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| Chiffchaff |
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| Song Thrush |
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| Song Thrush in the hand |
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| Song Thrush |
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| Canada Geese |
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| Pink Footed Geese |
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| Meadow Pipit |
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| Red Admiral |
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| Buzzard |
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| Nettle-Tap |
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| Redshank & Knot |
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| House Sparrow |
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| Yellowhammer |
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| Pied Wagtail |
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| Skylark |
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| Curlew & Common Sandpiper |
With a ringing demonstration taking place at Riverside Nature Park from 7am until 10am, I had to at least attempt to get down to the park to see part of it, just in case any new 'ticks' for the park were caught. Fingers were crossed and alarms were set. With it being a Sunday, buses were in short supply so I needed to be in town for around 0730 to catch a bus out to near the park. So, the earliest I would make it would be around 0745 or so (unless I was exceedingly keen and got up even earlier than I do for going to work). The weather was quite nice compared to earlier in the week with relatively clear skies and not too much wind. However, a spot of drizzle might have been better for the migrants to filter through.
I left the house a wee bit later than intended around 0705 which meant a faster walk than planned, with no lingering if anything good should be seen en route. House Sparrow and Herring Gull were first on the list, with a Grey Wagtail flying over the first 'good' bird of the morning. Further down the road, Feral Pigeon, Blackbird and a few Swallows joined them on the Bird Journal phone app that I record my sightings on. Down onto Dens Road where Woodpigeon and Carrion Crow were spotted. Meadow Pipits calling overhead showed that there was at least some movement on the migrant front. As I reached Meadowside/Panmure Street junction a skein of Pink Footed Geese overflew the museum building, obviously having come from their roost on the Tay, heading north to the stubble fields of Angus for a day of feeding. As I reached the City Square end of Reform Street, a Peregrine flew by at rooftop height. The local Feral Pigeons and Herring Gulls made scarce.
Little was seen until I reached the park about 15 minutes later. On my way into the car park area where the ringing was taking place, although the nets were set up in different areas, I managed to see 5 species - Carrion Crow, Woodpigeon, Feral Pigeon, Blackbird and a few Swallows passing through westwards. Chaffinches were in the trees at the car park, Herring Gull drifted over and a Starling flapped its way from the airport towards Invergowrie. I had timed things quite well, with the actual ringing just starting with around a dozen birds to be 'processed' (measured/weighed and ringed then released). There were a few Robins, Song Thrushes (there appeared to be a few of these birds migrating though as well, possibly the Robins too), Great Tit, Chaffinch and Blue Tit. As I watched the demonstration with the others who had arrived earlier than I had, I could hear a Chiffchaff calling its name from the trees behind and soon managed to pick it out.
A few Jackdaws went over and among the second batch of birds was a Reed Bunting. A Pied Wagtail was seen overflying, possibly another migrant although just as likely to be a local. I heard and then spotted a few Skylarks high above as they followed the path of the river west. In the opposite direction came a pair of Canada Geese a lot lower down. A Dunnock was another bird ringed and the first Greenfinch of the day was added also. A Stock Dove flew past, a bit of a park specialty. A Goldcrest was spotted in the bushes as we wandered up to check the nets again and a small 'charm' of Goldfinches fluttered around in the bushes near the net. One of the Robins ringed earlier managed to find itself caught again and was released again, flying back to the area around the net, where it appeared to hold territory. The same bird was caught a third time, while it appeared to have been tussling with another interloper.
A Grey Wagtail zipped through the car park, low and fast. Black Headed Gulls glided across from the direction of the bay. One of the ringers had to hurry up to the net in sight of the car park when I spotted a member of the public trying to 'rescue' a bird from the net. He was very apologetic apparently, and next time that ringing is taking place in the park, signs will be put out to explain what is happening. A while later a Wren was added to the list. A skein of seven Pink Footed Geese overflew northwards. We wandered up to the hill to check on a net set for Meadow Pipits. The ringer is licenced to use a tape lure (MP3 actually) to bring Meadow Pipits in to be ringed, and there were around a dozen or so in the grass near the net, but only one bird actually in the net. A Cormorant was seen out over the river. We headed over to check the other net again which held a Blackcap and a Blackbird as well as a few Chaffinches. The nets were packed up and we headed back to process the last batch of birds. A Red Admiral was flitting around in the car park and I managed a few photos as it rested on the gravel. A Magpie was in the trees round to the left and two Buzzards drifted over from the north, one going to the west and the other heading towards the airport.
