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Great Crested Grebe
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Having agreed to help Lainy out with an event at Clatto Country Park on Saturday 31st of August, I knew my birding for the day was likely to be of a rather limited nature. Lainy and I were to have a table outside the visitor centre where we would talk to any interested members of the public, discussing what the reservoir and surroundings had to offer from a birding perspective. Photos of some of the birds that have been seen there by Lainy were on display inside the visitor centre as part of the main display, which was celebrating the reservoir's 150th anniversary. With things starting around 1000 and running until 1500, I decided I would squeeze in some birding beforehand while Lainy helped to get things organised. To try to pique interest I suggested we could give away some older UK fieldguides that I no longer had any use for (in return for donations).
As I had a box full of books in need of transporting, Lainy arranged to pick me up at 0745. While awaiting her arrival I began my birding for the day. Meadow Pipit, Jackdaw, House Martin, Blue Tit, Herring Gull, Woodpigeon, Feral Pigeon, Robin and Carrion Crow were all noted while I waited outside in the street, in the sunshine. From the car, Starling, Magpie and Blackbird were all seen. Greenfinch and Goldcrest were around at the car park at Clatto. Lainy had to help finalise the setting up of the displays a bit later on, so we squeezed in a bit of birding before she needed to be back at the visitor centre. The reservoir was relatively quiet though the Mute Swan family, Mallards, Coot, Tufted Duck, Great Crested Grebes, Black Headed Gull and Lesser Black Backed Gull were all seen.
We checked one of the Spotted Flycatcher spots but had to make do with Dunnock, Chiffchaff, Chaffinch, Blackcap and a flyover Pied Wagtail, while a young Toad avoided being squished thanks to Lainy's eyesight. As Lainy was heading back to the centre for 0900 we noted Moorhen, Sand Martin and Swallow on the walk back. Leaving Lainy at the visitor centre, I went exploring a bit further afield noting Goldfinch, Bullfinch and Grey Heron at the reservoir before heading up to Templeton Woods where Jay was the only new addition. I walked back via the farm track noting House Sparrows and Buzzard as well as numerous Swallows and House Martins. A Roe Deer buck was in the field to the south, while a Comma butterfly flitted across the one to the north. My final addition before meeting up with Lainy again was a Grey Wagtail.
Things ultimately proved rather quiet at our table though we did manage to give away some of the bird books to interested youngsters and had an interesting chat with a soon to be retired birding train driver before eventually packing up just after 1500. I'd spent a fair bit of time watching and listening the birds and grabbing some photos from time to time. Common Gull, Sparrowhawk, Great Tit and Coal Tit were noted during proceedings and at least 3 Buzzards put in appearances. Unfortunately our choice of 'pitch' was in the shade, so we missed out on the day's late summer sunshine and associated heat, which we finally got to experience after helping pack things up. I finished the day's rather restricted birding with a total of 42 species, of which around 30 or so had been seen at the reservoir.
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| Dunnock |
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Great Crested Grebe
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| Swallow |
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| Buzzard |
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Roe Deer
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Great Crested Grebe
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| Mallard |
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Mute Swan (& Herring Gull)
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Mute Swan
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Lesser Black Backed Gull
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Herring Gull
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Black Headed Gull
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Black Headed Gull
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| Moorhen |
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Mute Swan
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Black Headed Gull (Yellow TT9W, Polish ringed)
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Black Headed Gull
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| Sparrowhawk |
Birds - Blackbird, Blackcap, Black Headed Gull, Blue Tit, Bullfinch, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Coal Tit, Common Gull, Coot, Dunnock, Goldcrest, Goldfinch, Great Crested Grebe, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Grey Heron, Grey Wagtail, Herring Gull, House Martin, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Jay, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Long Tailed Tit, Magpie, Mallard, Meadow Pipit, Moorhen, Mute Swan, Pied Wagtail, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Sand Martin, Sparrowhawk, Starling, Swallow, Tufted Duck, Woodpigeon, Wren.
