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| Turnstone |
Having had a successful Saturday's birding I decided to head in the opposite direction on Sunday. I planned an early start to hopefully be able to intercept incoming migrants crossing the Tay before the dog walkers took over the beaches. Wheatear was my main target, although it was relatively unlikely, but as I know only too well if I don't try, I definitely won't find one. I would wander out to Balmossie to check the gull roost and anything out on the river before heading back inland to Clearwater Park then head home along the Dighty Burn before the forecast heavy rain showers were due to arrive. With a bit of luck I would add something new to the Dundee150 list and manage to stay dry too...
It was around 0610 when I stepped outside and found Starling, Blackbird, House Sparrow, a surprise Greenfinch, Feral Pigeon, Herring Gull and Goldfinch almost immediately. Jackdaw and Carrion Crow were next and a Meadow Pipit was heard calling from somewhere overhead but went through unseen. I had decided to head for the Docks Way cycle path rather than visit either Swannie Ponds or Baxter Park. Dunnock was noted on Arbroath Road with Lesser Black Backed Gull a minute later. The first Magpie of the day was on Baffin Street with a Collared Dove and a Woodpigeon when I reached South Baffin Street. A Chiffchaff was heard singing from a small tree.
A Grey Wagtail flew over as I continued on down Market Street to East Dock Street where an Oystercatcher rather noisily appeared from the direction of the docks. A Song Thrush called from the other side of the railway line. The walk out along the cycle path added Robin, Chaffinch, Blackcap and some high flying Black Headed Gulls. The usual Rabbits were in their usual spots when I reached the Stannergate. By the small car park there I noted a few Linnets in the bushes and a small number of Eider offshore. The first of the day's Turnstones were on the grass by the sailing club building and I managed to grab some photos involving a worm which definitely didn't survive its encounter with this particular small group of waders.
I happened to look up just as a small group of 5 silent goose shaped birds passed overhead flying to the west. These turned out to be Shelduck and I watched them land beyond the fence at the end of the harbour. A few more Black Headed Gulls and then the first Common Gulls were next on the list. I almost missed a pair of Ringed Plover in their (semi-)usual spot among the pebbles near one of the ramps a little further on. Redshank and Cormorant were noted as I continued on towards the castle. A Rock Pipit was heard at Beach Crescent and a Red Throated Diver was seen flying upriver over towards the Tayport side of the river. A Grey Heron flew over the playpark, though heading in the opposite direction of the Sparrowhawk which showed up 30 seconds later, drawing a response from a pair of Pied Wagtails as well as a few Starlings.
I wandered round to sit on the rocks behind the castle as the tide receded. A distant flock of Teal were the only new addition from there, though there appeared to be plenty of gulls moving, especially Common Gulls. Despite it still being pre-0900, the shoreline was already quite busy with both swimmers and walkers, as well as numerous dogs. I continued on east towards Balmossie. Thankfully, things were still relatively quiet towards that end of the Esplanade compared to the Castle end. I was able to add Bar Tailed Godwits, Wigeon, Curlew, Red Breasted Merganser, Dunlin and a lone Mute Swan around the Dighty Burn outflow and nearby.
By around 1000 I decided it was time to head inland and I headed up South Balmossie Street to North Balmossie Street and onwards to Balgillo Road. I accidentally spooked a couple of Grey Herons from the heronry by the burn but otherwise there wasn't too much of interest between Balmossie and Clearwater Park. I did find a few Long Tailed Tits in the bushes down by the A92. There were Rooks in the trees behind the houses at Strathtyre Avenue. A Buzzard circled to the north and a Sparrowhawk overflew as I passed the rookery. A Willow Warbler sang from the trees overlooking the Dighty Burn. I crossed the Linlathen bridge stopping briefly when I noticed a Roe Deer a little off to the east. A pair of Pheasants wandered past the deer and I continued on up the hill towards the Stables, stopping to photograph a Peacock butterfly by the path on the walk up.
