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Grey Plover
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As the New Year creeps ever closer, my thoughts begin to turn to what my birding in 2024 might be like. I've still not decided for sure whether I will set myself a target figure for the year, or whether I will continue to bird (almost) solely within Dundee's boundaries or whether I will set myself a different boundary (perhaps based on distance). Regardless, I'm likely to kick off the year with a long walk while trying to see as many species as possible within the rather limited hours of daylight available (and a little either side). With that in mind, it is handy to do a little practice run to see what might be possible on the day - weather permitting. For my midweek day off on Wednesday, I decided to have one of these practice runs, with a slightly amended route from that of the past few years.
Once again, it was a later start - around an hour and a half later further on than I would hope to start on 1st of January. Herring Gull, Feral Pigeon, Robin and Blue Tit were noted within my street. Chaffinch, Blackbird, Carrion Crow and House Sparrow were all found on Arklay Street as I headed for Graham Street and Caird Park. Goldfinch, Woodpigeon and Starling in Graham Street were next. I had a quick look at the ponds in 'Cairdie'. Redwings were around in the trees and the local Kingfisher was slightly less wary this time around, Mallard and Moorhens were on the water and a Magpie skulked around nearby. A Wren was heard at the lower pond.
I cut down to Mill O'Mains and then over the A90 to Finlathen Park. I found a Dipper almost immediately near where a large chunk of the bank had collapsed following recent storms. There were Long Tailed Tits active in the trees near the playpark. A Siskin flew into trees a bit further round. I had a near miss with a cyclist who clearly was oblivious to the fact that bells are available to warn pedestrians that you're behind them. Given how few cyclists actually ride on the roads these days, this is becoming a more than regular hazard. The path I was on, was a shared use path, so I've no complaints that there was a cyclist on it - just it would be handy to let walkers know that you're speeding up behind them (as you're also likely to get injured if you happen to hit one of us). Anyway, back to the birds...
A Jay being chased by Magpies where the old 'Fortie' was, just beyond the 'big bridge' I used to cross daily on my way to/from school in the distant past, was a sight that would've been practically unthinkable back then. A few more Dippers were noted on the walk along the burn to Drumgeith Road. As I got closer to the main road, I spotted a Peregrine carrying prey and watched it fly up and land on the pylon near the traffic roundabout just south of the burn. I started to head in that direction to try to get some photos (my camera was still in my bag) but the local corvids had already spotted it and the mixed group of Carrion Crows and Magpies chased it off northwards - though it easily outpaced them despite carrying prey and they soon returned to the trees they'd been perched in.
The walk along the next stretch of burn proved relatively quiet with Grey Heron, Greenfinch and Fieldfare the only additions, though a couple of Moorhens and another few Dippers were seen. I crossed the road to the stretch of burn by West Pitkerro Industrial Estate. A Dunnock was seen by the path and a Pheasant was heard. A Buzzard flew off ahead of me before I got another big surprise. A Cormorant was fishing on the burn! It spotted me and took flight, heading off through the trees towards Clearwater Park. I had been skeptical of a sighting of a Cormorant earlier in the year (from a non-birder) on the previous stretch of burn. Perhaps I was mistaken to be, after all. I found a mixed flock of smaller birds feeding among the trees and bushes as I wandered along the back of the industrial units - Bullfinch, Great Tit, Coal Tit, Treecreeper, Blue Tit, Chaffinch and Song Thrush. A bit further on a pair of Mistle Thrushes flew out over the fields across the burn.
I followed the slightly wetter track through the northern half of the wood behind the industrial units to reach the track east to the stables and the 'new' cemetery. Things were very quiet though. The track along to the crossroads at Clearwater Park was also on the quiet side. A Pheasant and a Buzzard were seen along the fenceline to the north, while Jackdaw and Stock Dove were in the large trees closer to the crossroads. I ventured up to the cemetery and back but there were none of the hoped for species found (Linnets, Yellowhammer, Skylark, Tree Sparrow etc). Back down by the burn, I watched a Curlew fly in and land while an Oystercatcher flew round behind it, over the horse fields. It took the best part of 30 minutes to walk from there down to Broughty Ferry near the rock garden.
