robin while Magpie and more Jays were in the trees, along with a Blackbird. I could hear a raptor calling and managed to eventually track down the source - there was a Buzzard nest high in a tree, with at least one youngster calling from within it. Unfortunately it was impossible to get any sort of view of the top of the nest.
I wandered right around the western end of the hill and eventually returned to where I'd watched the Nuthatches earlier. Once again I had some really good views as the birds landed nearby. A pair of Jays also dropped down to grab some peanuts despite me standing relatively close to where the food was. I eventually headed for home via the Law. Unfortunately other than a few gulls there were no birds passing over the top. I made it home around 1445 having seen or heard a total of 52 species of which 2 were new for my Dundee 140 list. It was worth getting up early and making the effort to get out and about. Hopefully now my birding 'batteries' have been recharged and I can once again start to get out regularly.
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| Goldfinch |
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| Yellowhammer |
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Garden Warbler
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| Pheasant |
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| Swift |
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Great Crested Grebe
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| Moorhen |
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House Martin
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Grey Squirrel
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| Chiffchaff |
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Little Grebe
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| Nuthatch |
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| Nuthatch |
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| Bullfinch |
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| Jay |
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| Nuthatch |
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Carrion Crow & Buzzard
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| Nuthatch |
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| Nuthatch |
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| Nuthatch |
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| Robin |
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| Jay |
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| Nuthatch |
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| Jay |
Birds - Blackbird, Blackcap, Blue Tit, Bullfinch, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Coal Tit, Collared Dove, Common Gull, Dunnock,
Garden Warbler, Goldcrest, Goldfinch, Great Crested Grebe, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Grey Wagtail, Herring Gull, House Martin, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Jay, Lesser Black Backed Gull,
Little Grebe, Long Tailed Tit, Magpie, Mallard, Moorhen, Mute Swan, Nuthatch, Oystercatcher, Pheasant, Pied Wagtail, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Rook, Sedge Warbler, Siskin, Skylark, Song Thrush, Starling, Stock Dove, Swallow, Swift, Whitethroat, Willow Warbler, Woodpigeon, Wren, Yellowhammer.
Mammals - Grey Squirrel, Rabbit, Roe Deer.
