 |
House Martin
|
I didn't expect to take as long as I have to get around to typing up another round-up of sightings made on my walks to and from work, but allowing a back-log of posts to build up while on holiday and birding most of those days off has meant it being pushed back week after week. Thankfully, mostly due to not going out birding as often as usual - due to the recent summer weather which has been a bit too warm for me, I've finally managed to clear that lengthier than usual back-log. So with apologies for the length of time that it has taken for me to get to this post, here it is at last....
All the way back on the 10th of April a trio of raptors - Buzzard, Sparrowhawk and Peregrine were the main highlights of the walk to and from work. Buzzard, Collared Dove, Nuthatch and Rook followed the very next day. The first Willow Warbler of the year put in an appearance as I left for work on the 13th. Blackcap, Bullfinch, Mistle Thrush, Peregrine and Pied Wagtail were also seen or heard that day among a decent total of 30 species. Nuthatch and Blackcap, along with Grey Wagtail and Sparrowhawk rounded off the week. I was off work on holiday the following Monday and Tuesday using up some of my annual leave in an attempt to add some Spring migrants. I was back to work on Thursday the 20th with Bullfinch, Collared Dove, Great Spotted Woodpecker and another few Willow Warblers noted, as well as a Peacock butterfly. An unexpected Spring migrant Meadow Pipit flying over plus Peregrine, Sparrowhawk, Swallow and Blackcap provided some variety on Friday.
The last week in April had Blackcap every day. Monday the 24th saw Bullfinch, Jay, Peregrine, Sparrowhawk and Willow Warblers on the list for that day. Sparrowhawk and Willow Warbler were also noted on Tuesday the 25th. Willow Warbler was also around on the 27th and 28th. Bullfinch and Pied Wagtail were the other high spots on Friday the 28th. A week and a half off work on holiday to try to quite successfully catch up with more Spring migrants started off May. The 11th saw Blackcap, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Pied Wagtail, Sparrowhawk and Swift all recorded. The 12th had Blackcap, Bullfinch and Pied Wagtail as the more interesting species.
Monday the 15th gave me views of Blackcap, Buzzard and Swift, while Tuesday's 'better' birds were Collared Dove, Swallow and Willow Warbler. Bullfinch and Swift were the pick of the bunch on Thursday the 18th. Friday's haul included Bullfinch, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Peregrine, Swallow, Swift and Willow Warbler as well as a Green Veined White butterfly. I managed 31 species on Monday the 22nd including Blackcap, House Martin, Jay, Pied Wagtail, Swallow, Swift and Willow Warbler. Buzzard, Pied Wagtail and Swift were noted on Tuesday the 23rd as was a Fox which trotted across the road from Dens Park stadium. I saw the same rather skinny Fox on Thursday the 25th at practically the same time, heading in the same direction, in no great rush. Avian highlights that day were Blackcap, Collared Dove, Grey Wagtail, Jay, Peregrine, Pied Wagtail and Swift. Friday's pick of the bunch were Blackcap, Peregrine, Rook, Swift and Willow Warbler.
Having found a Red Backed Shrike at Riverside Nature Park the previous day, Blackcap, Bullfinch and Swift were a little underwhelming on Monday the 29th. Blackcap, Collared Dove, Pied Wagtail and Swift followed the next day and a Small Tortoiseshell showed up too. The 1st of June gave me an unexpected Goosander headed north over Byron Street in the morning as well as Blackcap, Peregrine and Swift. The walk to work on Friday the 2nd's better sightings were Swift, Blackcap and Peregrine. The large detour taken after work to get me a lifer (an unexpected Blyth's Reed Warbler found by Ian Ford) has been discussed elsewhere already. You can read about it here, if you haven't already - https://stonefactionbirding2014.blogspot.com/2023/06/1119-after-work-warbler-2623-3623.html .
