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| Guillemot |
With an early high tide on the cards I decided to head for Balmossie for around 0700 on Sunday the 6th of August. This would mean a pre-sunrise start, the first for quite some time, but which will increasingly become the case as the months progress towards the end of the year. I quite enjoy being out before the majority of dog-walkers get out and about. There is a chance to see birds going about their business untroubled and quite relaxed. Once the dogs are out, there is more wariness from the birds, and they tend to keep their distance more. The downside is that the relatively low light isn't great for photos and distant birds can be trickier to ID as well.
I headed out just before 0520, shortly before sunrise. Herring Gull, Feral Pigeon, Dunnock, and Lesser Black Backed Gull were the only birds noted in the gloaming until I reached Baxter Park. Black Headed Gull, Carrion Crow, Wren, Woodpigeon, Blackbird and House Sparrow were added as I wandered through the park and the immediate surroundings. Magpie and Greenfinch were the only new birds I found until I reached the Stannergate. The Tay was flat calm and for a change there seemed to be birds around. There was a Guillemot not far offshore just past the car park and a Sandwich Tern perched on a large buoy. A Buzzard flew low overhead and out over the river towards Fife.
I found a small flock of Turnstones in a variety of plumages along the water's edge before a couple of Tree Pipits passed overhead. Another few followed soon after. A Chaffinch called from across the railway line. A Grey Heron dropped in on the shore but was soon moved on by a very early dog walker (0610 in the morning - on a Sunday). I added Goldfinch as I continued on towards 'the Ferry' proper. A Curlew was on the beach off Douglas Terrace. There were a number of Sandwich Terns stood on the railings at the lifeboat station. Underneath stood another Grey Heron as well as a mix of Turnstones and Redshanks. A Pied Wagtail flew past and a Cormorant was spotted out on the river. Over the houses a few Swifts screamed low and fast around the chimneys. A couple of Swallows zipped low over the water near the next pier.
Around the castle I found a large flock of Starlings. Beyond the castle, I could see a large mixed flock of birds on the water. They were mostly gulls, but there were also plenty of auks - both Guillemots and Razorbills. A pair of Common Terns were on another buoy and a few Oystercatchers were along the edge of the beach which was thankfully still relatively quiet. I hurried on towards Balmossie noting a calling Coal Tit from the direction of the nature reserve. A Grey Seal was seen breaking the surface not too far out from the beach. There were a few Rabbits along the edges of the new path. I added House Martin to the list for the day around the Barnhill Rock Garden area.
I was very disappointed to find that even more the beach was now 'closed' from just beyond the end of the Esplanade. Having hurried all the way there to be able to watch the birds arrive back and start feeding as the tide receded, my plans for the morning were now in need of changing. A quartet of Common Sandpipers flew off in the direction of the Dighty and a group of Eiders drifted around. A Common Gull flew past and beyond the Eiders I could see there were still plenty of Goosander around. I wandered along to the footbridge over the railway line to try to get a better view from near the top, and also tried the end of the platform at the railway station. With the tide only just on the turn, it was impossible to see much from either spot.
I wandered back along to the end of the Esplanade and scanned from there. A Kittiwake dropped in onto one of the wooden posts in the water a bit to the west while much further over towards Fife I picked out a few Gannets. A large-ish flock of Mute Swans swam back towards the mouth of the burn from the direction of Barry Buddon. A Dunlin was seen briefly down on the shore with a Redshank at around 0815. I walked back to the footbridge as the tide receded further and more birds became visible. The first Bar Tailed Godwits began to appear and a Grey Wagtail flew past. I spotted an Osprey over towards Tentsmuir and what was probably the same bird was seen crossing the Tay and heading inland a little later on.
A single Mallard flew past. There were a few Small White butterflies flitting around as the morning warmed up. I was scanning from one of the new benches opposite the Rock Garden and I was joined by Ian Ford who was doing a spot of botanising. We sat and had a chat for quite a while. Another Osprey flew upriver and a Skylark heard somewhere overhead was a bit of a surprise. We headed in opposite directions around 1130. I headed into the nature reserve where I was delighted to find a Speckled Wood butterfly in almost the same spot as the very first Dundee record from 2022. Long Tailed Tit, Chiffchaff, Goldcrest and Blue Tit were also noted but overall there wasn't much else to be found in the reserve though I did stop to photograph a grasshopper which was a lot larger than when I first saw them in the same area earlier in the summer.
I photographed a Rock Pipit near the castle and a Collared Dove flew over. I spent some time watching a Grey Heron, a pair of Oystercatchers and a few gulls on the exposed mud in the harbour while waiting for the castle to open as I wanted to spend some time scanning out over the river from the higher perspective of the castle grounds. Just after it opened at 1300 I wandered in. I headed for the fence at the front and started scanning with my binoculars. Out of the corner of my eye I saw movement down by the edge of the grass. An orange blur, low over the grass. I quickly realised what I was seeing....something I had been hoping to see for years - a Hummingbird Hawkmoth. It was a rather scruffy individual but it seemed quite settled around the edge of the grass and I was able to get photos and video of it as it buzzed around between short breaks to rest.
I brought it to the attention of a few folk nearby, one or two who said they'd been wanting to see one for ages (just like I had). I went to let the staff in the museum know it was around and found one of them outside sweeping the steps. She was very excited to see the moth. It took a minute for us to relocate it but it was still in the same area. She headed back inside happy, to let her colleagues know it was around. Unfortunately, the moth disappeared over the castle wall before one of her colleagues came out for a look. I had a look around the base of the castle wall but failed to re-find it. I headed homewards after that though things were a bit quieter out on the river on the walk back. I added a Stock Dove in Eastern Cemetery then rounded off the day's birding with Moorhen and Coot at Swannie Ponds. I finished the day having managed to find a total of 59 species, though none of the birds were Dundee145 ticks. Maybe next time....
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| Buzzard |
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Common Gull & Black Headed Gull
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| Kittiwake |
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| Turnstone |
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Common Sandpiper
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Common Gull & Sandwich Tern
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| Gannet |
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| Rabbit |
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Pied Wagtail
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| Goosander |
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Grey Wagtail
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Bar Tailed Godwit
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Speckled Wood
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Grey Heron
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| Oystercatcher |
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| Osprey |
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Hummingbird Hawkmoth
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Hummingbird Hawkmoth
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Hummingbird Hawkmoth
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| Starling |
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House Sparrow
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| Osprey |
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Lesser Black Backed Gull
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Birds - Bar Tailed Godwit, Blackbird, Black Headed Gull, Blue Tit, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Coal Tit, Collared Dove, Common Gull, Common Sandpiper, Common Tern, Coot, Cormorant, Curlew, Dunlin, Dunnock, Eider, Gannet, Goldcrest, Goldfinch, Goosander, Great Black Backed Gull, Greenfinch, Grey Heron, Grey Wagtail, Guillemot, Herring Gull, House Martin, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Kittiwake, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Linnet, Long Tailed Tit, Magpie, Mallard, Moorhen, Mute Swan, Osprey, Oystercatcher, Pied Wagtail, Razorbill, Redshank, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Rock Pipit, Rook, Sandwich Tern, Skylark, Starling, Stock Dove, Swallow, Swift, Tree Pipit, Turnstone, Woodpigeon, Wren.
Butterflies - Small White, Speckled Wood.
Mammals - Grey Seal, Rabbit.
Moths - Hummingbird Hawkmoth.
