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Red Kite
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Although Saturday's birding was relatively frustrating I wanted to get out and about again on Sunday to try to find something new for my Dundee150 list, as there really should have been migrants arriving. Up until this time, I'd had to make do with Chiffchaff, everything else seemed to be somewhere to the south still (though one or two birds had apparently bypassed here and arrived for their summer stay further north). With Sand Martin probably my most likely species to find within Dundee that I hadn't already managed to get, I decided to try the Dighty Burn and then if my energy levels were up to it, to try Broughty Ferry and Balmossie where there was previously an artificial Sand Martin nest site though with the 'access for all' path there's very little of anything resembling a potential nest site to be had between the castle and the Dighty mouth with almost all the vegetation having been removed, for any species of bird, let alone any sort of banking for Sand Martins.
I headed out at a little after 0730. The first birds on the list for the day were Blackbird, Starling, Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Blue Tit and Magpie from within my street. Things were relatively busy as I continued on the 'low road' route to Swannie Ponds, with Feral Pigeon, Woodpigeon, Goldfinch, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Dunnock, Robin and Wren all noted before I reached the Dura Street car park where a couple of Meadow Pipits overflew heading north and a few Carrion Crows wandered around between the parked cars. A detour into Baxter Park found dogs and dog walkers everywhere despite the early-ish start and a dearth of birds bar a calling Great Tit, in contrast to my previous visit.
I added a Chaffinch and a Coal Tit as I crossed the road to the corner of the park where the ponds are situated. A Skylark was seen high above heading northwards, its distinctive call alerting me to its passing overhead. It appears that the Black Headed Gulls have departed for their breeding sites with only a handful of Herring Gulls and Lesser Black Backed Gulls to be seen on the water along with the other residents - Coot, Moorhen, Mallard, Mute Swan and Tufted Duck. I decided to once again check the rugby pitches on the north side of the Kingsway but again I found them empty of birds. I wandered on down Pitkerro Road to the Dighty Burn noting Chiffchaff and Greenfinch near the Pitkerro Care Centre. Jackdaw and Rook were both noted opposite the Drumgeith Park football pitches and a Pheasant was heard calling somewhere to the north.
Oystercatcher, Pied Wagtail and Long Tailed Tits were spotted before I reached the small footbridge near the main road underpass. A Sparrowhawk swept over, upsetting those birds that had spotted it before I did. A Grey Wagtail flew past beyond the main road. The stand of trees which borders the new school construction site held what was likely the same Redwing flock seen the previous week and a Great Spotted Woodpecker did a spot of 'drumming'. The first Dipper of the day was found singing on a small pebbled area near the police station. I was able to get a nice video clip of the bird before it flew off to another spot a short distance away. A Song Thrush was added before I reached Baldovie Road.
A Buzzard was seen drifting over relatively high in the sky from the other side of the road. A Great Spotted Woodpecker was photographed in the trees behind the industrial estate and another Buzzard was noted. A Sparrowhawk and a pair of Grey Squirrels were spotted along the northern half of the track behind the industrial estate. A small skein of Pink Footed Geese and a few Stock Doves kept things relatively interesting as I wandered along to the 'crossroads'. Yellowhammer and Chiffchaff were the only birds worthy of mention up by the cemetery. I crossed the Linlathen Iron Bridge in the hope that there might be a Sand Martin hawking for insects but drew a blank as I'd already done along the roughly 2 mile stretch of burn I'd walked.
I next headed for the dual carriageway and was surprised to see a Grey Heron stood behind the houses by the small drainage ditch there. Having just photographed the Heron, I turned to see a Sparrowhawk being harassed by a Carrion Crow and watched them tussle as they spiralled higher into the sky. The walk down to the Tay via the Sheill Street nature reserve took around 25 minutes. Out on the river I could see a number of distant Eiders and a single drake in closer to shore. A flock of Bar Tailed Godwits flew out over the river towards Fife from the direction of Balmossie. Curlew, Knot, Redshank, Wigeon, Turnstone, Common Gull, Great Black Backed Gull, Sanderling, Ringed Plover and Dunlin were all found in addition to the Carrion Crows, Starlings, Herring Gulls, Starlings and Jackdaws feeding and bathing near the burn mouth.