Things seemed to quieten down slightly as June proceeded and the sun shone most days. Blackcap, Pied Wagtail and Swift, as well as a Treecreeper were noted on Monday the 5th. Blackcap, Jay, Swift and Treecreeper (again) were spotted the next day. With the breeding Herring Gulls on Byron Street being very defensively aggressive I changed my route to work (and sometimes on the walk home too). This did mean that House Martin sightings increased as I was passing an active nest on Strathmore Avenue by Milton Street. In addition to the House Martin, Bullfinch, Peregrine, Pied Wagtail and Swift were all seen on the 8th. Wet weather on the 9th meant only 22 species were listed of which Swift and House Martin were the main birds of note.
Blackcap, Bullfinch, House Martin, Peregrine, Swallow and Swift were among the 29 species found on Monday the 12th of June. A pair of Skylarks heading north as I neared work the following day were very unexpected for the time of year. A Grey Wagtail and Pied Wagtail feeding together a little further on were also worthy of comment. House Martin, Swallow and Swift rounded out the list for the 13th. A Small White butterfly, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Pied Wagtail and Swift were the 'good stuff' on Thursday the 15th. Friday the 16th's best were Blackcap, House Martin, Peregrine and Swift.
Birdsong was in slightly shorter supply the following week and that Monday's best were Bullfinch and Pied Wagtail. Tuesday also had Bullfinch again among the highlights plus House Martin, Peregrine and Swift. Blackcap, House Martin and Swift on the 22nd then Jay and Pied Wagtail on the 23rd were among relatively low totals of 24 and 23 species on those respective days. Blackcap, House Martin, Nuthatch and Swift were noted on Monday the 26th as well as a Red Admiral butterfly (another was seen nearby on the 29th). Blackcap, Collared Dove, House Martin, Pied Wagtail and Swift made it onto Tuesday's commute list. Thursday the 29th gave me Blackcap, Bullfinch, Swallow and Swift and Friday the 30th brought June to a close with 32 species including Blackcap, a family group of Goldcrests and what appeared to be a young Nuthatch at Balgay Hill, as well as House Martin, Jay, Peregrine, Swallow and Swift.
The number of species noted in the period covered by this rather lengthy post was 48 species of bird with Blyth's Reed Warbler (a welcome lifer) by far the overall highlight. The unexpected Skylark duo, Mistle Thrush, Rook and Goosander were probably the best of the rest. I also managed to see 5 different species of butterfly and 2 of mammal - Fox and Grey Squirrel, with the latter being an almost daily sight at times. Hopefully the next round-up post will be a bit shorter and won't take as long to make an appearance. As we move into July, birdsong will tail off almost completely which will result in fewer species being noticed. Recently fledged birds will continue to increase in number and hopefully migrants will begin to head south again. Perhaps a Cuckoo might put in an appearance early one morning.....(here's hoping!). All photos in this post are recent photos from around Dundee.
 |
| Greenfinch |
 |
| Woodpigeon |
 |
| Jay |
 |
House Sparrow
|
 |
| Peregrine |
 |
| Wren |
 |
Great Tit
|
 |
Pied Wagtail
|
 |
| Magpie |
 |
| Oystercatcher |
 |
Long Tailed Tit
|
 |
| Chaffinch |
 |
| Buzzard |
 |
Lesser Black Backed Gull
|
 |
| Nuthatch |
 |
| Blackbird |
 |
Carrion Crow
|
 |
Song Thrush
|
 |
| Goldfinch |
Birds - Blackbird, Blackcap, Black Headed Gull, Blue Tit, Blyth's Reed Warbler, Bullfinch, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Coal Tit, Collared Dove, Common Gull, Dunnock, Goldcrest, Goldfinch, Goosander, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Grey Wagtail, Herring Gull, House Martin, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Jay, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Long Tailed Tit, Magpie, Meadow Pipit, Mistle Thrush, Nuthatch, Oystercatcher, Peregrine, Pied Wagtail, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Rook, Skylark, Song Thrush, Sparrowhawk, Starling, Swallow, Swift, Treecreeper, Willow Warbler, Woodpigeon, Wren.
Butterflies - Green Veined White, Peacock, Red Admiral, Small Tortoiseshell, Small White.
Mammals - Fox, Grey Squirrel.
