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| Curlew |
With relatively strong easterlies into the Tay coinciding with an incoming tide forecast for Tuesday the 29th of September, it was a fairly easy decision to make to head down to Broughty Ferry in the hope that I might be able to add a Manx Shearwater, Great Skua, Black Tern or even a Sabine's Gull to my #2026Dundee150 list. However, 'seawatching' from within Dundee is much more 'miss' than 'hit' and a lot of luck is required to get anything even remotely interesting. Having managed a fairly unexpected Pomarine Skua in the Tay recently, I suspect my 'seawatching' luck, at least for the Tay, has probably ran out. However, there's always a chance. It might be a very slight chance, but it is a chance nonetheless. With high tide around 1700 or thereabouts, I could check the gulls and waders at Balmossie first before moving to a more favourable spot. I would just have to hope that I was dressed appropriately for whatever the weather threw at me.
With no real hurry to get down to Broughty Ferry, it was just before 0950 before I actually headed out the door. Feral Pigeon, Jackdaw, Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Goldfinch, Robin, Coal Tit, Carrion Crow and Starling got the day's list started. Magpie, Woodpigeon, Blue Tit, Meadow Pipit and Grey Wagtail were all noted as I cut along the Docks Way cycle path, in the hope of perhaps finding a Yellow-browed Warbler calling down there. Needless to say, I was out of luck on that score. Dunnock, Chiffchaff, Chaffinch and a Red Admiral butterfly were found at the Stannergate, though things were rather quiet. Along the shore I was able to pick out Black-headed Gull, Oystercatcher, Redshank, Curlew and an unexpected pair of Rock Pipits (possibly incomers from Scandinavia for the winter). Turnstone and Pied Wagtail were noted near the lifeboat station.
A Grey Heron was in the harbour by the castle along with a few gulls. I continued on eastwards but the river appeared to be very quiet with only a Cormorant and a Common Gull seen. I detoured into the local nature reserve, just in case there were sheltering migrant arrivals there. If there were, they were staying quiet, but also well hidden. I had to make do with Long-tailed Tits. I continued on towards Balmossie to check the Dighty Burn outflow. A pair of Rooks were on the grass as I wandered along. I found a bench overlooking the majority of visible birds and set up the scope. Scanning from there got me Bar-tailed Godwit, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Eider, Mute Swan, Goldeneye, Goosander, Red-breasted Merganser, Wigeon and Little Egret. Eventually the cumulative effect of being blasted by the wind made me move to the slightly more sheltered side of the footbridge where there was a little respite from the wind, though also a slightly more restricted view.
I then decided to move along to the brick shelter where I reckoned it might be possible to get a wider arc of view, though I would also be around half a mile further away from Monifieth Bay. However, the slightly elevated position might also work in my favour. I was able to pick out a single Razorbill and at least 3 Red-throated Divers out on the river. A trio of Linnets in the company of a single Goldfinch flew around above the wildflower meadow. Things weren't looking particularly promising and the sun had long since vanished behind the clouds. Around 1430, I spotted a handful of juvenile Gannets in Monifieth Bay, which suggested there actually might be a chance of getting something after all. Shortly afterwards, I picked up a couple of skuas out over the water, but slowly moving west upriver together, circling together. I initially ID'd these as 2 more Pomarine Skuas, but having since been able to look at the photos taken properly, I am much less convinced. However, I can't decide between Arctic or Long-tailed (though Arctic is the likelier locally of the 2) due to lack of detail, so they will have to just be 'skua sp.'.
Having put out word on the ADBC grapevine, Ian Ford phoned me to ask about the skuas and said he'd pop along for a look. A pair of Teal headed upriver shortly after I stopped watching the skuas. A Stock Dove landed down on the path but didn't stay long. I was joined by Ian soon after and we spent another hour scanning out over the river. There were a few more Red-throated Divers and Gannets plus another Razorbill but unfortunately that was our lot. Ian gave me a very welcome lift back to Dundee. I finished the day's birding with a total of 46 species of birds and a single butterfly. Hopefully, there will be more easterlies coinciding with high tides between now and the end of the year (that I'm more suitably dressed for) and I manage to pick up another few, much needed, species that way for my #2026Dundee150 list.
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| Rock Pipit |
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| Redshank |
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| Rock Pipit |
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| Hering Gull, Goosander & Carrion Crow |
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| Black-headed Gull, Wigeon & Little Egret |
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| Bar-tailed Godwit |
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| Little Egret |
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| Red-throated Diver |
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| Gannet |
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| skua sp. |
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| skua sp. |
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| skua sp. |
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| skua sp. |
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| skua sp. |
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| skua sp. |
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| skua sp. |
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| skua sp. |
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| skua sp. |
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| skua sp. |
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| skua sp. |
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| Stock Dove |
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| Red-throated Diver |
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| Linnet & Goldfinch |
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| Wigeon |
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| Gannet & Eider |
Birds - Bar-tailed Godwit, Black-headed Gull, Blue Tit, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Coal Tit, Common Gull, Cormorant, Curlew, Dunnock, Eider, Gannet, Goldeneye, Goldfinch, Goosander, Great Black-backed Gull, Grey Heron, Grey Wagtail, Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Linnet, Little Egret, Long-tailed Tit, Magpie, Meadow Pipit, Mute Swan, Oystercatcher, Pied Wagtail, Razorbill, Red-breasted Merganser, Red-throated Diver, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Rock Pipit, Rook, Skua sp., Starling, Stock Dove, Teal, Turnstone, Wigeon, Woodpigeon.
Butterflies - Red Admiral.
