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Buzzard & Herring Gull
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Whenever Easter Sunday comes around, I prefer to avoid crowds of people as much as possible. With Wheatear and Sand Martin still remaining very elusive here in Dundee I decided to see if I could rustle up either of the pair. I worked out a plan that would give me a reasonable chance of finding one, or both, of the species while also avoiding the majority of people. I would head out to Powrie Brae and along the road from there to Balumbie, checking the fields for Wheatear and then wander out along the Dighty to Clearwater Park in the hope of finally finding a Sand Martin. Another very early start fell by the wayside, not helped by the clocks having gone forward an hour overnight.
I made it outside just before 0900. Starling, Herring Gull, Feral Pigeon, Blue Tit, Woodpigeon, House Sparrow, Carrion Crow and Lesser Black Backed Gull were all noted before I'd left my street. Magpie and Meadow Pipit were noted as I headed up to Clepington Road. A Linnet flew over and a couple of Jackdaws were on the chimneys of the tenement on the north side of the road. A Greenfinch and a Dunnock were heard as I made my way down Mains Loan along with sightings of Great Tit, Chaffinch and Chiffchaff. Goldcrest, Bullfinch, Robin, Coal Tit and the first Sparrowhawk of the day were found in Caird Park. A Grey Squirrel, a Wren and a Blackbird were down by the Gelly Burn before I crossed the road to Mill O'Mains.
A Collared Dove flew over as I reached Powrie Brae. Skylarks were singing above the fields and a male Yellowhammer popped up onto the fence in front of me. A small group of Linnets landed in the trees by Powrie Castle while Common and Black Headed Gulls wheeled noisily to the west of the farm junction. A Pheasant was heard but not seen before a Pied Wagtail posed briefly atop a farm building. A Buzzard glided over to the north before I stopped to chat to a dog walker I often encounter on the road out to Duntrune around the Middleton Woods area. Continuing on again, I added Goldfinch and skein of Pink Footed Geese. A Rook flew over and a pair of distant female Pheasants were seen to the north. There was no sign of any Grey Partridges however. A Great Spotted Woodpecker could be heard drumming distantly as I approached the 'outwith Dundee' section of the day's route.
I crossed into Angus for the short walk down to reach the official north edge of Dundee again part-way down Balumbie Golf Course. Thankfully, I failed to add anything new on that section of the walk, though a Sparrowhawk did take flight from a line of trees on the golf course while I was still outside Dundee. I made a bit of a navigation error which actually worked out in my favour taking me to what I call the 'halfway' bridge at the Dighty, saving me a slight doubling back on myself, as I had intended on walking back to that bridge anyway. A half-hidden Roe Deer by the path moved further into cover when it realised I was nearby. I found a pair of Long Tailed Tits in the conifers behind the recycling plant. A bit further on I spotted a Small Tortoiseshell butterfly sunning itself and was able to get a few wings closed photos.
A Buzzard was pursued by gulls down the burn. I stopped to chat with a lady I spoke to in the same area last year and as we chatted a Grey Heron flew past. A pair of noisy Oystercatchers circled round as I continued on along towards the main road. Knowing how far I still had to walk to get home, and having already drawn a blank on both Wheatear and Sand Martin (as well as the other possibilities of Willow Warbler and Blackcap) I decided not to continue on to Clearwater Park and the cemetery. Instead I would head back along the burn and then up to Swannie Ponds and home.
As I wandered rather wearily back along the burn I heard a Grey Wagtail and almost didn't check the white patch I could see opposite which turned out to be a Dipper half-turned away from me. A Song Thrush was heard singing and a pair of Buzzards were seen overhead, one of which kept stopping and hovering. For the next while I always had at least 1, often 2, and sometimes even 3 or more Buzzards in view. While I watched a distant pair circle up I realised that there were also a pair of Red Kites soaring with them. This was the first time I've seen more than just a single Red Kite from within Dundee and hopefully won't be the last. I'm also hoping that I might get the species on my 'house list' sooner rather than later.
I counted a total of 8 Buzzards visible at one time after I lost sight of the Red Kites. An unidentified 'White' butterfly had also flown past as I tried to photograph the distant Kites. I added another pair of Sparrowhawks as I wandered up towards Swannie Ponds with another circling above the footbridge over the Kingsway. I added a few more species at the Swannie Ponds - Coot, Moorhen, Goosander, Mallard and Tufted Duck before thankfully talking myself out of continuing on to the Law again. Lainy and Adam however did pay the top of the hill a visit and she said it was very busy, though she did get some nice views of the Crossbills, a Sparrowhawk and the local Kestrel. Although I missed out on any new additions once again, I was happy to see the 2 Red Kites together, my 3rd sighting of the species in Dundee in just a few weeks. I ended the day's birding with a total of 49 species.
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| Yellowhammer |
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Pied Wagtail
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| Buzzard |
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Meadow Pipit
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| Starling |
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| Rook |
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| Woodpigeon |
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Pink Footed Goose
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| Yellowhammer |
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| Sparrowhawk |
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Long Tailed Tit
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| Buzzard |
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Small Tortoiseshell
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| Buzzard |
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| Chiffchaff |
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| Wren |
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| Dipper |
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Pink Footed Goose
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| Buzzard |
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Red Kite
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Red Kite & Buzzard
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| Buzzard |
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Carrion Crow & Buzzard
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| Buzzard |
Birds - Blackbird, Black Headed Gull, Blue Tit, Bullfinch, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Coal Tit, Collared Dove, Common Gull, Coot, Dipper, Dunnock, Goldcrest, Goldfinch, Goosander, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Grey Heron, Grey Wagtail, Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Linnet, Long Tailed Tit, Magpie, Mallard, Meadow Pipit, Moorhen, Mute Swan, Oystercatcher, Pheasant, Pied Wagtail, Pink Footed Goose, Red Kite, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Rook, Skylark, Song Thrush, Sparrowhawk, Starling, Tufted Duck, Woodpigeon, Wren, Yellowhammer.
Butterflies - unidentified White sp., Small Tortoiseshell.
Mammals - Grey Squirrel, Roe Deer.
