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| Kingfisher |
The weather forecast for Tuesday was very similar to how Sunday eventually turned out. It was meant to start wet, then clear up for an hour or two around late morning before turning to rain again early in the afternoon. Needless to say, I wanted to keep the momentum up on my Dundee145 list. The length of 'dry' time however meant that I would need to stay relatively close to home to squeeze in as much birding as possible. However, I did have a few target species that I was hoping to find that weren't too far away. A trip to Caird Park then onto Trottick Ponds was the plan, with a bit of luck I would add a few new Dundee145 ticks.
Although the rain hadn't quite stopped, I headed out just before 1030 for the walk to Caird Park. Jackdaw, Feral Pigeon, Starling, Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Carrion Crow and Magpie got the list for the day off to an unspectacular but fairly steady start. Blackbird, Blue Tit, Robin, Collared Dove, Goldfinch and Woodpigeon added a few more expected species. Halfway down Graham Street I discovered that there was rather a lot of black ice around. It was very slippy and really rather dangerous. There had been no indication of any ice at all on the walk up to that point. I took my time and watched for any particularly dodgy patches. I added a small flock of Redwings just before I crossed the Kingsway into Caird Park.
The path down through the golf course was also very icy so I walked down on the grass. Wren, Great Tit and a few Siskins provided some interest while I watched where I was putting my feet. There was no sign of the recent Dippers on the Gelly Burn, though I didn't walk down the side of it to the pond. Instead I took the 'high' path on the north side. Before I walked down the slope to the pond I stopped and scanned, just in case the
Kingfisher that I was hoping to see was around. It was. I picked it out perched in one of the trees on the island with its back to me. I took my time and got some photos from the footbridge over the burn. Unusually, the bird stayed where it was. I slowly moved round till I was facing the bird and still it stayed put. I got a few photos then moved again, took a bit of video on my phone, then left the bird exactly where I'd found it.
There were a few Mallard and a Moorhen on the same pond too. The stairs down to the lower pond were exceedingly slippy though I used the railing to help me stay on my feet. There was a flock of Long Tailed Tits in the trees by the lower pond. I added a noisy Jay in the old graveyard before spotting a Buzzard to the north which flew off when it saw me. A Goldcrest called from the conifers behind me. Needless to say the path down to the main road was also very slippy so I stuck to the grass again. It was a similar story along the old road towards Trottick. I did add a couple of Black Headed Gulls before I reached Trottick Ponds where there were a few more on the ice. Chaffinch were seen in the trees as well as a single Dunnock foraging around on the ground.
I checked out the reedbed on the other side of the burn, using the thermal imager, to try to find the Jack Snipe I saw late last year but there was no sign of it. There was still a lot of ice around, so the bird had probably moved off elsewhere. I did find a few
Snipe (of the Common variety),
which were another target species but there was no indication that the hoped for Water Rail was around. A few Roe Deer had ran off when they spotted me. A Bullfinch showed briefly in a small tree by the houses. Having spent a fair bit of time checking the reedbed I decided to head back to Caird Park to try for Treecreeper. It appeared that at least some of the black ice had melted, which was a welcome development.
I was checking part of the reeds on the eastern side of the burn when I turned around to see a Roe Deer buck browsing on one of the pathside bushes not too far away. It seemed completely unconcerned as I stood and took some photos. I moved back to the path slowly. The deer continued with his eating. I decided to use the vegetation as cover to edge closer. I got within about 6 feet with just part of the bush between me and the deer before it walked slowly into the bush. I had been filming on my phone but when the deer, still only feet in front of me stopped to eat something else I switched to the camera but couldn't get focus through the branches. The deer wandered slowly away and up the hill a little, stopping to chew on a few more leaves. I took a few more photos as the deer watched me while it was eating.
I was suddenly aware of someone approaching behind me. It was a dog walker, with his dog on a lead. The deer still wasn't phased and sauntered away slowly along the path. I had a short chat with the dog walker about the deer before he too set off slowly in the same direction as the deer. I headed round to the top pond where Mute Swans, Moorhens and Mallards were all noted. I found a Mistle Thrush high in one of the trees. There was still some black ice around so I cautiously headed back to the ponds in Caird Park again where a Grey Squirrel, a Coal Tit and a Grey Heron were all new for the day's list. There was no sign of the Kingfisher though.
As it didn't look like the forecast rain was imminent I decided I might as well have a quick look at Swannie Ponds. A single drake Goosander circled round overhead before flying off while on the ponds, Coot, Common Gull and Tufted Duck were birds I hadn't seen elsewhere already that day. A Jackdaw flew over. The two regular white ringed Black Headed Gulls were both seen before I headed down into Baxter Park for a look at Spring Grove. There was a slim chance of adding Treecreeper in the park but I wasn't overly confident as it isn't a bird I find there particularly regularly.
However, as I headed down towards the steps by the side of the grove, I heard a distinctive call from high in the nearest tree. I had a quick look up towards the top end of the trunk and saw some movement. It was a
Treecreeper, year-tick number 3 of the day. A Stock Dove was in another tree a bit further over. Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Blue Tit, Robin, Dunnock, Blackbird, Redwing, Song Thrush, Great Tit and Coal Tit all put in appearances in the half hour that I spent at the grove. The Field Vole was spotted scurrying across the waterfall then again as it ran across a gap between the greenery. I expected it to run across the main path but it didn'r reappear. I decided to head for home before the rain, which was looking increasingly likely, started. I ended the day's birding having recorded a total of 41 species, of which 3 (in bold) were new for the year-list/Dundee145 list. The unexpectedly lengthy encounters with the Kingfisher and the Roe Deer made for an enjoyable few hours birding.
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| Kingfisher |
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| Kingfisher |
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| Buzzard |
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| Moorhen |
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Roe Deer
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Roe Deer
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Roe Deer
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| Squirrel |
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Grey Heron
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| Goosander |
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Tufted Duck
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Herring Gull
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Black Headed Gull
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Common Gull
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Black Headed Gull
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| Treecreeper |
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| Goldfinch |
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| Robin |
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| Greenfinch |
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| Redwing |
Birds - Blackbird, Black Headed Gull, Blue Tit, Bullfinch, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Coal Tit, Collared Dove, Common Gull, Coot, Dunnock, Goldcrest, Goldfinch, Goosander, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Grey Heron, Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Jay,
Kingfisher, Long Tailed Tit, Magpie, Mallard, Mistle Thrush, Moorhen, Mute Swan, Redwing, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Siskin,
Snipe, Song Thrush, Starling, Stock Dove,
Treecreeper, Tufted Duck, Woodpigeon, Wren.
Mammals - Field Vole, Grey Squirrel, Roe Deer.
