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Mute Swan
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Following on from Saturday's trip to Riverside Nature Park, I wanted to get out somewhere on Sunday (2nd of July) but I was lacking in energy and the weather forecast didn't look too promising with possibility of showers interspersed with warm sunshine. I contemplated not going anywhere but having been up for a few hours finally decided to head out. I decided to visit Swannie Ponds for an hour or so. Expectation levels were low but there was a slight chance of a Mediterranean Gull or maybe an overflying raptor. Even without either of those possibilities there was a chance of an interesting photo or two.
I headed out just before 0955. Blackbird, House Sparrow, Herring Gull, Feral Pigeon and Jackdaw were noted in my street. Rather than taking my usual route to the ponds I decided to take the 'low road'. I added a Carrion Crow on Court Street and almost stepped on a Ringlet butterfly lazing around on the pavement on Dundonald Street as I neared the police station. There were a few House Martins around overhead, most likely nesting birds from the primary school. Goldfinch and Blue Tit were noted in the trees at Morgan Academy where I stopped to take a few photos of the wildflower meadow, despite the rather grey skies behind the school building. Swift and Woodpigeon were spotted before I reached the ponds.
There were a few Magpies on the grass by the playpark as well as a Black Headed Gull and a Common Gull. The Mute Swan family were resting on the grass between the ponds, though they appeared to have lost a cygnet since my previous visit with only 8 of the previous 9 around. There were plenty of moulting Mallards on the water and the rocks. I made a few attempts to count them all and arrived at a number between 70 and 80, quite possibly the most I've seen there. There were a few Lesser Black Backed Gulls and Herring Gulls around, a single Tufted Duck, a few Moorhens and Coots including a single well grown youngster. There was a flock of Long Tailed Tits in one of the trees and a Starling flew over. I spent a couple of hours photographing activity at the ponds before heading home having noted a total of 22 species.
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Mute Swan & Mallard
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Black Headed Gull
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| Woodpigeon |
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Common Gull
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| Swift |
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| Moorhen |
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| Coot |
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Long Tailed Tit
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Tufted Duck
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| Coot |
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| Mallard |
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Moorhen
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| Moorhen |
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Black Headed Gull
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Black Headed Gull
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House Sparrow
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Birds - Blackbird, Black Headed Gull, Blue Tit, Carrion Crow, Common Gull, Coot, Goldfinch, Herring Gull, House Martin, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Long Tailed Tit, Magpie, Mallard, Moorhen, Mute Swan, Feral Pigeon, Starling, Swift, Tufted Duck, Woodpigeon.
Butterflies - Ringlet.
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The following Saturday (the 8th of July), I decided to get out relatively early as heavy rain was forecast for around noon. My intention was to head for Riverside Nature Park but by the time I got up and organised, the tide was going to be a bit further out than would be ideal so I decided on a change of plan. I would have a look at Swannie Ponds and then head for the Dighty Burn, though I was also contemplating another visit to the north of Fintry. It would be possible to do both, though it would mean a good bit more walking. It was already warm and sunny when I headed out at 0720.
A party of the local Swifts screamed round overhead as I stepped outside. The local breeding Herring Gulls and some unseen House Sparrows also contributed to the early morning urban soundscape. Woodpigeon, Starling, Goldfinch, Feral Pigeon, Blue Tit and Chaffinch also contributed before I'd gone very far. Once again I was taking the 'low road' and the House Martins were still active near the primary school. A few Carrion Crows were in the car park at Dura Street. Greenfinch, Magpie and Blackbird were noted as I headed up Pitkerro Road towards the ponds.
The Mute Swan family had lost another cygnet, with only 7 now around. There were a few Moorhens, Coots, Mallard and Herring Gulls, Lesser Black Backed Gulls and Black Headed Gulls around but no sign of any Tufted Ducks. I decided to head down to the Dighty at the bottom of Pitkerro Road but leaving the ponds I went down the wrong street, although adding Jackdaw and Collared Dove, which took me out onto the Kingsway near the Shell petrol station. I decided that I might as well take that as a sign to head for Powrie Brae. As I wandered round the outside of the petrol station I heard an unexpected Crossbill calling but failed to see it against the blue sky.
