Having wasted too many days lately by not wanting to get out of bed and venture outside, I decided that I needed to break that cycle and force myself up and out for a change. An early start would also hopefully mean that I would see plenty of birds. Early returning migrants would naturally be the main hoped for target species - Chiffchaff, Wheatear and Sand Martin especially. I settled on heading to Riverside Nature Park first and then over to Fife, to most likely walk the Eden between Guardbridge and St Andrews though I was wholly undecided on which direction.
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| Goldfinch |
When the alarm went off, I got out of bed rather than hitting snooze and around an hour later at 0710 I was out the door. As expected there were a few birds around with the local Herring Gulls kick-starting the day's list followed immediately after by Blackbird, House Sparrow and Woodpigeon. Carrion Crow, Feral Pigeon and Lesser Black Backed Gull were next as I walked to the bus stop. With roadworks on Ward Road meaning a large detour away from where I wanted to be, I got off the bus at the top of the Wellgate which meant I managed to add Grey Wagtail to the list as I passed the entrance road into the multi-storey car park for the shopping centre. An Oystercatcher was perched atop one of the University buildings as the bus headed out the Perth Road. Overflying Starling and Blue Tit were both seen before I got off the bus. A singing Robin was added as I walked down the path to take me under the railway line.
I heard a calling Chiffchaff but a few minutes trying to relocate it resulted in not even a glimpse of the bird among the trees by the railway line. I decided that if I didn't find one in the park I would spend a bit of time searching along the railway line trees afterwards. Into the park I went, Carrion Crow and Woodpigeon were the first species seen, quickly followed by numerous Chaffinches in the trees. New dog control signs were a very welcome and highly visible new addition (at least to me - not to the lady who breezed past them later oblivious, her dog ignoring all attempts to call him back). An Oystercatcher flew over and a Blackbird hopped around on the path a little further ahead.
I headed round past Buzzard Wood. I heard a Pheasant calling and saw a female over by the fence at the road. With her was a male, which I hadn't seen before in the park. It would appear we may have a pair, so maybe we will get some baby Pheasants soon unless the local foxes find them first. A singing Song Thrush drew attention to itself next and a singing Robin did likewise. As it was such a calm morning with little wind the air was full of bird-song which could be heard at a distance. I wandered up through the car park. A pair of Goldfinches flew over and a pair of Yellowhammers perched atop the Buddleia bushes by the path. Jackdaws with nesting material were shuttling back and forwards from beyond the recycling area to Ninewells and back for more.
A Meadow Pipit flew off calling as it went near the hill. A few Skylarks took flight from near the top of the hill and I eventually managed to count 7 in all, though a few may have been the same birds going up again. A Dunnock sang from the bushes round towards the bay and a pair of Reed Buntings were in the bushes by the fork in the path further round. In the bay I could see a few Teal, some Shelduck, a pair of Mute Swans and a Cormorant stood on the pipe with wings held outstretched. Black Headed and Herring Gulls flew around as I continued on towards the hide. A Pied Wagtail flew over.
The tide wasn't quite as far in as I'd hoped it would be but there were still a few birds around out in front of the hide. Teal and Mallard plus Feral Pigeons and gulls including Lesser Black Backed Gulls as well as Redshanks and a few Oystercatchers were the most obvious. A bit more scanning found a single Snipe in front of the reedbed at Invergowrie Station. A Starling overflew. I could hear a singing Chiffchaff from beyond the railway line towards Invergowrie but wherever it was , it didn't appear to be visible from the hide. I knew there had been one holding territory in the same area last year so I had an idea where it might be. I decided to venture out of the park for a look.
I didn't really have to look too hard as the bird was flying out from the bare top branches of a tall tree to catch insects as well as calling loudly when it was perched. My first
Chiffchaff of 2016 and the start of Spring migrants arriving back. April and May can turn up almost anything and come a close second to September and October for unpredictability in birding around the east coast of Scotland. Fingers crossed for a bumper year. I headed back into the park to see if I could see the bird from the hide. I could. That meant it could go on the park list for the day. Having scanned again to make sure I hadn't missed anything I headed off towards the Lochan.