As the morning had progressed I received a few texts from Angus and Dundee Bird Club and Fife Bird Club grapevines with news of interesting birds around - a Wryneck in Fife, and a Barred Warbler near Easthaven. I was tempted to try for the Wryneck at Boarhills but it could be a bit of an epic trek on a Sunday with buses fairly limited. I got talking to a lady, Nat, who was watching the demonstration who it turned out I'd actually met previously at Guardbridge (and ID'd a Wheatear for her from her description) and who also knew my pal, Rhona. She fancied a spot of birding in the afternoon and offered to take me to see one of the birds. We settled on a run along the Angus coast to see if we could perhaps find some rarities of our own although we decided to check the bay and Lochan first.
Scanning from the bench at the southwest extremity of the park, we could see Lapwings, Great Black Backed Gulls, Herring Gulls, Black Headed Gulls, Mallards and Oystercatchers off towards the burn outflow. We headed in the direction of the hide for a better look. From the hide we managed to add Redshank, Grey Heron, a few Wigeon and a single Knot. A bit more searching coupled with a bit of waiting also gave us some distant Black Tailed Godwits over near the reedbed across the bay, as well as Common Gull and Curlew. We did a quick walk around the rest of the park before heading to the car park, with a Jay flying from Buzzard Wood into the trees on the south side of the road being the only addition to the species we'd already seen.
We headed off to Tescos to pick up some lunch for Nat. I waited in the car seeing only a few Starlings. We decided to head first to Auchmithie then work our way back from there. Passing City Quay in traffic I spotted a few Feral Pigeons. Carrion Crow was added on our way along Arbroath Road towards the dual carriageway to Arbroath. Rook, Lesser Black Backed Gull and Black Headed Gull were added from the car as we chatted on our way towards Auchmithie. We arrived in the village around 1430 and decided to check around the football pitch behind the houses. As it is surrounded by bushes, it can be quite productive in the right conditions. House Sparrows were on the wires and active around the back gardens. There were a nice mix of other birds feeding down on the edges of the football pitch including Goldfinches and Pied Wagtails (at least one of which could have been a White Wagtail but it flew off before I could get a photo). A couple of Song Thrushes were in the bushes behind the far goal, and a Woodpigeon clattered its way out of cover and over the fields. Our next find was a Robin, followed by a Dunnock and a Corn Bunting showed long enough on an overhead wire to confirm the ID before dropping into the field and out of view.
The garden at the top of the road down to the beach is always worth a quick look and we picked up Chaffinch and Tree Sparrow as well as more House Sparrows here with a flock of Linnets flying round in the stubble field behind. We wandered slowly down the track checking the bushes and trees as we went. I found a Wren and a Yellowhammer but other birds proved very elusive with fleeting glimpses as they darted across the small gaps from tree to tree above the burn. Black Headed Gull and Herring Gull were seen out in the bay though we chose not to go all the way down to the pebble beach. A Cormorant splashed down offshore. A small flock of Swallows zipped over and away.
Rather than walk along the rather exposed cliff top to Gaylet Pot and up through the farm, I decided that Seaton Den might be worth a look instead. It wasn't. Wren, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Blackbird and Song Thrush were seen but none particularly well. Few other birds were seen or heard, though there could have been almost anything hiding from us. Cormorant, Oystercatcher, Herring Gull, Kittiwake and Black Headed Gull were seen from the cliff top at the eastern end of the Den. A Razorbill in the bay was the one slight highlight.
