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Stock Dove
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Saturday's birding at Riverside Nature Park had resulted in a lot more walking around the park than usual. With the additional weight of my new monopod and heavier (though more useful) head, my shoulders and neck were feeling the strain. When I woke up on Sunday morning I had little in the way of energy. As a result I decided to try the top of the Law for some vis-migging rather than walking any sort of distance. I was hoping for a bit more variety than I'd had on my most recent previous visits. Although the top of the Law isn't quite as productive as the hill at Riverside Nature Park, it can, at times, provide a relatively steady stream of birds, though not to the sometimes overwhelming extent the smaller hill can.
I headed out shortly after 0700. Carrion Crow, Herring Gull and Robin started off a rather steady stream of birds with Starling, Blackbird, Pied Wagtail, Feral Pigeon, House Sparrow, Dunnock, Woodpigeon, Chiffchaff, Grey Wagtail, and Blue Tit all following along the route between Arklay Street and Main Street. Magpie and the first of quite a few Meadow Pipits were added as I headed up Law Road towards the hill itself. Wren and Chaffinch were noted by the steps. I got organised at my usual spot by the trig point marker, setting the sound recorder going and readying the camera.
Meadow Pipits passed by in small groups, while Coal Tit and Goldfinch were in the trees. A couple of Siskins headed west, and a Sparrowhawk was seen briefly to the south. A few Chaffinches and a flock of around 10 Goldfinches kept things ticking along. A Pied Wagtail was heard just before 0800. There were a few birds that went unidentified as a result of either missing them completely with the camera, or finding it refusing to focus when I did get them in the viewfinder, though most likely Meadow Pipits. The first skein of Pink Footed Geese headed over northeast at 0810. A trio of Mistle Thrush added a bit of variety just after 0830 with another 5 around 10 minutes later. A couple of House Sparrows flew past northbound.
More Pink Footed Geese were seen before a lone Black Headed Gull headed past southeast bound. A Dunnock was a surprise migrant - though I have seen them coming in off the sea at Fife Ness before. More Meadow Pipits and another Grey Wagtail were among the 'filler' between the 'new' birds for the day. Skylarks and Song Thrushes were added into the mix before another 10 Mistle Thrush passed by. There were more Song Thrushes, Meadow Pipits, Siskins and Skylarks as well as a larger skein of Pink Footed Geese before the next new bird for the day, which was a lone young Stock Dove heading west to the north of the hill. What were surprisingly the first 3 Jackdaws of the morning were spotted flying in a westerly direction at 0940. The final hour produced a lone Swallow and a number of Siskins, Skylarks and Meadow Pipits. I called it a day at 1040 and wandered back homewards.
On the slopes of the hill I added Goldcrest, Great Tit and Bullfinch. Greenfinch was noted further down near the allotments. In all, I managed a total of 33 species for slightly over 3 hours worth of effort. It was good to get a bit of variety even if there was nothing out of the ordinary in the selection of species seen (or heard). I will include numbers of individual vis-mig (and likely more local birds on their way somewhere that I don't usually see from the top of the Law) species noted within the day's list. Non vis-mig species won't have a figure against them.
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| Siskin |
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| Goldfinch |
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| Woodpigeon |
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Meadow Pipit
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Mistle Thrush
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Mistle Thrush
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House Sparrow
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Pink Footed Goose
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Black Headed Gull
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| Dunnock |
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Meadow Pipit
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Meadow Pipit
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Song Thrush
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Song Thrush
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Pink Footed Goose
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Stock Dove
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| Jackdaw |
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| Woodpigeon |
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| Skylark |
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| Woodpigeon |
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| Siskin |
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Herring Gull
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Carrion Crow
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| Chaffinch |
Birds - Black Headed Gull (1), Blackbird, Blue Tit, Bullfinch, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch (16), Chiffchaff, Coal Tit, Dunnock (1), Goldcrest, Goldfinch, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Grey Wagtail (2), Herring Gull, House Sparrow (2), Jackdaw (3), Magpie, Meadow Pipit (23), Mistle Thrush (18), Pied Wagtail (3), Pink Footed Goose (c.200), Robin, Feral Pigeon, Siskin (21), Skylark (8), Song Thrush (7), Sparrowhawk, Starling, Stock Dove (1), Swallow (1), Woodpigeon, Wren.
