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| Redpoll |
With no other real target species to go for on Sunday the 15th of March, I decided I would head up to Clatto to try for the Stonechat mentioned by Lainy during my previous visit there. I would try again for Jack Snipe first of all on my way up, as time is starting to run out for getting one before they disappear away elsewhere to breed. My intention had been for a proper early start but as is often the case, I stayed in my bed longer than planned and then took my time actually getting organised. However, somehow I still managed to get out the door for just after 0900.
Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Blue Tit, Feral Pigeon, Woodpigeon, Magpie, Great Tit and Jackdaw were all noted as I headed up towards Clepington Road. I had decided to check the SUdS ponds at the new houses at Mains Loan but needless to say, I drew a blank there. A Dunnock was nearby however. Heading down through Caird Park got me Goldcrest, Jay, Carrion Crow and Robin. At the ponds Moorhen, Mallard and Grey Heron were all rather obvious. A Wren and a couple of Grey Squirrels were seen before I continued on down to Trottick Ponds. Black-headed Gulls were seen at the former mill ponds as I passed.
Blackbird, Goldfinch, Siskin and Great Spotted Woodpecker as well as a Roe Deer were seen while looking for Jack Snipe, but there was no sign of any yet again. Heading up Harestane Road provided a few more species - Chaffinch, Starling, Common Gull and Greenfinch. I took the 'back road' track up past the new houses off Strathmartine Road, in case there were any geese in the fields to the north, or perhaps a distant Raven or raptor (there weren't). I did manage to add Linnet, Rook, Yellowhammer, Pheasant, Skylark and Buzzard on the walk up. At the top of the track I found a Coal Tit and a single male Redpoll. It soon became apparent that there was a small flock of Redpoll in the area and I spent a bit of time getting photos of them, though the light wasn't particularly great.
Lesser Black-backed Gull, Chiffchaff and Bullfinch were noted before I headed up to check the reservoir. Goldeneye, Mute Swan, Goosander, an unexpected female White Wagtail, Cormorant, Coot, Wigeon, Great Crested Grebe, Grey Wagtail and Tufted Duck were spotted either on the water or around the reservoir edges. I headed out along the track towards the farm to search for Stonechat. There was no sign where Lainy had seen them most, but a bit further on, I spotted a small bird on a pile of logs. Raising the binoculars I found it was a female Stonechat. Result! A few seconds later, a voice to my left asked what I was seeing. It turned out to be the guy whose escaped Saker Falcon I've been seeing around Dundee since 2022. We had a chat for a few minutes before he continued his family walk.
I failed to add anything else except a male Pied Wagtail and a pair of distant Mistle Thrushes along the final bit of track towards the road but on my way back towards the reservoir, movement along the low field edge wall turned out to be a pair of Stonechat and with some perseverance I managed to get reasonable photos of both birds. Song Thrush and Long-tailed Tit were noted around the edge of the reservoir. The Pintail that was around early in January had returned and I was able to get some decent photos as well as pointing it out to a lady who was watching the birds in the bushes opposite the feeders. We had a chat for 10 minutes or so about birds in and around Dundee. There were a couple of Oystercatchers on the wooden pontoon along with the gulls, Cormorant and a Moorhen.
As I had no real reason to hurry homewards I decided to see if the Redpoll flock was still around. It turned out they were and I spent more time getting photos of the birds which at times posed quite nicely. There was a bit of a mixture within the flock with some birds looking more "Mealy" than "Lesser" and even a large headed bird that reminded me slightly of some "Greenland" Redpoll photos I've seen online. A couple of Buzzards passed by - one high and one low. A young Peregrine zipped past just as it started to rain. I called it a day shortly after and wandered home, happy with another new bird added to my #2026Dundee150 list. In all, I'd managed to find a total of 55 species of birds as well as 2 of mammals. The Redpoll flock and the Stonechat pair provided a nice wee pick-me-up following the previous day's discovery of so much new habitat destruction.
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| Roe Deer |
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| Greenfinch |
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| Goldfinch |
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| Yellowhammer |
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| Skylark |
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| Redpoll |
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| Redpoll |
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| Redpoll |
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| Redpoll |
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| Bullfinch |
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| Siskin |
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| Lesser Black-backed Gull & Herring Gull |
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| Cormorant |
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| Wigeon |
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| Great Crested Grebe |
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| White Wagtail |
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| Stonechat |
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| Stonechat |
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| Pintail |
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| Grey Wagtail |
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| Herring Gull |
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| Pintail |
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| Goldeneye |
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| Siskin |
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| Chiffchaff |
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| Song Thrush |
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| Redpoll |
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| Buzzard |
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| Peregrine |
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| Redpoll |
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| Redpoll |
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| Redpoll |
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| Redpoll |
Birds - Black-headed Gull, Blackbird, Blue Tit, Bullfinch, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Coal Tit, Common Gull, Coot, Cormorant, Dunnock, Goldcrest, Goldeneye, Goldfinch, Goosander, Great Crested Grebe, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Grey Heron, Grey Wagtail, Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Jay, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Linnet, Long-tailed Tit, Magpie, Mallard, Mistle Thrush, Moorhen, Mute Swan, Oystercatcher, Peregrine, Pheasant, Pied Wagtail (& White Wagtail), Pintail, Redpoll, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Rook, Siskin, Skylark, Song Thrush, Starling, Stock Dove, Stonechat, Tufted Duck, Wigeon, Woodpigeon, Wren, Yellowhammer.
Mammals - Grey Squirrel, Roe Deer.
