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| Mallard & duckling |
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| Carrion Crow |
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| Black Tailed Godwit |
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| Ruff |
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| Swift |
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| Willow Warbler |
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| Wilow Warbler |
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| Micro moth |
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| Blackcap |
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| juvenile Goldfinch |
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| Chaffinch |
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| Redshanks and Knot |
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| Redshank, Dunlin and Ruff |
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| Grey Herons |
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| Willow Warbler |
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| Willow Warbler |
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Reed Bunting
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After a mid-week visit to Riverside Nature Park with the tides a bit unfavourable, I decided to try again on the Saturday. With high tide around mid-afternoon, I didn't want to try too early as it can be a long day if there is nothing happening so I decided to head for the park late morning. The weather forecast was reasonably favourable though the winds were potentially increasing and there was a chance of some rain.
I set off at 1115 to catch a bus into town. As is often the case with a later start, birds appeared to be in rather short supply as I waited at the bus stop. Only Herring Gull and Feral Pigeon put in an appearance before the bus arrived. A fearless Lesser Black Backed Gull ignored the numerous Saturday shoppers passing by in the City Centre. I caught a bus out to the Nature Park a little after 1130 and arrived at the park at 1145.
A Stock Dove flew over as I entered the park at the eastern end. A good start. Rather more predictably a Herring Gull was next, one gliding over towards the bay. I took the low path along the back of Buzzard Wood adding Carrion Crow and Woodpigeon to the list. House Martins scooted over westwards. A few Feral Pigeons flew past, over towards the railway line. A male House Sparrow was in the hedge between the fields. I wandered on towards the Lochan finding the bushes surprisingly quiet. Black Headed Gulls driufted in from the north.
At the Lochan there was little to see, only a female Mallard and a single duckling, although a Carrion Crow did fly in and wander through the grass nearby. Goldfinches were seen overflying as I reached the hide area, and a Blackbird was in the trees behind. Two Wrens called loudly to each other in the hedge by the entrance, only visible by peering in through the gaps in the foliage.
From the hide, Redshanks and Herring Gulls were highly conspicuous with a few Jackdaws and Feral Pigeons on the pipe. A Black Tailed Godwit appeared by the waters edge as the tide came in, its long beak probing deep into the mud. Two Mute Swans were on the burn outflow and an Oystercatcher soon joined the other species on the list. I got talking to a father, Ian Laird, and his daughter who had been scoping the bay when I arrived. They were from Blairgowrie and we chatted about the park, this being their first visit. They had seen a Whimbrel earlier, but there was no sign of it by the time I arrived though it had plenty places it could forage out of sight of the hide.
After a short while Ian wandered up to the bend in the path to scan from a different perspective. Seconds later I spotted a wader fly out from the shore towards the pipe before swinging back. The pattern of brown and white feathering on the tail was very distinctive and I was pretty convinced it had to be a
Ruff. Thankfully it showed much better minutes later when it landed out on the pipe allowing me to get a few photos, and a welcome year-tick. We were then joined by another couple who asked if there were any good birds about. I told them about the Ruff and Ian's Whimbrel. After a bit more chat we ascertained that I had actually met the man (Ron Lawie) before, buying a very good quality scope from him a few years previously. Unfortunately, the scope adds a bit too much weight to what I carry when out birding to get much actual use.
Ian and his daughter headed off a few minutes after the other couple had departed and I lingered for a minute or two deciding which route to take as the tide pushed further in. A Lesser Black Backed Gull appeared among the Herring and Black Headed Gulls lengthening the list further. A Shelduck juvenile swam in the burn outflow with a few Mallards. I decided to head back to the Lochan to see if any waders had appeared, though suspecting that none would have.
A few Swifts and House Martins flew over in a group. Only the Mallards were visible on the water at the Lochan but movement above me in the bushes turned out to be a juvenile Whitethroat. As I tried for a better view from the other side of the path I spotted a Willow Warbler also foraging among the tangle of branches. A slow wander round the path to the car park area didn't add anything except one or two Woodpigeons and Crows. A juvenile (or possibly a female) Blackcap was spotted in the bushes behind the car park, and I spent a few minutes trying to get a decent view and some photos. It was joined by two young Willow Warblers as well as a Wren and a young Goldfinch which perched prominently in the higher branches of a small-ish tree behind the fence. There were a few Swallows darting around over the long grass feeding on the insects flitting around in the relative shelter of the area.
Buzzard Wood was next though it turned out to be rather quiet compared with the back of the car park trees. Only a Chiffchaff and a few Chaffinches showed here. A small flock of Lapwings flew above the airport and a group of Starlings milled around by the masts on the airfield. A bit more wandering put Yellowhammer on the list as I headed back to check the tide state at the bay. Among the gulls I could also hear Sandwich Terns calling but it took a few minutes to locate one. A Cormorant flew downriver, low above the grey water.
The waders that roosted along the shore proved to be rather restless though this was to be a bit of a bonus. Among the Redshanks, Dunlin, Black Tailed Godwits and Oystercatchers there were also a single Knot, with a hint of orange on the breast and a Turnstone in mostly summer plumage as well as the Ruff seen earlier. I always photograph wader flocks in flight as they tend to shelter surprises in their midst that can be easily overlooked as the birds shoot past or change direction at speed. It can also be good practice for picking out birds at home on the computer screen.
The wind was picking up a bit and the temperature seemed to have dropped, possibly as a result of a bit more cloud roling in. I wandered round towards the car park once more, scanning over the airport where eight Grey Herons could be seen near some rather aptly-named Giant Hogweed, the plants towering above the birds. Back behind the car park the Blackcap and Willow Warblers were once again seen quite quickly. A Reed Bunting also showed out in the open, while a Wren and youngster stayed mostly hidden, fleeting glimpses being the best on offer. A family of Long Tailed Tits were in the trees further round with a few of them showing as they moved on.
A Common Gull headed east overhead as I made one last circuit of the park. Two Sand Martins passed a few feet in front of me as they battled into the headwind as I looked out over the bay by the bench at the southwest corner. Scanning beyond the compost area a small roost of Curlews and partially hidden Lapwings in the longer grass could be seen taking the list to 40 species. Before I headed out of the park to catch a bus home a few more Swallows zipped past allowing me to attempt a few very poor flight photos.
Just before I reached home I spotted a Sparrowhawk circling above my street before it drifted over to the east and out of sight. A nice way to round off the day's birding. 40 species seen at the park with the Sparrowhawk the only other seen.
The park species seen (year-tick in bold) - Blackbird, Blackcap, Black Headed Gull, Black Tailed Godwit, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Common Gull, Cormorant, Curlew, Dunlin, Goldfinch, Grey Heron, Herring Gull, House Martin, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Knot, Lapwing, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Long Tailed Tit, Mallard, Mute Swan, Oystercatcher, Redshank, Feral Pigeon,
Ruff, Sand Martin, Sandwich Tern, Shelduck, Starling, Stock Dove, Swallow, Swift, Turnstone, Whitethroat, Willow Warbler, Woodpigeon, Wren, Yellowhammer.
Non-park birds - Herring Gull, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Feral Pigeon, Sparrowhawk.