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| Robin |
On Dens Road I heard the first of many Robins that I would encounter as it sang quietly from the bushes across the road. With few cars on the road, it was easy to pick out bird songs and calls, even those quite distant. Herring Gulls were next on the list, noisily circling near the top of the Hilltown, and I managed to catch glimpses of a few of them illuminated by the orange glow of nearby streetlights. More Carrion Crows called to each other and one landed on a lamp post as I passed underneath.
For the next 15 minutes or so, it was Robins, a few Blackbirds, Herring Gulls and Carrion Crows but despite the sky starting to lighten there was nothing more to add. I reached Lochee Park and spotted some white shapes circling round above the football pitches. Gulls obviously, but which species. I had seen Black Headed, Common and Herring Gulls here in the past but it was difficult to make out any detail or to ascertain even what size they were in the gloom. Thankfully the flock had landed quite close to the path I was walking along and I as got closer a few of the birds scurried away. I was fairly confident they were Black Headed Gulls and as a few took flight I saw the white triangle at the front of the upper wings. A few calling birds confirmed the ID. Another species for the list.
More Carrion Crows cawed from Balgay Hill. The sky was getting brighter though Venus was still visible in the sky. Further on at a bit of waste ground I heard a Dunnock calling from some bushes but it was just too far away to see given the conditions. The next addition was a calling Pied Wagtail in flight as I reached the circle/roundabout on Glamis Road (we usually call them circles, in Dundee - the roundabout, not the Wagtail). Despite looking for it I failed to pick it out against the increasingly pale sky. A few more Herring Gulls circled round, hanging in the wind, now much easier to see.
I wasn't too far from work and was actually just slightly ahead of schedule despite my late start. I saw a Blackbird and what might have been a Redwing feeding on an open bit of grass while a Wren scolded loudly before giving a loud burst of song unseen from a nearby bush. A few Blue Tits called from trees close by but went unseen. I almost stood on a Carrion Crow that was obviously used to people as it wandered along the edge of the path. I caught glimpses of a few birds in flight that were probably just more crows but tree branches blocked the view. However, I had still managed to hear 10 species of bird, of which I'd seen just 4 before sunrise.
With a finishing time well after sunset, I figured I wouldn't hear many birds, if any, on my way home. The local Carrion Crows weren't quite ready to sleep though and I heard a few rather distant calls a few minutes after leaving work. Near Lochee Park, I heard the faint calls of a skein of Pink Footed Geese, no doubt on their way back to roost on the Tay for the night. I could hear the calls increasing in volume as what sounded like quite a large skein got closer before passing behind me somewhere to the west. Another species for the list. A few more Carrion Crows cawed before I heard a second skein of geese which sounded smaller than the first as I crossed Logie Street.
I heard what might have been a calling Song Thrush from the slopes of Dundee Law but a passing car drowned it out so it stayed off the list. Robins which had been numerous in the morning were completely absent on the way home, as were the Blackbirds. Not far from where I heard the Redwing in the morning I heard another one calling from up in the air and that was my final bird of the day.
11 species heard (birds in bold seen also) - Blackbird, Black Headed Gull, Blue Tit, Carrion Crow, Dunnock, Herring Gull, Pied Wagtail, Pink Footed Goose, Redwing, Robin, Wren.
Photos are all older photos and are for illustration only (none taken today in the darkness).
P.S. Merry Christmas to all my readers, and thanks for your continual support for this blog.
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| Blackbird |
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| Carrion Crow |
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| Black Headed Gull |
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| Herring Gull |
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| Blue Tit |
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| Pink Footed Goose |