With a guided walk to lead this coming Sunday and Nat unable to join me for our usual mid-week outing, there was only really one contender for my birding destination this Wednesday. Riverside Nature Park. I did linger far longer in my bed than intended so instead of a whole day at the park, I only spent around 4 hours in the afternoon. However, this did give me an idea of what can be expected on Sunday, which was the reason for going, so it was time well spent.
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| Teal |
Between leaving the house and reaching the city centre I saw a grand total of no birds, though Robin and Blue Tit were both heard on Dens Road. A Feral Pigeon wandering around by the bus stops in Whitehall Street was the very first bird seen. The second was a fly-by Magpie at Seabraes as the bus stopped briefly in traffic. A Woodpigeon was added before I reached the Nature Park after getting off the bus.
A fly-over Black Headed Gull was the first bird seen at the park, with a Blackbird on the path and a Robin in the bushes all seen within the first few minutes. A calling Chiffchaff turned out to be at least a pair of birds in the bushes further along. A Carrion Crow headed in the direction of the houses on the Perth Road. I wandered round to check the front of Buzzard Wood, where the usual Chaffinches were in the company of a few Goldfinches and Blue Tits. I was hoping that I might find a Jack Snipe in the flooded area but a short alk through the rather well-vegetated area produced only a single Common Snipe.
A pair of Jackdaws called loudly to each other as they passed overhead in the sunshine. A Woodpigeon flew over as I reached the car park. A Buzzard circled to the north, its calls audible in part due to the lack of wind on what was a very nice 'Indian Summer' day. A pair of Song Thrushes were seen just west of the car park and Feral Pigeons could be seen passing over in small groups with a few Woodpigeons also passing over. A Coal Tit and a Great Spotted Woodpecker were seen before I reached the Lochan as well as a brief view of an unidentified warbler.
The Lochan held the Mute Swan pair and a single sleeping Teal. As I headed towards the bay, Herring Gulls drifted over and a single Cormorant was seen out on the pipe as I checked the state of the tide. Gulls and waders could be seen further in, but the light made things difficult for definite identification at the distances involved. A Pied Wagtail was seen as I walked along to the hide for a better view. Curlew, Oystercatcher, Redshank and Mallard were all added, but with the tide still having a good while left before it pushed the waders into a more favourable viewing spot, I headed back out again to do a circuit of the western half of the park again.
A Reed Bunting female was atop one of the Buddleia bushes overlooking the bay and I eventually managed to see an overflying Meadow Pipit (I'd heard a few calling birds earlier but failed to see them). Looking back along the pipe I spotted a pair of Lesser Black Backed Gulls among the Herring Gulls. Near the car park, I spooked the Magpie pair off the grass and they flew up into the trees on the bend. I stopped at the Lochan for photos of the now rather close male Teal which was moulting back out of eclipse plumage and the swan pair. A few Common Darter dragonflies were seen along this stretch of path too.
As I walked back towards the bay, I felt something on my ear and brushed it off. It turned out to be a reasonably large spider of a species I wasn't sure I'd seen before, but which I identified later at home as a female Araneus Quadratus (I think). I don't mind spiders too much, but I prefer them not to be crawling around on my head. I met Ian Ford, the chairman of the Friends of Riverside Nature Park group, at the hide and we chatted about what was around and the planned walk on Sunday. I added Dunlin, Grey Heron and Common Gull to the list here but despite plenty effort failed to find anything unusual among the waders or gulls.
Ian joined me for a wander round the park again and we did succeed in adding a few more species to the list with Great Tit near the Lochan and at least 15 Long Tailed Tits at the back of Buzzard Wood. A skein of Pink Footed Geese flew upriver, and a small group of Lapwings flew in from near the airport. We also heard Siskin, Redpoll, Linnet and Wren but failed to see any of them. Seconds after leaving Ian near the Lochan a Stock Dove flew by, looking like it was stopping off at the Lochan but there was no sign from the hide. Further round by the car park a small flock of Starlings overflew. A cyclist stopped to chat near Buzzard Wood as I was headed for the exit and a second Stock Dove overflew during the discussion. I headed for home and thankfully just made it to the bus stop in time to avoid a 12 minute wait for the next bus. A Magpie was seen just as I was reaching home. I think it is probably safe to say the species is now well established in Dundee.
38 species seen in the sunshine, though nothing too spectacular, but a decent afternoon out anyway. Species seen - Blackbird, Black Headed Gull, Blue Tit, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Coal Tit, Common Gull, Cormorant, Curlew, Dunlin, Goldfinch, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Great Tit, Grey Heron, Herring Gull, Jackdaw, Lapwing, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Long Tailed Tit, Magpie, Mallard, Meadow Pipit, Mute Swan, Oystercatcher, Pied Wagtail, Pink Footed Goose, Redshank, Reed Bunting, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Snipe, Song Thrush, Starling, Stock Dove, Teal, Woodpigeon
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| Buzzard |
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| Song Thrush |
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| Common Darter |
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| Mute Swan |
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| Teal |
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| Araneus Quadratus |
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| Garden Spider |
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| Teal |
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| Reed Bunting |
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| Pink Footed Geese |
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| Shaggy Inkcap |
