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Little Gull
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Having successfully managed to add Jack Snipe to my Dundee150 list a few days previously I felt like I had more or less exhausted the possibilities for new additions in what remained of January, so my expectations for my midweek wander on the 24th were rather low. The weather was sunny but cold with a relatively strong wind, so it was decent for photography but not ideal for actually seeing many birds. With the lack of possibilities for 'new' birds and a likely lack of actual birds in general, my expectations were lowered even further. The sunny conditions made a pleasant change given how wet this winter has been up to now, so I was heading out even if I wasn't likely to see much...
I headed out the door into the sunshine just after 1000 with Balmossie my destination of choice. Herring Gull, Feral Pigeon, Carrion Crow, Magpie and Woodpigeon made for a fairly typical selection to start the day's list off. Blue Tit, Redwing, Starling and Jackdaw were the relatively slim pickings between the end of my street and Mains Loan. As I was about to cross the road there, I looked both ways (as you're meant to do). There was a car coming up the hill which had stopped. The reason it had stopped was apparently to let a Fox cross the road. The Fox continued up the hill on the opposite side of the road from me. I quickly hauled out my phone and set it to video (and actually managed to start recording - for a change).
The Fox turned into Argyle Street, so I quickly crossed the road and began to follow it. It kept looking back but didn't seem in any great hurry. I crossed to the opposite side of the road to try to get ahead of it, using the parked cars to provide some measure of cover. The Fox then went to cross the road too, but spotted me and after trotting along the side of the cars parked on the other side of the road before returning to the pavement - passing just a few feet in front of a woman stood in front of one of the cars, who was more than a little surprised. The Fox went into a few of the gardens and while it did so, I managed to grab the camera from my bag but couldn't get it to focus in time when the Fox was stood atop a dividing wall, looking directly at me. It ventured into another garden and I crossed the road for a closer look. I was able to get a sequence of rather nice photos before the Fox disappeared behind the house. A nice start to the day's proceedings.
I had a quick look at the now thawed out Swannie Ponds which only held its usual mix of species - Black Headed Gull, Common Gull, Herring Gull, Coot, Moorhen, Tufted Duck, Mallard and Mute Swan, with neither of the recent Gadwall or Shoveler around. I did find a few Greenfinches before heading for Eastern Cemetery. House Sparrow was noted en route to there and once into the cemetery I also found Coal Tit, Chaffinch, Goldfinch and Blackbird plus a few Rabbits though overall it felt very quiet compared to some recent visits. A Robin was spotted behind Alpha Projects building at the Stannergate. Out on the river were some Red Breasted Mergansers while on the shore I found a few Turnstone and Oystercatchers. A Cormorant was seen fishing not too far offshore before it took flight and headed upriver.
The vegetation by the concrete steps halfway along towards the eagle feathers sculpture had been completely cleared - just the latest example of habitat destruction along the river/railway line, following on from Network Rail's removal of a huge amount of trees and bushes along by the docks, and the breeding season decimation of what is to become a very poorly sited nursing home, next to the sewage tank, main road and railway line. The clearing of yet more vegetation annoyed me. A little further on there were still a few small bushes - though a couple of those seemed to be largely burnt (pending removal?). Atop one of these I could see a small bird perched. Between me and this bird was a dog walker heading straight for the bush. I hurried past to get a better view of the bird before it was flushed. A Stonechat - my first for the year, and in a new location for me (though given that there are now almost no bushes between there and the Dighty mouth that is hardly a surprise).
I managed to grab a few half-decent photos of the bird before continuing on towards Broughty Ferry. I added Eider, Rock Pipit and Pied Wagtail near the harbour at the castle. I scanned from the castle for a while trying to turn a distant diver into a Great Northern Diver (it was 'only' a Red Throated Diver). I eventually managed some relatively close views of it from down on the beach where I had a short chat to a photographer from Perth following a blether to a girl who was at school with a couple of my brothers. Heading on eastwards, I checked the dunes but a heard-only Wren was all I managed to find there. Bullfinch, Dunnock and Stock Dove were seen at the local nature reserve which was still partially flooded.