I found a spot at the top of the rock armour where I could sit and watch quietly without much likelihood of disturbing the birds as the incoming tide pushed them closer. This worked quite well, though when I finally did get up to leave a couple of the closest Oystercatchers took flight briefly before circling back and landing again, though thankfully the main wader roost stayed put. A Red Throated Diver, a Cormorant and a pair of Black Headed Gulls were seen out on, or over, the river as I walked back slowly to check out the nature reserve. A Siskin flew over and a pair of Linnets flew off as I neared the small car park at the end of the Esplanade.
Goldcrest was the only new species discovered at the nature reserve and with the earlier sun having disappeared behind the clouds, there was no sign of any potentially interesting insect life either. A Cormorant was perched on the yellow pole just offshore near the castle while a Shag dived underwater for fish nearby. A couple of Rock Pipits were around at the castle and the grassy area just to the east, along with a Pied Wagtail. Knowing I still had another 3 miles or more to walk to get back home, I decided to take my time. The Tay appeared very flat calm and a Grey Seal was seen just breaking the surface as I headed along from Douglas Terrace towards the Stannergate.
A Royal Navy Fleet Auxiliary ship (RFA Mounts Bay) was in the process of leaving the docks as I passed the sailing club premises. I stopped to chat to a lady I encounter on that stretch semi-regularly and we both watched the ship and some other marine traffic (the Tay pilot boat and 2 windfarm crew transfer boats, as well as Missel Thrush) before continuing on our way, in opposite directions. The Stannergate and Eastern Cemetery both proved to be very quiet though I did manage to add a couple of Rabbits at the Stannergate and then a few Goosander at Swannie Ponds. A Grey Wagtail in flight from the direction of the SuDS pond off Mains Loan rounded things off before I made it home just after 1600.
My total for the day was a very respectable (for a day out just in Dundee, on foot) 65 species of bird and 3 of mammals. The best sighting of the day however was a Red Kite which gave relatively close views for a few minutes before drifting off elsewhere. This was my second Red Kite sighting from within the city in just 8 days (last year's 2 sightings were 10 days apart though around a similar time of year). For a change I actually managed to get reasonable photos. Although it is highly unlikely the bird might be breeding anywhere too close to the city, I've decided to keep the location of the sighting very vague, and the photos of the bird will be 'out of sequence'. Along with Raven and Little Egret the Red Kite(s) are increasingly being seen within the city, and are providing more obvious (real-time) range/population expansion following on from Goldfinch, Buzzard, Long Tailed Tit, Sparrowhawk, Nuthatch, Jay and Magpie to name a few species that weren't around in the city when I was very briefly birding as a kid back in the late 70s and early 80s. Maybe Great White (or even Cattle) Egret will be next? Time will tell...
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| Redwing |
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| Pheasant |
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| Dipper |
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Long Tailed Tit
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Grey Wagtail
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Great Spotted Woodpecker
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Pink Footed Goose
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Stock Dove
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| Yellowhammer |
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Grey Heron
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| Sparrowhawk |
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Bar Tailed Godwit & Knot
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Redshank & Dunlin
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Carrion Crow & Buzzard
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Cormorant & Shag
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Rock Pipit
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| Eider |
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Pied Wagtail
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| Turnstone |
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Grey Seal
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Song Thrush
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| Oystercatcher |
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| Goldcrest |
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| Moorhen |
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| Goosander |
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Red Kite
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Red Kite
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Birds - Bar Tailed Godwit, Blackbird, Black Headed Gull, Blue Tit, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Coal Tit, Common Gull, Coot, Cormorant, Curlew, Dipper, Dunlin, Dunnock, Eider, Goldcrest, Goldfinch, Goosander, Great Black Backed Gull, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Grey Heron, Grey Wagtail, Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Knot, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Linnet, Long Tailed Tit, Magpie, Mallard, Meadow Pipit, Moorhen, Mute Swan, Oystercatcher, Pheasant, Pied Wagtail, Pink Footed Goose, Red Kite, Redshank, Red Throated Diver, Redwing, Ringed Plover, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Rock Pipit, Rook, Sanderling, Shag, Siskin, Skylark, Song Thrush, Sparrowhawk, Starling, Stock Dove, Tufted Duck, Turnstone, Wigeon, Woodpigeon, Wren, Yellowhammer.
Mammals - Grey Seal, Grey Squirrel, Rabbit.
