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| Buzzard |
I had my final annual leave day on Friday the 20th of March. I was rather lacking in energy and motivation despite more decent weather being forecast. I contemplated where I could go, but everywhere just felt like too much effort was required to get there. I even contemplated staying at home and trying to get at least partially caught up with an increasing back-log of blog-posts and photo-editing. However, the sunshine won out in the end and I decided to return to the top of the Law in the hope of displaying raptors. I was also hoping for perhaps an early-ish Osprey as well as my first butterflies of the year.
By the time I had managed to get myself motivated, it was already 1015. As raptors were my main target this wasn't too bad, as it is usually around 1030-1100 or so before the birds start to use the thermals to gain height as the day (hopefully) warms up. It was very much the usual suspects that started the day's list off - Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Woodpigeon, Carrion Crow, Feral Pigeon, Starling, Robin, Goldfinch, Chaffinch, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Blue Tit and Magpie. The day's first Meadow Pipit was heard as I passed Dens Park. Dunnock, Great Tit, Chiffchaff, Jackdaw, Coal Tit, Blackbird and Wren were added before I reached the hill-top around 1040.
Almost immediately, I picked up the day's first raptors - a Buzzard out to the southwest and a pair of Kestrels, then a Sparrowhawk over the top of the hill. Not a bad start even if none of the birds were particularly low. A Buzzard then tussled with a couple of Carrion Crows much closer to the hill and a Sparrowhawk displayed closer to the hill. Another Meadow Pipit flew past at 1055. An Oystercatcher was heard just before 1105. A Crossbill was calling just before 1120 but I couldn't see it anywhere. The Kestrel pair were seen again out to the northwest at 1135 with a Sparrowhawk out to the southwest a few minutes later.
I had a very brief sighting of what was probably a Small Tortoiseshell butterfly but it disappeared down a slope almost as soon as I managed to see it. A Goldcrest was then heard singing before another busy spell of raptor activity with Buzzards and Sparrowhawks in the air around the hill. At one point there were 5 Buzzards circling just south of the hill. A Sparrowhawk displayed overhead and was joined by a second bird which resulted in a bit of a squabble between the two. Yet another Meadow Pipit was heard just before 1230. There was a bit of interaction between a Kestrel and a Sparrowhawk around 1240. What appeared to be 3 Kestrels were seen rather distantly to the south but were lost against the jumble of waterfront and city centre buildings.
A Bullfinch was heard and a Buzzard headed past westwards before I was joined by Lainy. We had further views of Sparrowhawk and Kestrel before managing to see a Crossbill in flight just after 1320. With Lainy having seen a few butterflies in the morning around her patch we decided to see if we could find any around the Law. A Small Tortoiseshell was sunning itself on the slope below the viewing area at the front of the hill, though it was rather flighty. We spent the next hour and a half exploring the lower slopes and the area by the southwest edges at the road by the allotments where we found quite a few Peacock and Small Tortoiseshell butterflies. I had a very fleeting view of my first Dark-edged Bee-fly of the year too.
Lainy had to head home just before 1500, by which time the wind was starting to pick up a little. While checking the 'Wall' path I managed to find a Redpoll in the small trees by the steps. I then spent the next couple of hours focused on photographing insects, especially flies (having recently purchased a fieldguide to the group - any suggestions for IDs welcome!) and some bees (including my first Tree Bumblebees of the year). I headed home eventually around 1630 adding Collared Dove to the day's list as I passed Dens Road Primary School. These took my total for the day to 32 species of birds for the day - though that number didn't stop me taking a LOT of photos in the (mostly) sunshine, and managing to see my first 2 species of butterfly in 2026. I doubt I will manage to reach 20 species of butterfly within the city this year but 19 should (hopefully) once again be doable.
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| Sparrowhawk |
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| Kestrel |
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| Sparrowhawk |
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| Carrion Crow |
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| Buzzard |
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| Buzzard |
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| Sparrowhawk |
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| Sparrowhawk |
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| Kestrel |
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| Sparrowhawk |
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| Sparrowhawk & Kestrel |
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| Kestrel |
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| Sparrowhawk |
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| Small Tortoiseshell |
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| Peacock |
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| Redpoll |
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| Great Tit |
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| Bullfinch |
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| Kestrel |
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| Fly sp. |
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| Fly sp. |
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| Bumblebee sp. |
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| Fly sp. |
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| Greenbottle sp. |
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| Hoverfly sp. |
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| Fly sp. |
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| Fly sp. |
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| Fly sp. |
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| Fly sp. |
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| Bumblebee sp. |
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| Fly sp. |
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| Fly sp. |
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| Wasp sp. |
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| Fly sp. |
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| Fly sp. |
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| Fly sp. |
Birds - Blackbird, Blue Tit, Bullfinch, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Coal Tit, Collared Dove, Crossbill, Dunnock, Goldcrest, Goldfinch, Great Tit, Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Kestrel, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Long-tailed Tit, Magpie, Meadow Pipit, Oystercatcher, Redpoll, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Siskin, Song Thrush, Sparrowhawk, Starling, Woodpigeon, Wren.
Butterflies - Peacock, Small Tortoiseshell.
