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| Skylark |
With only a few days of holiday left for this Autumn migration season, due to the rather unhelpful times of the tides I decided to visit somewhere I hadn't been for a couple of months on Tuesday the 22nd of October, and leaving Riverside Nature Park for another day. My plan was to head out to the back of Fintry to check the fields there for flocks of finches and perhaps other migrants moving through. I would then head down to the Dighty Burn for a look there before checking the area around Clearwater Park and the Pitkerro Grove Cemetery for flocks of geese, in the hope of finding a Barnacle Goose, or something else of note amongst them.
I headed out a little later than I had hoped to, at just after 0835 for the 40 minute walk to the back of Fintry. Feral Pigeon, Herring Gull, Woodpigeon, House Sparrow, Robin and Starling made for a slightly busier than usual start to the day's list. Wren, Meadow Pipit, Chaffinch, Sparrowhawk, Carrion Crow and Magpie were added as I headed for Caird Park. The walk down through the park provided a bit of variety with Blue Tit, Dunnock, Song Thrush, Oystercatcher, Black Headed Gull, Blackbird, Coal Tit and a Grey Squirrel. There was no sign of any Dippers or Kingfishers on the Dighty at Mill O'Mains. At Jack Martin Way, I decided to cut up through the weedy field and follow the dog walkers track around the edges.
A Jay flew over, and I watched a flock of finches flying round, which turned out to be Linnets. A skein of Pink Footed Geese headed over. A few Skylarks were seen passing overhead but much higher in the sky. A Buzzard gave a low pass over the top of the row of trees separating the fields. There were a few Yellowhammers in a small tree with Blackbirds at the other end of the field. Continuing on eastwards, I found a few Reed Buntings and heard a distant Raven 'prukking'. A few Rooks and Jackdaws flew over as I headed for Middleton Wood. I couldn't see anything on the pond at the western end though the vegetation stopped me getting too close. I decided to change my plans a little and headed along behind the school towards Balumbie. A Common Gull and a trio of Redwings were seen heading over westwards. Goldfinch was noted as I neared Drumgeith Road on my way to the Dighty Burn.
A Grey Wagtail flew over as I headed down Forties Road. I decided to explore a little and wandered along a track which led to the BMX track, where a Grey Heron was roosting. I wandered along the burn noting another couple of Grey Herons perched on one of the factory roofs, as well as Goldcrest, Bullfinch, Buzzard, Dipper and Great Tit. I was able to sneak up on a Grey Heron which was wandering around on the path but it flew a short distance further away when it spotted me. I had good views of a couple of Dippers on the burn, one of which was singing quietly to itself. Across by the West Pitkerro Industrial Estate I added Siskin to the list with a mixed flock of these and Goldfinches flying around. A Roe Deer was seen across the field towards Clearwater Park.
I wandered through the trees behind the industrial estate and found a Great Spotted Woodpecker when I reached the end of Barlow Avenue. I headed on round to Drumsturdy Road and carefully avoided the traffic as I continued along to the farm track towards the 'crossroads' up from the stables. A few Stock Doves were seen as I wandered along and a Pheasant was spotted up towards the cemetery. Greenfinch and Pied Wagtail were seen at the cemetery but things were disappointingly relatively quiet. I wandered down to Clearwater Park where a Kestrel was seen hunting in the drainage area I checked out earlier in the year. As I crossed the burn at the Linlathen iron bridge a trio of Goosanders were seen a little downstream. What was likely the same Kestrel was seen over the rookery trees on the south side of the burn and again further on by the Arbroath Road as I wandered back towards Claypotts junction. A Buzzard was also seen over the rookery trees.
I was undecided about my route back but ended up taking the most direct route along the Arbroath Road - though I did cut through Dawson Park first where a flock of 20 Oystercatchers were on the football pitches. I considered walking up through Eastern Cemetery but instead walked the less interesting route up the Kingsway, just in case there were any 'winter thrushes', or even Waxwings, to be found in the trees there. Needless to say, there weren't. Tufted Duck, Mallard, Coot and Mute Swan rounded off the day's birds at Swannie Ponds. My final total for the day was 51 species of bird and 2 of mammals. Unsurprisingly, I failed to add anything new to my #Dundee150 list, once again. However, the route I'd taken did make for a bit of a much needed change of scenery and there was a bit of variety in the species I encountered.
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| Jay |
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| Linnet |
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Meadow Pipit
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| Buzzard |
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Blackbird & Yellowhammer
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Reed Bunting
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Feral Pigeon, Rook & Starling
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Herring Gull
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| Rook |
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Grey Heron
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| Dipper |
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| Bullfinch |
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Grey Heron
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Goldfinch & Siskin
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| Sparrowhawk |
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Roe Deer
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| Jay |
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Grey Squirrel
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| Kestrel |
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Grey Heron
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| Goosander |
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| Kestrel |
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| Buzzard |
Birds - Black Headed Gull, Blackbird, Blue Tit, Bullfinch, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Coal Tit, Common Gull, Coot, Dipper, Dunnock, Goldcrest, Goldfinch, Goosander, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Grey Heron, Grey Wagtail, Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Jay, Kestrel, Linnet, Long Tailed Tit, Magpie, Mallard, Meadow Pipit, Mute Swan, Oystercatcher, Pheasant, Pied Wagtail, Pink Footed Goose, Raven, Redwing, Reed Bunting, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Rook, Siskin, Skylark, Song Thrush, Sparrowhawk, Starling, Stock Dove, Tufted Duck, Woodpigeon, Wren, Yellowhammer.
Mammals - Grey Squirrel, Roe Deer.
