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Mute Swan
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I decided that I would head for Broughty Ferry on Wednesday the 18th of December. Just over a year before, on the 20th, I had managed to add a surprise Hen Harrier to my 2023 list, finding one circling repeatedly against a background of nacreous clouds, just east of the castle. While it was rather unlikely that particular lightning would strike twice, I was hoping that perhaps I might find a Brambling or a rare gull somewhere along my route. I wasn't particularly optimistic of either but as I've said often enough, "nothing ventured, nothing gained". It was rather windy, which is never great news, but once past the castle it can actually be surprisingly calm, due to the line of the coast from there to Monifieth.
It was rather a late start, with a departure time of 1115. I had been having a conversation online with a lady about an area of back gardens just off the Arbroath Road, and decided to pop in and have a look on my walk to the Ferry. Blue Tit, Starling, House Sparrow, Feral Pigeon, Blackbird, Magpie and Herring Gull made for what appeared to be quite a busy start. However, that momentum soon ground to a halt and it was almost another 10 minutes before the next additions. Woodpirgeon and Golfinch were added just before I found my way into the nearby back gardens I had been discussing around an hour earlier. Although I had viewed the area on Google Earth, it looked a bit smaller in 'real life'. A small flock of House Sparrows were the only birds seen on what was a very brief visit of around 2 minutes. There was certainly a mix of different garden types and in Spring/Summer a nice mix of the common garden birds looks likely.
I headed for the Docks Way cycle path next, noting a Robin, Carrion Crow and Dunnock on the way down. There were a few additions to be had as I wandered along the Docks Way - Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Redwing and a Rabbit. My first Black Headed Gull of the day was seen at the Stannergate as were a couple of Turnstones. A Buzzard was being pursued by a number of Carrion Crows as it flew along the line of the railway. A Redshank was roosting alongside a small flock of Oystercatchers down on the beach. A Common Gull and a few Linnets were seen on the walk along the river but there wasn't even a Cormorant to be seen out on the river. An unexpected adult Mute Swan was in the small bay on the north side of the pipe at Douglas Terrace being buffeted around a bit by the incoming waves.
A Red Breasted Merganser was finally seen out on the river as I neared the lifeboat station. A Pied Wagtail was feeding on the path by the Beach Crescent steps. I headed round to the east side of the castle to get some shelter from the strong westerly wind. Although things weren't particularly busy, I did finally see some birds out on, and over, the river. A Cormorant flew in and landed atop the marker pole and a Goldeneye flew past. A small group of Eiders could be seen a few hundred metres offshore. A Rock Pipit landed close by before flying back up onto the castle wall. A Shag was fishing near the pole, and a surprise Guillemot - a bird which has been in very short supply in 2024 in the Tay, drifted upriver on the incoming tide.
What was very likely the same Great Northern Diver seen previously there, put in another appearance, though it was mostly keeping its distance, and was a bit further out than previously. I put word out on the ADBC grapevine about the Diver and the Guillemot. I spotted a young Grey Seal relatively close in to the beach and wandered down to get a few photos, by positioning myself ahead of its route, hoping it might surface somewhere near me. I got a few photos then moved ahead of it again, onto the rocks behind the castle. This worked out very well, with the seal coming in very close. It appeared to be wanting to haul out onto the rocks, so I quickly vacated the rocks and moved back up the beach to behind the rocky outcrop on the sand to view it from there, without potentially disturbing it.
I had to make a phone call about an issue at home and headed up to the shelter of the castle to do so, away from the noise from the river and the wind. As I did so, I noticed Lainy's husband, Adam, about to head up into the castle. Once I'd made the phone call I headed up into the castle where I found both Adam and Lainy. Lainy was hoping for more photos of the Great Northern Diver but it had drifted further out again. We headed back down to the beach, sheltered to a degree out of the wind by the castle, and had another visit from the young Grey Seal, which allowed us both to get a few photos. Unbeknown to me, the ISO on my camera had somehow reset itself to ISO 200, which meant all my photos, into the low sunlight, were underexposed as a result. Thankfully, I was able to get a few fairly decent photos by some fairly extreme editing.
A Stock Dove flew over before we decided to head along for a look at Douglas Terrace, then onto the Stannergate and from there onwards to City Quay. An unexpected Redshank, and an Eider were seen at City Quay but things were overall rather quiet. I ended the day's birding with a low total of just 33 species. Thanks again to Adam and Lainy for their company and the lift home afterwards which saved me having to walk into the strong westerly. The Seal encounter was the main highlight of the day, though it was good to run into a Guillemot (and also the Great Northern Diver) even if I didn't take many photos of either of them, or many photos in general.
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Buzzard & Carrion Crow
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Redshank & Oystercatcher
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| Turnstone |
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Common Gull
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Mute Swan
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Mute Swan
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Red Breasted Merganser
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| Shag |
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| Shag |
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| Eider |
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| Guillemot |
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| Guillemot |
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Great Northern Diver
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| Cormorant |
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| Shag |
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Grey Seal
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Grey Seal
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Grey Seal
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Herring Gull
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Grey Seal
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Grey Seal
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Grey Seal
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Grey Seal
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Grey Seal
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Birds - Black Headed Gull, Blackbird, Blue Tit, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Common Gull, Cormorant, Dunnock, Eider, Goldeneye, Goldfinch, Great Northern Diver, Greenfinch, Guillemot, Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Linnet, Magpie, Mute Swan, Oystercatcher, Pied Wagtail, Red Breasted Merganser, Redshank, Redwing, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Rock Pipit, Shag, Starling, Stock Dove, Turnstone, Woodpigeon.
Mammals - Grey Seal, Rabbit.
