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Saker Falcon (escape)
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Springtime means the possibility of a new migrant every time I'm out and about. The frst week or so in April is still rather early with Wheatear and Sand Martin the most likely species to bump into in addition to Osprey and Marsh Harrier. For Saturday's outing I decided to try for Sand Martin at the Dighty Burn with a slim chance of perhaps finding a Wheatear in the fields around Clearwater Park. After that I would continue on to Balmossie to scan out over the sea. There are possibilities there too but 'seawatching' is very hit and miss in the Tay, with the 'good stuff' more likely to be a bit too far away. As always though, nothing ventured, nothing gained...
I headed out at 0730. There wasa bit of light drizzle which didn't last too long but the sky remained very grey and the light wasn't great for photography. Herring Gull, Feral Pigeon, Starling, House Sparrow, Blackbird and Woodpigeon were all noted before I'd left my street. Carrion Crow, Song Thrush, Goldfinch, Lesser Black Backed Gull and Magpie were added as I headed for a quick detour to check out Mains Terrace. A Meadow Pipit overflew, heading northwards towards the glens where it will spend the summer. Blue Tit, Chiffchaff and Dunnock were around in the trees at Mains Terrace while Collared Dove was seen as I crossed Forfar Road on my way to Swannie Ponds. Things were much quieter there than usual with Mallard, Mute Swan, Coot, Moorhen, Tufted Duck and a single Black Headed Gull (as well as a few Herring Gulls and Lesser Black Backed Gulls). Chaffinch and Greenfinch were both in the trees around the ponds.
With Sand Martin one of the targets I decided to try a site that was very good for hirundines back when I was a kid - the Dighty Burn between Fintry and Linlathen - specifically by the stone viaduct which crosses between the two housing schemes. When I was walking to school (a long time ago now) I used to stop and watch the Martins and Swifts sweeping low up the burn like Star Wars X-Wing fighters in the Death Star canyon run at the finale of the original film. I was going to cross the bridge and route along the back of the playpark at Fintry Side where I spent a lot of time in the 70s and early 80s. However, I figured there would be very little to be gained by doing so, so instead I headed down past the site of the long gone old wooden (play)fort and east along the path by the burn.
It didn't take too long before I found the first Dipper of the day as I neared Pitkerro Road. The trees on the other side of the road provided Goldcrest, Wren, Long Tailed Tit and Bullfinch as well as a Grey Squirrel and a rather 'chilled out' Roe Deer which was in no great hurry to wander off when it spotted me, though it did stroll quite calmly through the trees away from me after a short period where it decided I wasn't a threat. Continuing on along the burn I found a Robin in the bushes while across on the football pitches were a number of Common Gulls and Woodpigeons as well as a pair of Oystercatchers. Great Tit was noted before I went through the underpass below Drumgeith Road by the burn.
Things were relatively quiet along the burn between there and Baldovie Road. There were still birds to see and hear though. A Great Spotted Woodpecker landed in the top of a tree by the corner of what was the football pitches but will once again be the site of a new school (where St Saviour's High School was back when I was young). A Buzzard flew by quite low and slow over the reedy area near the small footbridge. A Pheasant was in the fenced off area between that bridge and the police station on the south side. A Kingfisher then flew off down the burn ahead of me, but as the light was still rather grey and dingy, my camera was still in my bag. A bit further on, I finally took it out to photograph a Dipper swimming in a relatively deep section.
I finally managed to spot the Kingfisher again on the burn just beyond Sainsbury's. Unfortunately, as I was about to try for a photo, a dog walker showed up and stopped to speak about birds at which point the Kingfisher disappeared out of sight downstream. Behind West Pitkerro Industrial Estate I spotted a Skylark over the fields to the east and a Rabbit and a distant pair of Roe Deer across the Clearwater Park side of the fields. Heading through the northern half of the industrial estate, I spotted a Sparrowhawk above the trees at Drumsturdy Road. I followed the track along to the 'crossroads' between the new cemetery and the stables. Yellowhammer and Stock Dove were both easy to find and I saw a Pied Wagtail near the cemetery.
As I wandered down past the stables I was sure I could hear Tree Sparrow - a species I had struggled to catch up with at that end of the city earlier in the year. I managed to track a few down in a tree on the opposite side of the road at the top of the horse fields. There were a few Rooks around in another field on the western side of the road and 2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers had a bit of an argument before flying off with one in pursuit of the other. The walk from there down to the esplanade at Broughty Ferry was very quiet with nothing new seen on the walk there. Jackdaw and Grey Wagtail did put in appearances as I scanned out over the beach. The tide was well out and there were quite a few dog walkers far enough out to ensure there were very few birds around. I decided not to add another mile or so to my walking by choosing not to walk along to Balmossie (and back).
Instead I wandered back along towards the castle. A Rock Pipit was seen in the vicinity of the castle but things were otherwise very disappointing. Continuing on along the waterfront I did eventually spot a Cormorant out on the water which turned out to be a 'Sinensis' race bird. Further on towards the Stannergate a pair of Eider were on the river while Turnstone and Redshank were spotted along the shore. A pair of Linnets overflew the small car park. I contemplated continuing on to City Quay but instead decided to head for home instead. I chose to check Swannie Ponds again, as there was a slim chance of hirundines hunting insects above the ponds. As I wandered along Rodd Road a raptor appeared above the trees behind the houses on the south side. It turned out to be the escaped Saker Falcon and I had fairly decent views as it circled higher while it moved westwards in the general direction of Baxter Park and Caird Park.
I finally lost sight of the bird before I reached the ponds. It was a similar mix of species as my earlier visit though a female Goosander was a welcome addition and a Sparrowhawk was seen circling high above. I thought about popping down to Spring Grove but instead headed for home to work on my back-log of blog-posts and photo editing instead. Although overall the day's efforts were mildly disappointing, I had still managed to see some decent birds among the 54 species recorded (not including the Saker - which was possibly the main highlight for me - even if it isn't a truly 'wild' bird, it is definitely living as one these days).
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| Dipper |
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Roe Deer
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| Sparrowhawk |
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| Pheasant |
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Stock Dove
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| Yellowhammer |
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Tree Sparrow
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Great Spotted Woodpecker
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| Starling |
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| Mallard |
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Grey Heron
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| Oystercatcher |
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| Rook |
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Cormorant (Sinensis)
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| Rabbit |
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| Goldfinch |
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Saker Falcon (escape)
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Saker Falcon (escape)
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Mute Swan
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| Goosander |
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| Coot |
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| Moorhen |
Birds - Blackbird, Black Headed Gull, Blue Tit, Bullfiinch, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Collared Dove, Common Gull, Coot, Cormorant, Dipper, Dunnock, Eider, Goldcrest, Goldfinch, Goosander, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Great Tit, Greefinch, Grey Heron, Grey Wagtail, Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Kingfisher, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Linnet, Long Tailed Tit, Magpie, Mallard, Meadow Pipit, Moorhen, Mute Swan, Oystercatcher, Pheasant, Pied Wagtail, Redshank, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Rock Pipit, Rook, [Saker Falcon], Skylark, Song Thrush, Sparrowhawk, Starling, Stock Dove, Tree Sparrow, Tufted Duck, Turnstone, Woodpigeon, Wren, Yellowhammer.
Mammals - Grey Squirrel, Rabbit, Roe Deer.