A Grey Squirrel was seen in the trees by the Stables and Skylarks could be heard singing above the field to the west of the track. Great Tit and Stock Dove were both noted before I reached the 'crossroads' and a Yellowhammer made it on to the list across the other side of the 'crossroads'. A Kestrel overflew me as I wandered back down the track again, having heard Blackcap, Willow Warbler and Chiffchaff near the Cemetery. Another Sparrowhawk was seen circling high above as I headed along to the Murroes Burn. A Swallow could be seen rather distantly zipping around low over the fields to the south. I wandered through the trees which backed onto West Pitkerro Industrial Estate where a pair of Jays eluded my camera's focus.
At the end of Barlow Avenue I stopped for a minute or two, just in time to see a skein of Pink Footed Geese overflying from the south. I had to hurriedly change the battery of my camera at this point, though I did manage a few photos just before the birds disappeared over the trees I had just walked through minutes before. There was a small flock of Meadow Pipits in the field bordered by the Dighty and Murroes Burn, as well a couple of Skylarks, a few Oystercatchers, some Rooks and Jackdaws and what was likely the same Swallow I'd noticed earlier. I had a short chat to a dog walker before moving on again. It was around mid-day by this time and the sky was beginning to look rather threatening. Other than a few conifers the chances of finding anything like reasonable shelter from what appeared to be impending rain seemed rather slim.
I crossed the main road. A pair of Bullfinches flew across the burn and the Kingfisher swept past me at high speed heading downstream. Things were relatively quiet along the burn, though Wren, Goldcrest and Siskin were all spotted. A single Dipper was glimpsed by the small weir by the 'halfway bridge'. I had a short chat with a local a bit further on, who told me about a group of 4 Foxes he'd watched in the same area while he was actually stood in the burn. I continued on past Drumgeith Park where a couple more Buzzards were seen soaring. A Kestrel hovered high above the new houses at the foot of Longhaugh Brae. The grey cloud of earlier had given way (slightly) to a bit of blue sky but not for long. There was a brief shower as I walked up Pitkerro Road towards the Kingsway. I made a quick stop at Swannie Ponds which added Mallard, Coot, Moorhen and Tufted Duck to the list for the day, taking the total to a very decent 67 species. I suspect the same route in a week or 2 might add as many as 10 more species to the total, and I will probably give it a go early next month. Although I failed to add Wheatear or anything else to my Dundee150 list it was a worthwhile effort making the 15 mile round trip.
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| Linnet |
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| Shelduck |
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Ringed Plover
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| Turnstone |
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| Redshank |
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| Magpie |
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| Eider |
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Rock Pipit
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| Cormorant |
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Rock Pipit
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Bar Tailed Godwit
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Meadow Pipit
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Collared Dove
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Roe Deer
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| Robin |
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| Kestrel |
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Woodpigeon & Pheasant
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Stock Dove
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| Sparrowhawk |
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Pink Footed Goose
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Herring Gull
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| Swallow |
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| Skylark |
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Blue Tit
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| Buzzard |
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| Jay |
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Mute Swan
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Tufted Duck
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Birds - Bar Tailed Godwit, Blackbird, Blackcap, Black Headed Gull, Blue Tit, Bullfinch, Buzzard,
Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Collared Dove, Common Gull, Coot,
Cormorant, Curlew, Dipper, Dunlin, Dunnock, Eider, Goldcrest, Goldfinch, Great
Tit, Greenfinch, Grey Heron, Grey Wagtail, Herring Gull, House Sparrow,
Jackdaw, Jay, Kestrel, Kingfisher, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Linnet, Long Tailed Tit,
Magpie, Mallard, Meadow Pipit, Moorhen, Mute Swan, Oystercatcher,
Pheasant, Pied Wagtail, Pink Footed Goose, Red Breasted Merganser, Redshank, Red Throated Diver, Ringed Plover, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Rock Pipit, Rook, Shelduck, Siskin, Skylark, Song Thrush, Sparrowhawk,
Starling, Stock Dove, Swallow, Teal, Tufted Duck, Turnstone, Wigeon, Willow Warbler, Woodpigeon, Wren,
Yellowhammer.
Butterflies - Peacock.
Mammals - Grey Squirrel, Rabbit, Roe Deer.
