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Pink Footed Goose
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I was undecided where to go on Tuesday the 3rd of October, having had a successful hunt for Mediterranean Gull at Balmossie the previous day taking me to 144, just one bird short of of my 145 target figure. I had considered heading for Riverside Nature park for some vis-migging but I was a bit too tired and spent another hour or so in bed. I decided to head for the top of the Law instead. Although things were likely to be quieter than at the park, there should still be a chance of picking up a migrant or two. In previous years around the same time in early October I've had both Brambling and Hawfinch passing, and either of those would be a very welcome number 145 for my Dundee145 target.
I headed out just before 0705 for the short walk to the top of the hill. The wind was from the west so my expectation levels were rather low. Robin, Herring Gull, Carrion Crow, Starling and Dunnock got things underway. House Sparrow and Woodpigeon were added on Main Street. Continuing on up Kinghorne Road got me a Magpie. Then closer to the hill itself a heard-only Meadow Pipit passed overhead. Chaffinch and Wren were heard from over the fence within the allotments. I was a bit distracted by the sun rising directly behind the Bell Rock lighthouse and stopped to get a few photos which meant that it was 0725 before I reached the hilltop.
A trio of Meadow Pipits were seen just before I reached the top of the steps. Things started relatively slowly with Siskin, Pied Wagtail and another Meadow Pipit. A pair of Sparrowhawks were seen with closer views of a female catching the early morning sun as she circled off the western side of the hill. A few Feral Pigeons flew past. A Great Spotted Woodpecker dropped into the trees on the northeastern slopes. A Lesser Redpoll was heard but not seen. There were a few more Meadow Pipits passing. The first skeins of Pink Footed Geese passed by heading inland before a Song Thrush called from the trees. Chaffinch, Goldfinch and Coal Tit were noted before a Crossbill was heard from somewhere to the north.
There were more Meadow Pipits and a few of the other species already seen which kept me occupied before a Bullfinch's quiet call caught my attention. The first Skylarks passed over the hill at just before 0850 and a Greenfinch flew over. There was a bit of corvid activity off the western side of the hill with Jackdaws, Carrion Crow, 2 Rooks and a few Magpies all chasing a single Raven with a beakful of something bright red (a plucked bird?). I was able to get a video clip as well as some photos that showed the Raven alongside Carrion Crow in particular. Stock Dove, Blue Tit and Blackbird were next onto the list before I decided that I was unlikely to add much else. I spotted the escaped Saker Falcon perched on Cox's Stack again and decided to wander over for some more photos of it in the sunshine.
I added Goldcrest near the steps down from the hill and had some decent views of the Saker on the northeast corner of the Stack. I didn't realise at the time that I had managed to catch the bird trying to remove the remaining bit of leather strap from its leg on one of the video clips. Although I no longer needed to visit Clatto Reservoir to check through the gulls in search of Mediterranean Gull, I decided to visit anyway. I stopped off at Ardler Pond which gave me Little Grebe and a singing Chiffchaff for the list for the day. As I wandered up towards the reservoir I messaged Lainy to see if she was at home and if she was, did she fancy a bit of a wander and a chat. She replied that she was at home and that she was up for a spot of birding around her 'patch'. I added a Red Admiral butterfly before I reached Lainy's house.
We headed down to the reservoir and quickly added Great Crested Grebe and Lesser Black Backed Gull as well as Tufted Duck and Mallard. There were a few Common Gulls around as well among the Black Headed Gulls and Herring Gulls. As expected both Moorhen and Mute Swans were also noted. We spotted a skein of geese which appeared to be descending a little to the north so we wandered out to the former 'Christmas Tree field' for a look. We could see there were already a few hundred Pink Footed Geese in one of the nearby fields but we failed to find anything unusual among those. As we watched the geese, a Kestrel appeared which drew some unwanted attention from a rather persistent Rook and we watched them circling up higher and higher above us.
A Buzzard drifted over us once we were back at the reservoir and a Grey Wagtail was heard. A Comma butterfly flew past us on the western side but we failed to find where it landed on the banking. We also spotted a pale moth flitting around by the trees down the slope on the opposite side of the path, which might have been a November Moth. We stoped and photographed a couple of showy Goldcrests in the trees near the toilets before heading down through the trees on the east side. We ended up looking at some of the few remaining insects that were around, finding a few that were new to me (as far as I can remember). Treecreeper and Jay were next onto the list and a Speckled Wood butterfly gave us a fleeting view near the iron gate.
While Lainy was trying to get a better view of another Comma she inadvertantly stumbled upon a resting Roe Deer which ran across the field and past me. A couple of late Swallows flew past us before we called it a day. Lainy showed me a place where Frogs and Toads rested up during the day but there was only a single Common Frog there this time. I headed homewards around 1530 but failed to add anything else to the day's list on the walk back home. I ended the day with a total of 48 species of bird as well as 3 species of butterflies, 1 of mammal and an amphibian (and a variety of other invertebrates). Considering it was early October, that felt like a decent enough haul given the locations I'd visited. The main highlight however was catching up with Lainy as it felt like ages since we'd last met up for some birding.
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| Magpie |
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| Sparrowhawk |
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Great Spotted Woodpecker
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| Woodpigeon |
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| Sparrowhawk |
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| Greenfinch |
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| Raven |
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Carrion Crow & Raven
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| Rook |
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Saker Falcon (escaped)
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Little Grebe
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Great Crested Grebe
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| Kestrel |
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Kestrel & Rook
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| Buzzard |
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Great Crested Grebe
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| Goldcrest |
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Black Headed Gull
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Larch Ladybird
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Hairy Shieldbug
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| Jay |
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Tachina fera
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| Metellina segmentata |
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Dromius quadrimaculatus
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European Alder Spittlebug
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Mute Swan
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| Dunnock |
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Common Frog
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Birds - Blackbird, Black Headed Gull, Blue Tit, Bullfinch, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Coal Tit, Common Gull, Crossbill, Dunnock, Goldcrest, Goldfinch, Great Crested Grebe, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Greenfinch, Grey Wagtail, Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Jay, Kestrel, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Lesser Redpoll, Little Grebe, Magpie, Mallard, Meadow Pipit, Moorhen, Mute Swan, Pied Wagtail, Pink Footed Goose, Raven, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Rook, Siskin, Skylark, Song Thrush, Sparrowhawk, Starling, Stock Dove, Swallow, Treecreeper, Tufted Duck, Woodpigeon, Wren.
Butterflies - Comma, Red Admiral, Speckled Wood.
Mammals - Roe Deer.
Amphibians - Common Frog.
