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Water Rail
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Having added 3 new and unexpected species to my Dundee150 list on Wednesday, I wanted to at least try to get something else on the list on Saturday. Lainy messaged me on Friday evening to let me know she had Greylag over Clatto and Redpoll in Templeton Woods on Friday. With nothing anything like guaranteed at this time of year, I figured my best chance of adding something new would be to visit Lainy's patch and hope that my good luck would continue. I decided to try to get there early so as to maximise my chances and in the case of the Greylag, perhaps pick up the bird(s) arriving.
I was late getting out of my bed so it was 0800 before I made it out the door. I had a 45 minute walk ahead of me to the edge of the city where I hoped I might encounter geese in the fields. Herring Gull, Robin, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Magpie, Song Thrush, Pied Wagtail and Great Tit were all noted in the first 10 minutes of walking. Crossing Fairmuir Park, I took my time checking through the feeding gulls, finding a potentially interesting looking Herring Gull amongst them - that appears to have been just another Herring Gull (as they always are for me). There were also Black Headed and Common Gulls there as well as few Woodpigeons.
The walk up through Downfield added Starling, Goldfinch, an overflying pair of Goosander, Goldcrest and Blue Tit. It was around 0855 when I reached the end of the track which leads up past the 'new' houses and in towards Clatto Reservoir. I prefer that way 'in' to Clatto on early morning visits as there can be good numbers of Yellowhammers and Linnets around. Unfortunately the gorse and smaller trees along much of the track had been rather crudely and extensively flailed and the grass cut right back so there wasn't much cover left for any birds. I did hear a Siskin fly over plus Blackbird, Dunnock and Redwing from the gardens. A Yellowhammer was in the 'ditch' by the first bend of the track.
I spotted what appeared to be a gaggle of geese in one of the stubble fields a few hundred metres to the north but couldn't see enough detail to get an ID for the birds. I continued on up the track hoping for a better view. I finally managed to get an improved angle on the 'birds' but they looked odd. They turned out to be decoys positioned to lure in geese for a pair of camouflaged hunters tucked in behind the drystane dyke. It appeared that the decoys worked to some degree as half a dozen shots rang out before one of the 'sportsmen' wandered out across the field to retrieve a dead goose. I fail to see what 'sport' there is in tricking a wild bird down onto the ground and only then shooting it multiple times from relatively close range. It feels about as 'sporty' as mugging a frail old lady on her way back from collecting her pension. The odds are stacked against the goose and the old lady and neither know they are being targeted, giving them no chance of escape.
A small skein of geese were seen in flight a minute or so after the shots were fired and at least one of them looked potentially a bit Greylag-like when viewed on the back of the camera - though the birds were rather distant and flying away from me. A much larger skein headed over as I neared the reservoir a little later and the look of these birds seemed a bit 'off' for Pink Footed Geese - with what appeared to be longer and slimmer bills. Unfortunately for me, Pink Footed Geese was what all of these geese actually were. I added Carrion Crow and Bullfinch before receiving a messaage back from Lainy (who I'd messaged earlier to say I was heading in her direction if she was at a loose end and wanted to join me). We arranged to meet by the toilet block round at the reservoir.
Things felt relatively quiet on the water though Mute Swans, Goldeneye, Moorhen, Goosander, Coot, Mallard and Cormorant were all noted in addition to the Black Headed and Herring Gulls. I met Lainy as planned and we decided to walk out past the farm then up through the wood to the area where Lainy had seen Redpoll the previous day. There were very few birds around as we walked out along the farm track and it was a similar story as we wandered up through the trees. Lainy navigated us to a bench overlooking a rather open area in the wood. There were a pair of Jays visible on the otooposite side of the open area when we arrived. Treecreeper, Crossbill, Siskin, Coal Tit and Buzzard were all seen or heard while we waited for Redpoll to fly over - which they failed to do. Lainy had also seen 3 Nuthatches in the area recently but these also seemed to be avoiding us.
We eventually gave up and wandered back to Clatto. Lainy had to go home, so I decided to take a circuitous route back around for another look from the bench. I managed to add Rook, Chaffinch, Feral Pigeon, Wren and Greenfinch on this walk round but things felt even quieter overall than the morning had been. I was joined briefly by Graham Smith for the second Saturday in a row. On the walk home I did manage to get some decent views of a Water Rail and a couple of Reed Buntings which took the list for the day to 42 species. Although it turned out to be my first 'blank' day - with nothing new for the Dundee150 list, it was enjoyable enough birding, and I still had 2 remaining days to try to reach 100 species in January.
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Herring Gull, Common Gull & Black Headed Gull
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Pink Footed Goose
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Pink Footed Goose
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| Goldeneye |
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| Goldeneye |
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Goosander & Mallard
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Pink Footed Goose
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| Buzzard |
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Pink Footed Goose
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| Bullfinch |
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Great Tit
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Water Rail
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| Treecreeper |
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Goldfinch & Siskin
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Water Rail
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Water Rail
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Water Rail
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Water Rail
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Birds - Blackbird, Black Headed Gull, Blue Tit, Bullfinch, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Coal Tit, Common Gull, Coot, Cormorant, Crossbill, Dunnock, Goldcrest, Goldeneye, Goldfineh, Goosander, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Jay, Magpie, Mallard, Moorhen, Mute Swan, Pied Wagtail, Pink Footed Goose, Redwing, Reed Bunting, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Rook, Siskin, Song Thrush, Starling, Treecreeper, Water Rail, Woodpigeon, Wren, Yellowhammer.
