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Grey Wagtail
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I didn't feel much like going out on Saturday the 18th of January but I forced myself to go out birding in the hope that by just being outside and spending my time birding, I would feel a bit better. Jack Snipe was my main target bird though expectations, like my mood, were rather low. I would head first to Trottick Ponds and then decide what to do and where to go from there, hopefully having found my target bird in the intervening period. I headed out just after 0905.
As my mind wasn't really in 'birding mode' I headed initially in the wrong direction, or at least, not my usual direction when I'm heading for Trottick Ponds. Robin, Blue Tit, Magpie, Feral Pigeon, Herring Gull, Carrion Crow and Starling got things started in relatively underwhelming fashion. Pied Wagtail, Woodpigeon, Redwing, House Sparrow and Dunnock were noted as I wandered up past Tannadice Park and up to Clepington Road. Rather than cut back along to Graham Street I headed instead for Old Glamis Road where Black Headed Gull, Blackbird and an overflying skein of Pink Footed Geese were all noted. I crossed the footbridge over the Kingsway. The walk down past Caird Park produced Coal Tit, Greenfinch and Jackdaw.
At the bottom of the hill, I decided to turn right rather than head straight on. Great Tit was added on the walk along Claverhouse Road to the usual entrance into the ponds, over the bridge. A young Mute Swan was wandering around on the track, with another youngster on the burn, uncharacteristically in below the trees. There were a few Bullfinches in the overhanging trees a little further on, though getting a clear shot proved tricky. At the ponds themselves were the usual Mallards and Moorhens as well as a single Goosander. I continued round to check the reedbed area but despite much scanning with the thermal imager from a few different spots I failed to find anything at all. A Treecreeper was photographed on the way in and some Long Tailed Tits were seen on my way back out. This was disappointing and of absolutely no help in raising my mood. I did find a few more species on my walk back along to the ponds - Stock Dove, Chaffinch, Sparrowhawk and a Wren (as well as another small skein of Pink Footed Geese).
I wandered up across the 9-hole golf course at Caird Park towards the ponds. A Jay was seen in flight and I stumbled upon a small group of Roe Deer, who watched me warily as I passed, trying to give them a wide berth. A couple of them then walked slowly across the fairways ahead of me. There was no sign of a Kingfisher at the ponds, nor a Dipper on the burn, but a Grey Wagtail did show nicely at the top pond and a Goldcrest was heard calling from the conifers. Walking up past the RPC added a singing Song Thrush, another Redwing and a few Goldfinches with a Siskin. Mains Terrace was very quiet but did get me a single Fieldfare, the first for the day. Swannie Ponds added Common Gull, Coot and Tufted Duck to the morning's list.
At the ponds, I weighed up my options - Eastern Cemetery for 'winter thrushes' and maybe the Stannergate for waders and sea ducks, Baxter Park for more small birds and maybe down to City Quay for Cormorant etc, or just head home. I decided on Baxter Park. Spring Grove proved to be rather disappointing though there were a few more Bullfinches about, as well as a few of the usual species - Chaffinch, Blue Tit, Blackbird etc, but overall things were very quiet. Another skein of Pink Footed Geese headed over noisily calling. A Grey Squirrel was photographed before I packed away my camera and I headed home. I was by this time possibly even in a worse mood than I had been before I'd set off. My list for the day was a reasonable 41 species but without anything particularly exciting.
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| Bullfinch |
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| Treecreeper |
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Pink Footed Goose
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Pink Footed Goose
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| Goosander |
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| Goosander |
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Roe Deer
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Roe Deer
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Grey Wagtail
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Grey Wagtail
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Grey Heron
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| Dunnock |
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Goldfinch & Siskin
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| Redwing |
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| Fieldfare |
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Grey Squirrel
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Grey Squirrel
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| Bullfinch |
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Blue Tit
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| Chaffinch |
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| Blackbird |
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Pink Footed Goose
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Birds - Black Headed Gull, Blackbird, Blue Tit, Bullfinch, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Coal Tit, Common Gull, Coot, Dunnock, Fieldfare, Goldcrest, Goldfinch, Goosander, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Grey Heron, Grey Wagtail, Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Jay, Long Tailed Tit, Magpie, Mallard, Moorhen, Mute Swan, Pied Wagtail, Pink Footed Goose, Redwing, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Siskin, Song Thrush, Sparrowhawk, Starling, Stock Dove, Treecreeper, Tufted Duck, Woodpigeon, Wren.
Mammals - Grey Squirrel, Roe Deer.
