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| Great Spotted Woodpecker |
With Yellow-browed Warbler still conceivably possible somewhere in Dundee I wanted to get out and check the places I thought might be the most likely to have one of these wee birds. However, the distances involved in checking all three of the sites in the eastern half of the city weren't much different than doing just any two of the three. The risk in only doing two of the three was obviously that I might pick the wrong two. I worked out a plan that took out some potentially decent parts of the route so that I was left with the shortest route possible that still took in all three locations. It was still going to be a roughly 13.5 mile walk. I decided on an early start on what was the last day of September.
With sunrise at this time of year after 0700, it does mean that I don't have to get up at what feels like the middle of the night to get out in time to actually catch the sunrise. I was organised and out the door just before 0700 for the walk to my first site - Middleton Woods, on the northern edge of the city, more or less where Fintry meets Whitfield. Robin, Herring Gull, Carrion Crow, Grey Wagtail and Feral Pigeon got things underway despite it still being pre-sunrise. Starling, Magpie, Blue Tit, Woodpigeon, Goldcrest, Coal Tit and Dunnock were all noted between the Dura Street car park and Madeira Street. A quick look at Swannie Ponds got me Mute Swan, Mallard and Coot though what sounded like a very odd bird call distracted me as I tried to track it down.
Although the 'call' sounded like it was coming from various trees, and always the next one, I finally narrowed it down to the houses across the road from the ponds on Clepington Road, and that it was most likely the chirping of a burglar alarm that had been triggered at some point previously. That I'd spent time trying to nail it down was a bit annoying as I really didn't pay enough attention to the birds at the ponds as a result. I continued on down Pitkerro Road adding Blackbird, Siskin and Chaffinch before a Grey Heron flew low over the bridge across the Dighty. A Chiffchaff was heard in the trees on the other side of the burn. Pied Wagtail and Black-headed Gull were seen as I passed St Francis Primary School. I reached the track into Middleton Woods from The Elms at 0745.
The track side vegetation was rather overgrown which is never ideal as the possibility of getting a Tick is increased. I contemplated heading back along Berwick Driveand out towards Burnside of Duntrune to access the site from the entrance there. Unfortunately doing so would add around 3/4 of a mile to the route, so it was pretty much a non-starter. I would have to just hope there were no Ticks (although there are usually quite a few Roe Deer about, increasing the chances). Long-tailed Tit, Wren, Rook, Song Thrush, Jay, Redpoll and Pheasant were seen or heard but there was unfortunately there was no sign of any Yellow-browed Warblers. I followed the track round past the base of 'Tarzan's Island' and the closed high school site to the edge of Balumbie Golf Course. Yellowhammer, Meadow Pipit and Rabbit were seen on the way to the golf course buildings.
There were a few Pied Wagtails wandering around on the closest green as well as some distant gulls on another fairway though these birds were spooked by a dog walker. A Great Spotted Woodpecker and a Greenfinch were seen as I headed along Balumbie Rise Gardens. A Moorhen and a Great Tit were sepotted at the small pond by Baldovie Toll. Jackdaw, Tree Sparrow and Swallow were noted as I headed out carefully along Drumsturdy Road into oncoming traffic before turning down the track for the Braes Stables. A skein of Pink Footed Geese were seen to the north and Skylark was noted at the crossroads. There were plenty of birds in the trees and bushes by the cemetery but mostly those I'd already seen elsewhere.
Bullfinch was an exception, as was the Sparrowhawk that circled up above the cemetery as I made my way in. Checking the bushes and trees from inside the site added Stock Dove, House Sparrow, Goldfinch and Reed Bunting. A Mistle Thrush overflew and a Curlew with a damaged foot was feeding on the grass near the western end of the cemetery. I drew a blank on Yellow-browed Warbler here too, which while disappointing wasn't a huge surprise. I then ended up spending around an hour in the area checking bushes with the thermal imager I'd decided to take with me. I did find a Roe Deer with it, that was otherwise invisible among the vegetation. Down in the fields by the burn I added the day's first Oystercatcher and a Buzzard was seen as I checked out the area round the overflow SUdS pool tucked away to the southeast of the houses.