Arbroath was to be our next destination, so we headed back down through the town to the area along from the cliffs. With the tide out, there were birds roosting on the rocky shore so we scanned through them. Herring Gull, Black Headed Gull, Great Black Backed Gull and Curlew were not unexpected finds. A pair of Jackdaws on the grass were a welcome sight but not unexpected either. A Ringed Plover shot past low before landing not too far away. A Rock Pipit and a Pied Wagtail foraged around below the seawall for insect life. Oystercatcher and Redshank were eventually picked out further out towards the water and a small group of Terns were mostly Common, though there was at least one Sandwich Tern with them. Out on the water I picked out an Eider drake and much further out a Gannet or two made their way north.
Next stop was Easthaven near where Little Egret and Barred Warbler had both been reported earlier in the day. I didn't hold out a great deal of hope of seeing either but there was no harm in trying. Unexpectedly, the first new species seen here was Black Tailed Godwit as a small group overflew. Bar Tailed is the default Godwit here and we did eventually find a few of these further on among the rock pools and sheltered inlets. A large flock of Lapwings wheeled around from some unseen disturbance before half the flock settled and the rest headed inland towards the fields. Black Headed and Herring Gulls were dotted around, and three Mallards dropped in.
I managed to find a couple of Golden Plover and a Grey Heron's head and neck appeared from behind a big rock. A slightly larger group of ducks in flight turned out to be Wigeon and there were still small pockets of terns roosting on the rocks, with a few in flight. Again, as at Arbroath, they were mostly Common with a handful of Sandwich amongst them. Two Skylarks flew over to land on the beach among the rocks and a Meadow Pipit called as it flew ahead of us along the beach. With time pushing on and the light starting to dip, we decided on one more quick stop, just along the road at Westhaven.
We didn't wander too far from the car park at Westhaven, choosing just to scan instead. Common Gull was added here, and Turnstone was also found. A surprise was a Common Sandpiper foraging around very near to a much larger Curlew among the rocks. I suggested a couple of possible additions to the day list from the car as we headed back towards Dundee. Collared Dove and Buzzard were the most likely, and so it turned out with Collared Dove on a chimney as we headed through Carnoustie and a Buzzard on a hay bale as we passed Barry. I arrived home just a few minutes short of having done a twelve hour birding stint while Nat had managed more than thirteen.
A long day but worthwhile without being outstanding. 66 species seen in total.
Birds seen outwith Riverside Nature Park (55 species) - Bar Tailed Godwit, Blackbird, Black Headed Gull, Black Tailed Godwit, Blue Tit, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Collared Dove, Common Gull, Common Sandpiper, Common Tern, Cormorant, Corn Bunting, Curlew, Dunnock, Eider, Gannet, Golden Plover, Goldfinch, Great Black Backed Gull, Great Tit, Grey Heron, Grey Wagtail, Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Kittiwake, Lapwing, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Linnet, Mallard, Meadow Pipit, Oystercatcher, Peregrine, Pied Wagtail, Pink Footed Goose, Razorbill, Redshank, Ringed Plover, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Rock Pipit, Rook, Sandwich Tern, Skylark, Song Thrush, Starling, Swallow, Tree Sparrow, Turnstone, Wigeon, Woodpigeon, Wren, Yellowhammer.
Birds at Riverside Nature Park (45 species - birds in italics here only) - Blackbird, Blackcap, Black Headed Gull, Black Tailed Godwit, Blue Tit, Buzzard, Canada Goose, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Common Gull, Cormorant, Curlew, Dunnock, Goldcrest, Goldfinch, Great Black Backed Gull, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Grey Heron, Grey Wagtail, Herring Gull, Jackdaw, Jay, Knot, Lapwing, Long Tailed Tit, Magpie, Mallard, Meadow Pipit, Oystercatcher, Pied Wagtail, Pink Footed Goose, Redshank, Reed Bunting, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Skylark, Song Thrush, Starling, Stock Dove, Swallow, Wigeon, Woodpigeon, Wren.