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| Little Egret |
With my Autumn migration days off work coming to a close, I wanted to try to find another few species before I was back to my normal 4-day week at work again. With just a single annual leave day left, following my normal Wednesday off, I wanted to try to get something for my #2026Dundee150 list on the Wednesday. The weather forecast wasn't overly helpful with the wind increasing to gale force as the day progressed. Nevertheless I needed to make the effort. I still wasn't feeling too inspired to get out but I finally got organised having decided to try Broughty Ferry and Balmossie. It was 0950 before I finally made it out the door.
It wasn't as windy as I had expected it to be and the temperature was relatively mild, given that we were half-way through October. House Sparrow, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Starling, Jackdaw, Blackbird, Blue Tit and Herring Gull were noted as I took the 'low road' to Baxter Park. Goldfinch and Wren were the only additions there though Bingham Terrace provided Carrion Crow, Magpie, a surprise Brown Rat and a Grey Squirrel. Cutting through Eastern Cemetery got me Woodpigeon, Chaffinch, Redwing and Sparrowhawk. Mistle Thrush, Great Tit and Grey Wagtail were noted between there and the Stannergate. Dunnock, Cormorant, Grey Heron, Oystercatcher, Guillemot, Chiffchaff, Goosander, Pink-footed Geese, Turnstone and Meadow Pipit made for a fairly productive first stretch along to the Eagle Feathers.
Common Gull, a distant Grey Seal and some migrant Skylarks overhead were all that I managed to add on the stretch along to Douglas Terrace. The day's first Redshank was seen near the outflow pipe there. Black-headed Gull, Pied Wagtail, Eider, Rock Pipit and an unexpected migrant Great Spotted Woodpecker were found between there and the crazy golf course just beyond the Castle. Great Black-backed Gull, a welcome trio of Barnacle Geese over this side of the river, Little Egrets, Curlew, Wigeon, Mute Swan, Bar-tailed Godwit and Linnet were picked up along the esplanade to Bridge Street. Balmossie was fairly quiet though Red-breasted Merganser, Rook, Peregrine, Lesser Black-backed Gull and Long-tailed Tit did all make it onto the list during my stop there.
The wind had picked up as I'd sat at Balmossie and it looked like rain might arrive sooner rather than later. A young Gannet and a Red-throated Diver were seen offshore from the 'Tay Haze' metal figure art installation. The Gannet looked like it might get blown onto the beach but I decided to not wait and see if it happened or not as the wind continued to strengthen and shelter from it was in short supply. I did stumble upon a Devil's Coach Horse Beetle on the pavement behind the dunes which posed quite nicely for a few minutes. A Razorbill in the harbour was a bit of a surprise by the Castle (followed by better views of a Guillemot sheltering in City Quay, though I was hoping for something a bit less 'common'). The Razorbill proved to be my final addition for the day taking my total to 53 species of birds and 3 of mammals. Unfortunately, I failed to find anything new for my #2026Dundee150 list, though that wasn't really much of a shock.
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| Sparrowhawk |
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| Goosander |
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| Grey Heron & Carrion Crow |
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| Common Gull |
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| Pied Wagtail |
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| House Sparrow |
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| Great Spotted Woodpecker |
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| Great Black-backed Gull |
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| Barnacle Goose |
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| Barnacle Goose |
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| Common Gull, Black-headed Gull & Wigeon |
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| Goosander, Red-breasted Merganser & Herring Gull |
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| Herring Gull |
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| Rook |
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| Bar-tailed Godwit |
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| Common Gull |
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| Little Egret |
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| Little Egret |
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| Bar-tailed Godwit |
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| Curlew |
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| Oystercatcher |
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| Red-throated Diver |
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| Gannet |
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| Devil's Coach Horse Beetle |
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| Razorbill |
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| Red-throated Diver |
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| Cormorant |
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| Guillemot |
Birds - Bar-tailed Godwit, Barnacle Goose, Black-headed Gull, Blackbird, Blue Tit, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Common Gull, Cormorant, Curlew, Dunnock, Eider, Gannet, Goldfinch, Goosander, Great Black-backed Gull, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Great Tit, Grey Heron, Grey Wagtail, Guillemot, Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Linnet, Little Egret, Long-tailed Tit, Magpie, Meadow Pipit, Mistle Thrush, Mute Swan, Oystercatcher, Peregrine, Pied Wagtail, Pink-footed Goose, Razorbill, Red-breasted Merganser, Red-throated Diver, Redshank, Redwing, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Rock Pipit, Rook, Skylark, Sparrowhawk, Starling, Turnstone, Wigeon, Woodpigeon, Wren.
Mammals - Brown Rat, Grey Seal, Grey Squirrel.