I failed to add anything else as I headed for the dual carriageway and on towards Edzell Street and onwards to the local nature reserve. A Red Admiral buterfly flew across Balgillo Road near Marlee Road. I failed to add anything new at all at the Broughty Ferry local nature reserve which was my final hope for a Yellow-browed Warbler on this particular outing (unless I chanced upon one randomly on the way home). I headed across the road to check the river by the flats at the Esplanade. This got me Goosander, Eider, Little Egret, Great Black-backed Gull and Cormorant before I gave up and headed back towards the castle. By this time my legs were starting to feel heavy and I knew I had a further 4 miles walk home ahead of me. The one plus was that I wasn't really in any hurry and could stop off anywhere for a seat if necessary, or even jump on a bus if I really couldn't face the walk.
There were roadworks happening along the stretch of road in front of the row of houses at the Esplanade and as I wandered along the path on the north side of the fenced-off dunes, I spotted movement out of the corner of my eye. I turned quickly and saw a butterfly low over a clump of Dog-Rose(?) at the highest point of the dunes. I managed to get the binoculars onto it as it landed. I was not expecting it to be a Clouded Yellow, my second ever and in 2nd in just 15 days. I had missed out on photos of the first as it wouldn't settle but this one was visible among the vegetation. I now just had to find it with the camera. This proved very difficult and I had to find a way to pinpoint the location of the butterfly with the binoculars before I was able to refind it with the camera. Thankfully, I got onto it using the positions of a trio of rosehips. No sooner had I pressed the shutter button on the camera when the butterfly took flight again and vanished lower down in the vegetation. I checked the camera and found that I had managed to get a total of 4 photos (roughly a 1/4 second burst). They appeared to be in focus too. Result!
With the sun disappearing behind the incoming grey clouds from the west, it appeared the butterfly was likely to stay put. I put word out across the local WhatsApp and Facebook groups where there might be interest in seeing it, along with a back of camera screen iphone photo. I ventured into the dunes very tentatively to try to pinpoint where it was resting but decided not to get too close to where I thought it might be. I failed to see it, so I returned to the path again. I had another brief view of it in flight for a second or two a bit later before it dropped back out of sight again. I spent about an hour and a half in total waiting to see if anyone turned up to try to see it, so I could let them know where it had disappeared to (roughly), but with my leg muscles increasingly tightening up, I eventually moved on again.
I added Rock Pipit near the castle, followed by Turnstones and Redshanks by the lifeboat station and a Green-veined White butterfly taking my totals for the day to 59 species of birds, 2 of mammals and 3 of butterflies. Although I hadn't found any Yellow-browed Warblers, good fortune had still delivered me the colour yellow, and in a totally unexpected form. I had also managed to get a pretty decent photo of what was my 20th species of butterfly in Dundee. Having been in the right place to see a Clouded Yellow two weeks before, I thought that would be my once in a lifetime sighting (though ongoing climate change might have had something to say on that) and I would have to do without a photograph of my own of the species. To get a second chance so soon, and also get a decent photo, was way beyond any expectations I might have had. It was also a well-timed pick-me-up following on from a weekend when my mood and motivation had dipped so low.
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| Pheasant & Woodpigeon |
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| Pheasant |
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| Jay |
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| Skylark |
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| Song Thrush |
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| Curlew |
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| Pink-footed Goose |
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| Great Tit |
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| Redpoll |
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| Buzzard |
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| Buzzard |
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| Blue Tit |
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| Little Egret |
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| Clouded Yellow |
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| Clouded Yellow |
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| Little Egret |
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| Goosander & Herring Gull |
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| Turnstone |
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| Grey Heron |
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| Curlew |
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| Redshank |
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| Grey Heron |
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| Sparrowhawk & Carrion Crow |
Birds - Black-headed
Gull, Blackbird, Blue Tit, Bullfinch, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch,
Chiffchaff, Coal Tit, Collared Dove, Coot, Cormorant, Curlew, Dunnock, Eider, Goldcrest, Goldfinch,
Goosander,
Great Black-backed Gull, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Grey Heron, Grey
Wagtail, Herring
Gull, House Sparrow,
Jackdaw, Jay, Little Egret, Long-tailed Tit,
Magpie, Mallard, Meadow Pipit, Mistle Thrush, Moorhen, Mute
Swan, Oystercatcher, Pheasant, Pied
Wagtail, Pink-footed Goose, Redpoll, Redshank, Reed Bunting, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Rock Pipit,
Rook, Siskin, Skylark, Song Thrush,
Sparrowhawk, Starling, Stock Dove, Swallow, Tree Sparrow,
Turnstone, Woodpigeon, Wren, Yellowhammer.
Butterflies - Clouded Yellow, Green-veined White, Red Admiral.
Mammals - Rabbit, Roe Deer.