Around 10 minutes later I was wandering up Powrie Brae stopping to listen to a singing Blackcap and to try to ID a white butterfly (it was a Small White). Wren, Chiffchaff, Linnet and Pheasant were heard or seen while a few Swallows whizzed around overhead as I wandered up the hill. A Pied Wagtail flew over near Powrie Castle and the first Skylark of the day was heard nearby. Heading eastwards failed to add very much with only Yellowhammer, Reed Bunting and Dunnock (all 'heard onlys') noted. There were a few Ringlet butterflies around by the roadside as I wandered down to check the flooded field. There was a pair of Shelduck there along with a female Mallard and a Woodpigeon.
I had a wander round the paths at Middleton Wood where Willow Warbler was another 'heard only' record. A Small Tortoiseshell butterfly flitted around and a Whitethroat was added near the pond. An Oystercatcher flew over as I cut down through Whitfield and a few Meadow Brown butterflies, a Small Tortoiseshell and more Ringlets were spotted among a small weedy patch at the bottom of Whitfield Avenue. With the vegetation rather overgrown along the burn, it proved tricky to see many birds so Goldcrest was yet another 'heard only' species. I heard a bit of agitated gull calling and had a look for the cause. I spotted a couple of Herring Gulls in pursuit of a long winged raptor that looked 'wrong' for Buzzard. Unfortunately, the trio disappeared behind another set of trees before I could get an ID. As the few photos I'd managed to grab were rather back-lit and more or less silhouetted I had to wait until I got home to determine that the raptor was a slightly 'out of place' Osprey.
A young Dipper flew past downstream as I checked out an 'open' bit of banking. I heard a nest of youngsters a bit further on but there was a bit too much overgrown greenery to try to get a look. Instead I wandered down a small track where as well as a few Meadow Browns and Ringlets a single male Common Blue butterfly was noted. I'd hardly taken any photos by this time despite having been out for around two and a half hours, but I took a few of the Common Blue while it rested in the sun for a few seconds. Continuing on, a Sparrowhawk overflew, gaining height as it circled above the streets of Douglas to the south. A Sedge Warbler was singing across the other side of the burn opposite the southern end of the West Pitkerro industrial estate. A Grey Wagtail flew past as I wandered back again towards the dual carriageway. A Stock Dove headed in the opposite direction as I neared the steps at the end of the path. A Red Admiral butterfly gave brief views before disappearing through the fence as I headed back along towards the recycling plant. Coal Tit, Great Tit and Robin were found before a Grey Heron flew low overhead.
To the west the sky was growing increasingly grey suggesting that the weather was going to turn a bit wetter a little sooner than had been forecast. I hurried in the direction of home, up the Kingsway. Nothing new for the day's list was at Swannie Ponds, though I chose not to linger there. I wondered if I would make it home without getting wet as I hurried along Clepington Road and down Court Street. I had just passed the shops when it began to rain heavily - big ice-cold raindrops (I suspect they had just missed out on becoming hailstones) - one of which went right down the back of my t-shirt confirming just how cold they actually were. Thankfully, the rain passed over very quickly and I made it home around 1215 having managed a total of 48 species of bird and 6 of butterfly though unusually I hadn't actually bothered to take too many photos (which makes a change!).
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| Skylark |
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Osprey & Herring Gull
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Common Blue butterfly
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| Sparrowhawk |
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| Goldfinch |
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Sedge Warbler
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Oedemera lurida
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Grey Heron
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| Whitethroat |
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| Whitethroat |
Birds - Blackbird, Blackcap, Black Headed Gull, Blue Tit, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Coal Tit, Collared Dove, Coot, Crossbill, Dipper, Dunnock, Goldcrest, Goldfinch, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Grey Heron, Grey Wagtail, Herring Gull, House Martin, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Linnet, Magpie, Mallard, Moorhen, Mute Swan, Osprey, Oystercatcher, Pheasant, Pied Wagtail, Reed Bunting, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Sedge Warbler, Shelduck, Skylark, Sparrowhawk, Starling, Stock Dove, Swallow, Swift, Whitethroat, Willow Warbler, Woodpigeon, Wren, Yellowhammer.
Butterflies - Common Blue, Meadow Brown, Red Admiral, Ringlet, Small Tortoiseshell, Small White.
