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| Buzzard |
Following on from the 10 hour search for the White-rumped Sandpiper on Wednesday the 7th of October, I was tired, sore and rather fed up, so it was a bit of a struggle to get motivated to get out and about on Friday the 9th. So I didn't. Saturday was much the same but I eventually forced myself to get out birding, in the hope it might improve my mood (and perhaps add something new to my #2026Dundee150 list). I decided to visit a couple of places I hadn't paid much attention to in the recent past - Swannie Ponds and Eastern Cemetery. Expectations were low, possibly even lower than my motivation and mood.
Magpie and Carrion Crow got things underway just before 1150 as I headed up Court Street. Feral Pigeon, Robin and a Red Admiral butterfly were next as I headed along Clepington Road. Herring Gull and Blackbird were seen near the top of Mains Loan. Swannie Ponds provided Coot, Mallard, Moorhen, Mute Swan, Black-headed Gull, the returning drake Shoveler, a lingering Lesser Black-backed Gull, Goosander, Common Gull, Starling, 2 overflying Buzzards, Tufted Duck and a Grey Wagtail. I continued on to the top half of Eastern Cemetery where Blue Tit was the only addition. Things were relatively quiet in the bottom half too, though I did spend a bit of time looking.
Grey Squirrels, Chaffinch, House Sparrow, Goldcrest, Wren, Woodpigeon, Redwing, Mistle Thrush, Jay and Goldfinch were all found at the cemetery though mostly in low single figure amounts. A calling Chiffchaff was near the Old Craigie Road gate and my final additions for the day's couple of hour's birding were Jackdaw and Dunnock along Bingham Terrace. I had a look in Baxter Park on the walk home but failed to find anything of note, though the vegetation at Spring Grove made viewing there difficult. I finished the birding just a little after 1400 with a total of 32 species of birds, 1of mammals and 1 of butterflies.
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| Buzzard & Jackdaw |
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| Goosander |
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| Moorhen |
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| Black-headed Gull ( |
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| Shoveler |
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| Buzzard |
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| Grey Squirrel |
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| Robin |
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| Magpie |
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| Jay |
Birds - Black-headed Gull, Blackbird, Blue Tit, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Common Gull, Coot, Dunnock, Goldcrest, Goldfinch, Goosander, Grey Wagtail, Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Jay, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Magpie, Mallard, Mistle Thrush, Moorhen, Mute Swan, Redwing, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Shoveler, Starling, Tufted Duck, Woodpigeon, Wren.
Butterflies - Red Admiral.
Mammals - Grey Squirrel.
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With Saturday's birding having been fairly underwhelming, the motivation to get out on Sunday was still rather lacking. However, I decided that I would head up to the top of the Law to see if I could see anything interesting migrating past the top of the Law. Although the far smaller hill at Riverside Nature Park appears to be the best vis-mig site in Dundee, I have managed to see Redstart, Ring Ouzel and Hawfinch from up there (on passage), plus Garden Warbler and Spotted Flycatcher stopping off for some feeding up before departing again. I wasn't expecting much, but something new would obviously be a welcome bonus.
First up, at 0735, were Feral Pigeon, Robin and Pied Wagtail. Herring Gull, Dunnock, Goldfinch, Magpie, House Sparrow, Carrion Crow and Starling were next as I headed for Main Street where Woodpigeon and Blackbird joined the other species already on the list. Wren on Kinghorne Road plus a Chiffchaff by the car park at the Law were followed by Greenfinch and Chaffinch as I clambered up to the top of the hill. Coal Tit, Blue Tit, Grey Wagtail, Siskins, Skylark, Bullfinch, a distant flock of Mute Swans, Sparrowhawk, Song Thrush, the day's first Pink-footed Geese skeins, Long-tailed Tits, Meadow Pipit and Great Tit kept things ticking over without anything too exciting happening.
