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| Spotted Flycatcher |
Following on from Saturday's surprise Honey Buzzard sighting, I still wasn't feeling particularly energetic on Sunday morning. However, I was still relatively keen to get out birding somewhere. I had wanted to go to Broughty Ferry but being a bit too tired, I decided to try the Law instead. I wanted to see if I could find some migrant birds, either in the trees and bushes around the hill, like the Spotted Flycatcher a week or so before, or more likely passing through overhead. I had wanted to be at the Law in time for sunrise but slept in for an extra hour. I made it out just after 0715 and headed for the hill, a bit behind schedule.
Robin, Feral Pigeon, Herring Gull, Meadow Pipit, Woodpigeon, Starling, House Sparrow, Blue Tit, Dunnock, Magpie, Lesser Black-backed Gull and Siskin were all noted on the walk to the top of the Hilltown. A Chiffchaff was heard on the walk up Law Road. There was lots of activity in the trees by the final set of steps up through the trees to the top of the hill. I ended up spending around 2 hours photographing the birds in this area rather than heading to the top as I had been planning to do. Chaffinch, Treecreeper, Great Tit, Goldcrest, Willow Warbler and Blackcap were all seen and photographed before a Spotted Flycatcher appeared. Although I had seen one there on the 5th of September, I hadn't expected to see one still hanging around, 9 days later. The bird showed nicely and I had glimpses of what I thought might be a second Spotted Flycatcher a couple of times. A few House Martins circled round overhead and a Pied Wagtail was heard.
A Carrion Crow was added in the trees as I searched under the canopy of leaves a bit later on. I heard Canada Geese but couldn't see them by the time I hurried out for a look. A flock of Redpoll did fly past but I wasn't quick enough to get a photo of them either. Bullfinch, Rook, Wren, Swallow and Sparrowhawk were added along with a Red Admiral butterfly over the course of the next half hour. A Mistle Thrush was heard from the north side of the hill before I finally made my way up the remaining stairs to see what I could see from the top. Great Spotted Woodpecker, Buzzard, Crossbill and Coal Tit were all heard before a skein of around 50 Pink Footed Geese passed high overhead. A Grey Wagtail, a distant Curlew and a Blackbird were all heard over the course of the next couple of hours. I was joined by Lainy around 1120 and we had good views of the Spotted Flycatcher and were able to see that there were indeed at least 2 of them around. Another Sparrowhawk was seen around 1250.
Things then went rather quiet and the temperature noticeably dropped, so we had a wander around the hill and eventually managed to refind the Spotted Flycatchers with a mixed flock of tits and finches in the trees near the southwestern allotments and we added even more photos of these birds before finally giving up at around 1400 and heading homewards. I finished the day's birding with 39 species and rather a lot of photos of Spotted Flycatchers. Had I made it to Broughty Ferry, I might have been able to see a Common Crane which flew south over the beach at Tentsmuir. That's twice this year that Cranes have been seen just across the Tay when I've been intending to go to Broughty Ferry but instead I've gone elsewhere. I'll get a Crane from Dundee one day...
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| Blackcap |
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| Blackcap |
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| Treecreeper |
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| Willow Warbler |
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| Willow Warbler |
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| Spotted Flycatcher |
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| Spotted Flycatcher |
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| Spotted Flycatcher |
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| Sparrowhawk |
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| Chiffchaff |
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| Tree Wasp(?) |
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| Spotted Flycatcher |
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| Swallow |
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| Meadow Pipit |
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| Woodpigeon |
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| Siskin |
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| Magpie |
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| House Martin |
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| Fly sp. |
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| Spotted Flycatcher |
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| Spotted Flycatcher |
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| Sparrowhawk |
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| Spotted Flycatcher |
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| Spotted Flycatcher |
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| Spotted Flycatcher | | |
Birds - Blackbird, Blackcap, Blue Tit, Bullfinch, Buzzard, Canada Goose, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch,
Chiffchaff, Coal Tit, Crossbill, Curlew, Dunnock, Goldcrest, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Great Tit, Grey
Wagtail, Herring Gull, House Martin, House Sparrow, Lesser Black-backed
Gull, Magpie, Meadow Pipit, Mistle Thrush, Pied Wagtail, Pink-footed Goose, Redpoll, Robin, Feral
Pigeon, Rook, Siskin, Sparrowhawk, Spotted Flycatcher, Starling, Swallow, Treecreeper, Willow Warbler, Woodpigeon, Wren.
Butterflies - Red Admiral.
