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Storm Petrel
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This Autumn has already seen one 'named storm' (Storm Agnes) deposit a fair amount of water from the sky over the course of a few days as well as grounding some migrating birds, though mostly at the coast. Storm Babet was due to hit on Thursday the 18th and duly did with Angus in particular taking a battering. Due to a problem at home, I had swapped my midweek day off from Wednesday to Friday to wait for a tradesman to hopefully turn up (though he too was having unwelcome problems). A bonus of being at home on Friday was not getting soaked on my way to work on Friday morning. As things turned out, there were actually birders venturing out and braving the less than ideal conditions along the coast to see what the strong easterlies winds were blowing in on Thursday and Friday. Things looked rather interesting.
Having not heard anything positive back from the tradesman I was keeping an eye on the weather to see if I could take advantage of any lulls in the rain to see if anything good had been blown into the Tay. Keith had messaged me to let me know he'd had a very productive visit to the Nature Park with Kittiwake and Ring Ouzel (both new for park list), as well as Arctic Skua and Little Gull. It transpired later that Ian Ford had also had a Storm Petrel (also new) from the park as well as a heard-only Yellow Browed Warbler, making it quite possibly the best ever morning at the park.
By late morning the rain had eased quite a bit though the wind was still rather strong. I decided to go birding. The Nature Park felt like it was just a bit too far away and as Keith had mentioned that he'd lost sight of all the good birds, I chose not to go there, instead I decided I would see what else was about. I headed out at 1125. My first port of call was Swannie Ponds where I figured there might be a chance of something taking a breather having been blown in from offshore. The walk to get there was relatively short of birds with Herring Gull, Magpie, Robin, Feral Pigeon and Carrion Crow noted. Things were much the same as usual at the ponds with Mallard, Tufted Duck, Coot, Mute Swan, Moorhen and Black Headed Gull seen there as well as Pied Wagtail and Jackdaw, but nothing out of place.
Small flocks of Redwing called as they passed overhead. Baxter Park was off-limits due to a few rather large fallen trees so I headed off down Dalkeith Road instead which got House Sparrow, Goldfinch, Blue Tit and Collared Dove on the list. I headed into the docks and walked west with the wind at my back. In the outer part of City Quay I found a couple of Guillemots and 3 Red Breasted Mergansers. I added Cormorant a bit further in before I crossed the footbridge and headed down to check the river. A shower of rain passed through and I used the buildings to shelter me from both the wind and the rain. The river looked rather rough which wasn't unexpected. After about 10 minutes I caught a glimpse of a small dark bird with what looked like a white rump just before it vanished out of my line of sight behind the section in front of the easternmost flats.
I was sure it had to be a Storm Petrel and quickly got myself over the flood defence gate which was closed but I couldn't find the bird which was very frustrating. I moved along to the next opening and scanned from there before moving on again. I heard a Grey Wagtail behind me but my focus was on the river. The shower of rain had passed through and as it wasn't raining I ventured out into the open to get a better view of the river. After about 25 minutes of relatively fruitless scanning, some movement off to my right caught my eye, and there was a Storm Petrel dancing atop the waves in typical 'Stormie' fashion. I grabbed as many photos as I could and even some video before I lost sight of the bird again.
I put out word to everyone I could think of who might be able to get down to see the bird, as well as the ADBC grapevine. An adult Kittiwake flew downriver and a Shag and a Razorbill were noted before the Storm Petrel showed again. It was then that I realised I only had about 20% of battery life left and no spare batteries with me - due to not having charged the one in the camera and having used a different bag to travel light due to the conditions. This was annoying as I had been thinking of walking out to Broughty Castle to see what else was around (as Leach's Petrel and Grey Phalaropes were being seen in Fife along with plenty other birds). I would have to nip home for a fresh battery. A distant swan flew downnriver neaer to Fife than to Dundee but I couldn't be certain of the species before I hurried home at around 1320.
