 |
Collared Dove
|
As a result of linking shorter outings into a single blog-post a couple of times, things have gone slightly awry with regards these posts running in strict chronological order. This post should hopefully be the last 'out of sequence' one for a while and normal service will be resumed after this one. The 7th of September was forecast to be sunny to start off though there was a chance of it clouding over as the morning progressed. Having been out to Broughty Ferry and Balmossie on Thursday and to Riverside Nature Park on Friday, I decided on something less strenuous for Saturday. A bit of vis-migging at Dundee Law. As I've found previously, sometimes you get lucky and sometimes you don't....
I was around an hour later than ideal but as things don't always kick off immediately after sunrise it wasn't likely to be too big of an issue. My expectations were low regardless. I headed out shortly before 0755. Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Wodpigeon and Magpie kicked things off, with Great Tit and Robin added just round the corner. Starling and Feral Pigeon soon followed with Wren, Blue Tit, the first Meadow Pipit of the day, Jackdaw and Dunnock all noted as I headed across Dens Road and up Main Street. Carrion Crow, House Martin, Chiffchaff, Goldfinch and a Grey Squirrel made it onto the list as I walked up past the alllotments. Chaffinch and Treecreeper and another overflying Meadow Pipit completed the pre-vis-migging list.
I got organised at my usual spot by the trig point marker. A Meadow Pipit was heard flying past but I failed to pick it out against the sky. What I thought initially was a Peregrine on Cox's Stack turned out to be the escaped Saker Falcon (back from wherever he goes in summer). I spotted a bird atop one of the conifers by the steps and as it was practically silhouetted due to the sun's position, I took a photo to look at later. However, the bird left its perch and dropped into the trees as I pressed the shutter button. I glanced at the slightly blurry photos on the back of the camera but trying to ID the bird on the camera screen wasn't going to be practical, so I got back to watching and listening again. There were other birds in the trees - Chiffchaff, Chaffinch, Goldcrest, Great Tit, Magpies and Carrion Crows but I had to wait until 0823 until the next Meadow Pipit flew past.
Stock Dove and Kestrel passed by and a Coal Tit was heard from the hillside. A small group of 5 Sand Martins lingered briefly around the hill and a group of 4 Swallows passed by around 10 minutes later. Blackcap and Blackbird were next onto the morning's list. Another Meadow Pipit, a slightly less expected Tree Pipit, a Sand Martin, a pair of Cormorants, a total of 6 more Swallows, another 2 Stock Doves, then 2 more Meadow Pipits kept things relatively interesting in the run up to 0900. Long Tailed Tits were heard around the back of the hill, but not seen. More Meadow Pipits and mixed hirundines (mostly Swallows and Sand Martins plus a few House Martins) made up the bulk of the next hour, though another Tree Pipit and a pair of Pied Wagtails provided some variety.
Just as I was about to give up the first 2 Sparrowhawks of the morning put in an appearance. The walk home added Bullfinch near the allotments, Lesser Black Backed Gull on Main Street, a Small Copper butterfly near Dens Road Primary School and another Sparrowhawk. Back at home I glanced through the photos, concentrating on the better photos, and ignoring the 'less good' ones. Only when it came to editing photos for this post did I actually look properly at the 'blurry silhouetted' bird. It had a very prominent eye ring which set alarm bells ringing. Lightening the exposure on the 2 photos resulted in reddish flanks and part of the tail, as well as a pale 'panel' on the closed wing....
The bird was a Redstart, a species Keith and I have been expecting to get at Riverside Nature Park, and one I've never seen in Dundee before. It was also a very welcome addition to my #Dundee150 list and shows again the benefit of grabbing a quick photo of any potentially interesting birds. 99 times out of 100 they will be something 'normal', but that 1 in 100 makes it worthwhile. I ended the morning's birding with a total of 35 species, including that 1 belated 'bonus' bird (in bold), and a single butterfly species.
 |
| Redstart |
 |
| Chaffinch |
 |
Meadow Pipit
|
 |
Saker Falcon (escape)
|
 |
Sand Martin
|
 |
| Kestrel |
 |
| Cormorant |
 |
| Swallow |
 |
| Chiffchaff |
 |
Stock Dove
|
 |
Carrion Crow
|
 |
Meadow Pipit
|
 |
| Swallow |
 |
Sand Martin
|
 |
Pied Wagtail
|
 |
| Sparrowhawk |
Birds - Blackbird, Blackcap, Blue Tit, Bullfinch, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Coal Tit, Cormorant, Dunnock, Goldcrest, Goldfinch, Great Tit, Herring Gull, House Martin, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Kestrel, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Long Tailed Tit, Magpie, Meadow Pipit, Pied Wagtail, Redstart, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Sand Martin, Sparrowhawk, Starling, Stock Dove, Swallow, Tree Pipit, Treecreeper, Woodpigeon, Wren.