There were some Bar Tailed Godwits on the mud and a Black Headed Gull on the football pitch. More scanning added Wigeon, Turnstone, Ringed Plover and Dunlin. Common Gull, Eider, Goldeneye, Grey Plover and Sanderling were found a bit further on to the east before I continued on to the footbridge over the railway line for a look from there (hopefully the last time - as the new footpath and bridge - which will likely just add to disturbance to the birds on the shore - is almost complete at last). From the footbridge there were a few more additions - Redshank, Great Black Backed Gull and a pair of Collared Doves but things were relatively disappointing. After a bit more checking and rechecking I headed back towards the castle.
A Meadow Pipit was heard in the dunes and a pair of Shags were near the yellow marker pole again. What was surprisingly the first Pied Wagtail of the day was found at Beach Crescent. I found a number of Red Breasted Mergansers strung out in a long line beyond the lifeboat station. A single Little Grebe was spotted on the water closer in, just before it dived and surfaced a bit further out. A few Grey Herons and Cormorants were seen on the walk back along towards the Stannergate but things felt rather quiet, as they had almost everywhere else. I routed up through Eastern Cemetery, which did get me a Sparrowhawk for the day's list. By this time, my legs were feeling rather heavy but I decided to check Swannie Ponds anyway, for the sake of adding a couple more species.
As I wandered up towards the ponds, I notted a few birds in the top of the tall trees by the Seventh Day Adventist Church but these turned out to be Starlings. However before I'd gone much further a flock of at least 75 Waxwings flew low overhead, before swinging back over the houses and out of sight. As I headed back the way I'd came to try to find them, around 50 of the birds returned and landed up in the trees with a few of the remaining Starlings. A nice surprise find to (almost) round of the day's birding. Mute Swans and Coot at the ponds took the day's list to 64 species - which would be a total I'd be happy with on January 1st - though 2 or 3 fewer is far more likely. I'd walked around 15 and a half miles in total, though with Kingfisher and Moorhen likely elsewhere, I'll be missing out the Caird Park section when the time comes, though it will feature over the next few days in early January as I try to add further species, some of which are regular in Caird Park.
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| Kingfisher |
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Grey Heron
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| Cormorant |
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| Treecreeper |
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| Dipper |
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| Buzzard |
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| Buzzard |
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| Pheasant |
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| Bullfinch |
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| Curlew |
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Bar Tailed Godwit
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| Cormorant |
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| Eider |
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Red Breasted Merganser
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Little Grebe
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Grey Heron
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| Turnstone |
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| Fieldfare |
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| Sparrowhawk |
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| Starling |
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| Fieldfare |
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Waxwing & Starling
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Birds - Bar Tailed Godwit, Blackbird, Black Headed Gull, Blue Tit, Bullfinch, Buzzard, Carrion Crow,
Chaffinch, Coal Tit, Collared Dove, Common Gull, Coot, Cormorant, Curlew, Dipper, Dunlin, Dunnock, Eider,
Fieldfare, Goldcrest, Goldeneye, Goldfinch, Great Black
Backed Gull, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Grey Heron, Grey Plover, Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Jackdaw,
Jay, Kingfisher, Little Grebe, Long Tailed Tit, Magpie, Mallard, Meadow
Pipit, Mistle Thrush, Moorhen, Mute Swan, Oystercatcher, Peregrine, Pheasant, Pied Wagtail, Pink Footed Goose, Red Breasted
Merganser, Redshank, Redwing, Ringed Plover, Robin, Feral
Pigeon, Sanderling, Shag, Siskin, Song Thrush, Sparrowhawk, Starling, Stock Dove, Treecreeper, Turnstone,
Waxwing, Wigeon, Woodpigeon, Wren.
