One of the good things about keeping a year-list, even if you aren't chasing a big total, is that it gives you a reason to get out and an idea of where to go. This year Nat is intentionally keeping a year-list, having managed a very credible 201 without intending on trying last year, only 5 behind my personal best year of 206. This year we are both keeping running totals again, though we are unlikely to go long distances chasing rarities on their own. Possibly a different story if we can potentially get 3 or more other species at the same time but even then Lothian and Aberdeenshire are probably the limits of our outings. With 2016 off to a really good start there weren't too many 'easy' birds left to target so for a spot of weekend birding we decided to try Riverside Nature Park in the hope of getting Lesser Redpoll or Skylark.
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| Redwing |
I arranged to meet Nat around 0930 to head out to the park. I walked down to our rendezvous point managing to see 8 species on the way - Blackbird and Carrion Crow to start with, followed by Herring Gull, then Blue Tit, Woodpigeon, Feral Pigeon and Starling with Chaffinch a slightly less common addition on this particular route. On the way out along Riverside Drive we managed to see a few Oystercatchers and Black Headed Gulls on the grass near the rail bridge.
As we drove into the park we saw a few Carrion Crows and had a group of 4 Greenfinches in trees by the side of the road. As we got out of the car a Magpie flew into the trees. A Grey Heron overflew, while a few Herring Gulls glided by and a Stock Dove was a nice early 'good' bird for the list. There were a few smaller birds around at the car park including Chaffinches, Blue Tits and Great Tits. A number of Woodpigeons passed over quite high in the sky, heading west. We then chanced upon a large mixed flock of winter thrushes, mostly Redwings but also a few Fieldfares and at least one Mistle Thrush. They were quite wary and flew on ahead of us.
A Great Spotted Woodpecker called and after a wee bit of searching Nat spotted it in the trees behind us - a female bird showing well. A Kestrel glided over a lot higher than usual, stopping briefly to hover above us before continuing on. A Dunnock popped out from under a hedge to feed and a small skein of Pink Footed Geese headed inland, quietly for a change. We walked round towards the Lochan, adding Robin and Blackbird. A single Black Headed Gull was on the water with more stood together at the side while a few Oystercatchers picked around in the grassnearby. A small group of Mallards rested on the opposite bank.
We continued on towards the hide. A few Jackdaws passed over before I spotted 6 Stock Doves flying up from the hill, circling round and landing again. A large-ish group at the park for the species with a pair being the more usual amount together. Invergowrie Bay held a selection of birds, mostly gulls, ducks and waders - Common and Great Black Backed Gulls in addition to Black Headed and Herring Gulls, Mallards and Teal as well as Curlew, Redshank and Oystercatcher. Despite lots of scanning there didn't appear to be anything unusual among them. A Cormorant was on the outflow pipe and a few Siskins dropped into the trees at the hide. Feral Pigeons were in their usual spot on the bridge.
After a good look we moved on again to walk round the front edge of the hill back towards the car park before exploring the lower half of the park. I heard
Skylarks calling and we managed to see the birds, a first for both of us this year. One indulged in a short song-flight up above the hill. Nice to hear even if Spring is technically still a wee bit away yet. A Meadow Pipit flew up ahead of us giving Nat another addition for her year-list. A bit of loud cawing signified some corvid commotion produced the sight of a Buzzard being pursued by 3 Carrion Crows low over the edge of the bay.
A Wren was added at the car park and a Pied Wagtail was seen near Buzzard Wood. There was a lot of flooding around the lower half of the park so there were a lot of detours required to get around. I checked part of the regularly flooded area for Snipe but drew a blank, though when I turned around I spotted a bird hurtling away at a great rate and climbing into the sky. A quick check showed that it was actually a Snipe but it hadn't flushed from anywhere near us. A Song Thrush was singing over in the trees by the road and after a bit of searching we managed to spot it.
We had good views of the large mixed thrush flock feeding en masse on the ground to the west of Buzzard Wood, the amount of flooding around limiting the likely disturbance. To get back to the car park we had to skirt round past them, resulting in them taking flight though they quickly settled again. Goldfinches were in the trees as we walked up the small brae and round to the car park. With nothing of note reported we debated where to go next before settling on Barry Buddon where there was a slight chance of Short Eared Owl and possibly Redpoll. So off we went.
