Despite intending on getting out birding on each of my "5-day weekend" break from work, I had failed on both the Sunday and Monday to do any birding whatsoever, choosing instead to stay at home, editing photos and not blogging (as I possibly should have been doing) and various other things. However, I decided that I wasn't going to spend the Tuesday stuck indoors. However, the weather forecast meant that a vague plan to go to Fife Ness was put on the back-burner. If I timed it right I could pop down to Riverside Nature Park and hopefully see the waders in the bay as the tide came in, and all before the forecast rain arrived.
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| Grey Heron |
I set off at around 1045 beginning my day-list with the trio of Blackbird, Herring Gull and Swift. Woodpigeon and Feral Pigeon were both added from the bus into town. The journey from the city centre to the Nature Park proved very quiet with only a single House Martin seen above houses on the Perth Road. A Sandwich Tern was the first bird seen on arrival at the park with a bird passing eastwards over the airport heard first. A family group of three Carrion Crows and a solitary Woodpigeon were next as I walked hurriedly along the road to the Invergowrie end of the park. A few Swifts were seen high above and a Black Headed Gull transited over from the direction of the bay.
I decided to scan first from the bridge over the railway line which gives a better view of the waders than can be had from the hide. There were Redshanks down below the hide, a few Oystercatchers and a Curlew, as well as the usual mix of gulls - Black Headed, Common, Lesser Black Backed and Herring Gulls. From the path to the hide I added Cormorant, then scanning from the hide itself, I found Mallard, Lapwing, Feral Pigeon, Jackdaw and Carrion Crow. I chatted to a couple of impressed visitors who were making their first visit to the park but who said they were thoroughly impressed with it. A Grey Heron flew in and found itself mobbed by a Lesser Black Backed Gull. A passing train spooked most of the waders so I headed off into the park to see what else was about, before the rain which looked fairly imminent arrived.
A Sedge Warbler sang loudly from the bushes by the path and I spotted it tucked in among the branches of a small bush before it dropped further into the vegetation and out of sight. A few House Martins passed over. In the fenced off area near the end of the path I chanced upon a nice little mixed group of birds - a few Reed Buntings, a few Whitethroats and Goldfinches.The Lochan was empty and there was little else to be seen, or even heard as I headed round towards the car park. A Buzzard was spotted towards the airport. At Buzzard Wood I added Chaffinch, Willow Warbler and Blackbird before I headed for the exit as the rain started to fall. A Wren family was in the bushes by the eastern pedestrian entrance.
I decided that rather than going home to sit around, I may as well sit around in the hide at Guardbridge and see some birds in the process, so I caught the bus into town and another across to Fife. Swallow was the only addition seen from the bus on the way. I was hoping that the tide would be beginning to head back out and that I might find some interesting waders around, though it is still slightly early for most of the really good passage species (though Ruff and Green Sandpiper have been seen at Montrose Basin this week).
When I arrived the tide had started to turn but most of the birds were still quite distant round by the 'goalposts'. There were birds around the feeders though - Blue Tits, Great Tits, Chaffinches and Greenfinches. Mute Swans, Curlews and Redshanks were the most obvious species along with the gulls - Great Black Backed, Herring, Common and Lesser Black Backed. The local Buzzard youngsters loitered around by the conifers opposite the hide. A pair of Common Sandpipers flitted low across the river to forage along the fence-line. A Grey Heron flew in but there was no sign of any Little Egret. Carrion Crows wandered around on the freshly exposed mud.
The Canada Geese flock wandered off the salt marsh and out across the mud to the water. A few Oystercatchers were spotted around on the mud and a very distant Cormorant was seen, wings held outstretched in characteristic pose. A large group of Goosanders swam upriver, sometimes on the surface and sometimes under it. I counted 24 in the group and later found another 4 further down the river. Tree Sparrow and House Sparrow both showed at the feeders. Once again I managed to spot a distant Osprey hunting out over the outer reaches of the estuary. A Sand Martin whizzed past. I had noticed a few Swifts flying in and over the hide earlier in the afternoon. The more I looked the more I noticed that there was actually a fairly steady passage of a few birds every minute or two passing over, possibly moving ahead of the weather.
A Dunnock appeared below the feeders, and I eventually spotted a Mallard on the river before deciding to head for home. Starling was added at the bus stop, while a Greenfinch sang from its perch on a TV aerial. Jackdaw and Rook were both seen from the bus as I headed back to Dundee after a quieter day's birding than the previous attempt. Still, as always, it was better than sitting at home.
List in two parts - Riverside Nature Park (27 species seen) - Blackbird, Black Headed Gull, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Common Gull, Cormorant, Curlew, Goldfinch, Grey Heron, Herring Gull, House Martin, Jackdaw, Lapwing, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Mallard, Oystercatcher, Redshank, Reed Bunting, Feral Pigeon, Sandwich Tern, Sedge Warbler, Swift, Whitethroat, Willow Warbler, Woodpigeon, Wren.
Dundee and Guardbridge (35 species seen) - Blackbird, Black Headed Gull, Blue Tit, Buzzard, Canada Goose, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Common Gull, Common Sandpiper, Cormorant, Curlew, Dunnock, Goosander, Great Black Backed Gull, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Grey Heron, Herring Gull, House Martin, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Mallard, Mute Swan, Osprey, Oystercatcher, Redshank, Feral Pigeon, Rook, Sand Martin, Starling, Swallow, Swift, Tree Sparrow, Woodpigeon.
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| Herring Gull |
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| Herring Gull |
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| Grey Heron |
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| Grey Heron & Redshank |
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| Goosander |
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| Goosander |
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| Herring Gull |
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| Osprey |
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| Buzzard |
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| Redshank |
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| Redshank |
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| Curlew |
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| Common Sandpiper |
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| Swift |
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| Black Headed Gull |
