Nat had arranged to pick me up at 0800, so at least I was guaranteed that there was going to be someone there. Ian Ford, the chairman of the Friends of Riverside Nature Park, had also said he was coming along, so things looked promising for topping the 3 people total from May, if nothing else. House Sparrow, Starling and Woodpigeon were all seen as I walked round to meet Nat, with Herring Gull and Carrion Crow added as we headed in the direction of the Nature Park. Although the weather forecast had been for cloud, it was a lovely clear morning, though there was a bit of mist over the river. Feral Pigeon was seen as we headed past the waterfront works and onto Riverside Drive.
Reaching the Nature Park, our first bird at the park was another Carrion Crow. There were already a few cars in the car park and we were joined by woman who had arrived well in advance of the start time. Within a few minutes the car park started to fill up and it wasn't all dog-walkers. There was plenty to see as we stood in the car park, with Blackbirds, Blue Tit, Woodpigeon, Chaffinch and Robin all seen in the bushes and trees surrounding us, while Feral Pigeons passed over. In addition, it was clear that there was at least some vis-mig happening with a few Mistle Thrush and a few single Song Thrushes passing over. A Stock Dove sped low over the trees and out of sight before Nat could get onto it.
A skein of Pink Footed Geese passed over southwards quite high in the sky. A Magpie could be seen, and heard, further up the path. With the time having reached the start time for the walk, I addressed the assembled masses - numbering over 20 at this point, explaining what the plan was - up the hill first to look for migrants passing over, then back to search for Snipe at the flood, explore the lower half of the park then along past the Lochan in time to catch the tide on its way back out from the hide and then back to the car park after hopefully having seen lots of birds. With such large numbers it was going to be tricky to ensure that most folk managed to see the birds we spotted. Thankfully, Ian said he'd bring up the rear, which meant that there was experienced eyes and ears at the back, and me at the front.
Song Thrushes and Blackbirds were seen among the bushes and a Pied Wagtail flew over. A Great Tit was spotted a bit further round. A Meadow Pipit passed over as we headed up the hill. Everyone spread out around the top of the hill and I tried to keep up some sort of commentary as and when birds could be heard, or seen. Thankfully, there was a decent amount of movement. Herring Gulls and Black Headed Gulls could be seen down on the water with a few Mallard and Teal dotted around also. In addition to the Song Thrushes, we had Siskin, Tree Sparrow, Reed Bunting, Skylark and Starlings pass over. Cormorant and a lone Lesser Black Backed Gull were seen in the bay. Ian spotted a small flock of Dunlin as they flew out of the bay and round towards the airport.
I had a quick discussion with Ian and we decided that splitting the group into two was the best plan. We split into two groups and my group headed off back downhill towards the car park again. It was still quite a large group and it was difficult at times to ensure that everyone heard what was being said, or that everyone was able to see everything that was in view. We hadn't gone far when a small bird was spotted at the top of the old soil test area. Surprisingly, this turned out to be a male Stonechat, only the second known sighting at the park of the species, the first being a juvenile bird in front of the hide a few days after the park opened. The bird showed well atop the vegetation at the top of the hill and I think everyone managed to see it from our group.
A Chiffchaff was seen in the trees by the car park, and a few Greenfinches were in the bushes by the flood. I explained about the Snipe and Jack Snipe being almost impossible to see unless they flushed and explained that I would walk through the flood and that if anything flushed it was likely to be one or the other. I have mixed feelings about deliberately flushing the birds. On one hand it is letting folk see a bird they would otherwise probably be unlikely to encounter. On the other, it is deliberately disturbing the bird(s). My compromise was to take a more or less direct route through the flood which would hopefully only flush birds that were close to where I was, leaving others (including any likely Jack Snipe) hopefully relatively undisturbed. As I walked slowly through the long, wet vegetation a bird took off, but it was only a Yellowhammer. Seconds later, a single Snipe shot out and away giving everyone a tail-end view as it gained height and headed beyond the car park, most likely to the relative tranquility of the area beyond the compost area.
I heard a Great Spotted Woodpecker and spotted it as it landed in a tree-top but trying to get everyone onto the bird proved impossible. Thankfully as we reached the upper half of the park, I heard the bird call and spotted it flying towards us and pointed it out. I think most folk managed to see it this time, and to hear it as it called loudly from the trees just behind us. Round on the Lochan, the local Mute Swans were back in attendance along with a single male Teal and a few Mallards. A Goldfinch flew out from the hedge as we headed for the hide to check out the bay.
Just coming out from the hide was Ian and his group. We quickly compared notes and Ian loaned us his scope and tripod so we could see the waders in the bay better. There were lots of Dunlin, as well as decent numbers of Redshanks, some Oystercatcher and a few Lapwings. In addition there were Carrion Crows, Jackdaws, Feral Pigeons and Black Headed and Herring Gulls. The scope was used to give folk better views but with the time now around the advertised ending time of 1030 some of the group left to head back to their cars, while the rest of us took a slower wander back, arriving back at about 1040-ish.
There was no sign of Ian's group but I did get a flypast by a Buzzard and then had reasonable views of a Long Tailed Tit flock by the car park. The species had been on the hoped-for list of a young Slovenian girl who had gone with her parents in Ian's group, but I don't think they managed to run into them. The Great Spotted Woodpecker also gave myself and Nat good views as it perched in the top of a tree just up from the car park before Ian's group arrived back. There was a bit of chatting and as cheerios were being said I spotted a raptor quite high in the sky. Just as I identified it as a Sparrowhawk it went into a rather fast stoop and disappeared over towards the hill. Not a bad way to round off the walk.
My group had seen 43 species with Ian's group adding a few others - Goldfinch, Great Black Backed Gull, Lesser Redpoll and Wren though they missed some of those birds we saw.
Species seen at park - Blackbird, Black Headed Gull, Blue Tit, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Cormorant, Curlew, Dunlin, Goldfinch, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Herring Gull, Jackdaw, Lapwing, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Long Tailed Tit, Magpie, Mallard, Meadow Pipit, Mistle Thrush, Mute Swan, Oystercatcher, Pied Wagtail, Pink Footed Goose, Redshank, Reed Bunting, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Siskin, Skylark, Snipe, Song Thrush, Sparrowhawk, Starling, Stock Dove, Stonechat, Teal, Tree Sparrow, Woodpigeon, Yellowhammer. (Also Goldfinch, Great Black Backed Gull, Lesser Redpoll, Wren seen by second group).
Species seen before arriving at park - Carrion Crow, Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Feral Pigeon, Starling, Woodpigeon.
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| Mistle Thrush |
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| Stonechat |
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| Robin |
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| Pink Footed Geese |
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| Buzzard |
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| Woodpigeon |
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| Great Spotted Woodpecker |
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| Long Tailed Tit |
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| Song Thrush |
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| Sparrowhawk |