After a spot of lunch we wandered along the cycle path for about a mile, the red flags meaning the main area was off-limits. Birds were in very short supply, a few Chaffinches, Blackbirds and Robins near the beginning, a Buzzard being hassled by two Carrion Crows but little else.We decided to cut our losses and he back to the car. A flock of Lapwings were seen circling round beyond the golf course. Nat spotted a Kestrel in a tree and there were 2 Reed Buntings nearby. Goldfinch rounded off the rather meagre offerings from Barry Buddon. With still a bit of daylight available we weighed up the options for other potential additions before deciding on heading to Craigmill Den in the hope of seeing Treecreeper, a slightly surprising omission so far.
House Sparrows were seen as we headed out of Monifieth. There were also a number of Curlews feeding in roadside fields near Barry village and Collared Dove went on the list as we passed through Carnoustie. There was a flock of Chaffinches around where we parked the car but there didn't appear to be anything else in amongst them. We headed down into the Den but it seemed rather quiet with no birds on the wires and both the burn and trees rather quiet. We eventually spotted movement in a small bush and found a Goldcrest foraging among the branches. A few noisy Jackdaws flew over towards the fields.
While watching another Goldcrest across the burn we both spotted movement above it and there was our target bird, a
Treecreeper, though we did then both lose sight of it. Still, it was my second new bird of the day. Great Tit and Yellowhammer were both seen in the back garden of the house at the bottom end of the Den. We decided to cross the railway line at the level crossing and check out the gull roost at the mouth of the burn. This turned out to be a decent idea with a number of new species for the day bumping up the overall total. Offshore were Eiders, Mallards and Wigeon. On the rocks were Cormorants and among the gulls were a few Great Black Backeds. Grey Herons and Redshanks were on the other side of the burn. A Pied Wagtail flew down onto the beach and a Wren popped up onto a fencepot nearby. Heading back up through the Den we added one final species in the shape of a Dunnock.
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| Black Headed Gull |
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| Pink Footed Geese |
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| Redwing & Fieldfare |
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| Stock Dove |
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| Redwing |
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| Black Headed Gull, Teal, Mallard, Carrion Crow & Redshank |
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| Pink Footed Geese |
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| Skylark |
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| Carrion Crow & Buzzard |
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| Grey Heron |
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| Buzzard |
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| Redwing |
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| Redwing |
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| Magpie |
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| Redwing |
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| Great Spotted Woodpecker |
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| Mistle Thrush |
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| Carrion Crow |
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| Buzzard & Carrion Crow |
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| Reed Bunting |
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| Wren |
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| Chaffinch & Yellowhammer |
A good day out even though we had no real plan for the day. 49 species seen in total including 2 year-ticks (in bold). Species only seen in one location in italics.
38 species seen at Nature Park - Blackbird, Black Headed Gull, Blue Tit, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Common Gull, Cormorant, Curlew, Dunnock,
Fieldfare, Goldfinch, Great Black Backed Gull,
Great Spotted Woodpecker, Great Tit,
Greenfinch, Grey Heron, Herring Gull, Jackdaw, Kestrel,
Magpie, Mallard,
Meadow Pipit,
Mistle Thrush, Oystercatcher, Pied Wagtail,
Pink Footed Goose, Redshank,
Redwing, Robin, Feral Pigeon
, Siskin,
Skylark,
Snipe,
Song Thrush,
Stock Dove, Woodpigeon, Wren.
36 species seen outwith the Nature Park - Blackbird, Black Headed Gull, Blue Tit, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch,
Collared Dove, Common Gull, Cormorant, Curlew, Dunnock,
Eider,
Goldcrest, Goldfinch, Great Black Backed Gull, Great Tit, Grey Heron, Herring Gull,
House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Kestrel,
Lapwing, Mallard, Oystercatcher, Pied Wagtail, Redshank,
Reed Bunting, Robin, Feral Pigeon,
Rook,
Starling, Treecreeper, Wigeon , Woodpigeon, Wren,
Yellowhammer.
