With Spring migration well underway as recent blogs will testify, a visit to my former 'local patch' at Riverside Nature Park to see if the Lesser Whitethroats and their common-er cousins the Whitethroats had returned was a reason to get out and about once the wet weather in the morning had abated.
 |
| Swallow |
I headed out at around 1240, picking up Starling and then Herring Gull as the first and second species seen, followed a minute later by a Carrion Crow and from the bus into town, Feral Pigeon. Nothing was added from the bus on the second part of the journey and I reached the park shortly before 1315.
A Carrion Crow overflew and a Woodpigeon flew off as I entered the wooden gate at the eastern end of the park. A Pied Wagtail scampered around on the grass. Long Tailed Tits flitted through the bushes, their distinctive contact calls ringing out. A pair of Swallows flew low above the longer grass. A Chiffchaff sang from the bushes and I succeeded in taking a short video with the Nikon P900 (now on YouTube - search for "stonefaction" for this and other bird clips).
A Chaffinch was next on the list followed by a singing Willow Warbler in a tree at Buzzard Wood. A Blackcap called from further in, and proved rather tricky to see, but perseverance finally paid off with slightly more than a glimpse of the male bird as it buzzed around among the branches. Goldfinches and Reed Buntings fed along the hedge opposite Buzzard Wood. Feral Pigeons overflew and a wander through the marshy ground put up two Common Snipe.
Heading back for a better look at Buzzard Wood, I was rather surprised when a female Mallard splashed down in the corner puddle rather noisily. A Stock Dove passed over towards the bay. I spotted a Magpie disappearing into the trees over to the west. The first Blackbird of the day hopped around near the path before ducking into cover as I approached. A female House Sparrow feeding around the corner of the path at the fields was a bit of a surprise. Another Pied Wagtail showed well here also.
Great Tit and then Blue Tit were seen among the trees and bushes by the short sloping section up to the western half of the park. I was pleasantly surprised at the Lochan to find a pair of Gadwall sleeping, alongside 3 pairs of Teal while a Mallard pair fed around the edges of the pool. The Gadwall had been seen a few weeks ago during the Dawn Chorus event run by the Friends Of Riverside Nature Park group but I had only heard about the sighting a day or so previously. The Gadwall is the 137th species recorded at/from the park since it opened in 2011 and one of my predictions that I made in my "Nature Park" ebook (available on Blurb or itunes) for potential new birds for the park list.
A pair of Jackdaws dropped in for a drink, as did a Stock Dove. I headed along to the hide next overlooking the bay. With the tide well out I wasn't expecting much, and with the vegetation nearby blocking a lot of the view I didn't see too much. A ringed Mute Swan (SBV) was in the burn outflow. Herring Gulls and Lesser Black Backed Gulls stood on the pipe with others in the burn. A few Shelduck could be seen on the mud. Another three Gadwall swam up the burn a bit before drifting back down out of sight again.
I walked back round to get a better look out over the bay, spotting Oystercatchers, more Shelduck pairs, Redshank, Teal, Mallards and a single Black Tailed Godwit. Behind me, a Skylark took t the iar from near the top of the hill. I scanned out over the exposed mud in the river which added Curlew and Black Headed Gull to the day list. From the wooden gate into the compost area, I scanned over the grassy area beyond, and found a Wheatear hopping around. Then another, and another and another. Four of them together. Another nice surprise.
A Meadow Pipit called as it overflew and a small group of Linnets lifted from the grassy bank along the compost area. I wandered up the hill and scanned from there, adding a Cormorant and a Common Gull. Another lazy circuit of the park added nothing new and at around 5pm I headed for home, adding House Sparrow as I waited for the bus.
38 species seen in the park (1 extra outside - in brackets). No sign of the hoped for 2 species though.
Blackbird, Blackcap, Black Headed Gull, Black Tailed Godwit, Bue Tit, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Common Gull, Cormorant, Curlew, Gadwall, Goldfinch, Great Tit, Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Linnet, Long Tailed Tit, Magpie, Mallard, Meadow Pipit, Mute Swan, Oystercatcher, Pied Wagtail, Redshank, Reed Bunting, Feral Pigeon, Shelduck, Skylark, Snipe, (Starling), Stock Dove, Swallow, Teal, Wheatear, Willow Warbler, Woodpigeon.
 |
| Swallow |
 |
| Swallow |
 |
| Swallow |
 |
| Pied Wagtail |
 |
| Gadwall |
 |
| Jackdaw |
 |
| Mute Swan |
 |
| Black Tailed Godwit |
 |
| Wheatear |
 |
| Gadwall |
 |
| Gadwall |
 |
| Gadwall |
 |
| Stock Dove |