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| Kingfisher |
With my running total for my #2026Dundee150 edging ever closer to 100 and there being a slight chance of actually reaching that number before the end of January, I knew I had to make the effort to get out somewhere on Sunday the 25th of January. Two of the birds I had yet to catch up with were Water Rail and Jack Snipe. Neither of these are particularly easy to see though it was safe to say, neither of them were very likely to be seen from my living room window. So, once again, despite the wet and windy weather I chose to head out for a look. Expectation levels were exceedingly low, but taking the thermal imager with me would at least give me a bit more of a chance than relying on just my eyes/binoculars, for such skulking birds.
I headed out at 1040. The weather was poor, as it has been for the majority of this year so far. Herring Gull, Feral Pigeon, Magpie, Woodpigeon, Starling, House Sparrow and Jackdaw were all noted as I made my way towards Caird Park. The football pitches off Graham Street held a total of 38 Curlews as well as a few Carrion Crows, Black-headed Gulls and Woodpigeons. A Blue Tit was heard from the gardens on the opposite side of the road. Continuing down into Caird Park, I found Wren, Siskin, Chaffinch and Treecreeper before checking the boggy, reedy area by the Gelly Burn for the possibility of Jack Snipe. Unsurprisingly there were no birds at all to be found there.
What was a surprise though was that I finally managed to see the Kingfisher this time, though it flew off to the lower pond after I took a couple of rather hasty record shots. Moorhen, Grey Heron and Mallard were also seen at the ponds. Redwing and Great Tit were in the trees nearby. I had a look at the graveyard and then the area to the north, where the amount of rubbish piled up at the bottom end has now grown significantly. With the thermal imager I did manage to find around 4 or 5 Roe Deer, sleeping mostly, and was able to let them think I was unaware of them while still giving them a wide berth, so as not to disturb them. As I cut through the conifers to get to the road, I heard a Crossbill calling, but was unable to see anything once I was back out into the open.
The bridge at Trottick Ponds was still fenced off so I had to go into the site through the Trottick Mains cottages. Before I did so, I was able to see Tufted Ducks, Common Gulls and Mute Swans on the ponds from the raised viewpoint offered by the old road. As I headed in through the cottages, a small flock of around half a dozen Crossbills overflew, landing in the trees at the bottom end of Caird Park. The light was abysmal but I took a few photos anyway (so there was at least something to add to the end of this blog-post!). Needless to say, I drew a blank on Water Rail and Jack Snipe around the ponds, though there could well have been some of each there, well hidden and silent in the thick cover.
I headed up through Kirkton with Ardler Pond my next destination. Pied Wagtail and Goldcrest were both heard but not seen on the way. There was a Goosander on the water at the pond which was relatively unusual (as far as I'm aware) though there are plenty just up the road at Clatto. Dunnock was also seen here along with the usual House Sparrows and a Moorhens. I did manage a one second view of a Water Rail in customary sprinting mode across a small open area, giving me my 99th species for 2026, despite having failed to either hear one, or pick one up with the thermal imager, with all the glowing blobs turning out to be smaller birds feeding among the reeds.
Word had come through of a Brambling having been seen at the feeders at Campy Growers. Although I had already seen a Brambling this year, a photo would be good to get. I pondered the question 'is the detour to get one worth the extra effort and distance?'. The rain was also getting a bit more persistent. After a short argument with myself about the pros and cons, I decided I might as well have a look given that I wasn't too far away. Ian Ford and Kate Treharne had also both been trying to get me to pop in for a look at the site over the past year or so, but as Camperdown Park is generally not on my radar, I had yet to do so. Mistle Thrush was my only addition on the rather wet walk to Campy Growers.
When I got there, Lainy and Adam were already there, chatting to Kate. The bird had been coming in sporadically and feeding below the feeders at the gate. The low light and scattered vegetation below the feeders looked like they might make it tricky to get photos, particularly if the bird chose not to linger too long. Lainy and I found a nearby spot to watch the feeders and waited. Coal Tit, Robin, Nuthatch and Great Spotted Woodpecker (as well as the usual smaller feeder-favouring birds) kept us occupied while we waited. Eventually the Brambling showed up but as expected, getting a clear photo proved tricky, and I only had a few out of focus pics to show for the wait. We waited longer and I managed to get a couple of in focus shots on one of the bird's next two short visits, though neither showed the front part of the head.
Blackbird, Goldfinch, and the raptor duo of Buzzard and Sparrowhawk (a male gave us a close view as it swept past the feeders, and a probable female showed up while the Buzzard was circling) gave us a few more species before we called it a day around 1440. I was spared the walk home, thanks again to the generosity of Adam and Lainy who gave me a very welcome lift home. My total for the day was only 40 species but it was a fairly eclectic mix with some pretty good birds (for Dundee) including a year-tick (in bold), as well as Kingfisher, Crossbill, Brambling and Nuthatch. I have definitely had worse days, but I've also definitely had drier days too. (I didn't take very many photos and the rather poor selection here are the best of those that I did).
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| Kingfisher |
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| Moorhen |
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| Crossbill |
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| Crossbill |
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| Siskin |
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| Great Spotted Woodpecker |
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| Brambling |
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| Blue Tit & Coal Tit |
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| Coal Tit |
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| Buzzard |
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| Buzzard |
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| Buzzard |
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| Buzzard |
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| Sparrowhawk |
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Sparrowhawk |
Birds - Black-headed Gull, Blackbird, Blue Tit, Brambling, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Coal Tit, Common Gull, Crossbill, Curlew, Dunnock, Goldcrest, Goldfinch, Goosander, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Great Tit, Grey Heron, Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Kingfisher, Magpie, Mallard, Mistle Thrush, Moorhen, Mute Swan, Nuthatch, Pied Wagtail, Redwing, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Siskin, Sparrowhawk, Starling, Treecreeper, Tufted Duck, Water Rail, Woodpigeon, Wren.
Mammals - Roe Deer.
