Barry Farquharson's birding blog - birding (mostly) within Dundee, Scotland.
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Whitethroat With a trio of birds that I still need for my #2026Dundee150 list being found at Riverside Nature Park during the week by Mark while I was off work ill - Mediterranean Gull, Sanderling, and best of all, a Redstart, I decided to pay the park a visit on Saturday morning (the 25th of July), despite still feeling fairly rough. Having been stuck inside for 4 days, I really needed some fresh…
Yellowhammer With Quail being seen almost anywhere there is a cereal field in Angus and Fife (as well as further afield), I wanted to try to get the species on my Dundee list (as well as my life-list) while there seemed to be a very good chance of doing so. I decided on an early start on Saturday the 18th of July, with the fields to the north of Fintry being my closest cereal fields available for…
Black-tailed Godwit As I was heading to Campy Growers on Saturday the 11th of July, I got a message from someone I'd spoken to at the top of the Law last year (Connor), asking for some ideas for good local birding places as his Grandad was planning on coming over from Northern Ireland and wanted to squeeze in some birding during his visit. I replied with a few suggestions and then discovered that…
Marsh Harrier With the Campy Growers Lesser Whitethroat still seemingly around at Camperdown Park, I decided to try a slightly later visit to the park (than my early morning visit had been), to try again. My plan was to pop into Campy Growers while it was open (as I had done a few days earlier with Lainy, to negative results, after we had been watching the butterflies at Victoria Park) and have…
Long-tailed Shrike (photo by Mark Wilkinson) On Sunday July the 5th, the weather forecast didn't look particularly great, with the possibility of rain from as early as 1000. However, I decided I should make the effort to try to connect with Ian Ford's Lesser Whitethroat at Campy Growers in Camperdown Park. An early start would give me enough time to get there, spend an hour or so trying for the…
Pied Wagtail A morning looking for insects (butterflies mostly) was cut short by the possibility of a parcel I was waiting for, being delivered. As it turned out, I went home for no reason and the parcle delivery itself became a bit of a saga, which showed just how bad Royal Mail can be, at something they used to be the best at. A trip out in the evening with Rohan to see what we could find on the…
Blackbird With the weather forecast to be on the warm side on Sunday the 21st of June, I decided on an early start and a visit to Riverside Nature Park for a spot of birding, though I also knew I would very likely get distracted by insects given the time of year, and the weather. My expectations were on the low side. House Sparrow, Herring Gull, Feral Pigeon, Blackbird, Lesser Black-backed Gull,…
Stonechat On Saturday the 20th of June, with it being a bit on the warm side during the day, Rohan had suggested the possibility of heading inland for a spot of cooler evening birding with Kinnordy and Lintrathen suggested. Given that it appears that Kinnordy is pretty much photographer-central these days, I suggested a wee wander at Backwater Reservoir as an alternative, with a stop at Lintrathen…
Arctic Tern Although insects had very much been my main focus in May and early June, I was always birding too (though not really seeing too much of note). Rohan suggested a spot of birding on Saturday the 13th of June. Having had a look at the weather forecast and weighed up the available options, we decided on a visit to Montrose Basin and an attempt to get a look at the Easthaven Yellow…
Shelduck With Keith Edwards having seen a few Lapwings from Riverside Nature Park a few days earlier, and me still needing to see the species for my #2026Dundee150 list, there was only really one place to go on Sunday the 7th of June. I had been rather neglecting the birds over the preceding weeks with my focus having very much turned to finding insects. The 'travellers' arrival en masse at the…
