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| Grasshopper Warbler |
With a new camera (OM-1 mk2) to try out, having set it up the previous evening, I was keen to get out and about on Sunday morning. As is so often the case, I slept in a bit longer than intended, most likely due to the previous day's very early start. However, I did still manage to be out the door for just before 0810. I only had a partial plan, with finding my own Grasshopper Warbler my main priority. If I also managed to find my own Garden Warbler too, then that would be a nice bonus. Having managed to find Garden Warbler at, and also near, Trottick Ponds last year, I decided to start there before heading up to the area around Jack Martin Way where I've also managed to have some success with Grasshopper Warbler previously. After that, I would see where I ended up, with both east and west being possibilities.
A very vocal Oystercatcher overflying coincided with me stepping outside. Feral Pigeon, Blackbird, Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Magpie, Woodpigeon, Goldfinch, Starling and Jackdaw made for a slow but steady start to things as I made my way to Caird Park. I was able to find a few more species as I traversed the park from south to north - Pied Wagtail, Goldcrest, Chiffchaff, a pair of out-of-place Mallards sat on the golf course, a moulting Roe Deer and Chaffinch. The Trottick Ponds reserve gave me a decent mix of species with Song Thrush, Dipper, Grey Heron, Lesser Black Backed Gull (overhead), Whitethroat, Treecreeper, Moorhen, Mute Swan, Willow Warbler, Blackcap, Common Gull (a pair), Great Tit, Sedge Warbler, Sparrowhawk and Long Tailed Tit making for a well above average size of haul for me at the site.
I continued on along William Fitzgerald Way to Forfar Road with a brief check of the fields to the north. This section of the walk produced Pheasant, Collared Dove, House Martin, Skylark, a low profile Brown Hare and Tree Sparrow. Greenfinch was noted on both sides of Forfar Road and as I headed east along Jack Martin Way, Reed Bunting, Rabbits, Yellowhammer, Swift and Linnet were all noted. There was no hint of any Grasshopper Warbler (just as there had been no sign of the hoped for Garden Warbler at Trottick Ponds) in the same area as I had a couple last year. Middleton Woods gave me Coal Tit, Stock Dove, Blue Tit, Rook and Bullfinch and as I headed for the Dighty Burn I chanced upon what appeared to be a territorial dispute between a couple of Grasshopper Warblers, one of which showed reasonably well among a tangle of branches for a few seconds.
The first butterfly of the day was a Peacock on Lothian Crescent, and a Swallow swept over shortly after I saw the butterfly. The first Buzzard of the morning was seen circling up near the 'halfway bridge' but otherwise this stretch of the Dighty felt relatively unproductive, though there were birds around, just none I hadn't already seen that morning. That changed for the better when Grey Wagtail, an Orange Tip butterfly, Carrion Crow, Dunnock, Robin and Sand Martin all put in appearances as I neared the main road at the eastern end. I then stood and watched Song Thrush and Willow Warbler bathing in a shallow part of the burn before eventually continuing on along the next stretch of the burn, and through the trees behind West Pitkerro Industrial Estate.
I had a pleasant chat to a man at the back of the row of cottages at Drumsturdy Road pointing out both Bullfinch and Greenfinch to him as we chatted. Moving on again, I wandered along the track to the 'crossroads' noting Stock Doves on the way but not too much else. Pitkerro Grove Cemetery was also rather disappointing with only a few common species seen there. I decided to check the Dighty down by the Linlathen Iron Bridge and as I was crossing the burn there, I spotted a man fishing from the bank a little downstream. However, a fish appeared overhead with an Osprey attached, heading northwards giving me a relatively decent photo opportunity, and an unexpected sighting given the location.
Having already walked a decent distance and having a minimum of around 4 more miles in a straight line to get home, I pondered my options. While a visit to Broughty Castle might get me a few more species, it would also add a bit more walking. Instead I decided to try for the Holly Blues and made my way down to the Tay via some streets I'd never had reason to walk along previously. Unfortunately I was out of luck with the Holly Blues and the walk back along the river only added a couple of Eiders to the day's list. It was around 1700 before I made it home with a decent list of 56 species of birds, 2 of butterflies and 3 of mammals and having walking a total distance of around 15 miles. While I had failed to find anything new, the plentiful photo opportunities more than made up for it, though the new camera was shooting at 50fps, meaning I had a LOT of photos to look through at home (and settings to be changed).
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| Roe Deer |
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| Mallard |
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| Dipper |
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| Sparrowhawk |
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| Brown Hare |
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| Lesser Black Backed Gull |
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| Common Gull |
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| Greenfinch |
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| Pied Wagtail |
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| Jackdaw |
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Sedge Warbler
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| Yellowhammer |
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| Whitethroat |
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| Rook |
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| Pheasant |
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| Grasshopper Warbler |
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| Great Tit |
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| Willow Warbler |
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| Grey Wagtail |
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| Willow Warbler |
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| Song Thrush |
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| Blackcap |
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| Grey Wagtail |
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| Bullfinch |
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| Stock Dove |
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| Chaffinch |
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| Buzzard |
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| Sedge Warbler |
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| Osprey |
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| Osprey |
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| Oystercatcher |
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| Rabbit |
Birds - Blackbird, Blackcap, Blue Tit, Bullfinch, Buzzard, Carrion Crow,
Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Coal Tit, Collared Dove, Common Gull, Dipper, Dunnock,
Eider, Goldcrest, Goldfinch, GrasshopperWarbler, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Grey Heron,
Grey Wagtail, Herring Gull, House Martin, House Sparrow,
Jackdaw, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Linnet, Long Tailed Tit, Magpie,
Mallard, Moorhen, Mute Swan, Osprey, Oystercatcher, Pheasant,
Pied Wagtail, Reed Bunting, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Rook, Sand Martin,
Sedge Warbler, Skylark, Song Thrush, Sparrowhawk, Starling, Stock Dove, Swallow, Swift, Tree Sparrow, Treecreeper,
Whitethroat, Willow Warbler, Woodpigeon, Wren, Yellowhammer.
Butterflies - Orange Tip, Peacock.
Mammals - Brown Hare, Rabbit, Roe Deer.