Amphibians - Common Toad
Butterflies - Comma
Mammals - Roe Deer
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Although I've got a lot of time off work planned during September and October to try to catch up with as many interesting Autumn migrants as possible, it is almost inevitable that 'good' birds will turn up while I'm actually stuck at work. On Monday the 9th of September, I was at work. Mark Wilkinson was at Riverside Nature Park. Around 1540, I received a message from Mark which read "GWE sat on pipe at RNP!!" GWE was an abbreviation for Great White Egret, a bird I still needed for my #Dundee150 list, and also species number 170 for the park list (since Mealy and Lesser Redpoll were 'lumped' back together as a single species). I asked my supervisor if I could finish up slightly early to try to get the bird, as I was unlikely to get anything particularly meaningful done in the remaining work time. Thankfully, I have a supervisor who is well aware of my list, and my 'need' to see 'new' birds for it, who OK'd my early departure. I clocked out at around 1545 and hurried in the direction of the park.
Almost inevitably as I rushed down towards the park, another message arrived from Mark saying the bird had just flown off towards Kingoodie. I decided to continue down anyway (though I had a parcel to collect at the top of the Hilltown before 1730), on the off-chance the bird might reappear. I reached the park around 1600 and hurried along towards the raised embankment where Mark, and a newly arrived Keith, were stood. I hadn't actually started a list for the park visit as I was in such a hurry. I did almost stand on a Speckled Wood butterfly on the path and I was mentally taking notes of what I could see and hear. Herring Gull, Black Headed Gull, Carrion Crow and Woodpigeon were noted before I reached Mark and Keith.
We had a quick chat about the Great White Egret and the possibilities as to where it had ended up. Feral Pigeon, Stock Dove, Redshank, Oystercatcher, Mallard, Jackdaw, Great Black Backed Gull, Dunlin, Curlew and Cormorant were spotted as we scanned out over the bay and out towards Kingoodie. The tide was well on its way in so Keith and I decided to head along the track a bit further to try to see into the bay beyond the house on the spit. Keith had just got his scope set up when the distant gulls all took flight from within that bay. Above them was a larger, white bird. I was about 99% certain it had to be the Great White Egret. There were also Little Egrets around and in the air. As a result we lost track of the bird we were hoping to see.
Mark was in agreement that the bird seen had been the Great White Egret, so onto my list it went. Keith kindly dropped me off on Blackness Road to save me some time on my way to get my parcel. A message came in from Fife saying that the Great White Egret at Angle Park had just arrived from the north. The timings and direction matched up, giving additional circumstantial evidence that it was one and the same bird. Although my views were rather distant the bird was number 142 for my #Dundee150 list. Only another 8 needed now - though I'm under no illusions that getting these 8 will be anything like easy. 2023's total of 155 species was a bit of a 'fluke' with so many things that don't usually happen occurring, especially late in the year.
Incidentally, Mark had seen a Great White Egret round at Kingoodie on 26th of July, but we couldn't count it for the park list, though it would likely have been visible from the park. With the species having bred this year in Aberdeenshire, perhaps it will become as regular locally over the next few years as the Littles have become. As I didn't have any camera gear with me, the photos posted below are in stark contrast to the very distant views from the park, and are from a very close encounter with a Great White Egret in Fife back in February 2018, which is still by far my best views of the species.
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Great White Egret
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Great White Egret
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Great White Egret
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Great White Egret
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Great White Egret
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Great White Egret
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Great White Egret
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Great White Egret
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Great White Egret
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Great White Egret
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Great White Egret
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Great White Egret
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Great White Egret
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Great White Egret
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Great White Egret
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Great White Egret
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Great White Egret
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Great White Egret
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Great White Egret
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Great White Egret
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Birds - Black Headed Gull, Carrion Crow, Common Sandpiper, Cormorant, Curlew, Dunlin, Great Black Backed Gull, Great White Egret, Herring Gull, Jackdaw, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Little Egret, Mallard, Oystercatcher, Redshank, Feral Pigeon, Stock Dove, Woodpigeon.
Butterflies - Speckled Wood.