It was around 1430 when I headed back out. I was hoping to catch a taxi at least as far as the Stannergate but failed to see any and ended up walking out to there anyway noting Woodpigeon and Blackbird on the way. I found a trio of Little Gulls among the gulls feeding in the 'corner' at the end of the docks - a new bird for my Dundee145 list, my second of the day following on from the earlier Storm Petrel, and a bit further on I found a few more feeding very close in to the sea wall. Turnstone, Rock Pipit and Redshank were seen along the shore before I reached Douglas Terrace. A Goldeneye and a Red Throated Diver were just offshore by the pipe, though with the flood gates closed I was unable to get particularly great views.
I finally made it to the shelter of Broughty Castle just before 1600 and started scanning out over the river. I had close fly-bys from Red Throated Diver, Fulmar and Shags before I ventured round to the other side of the castle. It was very difficult to walk into the wind even over the relatively short distance to the wall of the next building over. I used that wall to keep out of the wind when I got there and spent around 30 minutes or so scanning out over the river. A young Great Black Backed Gull came in close and Pied Wagtail and Rock Pipit were seen attempting to feed down on the beach despite the conditions. There were a few passing rain showers while I was there. I picked up a dark bird flying into the wind - a Great Skua, my 3rd Dundee145 tick of the day, and took a load of photos before it swung back the other way.
I didn't notice that as it did so it was joined by a second Bonxie, and that there was also a Little Egret in flight across at Lucky Scalp island off Tayport. Around 1630 I headed back round to the better shelter of the castle where I added a couple of Little Gulls, a pair of Mallard and a Black Headed Gull but not a huge amount else. I eventually decided I should probably head for home around 1700 and set off back along the river with the wind thankfully at my back. I added Starling, Curlew, Wren, Fieldfare and Eider on the walk back before Lainy phoned me to ask where I was. Her and Adam had been to see the Storm Petrel which had stuck around for the afternoon and wondered if I'd like a lift home. This was a very welcome offer which I very gratefully accepted and I met them at the Stannergate where it had just started to rain when they arrived.
I made it home a little after 1800 having had a really good day's birding in less than brilliant conditions with a total of 48 species, of which 3 were new for my Dundee145 list which had somehow now reached 148! Overall the day as a whole was probably the best I'm aware of for 'rarities' (and less common) species in Dundee at one time once Keith and Ian's sightings at the park are included. 2 Storm Petrels, Yellow Browed Warbler, Ring Ouzel, 2 Bonxies, Arctic Skua, and numerous Little Gulls was a very good haul for Dundee. Despite all of those I wonder what else we might potentially have missed, hiding in the bushes and trees at the park or hidden in the swell out on the river....
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| Guillemot |
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| Cormorant |
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Storm Petrel
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Storm Petrel
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Storm Petrel
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Red Breasted Merganser
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| Cormorant |
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| Kittiwake |
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Storm Petrel
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Black Headed Gull
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Little Gull
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Little Gull
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Little Gull
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Little Gull
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| Kittiwake |
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Little Gull
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Little Gull
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| Cormorant |
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Little Gull
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| Goldeneye |
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Red Throated Diver
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| Kittiwake |
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Red Throated Diver
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| Fulmar |
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Great Skua
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Great Skua
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| Shag |
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| Fulmar |
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Little Gull
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| Oystercatcher |
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| Redshank |
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Pink Footed Goose
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| Kittiwake |
Birds -Blackbird, Black Headed Gull, Blue Tit, Carrion Crow, Collared Dove, Common Gull, Coot, Cormorant, Curlew, Eider, Fieldfare, Fulmar, Goldeneye, Goldfinch, Goosander, Great Black Backed Gull, Great Skua, Grey Wagtail, Guillemot, Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Kittiwake, Little Egret, Little Gull, Magpie, Mallard, Moorhen, Mute Swan, Oystercatcher, Pied Wagtail, Pink Footed Goose, Razorbill, Red Breasted Merganser, Redshank, Red Throated Diver, Redwing, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Rock Pipit, Rook, Shag, Starling, Storm Petrel, Tufted Duck, Turnstone, Woodpigeon, Wren.
