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| Great Black Backed Gull |
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| Pintail |
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| Grey Plover |
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| Tree Sparrows |
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| Golden Plover |
Day 2 of 2014 and another early start but with no real idea of where I was going, I was just vaguely heading for the shore. Public transport was still rather limited which ruled out Fife, so I set off around 0845 and headed for my first stop at Swannie Ponds. En route I saw Herring Gull, Woodpigeon, Black Headed Gull, a flyover Goldfinch, Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, Feral Pigeon, Starling, House Sparrow, around 10 Collared Doves and a Magpie within a short distance of home. The closest to home I have seen a Magpie as yet, as they continue to slowly colonise the city.
The target birds at Swannie Ponds were Tufted Duck, Moorhen and Common Gull but I had to settle for only the first two, with Mallards and a couple of Herring Gulls keeping them company. There were around 15 Tufties and an adult and juvenile Moorhen. I decided to give Baxter Park a miss, and headed for Eastern Cemetery adding Blackbird en route. The cemetery was very quiet with only a Coal Tit and a Redwing to add to the list. I heard a couple of Wrens calling from opposite sides of Craigie Avenue but Black Headed Gull and a few Woodpigeons were the only birds seen.
I had considered catching a bus to Carnoustie, but decided to walk along the river to Broughty Ferry instead, hoping for a couple of wader species, plus maybe a Common Gull, and potentially Eider too. Redshank, Oystercatcher and Carrion Crows were on the shore, and Black Headed and Herring Gulls were being blown about by the strong wind whipping off the river. A Common Gull flew towards me, my first of 2014, giving good views as it passed. A Grey Heron was sheltering as best as it could behind a slightly raised bit of shore. There appeared to be very little out on the river, and the shoreline was generally quiet. A Dunnock and a Rock Pipit were in close proximity to each other on the path by the Grassy Beach. I spotted a few Oystercatchers among the pebbles and while checking them out through the binoculars I spotted a Turnstone, and then another two. Another species for the yearlist.
Reaching the end of the cycle path, I scanned the river and saw two dark ducks out in the middle of the river. I couldn't tell if they were Scoters or Eiders but suspected the latter. A couple of photos later and my ID was confirmed. My first Eiders of the year, and the 7th new species of the day. Three Mute Swans flew upriver, low over the water. Not much else was seen until I reached the lifeboat station where a drake Red Breasted Merganser was feeding close in, and a couple of female Eiders were doing likewise at the other side of the slipway. Herring and Black Headed Gulls were much in evidence as I headed towards the Castle. A few more Eiders and around 40 or so Red Breasted Mergansers were together out on the river in one large group.
I cut through the small playpark towards the sandy beach, picking up 3 Greenfinches in a tree en route, and a small flock of Starlings milled around near a few Woodpigeons. As expected the beach was quite busy with dogs and walkers so only gulls were on the main part of the beach, along the water's edge. I had a Linnet and a Pied Wagtail fly past over the dunes. Before I took a detour into the small local nature reserve I scanned along the shoreline ahead. There were some Oystercatchers and more gulls, but I couldn't make out anything else. The reserve was very quiet with only a couple of Blue Tits and a Woodpigeon to be seen. Curlews from the beach were heard when I joined the Barnhill Rock garden but couldn't see them from where I was.
Walking down to the edge of the grass near the car park, the numbers of birds visible increased greatly. Bar Tailed Godwits fed along the shoreline, with Oystercatchers nearby. Closer in among the small pools, Dunlin and Ringed Plovers mingled and fed, sometimes flying short distances to other pools. A young Great Black Backed Gull was trying to find a way in to the carcase of a large Salmon on the beach, and a Common Gull lifted a strange object, which looked a bit like a corn cob out of a small pool. A walker further out near the water paid no heed to the clouds of birds he was disturbing as he strolled on. I picked up my first two Sanderling of the year among one such group. Two ducks flew up from the water just offshore as I neared Balmossie. I took a photo and was pleasantly surprised to see it was a pair of Pintails. There were also a few Wigeon and Mallard quite close to shore. The large gull flock was lifted by the walker and they flew towards me, but landed short. No sign of anything exotic among them unfortunately, but a Grey Plover and a Knot were a nice couple of finds, by way of compensation. The list of new species for the day was now at 16, which was much more than I had expected.
More Bar Tailed Godwits, a couple of Redshanks and another Grey Plover were on the beach as I headed towards Monifieth caravan park. Two bassett hounds voiced their objection to my presence as their owner walked them nearby. Thankfully their barking didn't lift the Grey Plover but two walkers on the beach did, but not before I managed to get a few reasonable photos. I also saw a goose sitting low in the water which looked quite long bodied but which I suspect was just a sick Pink footed Goose. The photos show quite a long bill, but it may just be an optical illusion. A loose flock of around 25 waders flew past and I grabbed a few photos. They turned out to be Golden Plover which I had managed to miss among the seaweed strewn shoreline, and yet another welcome addition.
At the other end of the caravan park there was a flock of Black Headed Gulls and one Common Gull sheltering out of the wind on the grass, with a Pied Wagtail flying down nearby. I decided to pop along to Barry Buddon as I was in the area, although the legs were getting a bit stiff. A Curlew and a Woodpigeon were on the grass behind the caravan park, and Oystercatchers and the first Lapwing of the year were on the football pitches. Reaching the entrance to Barry Buddon a van full of dogs didn't bode well for seeing much and a few more dogs within the camp added to that thought. Especially when about 10 dogs noisily exited the van. As always Barry Buddon flattered to deceive with a mere handful of species seen despite walking the entire length to Barry station. A couple of Mute Swans and seven Mallards were in the pools, a Coal Tit was in some conifers by the path and a few Carrion Crows chased each other around. A lone Cormorant flew eastwards overhead, and a calling Siskin landed in trees near the pools. To the north beyond the golf course I could see a large flock of Crows which I suspected to be mostly Rooks having seen them earlier in the week during another outing. Confirmation was gained from the bus home later.
I somehow managed to lose the cycle path which I had intended on walking into Carnoustie on, and instead crossed the railway line and headed north passed a few houses. Birds buzzed back and forwards from one hedge to the hedge on the other side of the road. Chaffinches, House Sparrows and Tree Sparrows. The 20th new species of a long walk. A few Woodpigeons and Collared Doves sat up a tall tree and a Dunnock foraged below the hedge. I walked towards the Barry bypass where a Meadow Pipit flew up from the field. I heard a couple of Mistle Thrushes but couldn't see them. A few Blackbirds were in the field behind the bus stop where thankfully I didn't have long to wait for my bus back to Dundee. Not too much was seen from the bus except the Rooks suspected earlier and the odd Woodpigeon.
Checking Google Maps later I discovered the distance walked had once again been between 11 and 12 miles, although missing the bus from the City Centre added the best part of another mile to the distance walked.
52 species seen - Bar Tailed Godwit, Blackbird, Black Headed Gull, Blue Tit, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Coal Tit, Collared Dove, Common Gull, Cormorant, Curlew, Dunlin, Dunnock, Eider, Golden Plover, Goldfinch, Great Black Backed Gull, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Grey Heron, Grey Plover, Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Knot, Lapwing, Linnet, Magpie, Mallard, Meadow Pipit, Moorhen, Mute Swan, Oystercatcher, Pied Wagtail, Pink footed Goose, Pintail, Red Breasted Merganser, Redshank, Redwing, Ringed Plover, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Rock Pipit, Rook, Sanderling, Siskin, Starling, Tree Sparrow, Tufted Duck, Turnstone, Wigeon, Woodpigeon. (new species in bold) .
Yearlist now at 67.