The tide was almost all the way in by the time I reached the end of the esplanade which meant I had missed out on the likes of Knot, Grey Plover and even Bar Tailed Godwit. I did eventually find a few roosting Dunlin and Ringed Plover though an off-lead dog flushed the lot (just for a change!). I had a chat to a different dog walker who asked about the decline in bird numbers along that stretch. At the Dighty mouth there was a roost of Redshank and Turnstones on the rock armour next to the bridge. Offshore there were a few Wigeon and Goldeneye as well as some mixed gulls and Eider. The wander back towards the castle, walking into the wind didn't produce many sightings, or photo opportunities, though a skein of Pink Footed Geese low to the north were new for the day.
With the sun sinking towards the horizon things seemed even quieter than they had previously as I headed along from Douglas Terrace. With the tide only just beginning to recede there wasn't much to be seen on the shore either (as there wasn't very much 'shore' by this time). As I neared where I saw the Stonechat earlier in the day, I noticed a quartet of geese heading upriver roughly abeam Tayport. I tried to get photos showing some sort of detail in case they weren't just Pink Footed Geese but unfortunately despite taking plenty of photos there is no useable detail on any of the photos - though they do appear most likely to be Pink Feet. I then spotted a gull heading upriver, but closer than the geese had been. It appeared to be an adult Little Gull - another new addition to my Dundee150 list. I took a few photos and then put word out on the local grapevine saying the bird had headed towards Stannergate.
I was pleasantly surprised to find the Little Gull close in to shore just east of the car park and spent about 20 minutes taking photos of it (having updated the location on the grapevine). I had originally intended on continuing along to City Quay but decided against it, which although it meant I missed out on the Otter (seen by Steven Neish again) did mean I got another surprise. The battery on the camera had run out as I tried to photograph a flock of Long Tailed Tits as I was about to cross the main road. As I was going to check out Eastern Cemetery I decided not to put the camera away and replaced the 'dead' battery. Part way up Craigie Avenue I spotted a group of 4 birds as they were about to fly diagonally across the road heading west. They didn't appear dark enough for Starlings but didn't seem to be right for Redwings either. Then I heard a brief snatch of a call from one of them - Waxwings! I grabbed as many photos as I could, one of which did show enough detail to prove that I hadn't imagined them. These were my 3rd new species for the day and one which had eluded me in 2024 though others had managed to find a few.
With an amazing Fox encounter and 3 year-ticks (in bold) it had been an unexpectedly good day out already. I headed up through Eastern Cemetery flushing a Buzzard, adding a Goldcrest and seeing a couple of Grey Squirrels. I had a quick look at Swannie Ponds where there were now 3 Goosander and a Grey Wagtail was heard before I headed home, tired but happy with the day's efforts. I finished the day having seen or heard 50 species of bird, and 3 of mammal. The 3 new additions took my Dundee150 list to 97, just 3 short of what would be a very unexpected 100 if I somehow managed to get there before the end of the month. Needless to say I will be trying to do just that....(and if my current run of birding luck continues then who knows....).
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| Fox |
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| Chaffinch |
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| Rabbit |
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| Cormorant |
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| Turnstone |
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| Stonechat |
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Common Gull
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| Oystercatcher |
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Red Throated Diver
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Rock Pipit
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Pied Wagtail
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Dunlin & Ringed Plover
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| Wigeon |
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| Redshank |
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Little Gull
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Little Gull
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Little Gull
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Little Gull
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Little Gull
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Red Breasted Merganser
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Common Gull
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Little Gull
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| Waxwing |
Birds - Blackbird, Black Headed Gull, Blue Tit, Bullfinch, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Coal Tit, Common Gull, Coot, Cormorant, Dunlin, Dunnock, Eider, Goldcrest, Goldeneye, Goldfinch, Goosander, Greenfinch, Grey Heron, Grey Wagtail, Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Little Gull, Long Tailed Tit, Magpie, Mallard, Moorhen, Mute Swan, Oystercatcher, Pied Wagtail, Pink Footed Goose, Red Breasted Merganser, Redshank, Red Throated Diver, Redwing, Ringed Plover, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Rock Pipit, Starling, Stock Dove, Stonechat, Tufted Duck, Turnstone, Waxwing, Wigeon, Woodpigeon, Wren.
Mammals - Fox, Grey Squirrel, Rabbit.
