With a week off work to look forward to, in the hope of adding a few species to the year-list and in the process take me closer to beating my best ever year total of 205 species (from 2010), I had a vague plan to get out birding every day for 9 days. Obviously the weather conditions would play a part in whether or not I would be able to. I was a bit more tired than I would have liked on the 1st of the 9 days - the first Saturday. I contemplated a trip to St Andrews and a walk along part of the coastal path from there eastwards, but it was after 1000 before I even got out of bed. I decided to try Riverside Nature Park in the hope of seeing a Jack Snipe instead.
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| Robin |
It was around 1110 when I headed out to catch a bus into town. Herring Gull, Blackbird and Feral Pigeon were seen from the bus stop and on the way out to the park from the city centre I managed to add Carrion Crow and Starlings on the Perth Road as well as a Collared Dove on the roof on one of the big old houses near the Botanic Gardens. Walking down the track to the railway underpass I found a singing Robin while above it in a Sycamore tree, a Goldcrest zipped around among the greenery.
I crossed the road to head into the park at the eastern entrance. A Carrion Crow was the first species seen in the park, with a Robin in the bushes just inside and a flock of Feral Pigeons flying past following it onto the list. A Woodpigeon flew out from Buzzard Wood. Hunting for Snipe and Jack Snipe in the park requires a bit of wandering through a rather boggy area. If there are any Jack Snipe there, you have to hope you spot them as they will allow you to almost stand on them without moving. I've only seen the species twice in the park and both times the bird has flown out from literally right under my feet. There seems to be a knack for finding them, and I don't appear to have it. Saturday was no exception, and there wasn't even the consolation of a Common Snipe.
The bushes next to the flooded area held Yellowhammer, Reed Bunting, Robin and Song Thrush, while Buzzard Wood produced Chaffinches, Goldfinch and a pair of male Bullfinches. A large flock of around 40-50 Siskins was a pleasant surprise and they milled about, sometimes landing in the tree tops in the wood, allowing me decent views. I heard the loud call of a Great Spotted Woodpecker from deeper in the wood and as I moved to see if I could see the bird, it flew out and over my head and over to the trees bordering the airport and recycling area. A party of Long Tailed Tits and a single Great Tit rounded off the birds seen around the wood.
I headed next up through the car park, where Blackbird and Blue Tit were seen. A Herring Gull flew over and a Stock Dove was seen distantly. A single Magpie was in its usual area, feeding down on the grass where the path forks just west of the car park. At the Lochan, there were a number of roosting Teal and a few sleeping Mallards. Jackdaws flew in from the direction of Ninewells as I headed for the hide to check on the progress of the incoming tide. A few Skylarks passed over as I walked along to the hide, their calls alerting me to their approach. In the bay were a few Dunlin, a relatively large group of Lapwings and a small number of Redshanks, a pair of Mute Swans, Black Headed and Herring Gulls, as well as Mallards, Carrion Crows and Feral Pigeons.
In addition to the above there were also still a trio of Lesser Black Backed Gulls, 3 Goosanders, at least 1 Common Gull, a Cormorant and surprisingly a possibly injured Canada Goose. A skein of Pink Footed Goose looked like they might land in the bay but changed their minds and continued over. A while later as I walked further round towards the hill, a single bird swept low over the bay and back round and over me, which let me get some nice low flight shots. A Meadow Pipit headed over westwards. I made another lap of most of the park which gave me further views of some of the birds already seen.
A Common Darter dragonfly was darting around near the Lochan, which was a surprise as it wasn't a particularly warm day. I saw a lady lean over the fence at Buzzard Wood and put down a dog poo bag. As she didn't appear to have a dog with her, I wondered what she was up to, and wandered over for a look. Surprisingly she was actually releasing 5 Frogs that she had found in her garden. She was worried that her dog might get them. There had been a bit of discussion a few years ago about the possibility of releasing a few Frogs from a committee members garden, but with no way of knowing whether they might have any sort of disease it was decided to not be a wise move. I explained this to the woman but as the Frogs were already out of the bag, it was a bit too late, though she may think twice about doing the same again. As might my remark about the Frogs being safer in the park until the Herons find them.....
A text came in from Fife with regards a Great Northern Diver having been found off the West Sands at St Andrews and I contemplated heading back into town to catch a bus over as I still haven't seen the species this year, but decided against it. I continued my second circuit of the park instead. A Pied Wagtail overflew, a Goldcrest foraged in trees near where the Magpie was. A Mistle Thrush and a Wren were both seen before I headed for home around 1445 having seen a total of 39 species in the park and 8 outside.
Species seen - (birds seen outside AND inside the park in italics, birds only seen outside in bold) -
Blackbird, Black Headed Gull, Blue Tit, Bullfinch, Canada Goose,
Carrion Crow, Chaffinch,
Collared Dove, Common Gull, Cormorant, Dunlin,
Goldcrest, Goldfinch, Goosander, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Great Tit,
Herring Gull, Jackdaw, Lapwing, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Long Tailed Tit, Magpie, Mallard, Meadow Pipit, Mistle Thrush, Mute Swan, Pied Wagtail, Pink Footed Goose, Redshank, Reed Bunting,
Robin,
Feral Pigeon, Siskin, Skylark, Song Thrush,
Starling, Stock Dove, Teal, Woodpigeon, Wren, Yellowhammer.
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| Siskin |
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| Siskin |
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| Siskin |
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| Bullfinch |
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| Common Frog |
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| Reed Bunting |
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| Robin |
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| Magpie |
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| Teal |
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| Lapwing & Dunlin |
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| Goosander |
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| Long Tailed Tit |
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| Canada Goose |
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| Cormorant |
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| Pink Footed Goose |
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| Pink Footed Goose |
