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Blue Tit
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Following on from Saturday's efforts, I had a bit of a sore foot and didn't feel like going too far. I still wanted to get some birding done but wasn't sure just how much enthusiasm I actually had. The weather wasn't particularly warm either (and didn't look overly promising later in the day) which never really gives me too much encouragement to want to get out and about. However, I didn't want to sit around at home all day, having had 3 days in a row of more or less having to do so from Wednesday till Friday. I didn't really have much of a plan but I decided I would see how my foot felt and then work out where I was going to go. I decided to start at Swannie Ponds.
I headed out at 1000 to be met with Herring Gull, Feral Pigeon, Starling, Blackbird, Carrion Crow and Woodpigeon almost immediately. House Sparrow, Magpie, Blue Tit and Jackdaw soon joined them on the list as I wandered along Clepington Road in the direction of the ponds. Once again, it was a fairly typical mix of species that I found there with Mallard, Tufted Duck, Mute Swan, Coot, Moorhen, Black Headed Gull, Common Gull and Herring Gull all quickly noted. There was still a Goosander around on the lower pond. Great Tit, Greenfinch, Goldfinch and Chaffinch were all in the general area as well.
With nothing out of the ordinary and a cold wind blowing through I decided to head down to the slightly more sheltered Spring Grove in Baxter Park. There was a Song Thrush singing in the park and it didn't take too long to see the Field Vole, though he didn't seem to want to show out in the open. He was eating something a little back from the entrance of one of the 'cave' openings and the camera struggled to focus properly. There were just enough birds around to keep me interested but it wasn't overly busy. Robin, Coal Tit, Dunnock, Wren and Treecreeper all showed within the fenced off area. A Fieldfare was seen in one of the large trees nearby and I managed to catch another Treecreeper on the trunk of another mature tree.
Long Tailed Tits put in a brief appearance. The vole was a bit too quick for me as it scurried across the 'waterfall' and into cover, and again a little later when it returned. Thankfully, it did show well enough before I headed homewards when it chomped on a rather dead looking leaf while watching me carefully. A Grey Wagtail flew over, but I failed to see it. A skein of Pink Footed Geese passed overhead, struggling against the wind. I decided to call it a day around 1215 and headed for the relative warmth of indoors. A Grey Squirrel was seen as it scampered up a tree near the gate and a Pied Wagtail dropped down to feed nearby as I crossed Forfar Road. That took me to a total of 33 species in not much more than 2 hours or so of rather chilly birding. Although there had been a slim chance of a Lesser Black Backed Gull at the ponds, I wasn't surprised that I didn't get one (again).
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Mute Swan
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Mute Swan
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Tufted Duck
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Black Headed Gull (White J0214)
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Common Gull
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Blue Tit
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| Robin |
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| Treecreeper |
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Wren (& Chaffinch)
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| Treecreeper |
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Long Tailed Tit
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Field Vole
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Field Vole
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| Dunnock |
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House Sparrow
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House Sparrow
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Pink Footed Goose
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| Dunnock |
Birds - Blackbird, Black Headed Gull, Blue Tit, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Coal Tit, Common Gull, Coot, Dunnock, Fieldfare, Goldfinch, Goosander, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Grey Wagtail, Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Long Tailed Tit, Magpie, Mallard, Moorhen, Mute Swan, Pied Wagtail, Pink Footed Goose, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Song Thrush, Starling, Treecreeper, Tufted Duck, Woodpigeon, Wren.
Mammals - Field Vole, Grey Squirrel.