Around 1035 I called it a day at the top of the hill and went exploring to see if there were any insects around. I managed to find Marmalade Hoverfly and Red Admiral. A Buzzard flew over. More wandering produced a 7-spot Ladybird and a few more hoverfly species. At 1205 I decided to head homewards adding Jackdaw as I reached my street. I finished the day's birding with a total of 31 species of birds plus 4 of hoverflies, and 1 each of butterflies and ladybirds. Not a classic spell at the top of the Law, though the birds moving through were fairly steady for the first few hours before tailing off a bit. The weather was decent enough too, with relatively warm and sunny conditions and not much wind.
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| Goldfinch |
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| Goldfinch |
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| Pink-footed Goose & Mute Swan |
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| Bullfinch |
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| Magpie |
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| Goldfinch |
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| Song Thrush |
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| Sparrowhawk |
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| Sericomyia silentis |
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| Buzzard |
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| Pink-footed Goose |
Birds - Blackbird, Blue Tit, Bullfinch, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Coal Tit, Dunnock, Goldfinch, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Grey Wagtail, Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Long-tailed Tit, Magpie, Meadow Pipit, Mute Swan, Pied Wagtail, Pink-footed Goose, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Siskin, Skylark, Song Thrush, Sparrowhawk, Starling, Woodpigeon, Wren.
Butterflies - Red Admiral.
Hoverflies - Episyrphus balteatus, Eupeodes corollae, Platycheirus albimanus, Sericomyia silentis.
Ladybirds - 7-spot Ladybird.
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As Monday the 12th was a public holiday Monday, I changed my holiday day off that week to the Monday rather than Tuesday, so as not to unnecessarily use up a day's annual leave. As this was also my final week of only working 2 days I wanted to make sure I got out birding, but I still wasn't feeling overly motivated to do so. Nevertheless, I forced myself to go for a walk, though it was shortly before 1300 before I actually made the decision to do so. It would be a rather half-hearted walk, but it made more sense than sitting at home, doing nothing much but procrastinating, which would have been the easier option.
Jackdaw, Blue Tit, Herring Gull, Robin, Woodpigeon, Blackbird, House Sparrow, Feral Pigeon, Magpie, a Redwing flock and flyover Skylarks were all noted as I headed up to Clepington Road. A quick check at Mains Terrace produced a calling Chiffchaff plus Starling and Pied Wagtail as well as a decent sized flock of around 40 Redwings westwards. Swannie Ponds was next and it was fairly standard fayre there. A flock of Long-tailed Tits were flitting through the trees, while Mallard, Black-headed Gull, Mute Swan, Coot, drake Shoveler and Tufted Duck were seen on the water at the top pond (and a Grey Squirrel was around the trees by the recycling bins).
Cutting down through Baxter Park got Wren for the day before I wandered along to check out Eastern Cemetery. Things were quieter than expected though there were some thrushes there - Song Thrush, Mistle Thrush and Redwing, as well as Great Tit, Coal Tit, Goldcrest, an unexpected Collared Dove pair and a few Carrion Crows and Chaffinch were noted before I decided to continue on down to City Quay to try to add something a little more unusual. A Grey Wagtail overflew Kenilworth Avenue with Goldfinch spotted as I neared Broughty Ferry Road. Guillemot and Grey Heron were seen at City Quay, with Cormorants out on the river and standing around on Submarine Rock rounding off the day's birding. I finished the day's birding with a rather underwhelming total of 35 species of birds plus 1 of mammals.
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| Pied Wagtail |
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| Shoveler |
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| Tufted Duck |
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| Song Thrush |
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| Mistle Thrush |
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| Great Tit |
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| Redwing |
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| Collared Dove |
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| Grey Squirrel |
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| Woodpigeon |
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| Mistle Thrush |
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| Guillemot |
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| Grey Heron |
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| Cormorant |
Birds - Black-headed Gull, Blackbird, Blue Tit, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Coal Tit, Collared Dove, Coot, Cormorant, Goldcrest, Goldfinch, Great Tit, Grey Heron, Grey Wagtail, Guillemot, Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Long-tailed Tit, Magpie, Mallard, Mistle Thrush, Mute Swan, Pied Wagtail, Redwing, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Shoveler, Skylark, Song Thrush, Starling, Woodpigeon, Wren.
Mammals - Grey Squirrel.
