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| Dunnock |
I've been trying to get up to the top of Dundee Law for around sunrise to spend a few hours seeing what might be flying past, for a week or two. For a variety of reasons I've yet to make it. Tree Pipits are definitely on the move, and the vast majority of Swifts have headed south signifying to me, at any rate, the 'end' of Summer. Martins and Swallows are also noticeably migrating over the city. It is highly likely that other species are also moving through, though rather less obviously. As I 'need' to catch up with a few migrants to add some new species to my Dundee 140 list, I really should get into the habit of trying to get there as often as possible over the next 8 weeks or so.
So, despite being rather late getting to my bed on Friday night (well, more accurately Saturday morning) I made it out of my bed around 0500 and was out the door a little after sunrise. Things didn't look too promising as the hill came into view but despite the rather cloudy summit I decided to continue on, rather than go back home to bed. Feral Pigeon, Herring Gull, Woodpigeon, House Sparrow, Magpie, Starling, Dunnock, Wren and Carrion Crow were all noted on the 10 minute or so walk. As I wandered up Law Road I spotted something in the early morning gloom in front of the treeline on the opposite side of the road. I thought it was possibly a Fox and when I stopped walking to grab the binoculars from my bag, it trotted slowly into the bushes, confirming my suspicion.
Things still didn't look too promising with the view down over the city almost non-existent. I continued up to the top anyway. I added a Robin in the trees by the steps and I very faintly heard a calling Great Spotted Woodpecker. There were lots of snails on the wall at the front of the hill but with visibility very poor I decided there was no sense in sticking around. My legs were also rather weary so I chose not to continue on to Riverside Nature Park as I had considered doing. I wandered back down the approach road noting Willow Warbler, Blackbird, Blue Tit, Goldfinch, Chaffinch, Great Tit and a flyover Lesser Black Backed Gull taking the total for the morning to 18 species.
Birds - Blackbird, Blue Tit, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Dunnock, Goldfinch, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Great Tit, Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Magpie, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Starling, Willow Warbler, Woodpigeon, Wren.
Mammals - Fox.
With Saturday's vis-migging attempt written off before it really got going, I considered a second attempt on Sunday but the early start had made Saturday a very long day and being out in the sun all afternoon (not birding) also contributed to a greater need for more sleep. However, I decided that following on from Wednesday's surprise Hen Harrier sighting I might as well try to see if the sunshine and blue skies might deliver a raptor or two over the hill. The lack of energy persisted so other than the effort required to get up the hill, it promised to be relatively static birding. A Chiffchaff was heard from my living room window and either it or another was heard and seen from my bedroom window. This was a new bird for my 'house list' (number 57 - which isn't too bad given the very urban nature of the surrounding area).
I headed out around 1030 noting House Martin, Feral Pigeon, Herring Gull, Blue Tit, Coal Tit, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, Magpie and Goldfinch on the walk up to the hill. When I arrived the visibility was better than the previous morning but there was a lot of haar over the river with wisps passing over the city and the top of the hill. There was a chance this could work in my favour with birds being pushed west towards me, but it could also mean a very short session if things didn't improve. The haar came and went for the next half an hour or so before it finally withdrew back out towards the sea, though without ever really fully disappearing. I could hear the juvenile Sparrowhawks calling from the same area of trees as Wednesday's sighting.
A Stock Dove was seen flying by to the north just before 1100 and a female Sparrowhawk circled up to the east a little. A Goldcrest was heard from the trees on the hillside. A couple of Goldfinches landed in one of the tree-tops on the east side and a very distant raptor went unidentified as I lost sight of it against the backdrop of buildings near Cox's Stack. Willow Warbler and Blue Tit were noted in the trees on the western side of the hill before another Sparrowhawk circled up above the east slopes. A Chaffinch was spotted before I picked up 3 very distant Buzzards out to the northwest. Another Sparrowhawk (or possibly the same one from minutes earlier) headed west to the north of the hill. Although there were birds around, there weren't too many seen in flight anywhere near the hill, which was slightly disappointing.
Another distant Buzzard was seen being harassed by gulls out to the northwest. A Dunnock with large tumour type growths on the bill and face was photographed perched on the fence at the rear of the hill. A few minutes later a Buzzard appeared almost overhead before drifing off to the south. A Common Gull passed over northwards. Around 1345 I spotted a large bird heading east over the city and immediately thought 'Osprey'. A quick check confirmed the suspicion and gave me another raptor for the day's list. A young Sparrowhawk flew around for a few minutes around 1405 and yet another Buzzard off to the northwest at 1420 rounded off the raptor sightings for the day. I called it a day around 10 minutes later and headed homewards, noting Treecreeper and a few species of Tits. As the purpose of the visit was to see some raptors it was a success, even if only the Osprey could be termed as being even slightly unusual. A total of 27 species were noted from the hill, or on my walks from/to home.
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Sparrowhawk & Feral Pigeon
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| Sparrowhawk |
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| Sparrowhawk |
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House Martin
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House Martin
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Fly spp.
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| Sparrowhawk |
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| Buzzard |
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| Dunnock |
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| Buzzard |
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| Buzzard |
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| Osprey |
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| Sparrowhawk |
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| Sparrowhawk |
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| Sparrowhawk |
Birds - Blackbird, Blue Tit, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Coal Tit, Common Gull, Dunnock, Goldcrest, Goldfinch, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Herring Gull, House Martin, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Long Tailed Tit, Magpie, Osprey, Feral Pigeon, Siskin, Sparrowhawk, Treecreeper, Willow Warbler, Wren.
Butterflies - Small White.
