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| Herring Gull |
It was just as well I didn't book the 'pelagic' trip being run by SaltDog Marine on Friday the 17th as I ended up stuck at home unwell. I did actually try to leave the house but returned having only made it as far as Provost Road. My planned destination had been Riverside Nature Park but I decided to head back to Broughty Ferry and Balmossie on Saturday instead. I planned to head for Balmossie as the tide was on its way in, then spend time scanning from the castle around high tide. However, I still didn't feel particularly great when I got out of bed and as a result it was around 1055 before I finally felt like I could head out, which meant the Balmossie part of my plan would likely fall by the wayside.
A calling Chaffinch was a different way to start the day's list though Feral Pigeon, Carrion Crow, Robin, Starling and Goldfinch were much more expected. Grey Wagtail's presence locally varies though around this time of year they do seem to be more visible, and I was able to get one from Dundonald Street. Magpie, House Sparrow, Herring Gull, Woodpigeon and Blue Tit followed as I cut down to Arbroath Road. My next additions were along the Docks Way cycle path where I found Bullfinch, Wren, Long-tailed Tit, Blackbird and Greenfinch. Pied Wagtail was seen before I reached the Tay. Across towards Fife I could see the Mute Swan family from Tayport flying in that direction.
The walk out along the river wasn't overly productive though a Red-throated Diver off the 'middle steps' was a nice bonus. A couple of Meadow Pipits flew past before I spotted Curlew and Turnstone down on the shore. A Grey Seal was seen 'bottling' out on the river. A Cormorant was fishing near the sailing club buildings and a Chiffchaff was calling from across the other side of the railway line. Eider, Black-headed Gull and a Goosander in flight were all seen before I reached Douglas Terrace. A party of Wigeon flew past out over the water as I neared the lifeboat station and a few Common Gulls and Black-Headed Gulls were perched atop the jetty at the lifeboat station itself. I had a chat to Ian from SaltDog Marine who was awaiting passengers arriving for an extra 'pelagic' trip for a few minutes before the passengers started to arrive.
Unfortunately, there were others getting organised at the same slipway to head out onto the river. Jetskiers - 3 of them. The chances of there being much to see out on the river once they got going were rapidly diminishing and frustration loomed. I added Oystercatcher by the toilet block before heading up into the castle grounds to scan from there. A small flock of Redpoll flew over and I was able to add distant Grey Heron, Razorbill and Little Egret relatively quickly. I eventually found a couple of Guillemots mid-river just before the jetskis set off, one heading directly at a seal which had popped up by the yellow pole, before then turning to head for Tentsmuir Point, with another close behind (and a third did eventually catch up with the first two). As expected, this resulted in 1000s of Eiders, as well as divers, gulls & auks all being flushed with the majority heading out onto the sea. Not content with having cleared the river of 99% of birds they continued on to do likewise with the gulls, waders and Cormorants roosting at Tentsmuir Point.
Not unexpectedly, birds proved difficult to find after that out on the river, though a skein of Pink-footed Geese overflying from the north, a few Jackdaws, some local Rock Pipits, and a few passing heard-only Skylarks did make it onto the list on my BirdJournal app. Unfortunately, the jetskis came back to add a bit of noise and general anti-social behaviour (blasting loud music as well as performing 'doughnuts' etc off the mouth of the harbour and round about) to what would otherwise have been a lovely, mid-October Saturday. I chatted to a few tourists who couldn't understand why the jetskis were allowed, at all, on the river, given the obvious disturbance to both the wildlife and to people's enjoyment of Broughty Ferry. They added that it was the one disappointing aspect of their visit to Dundee and Broughty Ferry. Unfortunately, I did overhear the jetskiers saying that they would be a fairly regular 'feature' over the coming months, so I will need to try to get down to Broughty Ferry before they do, at weekends.
Over the next couple of hours birds proved few and far between with a few sightings of Red-throated Divers in flight, a single Shag on the river and a perched Great Black-backed Gull on the Larick Beacon buoy. Just before I packed up, I picked out a group of Gannets diving for fish in Monifieth Bay and some of these flew upriver before swinging across towards Lucky Scalp and back out the Tay again. The walk home finally got me a Redshank for the day, as well as a couple of Rooks crossing the river to take my total for the day to a rather disappointing 46 species. Had the jetskiers not been about, I suspect a few more species may have been possible. Without the jetski disturbance it would have been a really enjoyable afternoon of fairly lazy birding from the castle, in some calm, sunny conditions, even without managing to add anything to my #2025Dundee150 list. With, it was anything but.
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| Mute Swan |
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| Red-throated Diver |
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| Turnstone |
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| Red-throated Diver |
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| Cormorant |
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| Goosander |
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| Eider |
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| House Sparrow |
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| Pied Wagtail |
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| Redpoll |
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| Eider (a small section of the birds disturbed by the jetskiers) |
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| Red-throated Diver |
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| Red-throated Diver |
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| Red-throated Diver |
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| Red-throated Diver |
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| Red-throated Diver |
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| Guillemot |
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| Pied Wagtail |
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| Grey Seal |
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| Gannet |
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| Turnstone & Redshank |
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| Herring Gull |
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| Pink-footed Goose |
Birds - Black-headed Gull, Blackbird, Blue Tit,
Bullfinch, Carrion Crow,
Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Common Gull, Cormorant, Curlew, Dunnock, Eider, Gannet, Goldfinch,
Goosander, Great Black-backed
Gull, Greenfinch, Grey Heron, Grey Wagtail, Guillemot, Herring Gull, House Sparrow,
Jackdaw, Little Egret,
Long-tailed Tit, Magpie, Meadow
Pipit, Mute Swan, Oystercatcher, Pied Wagtail,
Pink-footed Goose, Razorbill, Redpoll, Red-throated Diver,
Redshank, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Rock Pipit, Rook, Shag, Skylark, Starling, Turnstone, Wigeon,
Woodpigeon, Wren.
Mammals - Grey Seal.