Butterflies - Small Copper.
Mammals - Grey Squirrel.
**************************************************************
Despite a rather poor return of just Meadow Pipits and Pink Footed Geese (and a House Martin) on Friday the 13th of September, I decided to try vis-migging at the top of the Law again just 2 days later, on Sunday the 15th. As always, my expectations were minimal, at best. The weather forecast wasn't too bad so if nothing else it would hopefully at least be a pleasant enough spell at the top of the hill. For a change I was out the door shortly after sunrise at 0655.
First onto the list were Herring Gull and Robin. Feral Pigeon, Carrion Crow, House Sparrow, Starling and Woodpigeon were all noted before I reached Dens Road. Jackdaw and Lesser Black Backed Gull were seen as I headed up Main Street. A group of 4 Meadow Pipits over westwards gave me some hope that there should be some movement visible from the top of the Law. Blackbird and Long Tailed Tit were added as I headed up towards the final set of stairs and another Meadow Pipit headed over before I was halfway up them. Goldcrest, Great Tit, Dunnock and Blue Tit were the final additions before I got organised for my vis-migging session.
A Chiffchaff called from the trees as I waited for the first migrants to pass by. A few minutes later the first of a dozen Meadow Pipits over the course of the next 2 hours was seen, though oddly heading east rather than south or west. A Fox put in a very brief appearance trotting up onto the grassy area in front of me before realising I was there and immediately turning round again, though the local Carrion Crows and Magpies also helped to hasten the departure. A young Jackdaw perched near the top of the War Memorial. A Wren was heard and a Sparrowhawk and Magpie were seen tussling well out to the south. A Chaffinch in the trees to the east then flew off to the south, suggesting that it may have been a migrant.
A Grey Wagtail was heard at 0732, and 2 Rooks passed by heading south, a little to the west of the hill. The first distant skein of Pink Footed Geese were noted a few minutes later. 2 Chaffinches heading west were followed by 3 individual Meadow Pipits. A small flock of 6 Greenfinches added to the variety, and a slightly unexpedted Mistle Thrush did likewise. A small flock of House Martins, likely local birds, were next onto the list. Goldfinch and Bullfinch were both heard. The next hour and 10 minutes saw more flocks of varying sizes of Pink Footed Geese passing by along with a handful of Meadow Pipits. Unfortunately, the variety of obvious migrating birds petered out following the Mistle Thrush sighting.
A pair of Chaffinches headed west just as I called it a morning at 0915. A Blackcap was heard alarm calling from the front of the hill and when I reached the bottom of the stairs a group of 4 Collared Doves flew out from the small tree by the whalebone archway and landed on the allotments fence opposite, where I was able to get a few nice close photos. A final pair of Meadow Pipits flew over as I headed down towards the Hilltown. I ended the morning's birding having seen, or heard, a total of 31 species. While not a classic few hours at the top of the hill, there was a reasonable amount of variety, though without any great excitement.
 |
| Jackdaw |
 |
Carrion Crow
|
 |
Sparrowhawk & Magpie
|
 |
| Chaffinch |
 |
| Rook |
 |
| Chaffinch |
 |
| Greenfinch |
 |
Mistle Thrush
|
 |
Mistle Thrush
|
 |
House Martin
|
 |
Pink Footed Goose
|
 |
Carrion Crow
|
 |
Collard Dove
|
Birds - Blackbird, Blackcap, Blue Tit, Bullfinch, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Collared Dove, Dunnock, Goldcrest, Goldfinch, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Grey Wagtail, Herring Gull, House Martin, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Long Tailed Tit, Magpie, Meadow Pipit, Mistle Thrush, Pink Footed Goose, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Rook, Sparrowhawk, Starling, Woodpigeon, Wren.
Mammals - Fox.
