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| Crossbill |
(As it is becoming trickier to come up with new subjects to mark the 100th posts, I've decided that these will now just mark the 250th posts, so the next one will be 1250).
I had a route all planned out for my birding on the first Friday of 2024 but when I checked the weather having been wakened by the alarm nice and early, I discovered that the rain which had been forecast to miss the city, was now going to be hanging around all morning. I went back to sleep for a few more hours, disappointed that it would be around noon before I would be able to get out - meaning that I would have to slim down my original plan, and likely loseout on a few potential targets too. I decided that I would head up to Lainy's patch - the general area around Clatto Reservoir. There were still a few additions that I had a reasonable chance of making to my Dundee150 list there, and a few less likely though still possible too.
I headed out at 1215 for the walk to my first port of call at Ardler Pond where Reed Bunting and Water Rail would be my main target species. Carrion Crow, Feral Pigeon and Herring Gull were soon followed by Woodpigeon, Starling and a pair of Pied Wagtails, as well as a Black Headed Gull and the local Jackdaw pair and a lone Blue Tit. Magpie was added on Maryatt Street but it would be almost another 20 minutes of walking before anything else made it onto the list with a singing Robin in a tree on Macalpine Road. Great Tit, Siskin, Goldfinch and Goldcrest were all found on Rosemount Road before I cut through the houses to Ardler Pond.
House Sparrows, Blackbirds and Dunnock were all in attendance at the eastern end of the pond but there was no sign of any Reed Buntings which was a little bit frustrating. Mallard and Moorhen were both seen on the water before I wandered round the southern side of the pond. Around halfway along I heard a calling Water Rail from a rather flattened area of reeds. I did catch a bit of movement but it was impossible to say what it actually was. However, Water Rail was addition number 1 for the day's birding. I added a Wren as I wandered up Dalmahoy Drive towards the reservoir.
Things were relatively quiet along the driveway down to the car park though there were a few Woodpigeon, Carrion Crows, Blue Tits, Robin, Dunnock, House Sparrows and Blackbirds around. I did manage to see a Song Thrush on the downhill stretch towards the barrier where I hoped I might find a Yellowhammer or two. There were a few Chaffinches in the trees there but nothing else. Goldeneye, Goosander, Common Gull, Cormorant and Wigeon were all seen on the water, along with Mallard, Moorhen, Herring Gulls and Black Headed Gulls. I decided I would try the farm track and the 'flooded field' on the south side of the track. Things proved to be frustratingly quiet with only a solitary Carrion Crow on the flood.
I spotted a Sparrowhawk to the north being harassed by a corvid (which I wasn't completely certain of the identity at the time, and am still rather undecided on). A few minutes later, I heard a lone Yellowhammer flying over and managed to pick it out against the blue sky. Dundee150 tick number 2 for the day. I spotted a Jay flying towards the wood at the end of the track. There were a couple of Roe Deer along the edge of the fenceline between the 2 fields on the south side of the muddy track. Another species I thought I might run into was Pheasant, and I found a couple of males in the field to the west of the farm buildings. Tick number 3. I wandered into the wood adding a Grey Squirrel. As with everywhere else it was very quiet in amongst the trees as I made my way up to the main body of Templeton Woods at the top end of the fields.
As I reached the southwestern corner of the fields I heard a definite Raven 'prukking' and thankfully managed to see the bird through the trees as it flew over, even rolling onto its back in flight at one point. Unfortunately the camera refused to focus on the bird due to the number of branches in the way. Still it was number 4 for the yearlist. I heard a Great Spotted Woodpecker calling and went looking for it within the wood, having changed my mind as I'd started to cross the grassy area near the water tower. I failed to find the woodpecker but as I was searching I heard Crossbills calling and after a bit of searching I managed to find at least 4 of the birds, which landed in the top of a conifer, not far from the top end car park.
I heard Pink Footed Geese go over but failed to see them. I decided to head back down to the muddy track as my plan was to head down the track by the 'new houses' in search of Linnets. The sun was getting rather low in the sky which didn't really help my chances with smaller birds likely to be going to roost. As I headed back along past the farm I heard a distant Raven and managed to see and photograph it this time (albeit rather distantly) as it flew in a northwesterly direction. A Stock Dove was seen in flight and a Mistle Thrush was spotted in the top of a tall tree near the 'new house' which sits on its own to the east of the Reservoir.
I heard but didn't see a party of Long Tailed Tits as I walked down the track past the building site and new houses, but there was a distinct lack of Linnets to be found. I picked out a distant Buzzard perched on a pylon to the north and just before I reached the main road, I found a small flock of Goldfinches in another tree in a back garden taking the total number of species for the afternoon's birding to 42. A Great Spotted Woodpecker was in the very top of the same tree I'd seen Waxwings in at the end of Muirfield Road a few months ago. As I walked along Fairfield Road a short while later the escaped Saker Falcon swept low overhead heading in the direction of the Law. With 5 new species (in bold) added despite the curtailed route and time, it had turned out to be a surprisingly productive afternoon's birding.
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Pied Wagtail
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| Woodpigeon |
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| Moorhen |
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| Wigeon |
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| Goldeneye |
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Common Gull
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Carrion Crow
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| Yellowhammer |
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Roe Deer
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| Pheasant |
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| Woodpigeon |
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| Crossbill |
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Carrion Crow
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| Crossbill |
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| Raven |
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| Raven |
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| Goosander |
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| Goosander |
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| Buzzard |
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| Goldfinch |
Birds - Blackbird, Black Headed Gull, Blue Tit, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Common Gull, Cormorant, Crossbill, Dunnock, Goldcrest, Goldeneye, Goldfinch, Goosander, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Great Tit, Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Jay, Long Tailed Tit, Magpie, Mallard, Mistle Thrush, Moorhen, Pheasant, Pied Wagtail, Pink Footed Goose, Raven, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Rook, [Saker Falcon], Siskin, Song Thrush, Sparrowhawk, Starling, Stock Dove, Water Rail, Wigeon, Woodpigeon, Wren, Yellowhammer.
Mammals - Grey Squirrel, Roe Deer.