Mallards and Teal but no visiting waders were all there was to be seen at the Lochan, though there were Jackdaws, Starlings, Woodpigeons and Oystercatchers in the field too. I spotted a Buzzard perched on a fence post at the corner of the field but it flew off before I got a photo. Near the car park, I heard a Great Spotted Woodpecker call from the trees and then saw it fly off away from me. A pair of Long tailed Tits fed among the trees at the other end of the car park. I added Blue Tit to the list at Buzzard Wood and a large-ish bird flying into trees beside the road turned out to be an unexpected Jay.
A Greenfinch displayed at Buzzard Wood also and as I stopped to talk to a dog walker who I had passed earlier I spotted a male Bullfinch in the trees opposite, and as we chatted, coincidentally about his percieved lack of Buzzards I spotted one circling out of the corner of my eye. Seconds later a Sparrowhawk flew by, over the access road in. With the time approaching 1000 I headed to the Perth Road to catch a bus having seen 37 species in/from the park.
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| Pheasant |
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| Carrion Crow |
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| Blackbird |
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| Reed Bunting |
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| Goldfinch |
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| Redshank |
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| Chiffchaff |
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| Chiffchaff |
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| Buzzard |
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| Jackdaw |
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| Yellowhammer |
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| Mallard |
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| Jay |
Species seen - Blackbird, Black Headed Gull, Blue Tit, Bullfinch, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch,
Chiffchaff, Cormorant, Dunnock, Goldfinch, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Greenfinch, Herring Gull, Jackdaw, Jay, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Long Tailed Tit, Mallard, Meadow Pipit, Mute Swan, Oystercatcher, Pheasant, Pied Wagtail, Redshank, Reed Bunting, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Shelduck, Skylark, Snipe, Song Thrush, Sparrowhawk, Starling, Teal, Woodpigeon, Yellowhammer.
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| Red Breasted Merganser |
I didn't have too long to wait for a bus into town and was soon on a bus to Guardbridge. A Pied wagtail perched on a roof was spotted from the bus as we passed through Leuchars, and a few Rooks and Jackdaws nearby. A Mute Swan stood by the Motray as the bus arrived in Guardbridge. I headed into the hide which was once again empty, which meant once again I got my favourite perch. Thankfully, despite the tide state there were plenty of birds around - Herring Gulls, Black Headed Gulls and Greater and Lesser Black Backed Gulls near the bend in the river, Dunlin, Knot, Redshank and Black tailed Godwits along the opposite bank, Shelduck, Cormorants, Greylags and Mallards making up the numbers out the front and at the feeders a mixture of Tree Sparrows, Chaffinches, Great Tits and Blue Tits.
In addition to the above there was a single female Pintail (with a pair of Mallards), a Dunnock below the feeders and Greenfinches above and last but not least a large group of Whooper Swans. An initial count of these gave a total of 85, though later checks gave 89 and then 90. Rather a lot regardless of the actual total. I was joined in the hide shortly after by regular visitor Gordon Maxwell. More scanning found a few distant Goldeneye, and a few Common Gulls. One of the local Buzzards put in an appearance as the tide continued to recede. A group of Red Breasted Mergansers were further downriver. Out on the mud I found a few Curlews dotted around. Much further downriver a quartet of Tufted Ducks were a fairly unusual find, not being a particularly common sight on this stretch of the Eden.
A Magpie was spotted across the far side of the river feeding on the ground, soon being joined by a second. As I watched a gull fly over a smaller bird crossed its flightpath and I followed the second bird. My first
Sand Martin of 2016 and my second year-tick of the day. A sleeping Teal that I had somehow overlooked was spotted at the water's edge across the other side of the river. The first Grey Heron of the day flew in and landed before changing its mind and moving to a different spot. We were joined by a Fife couple (Eric and Elsie Peebles) and they pointed out a female Great Spotted Woodpecker on the feeders. Another hide regular, George Adam joined us too. The first Little Egret of the day flew by, and George found Eiders well out in the river.
We had been checking the 'Osprey posts' out in the river in the hope that we would find an Osprey but the posts had been empty each time. However we eventually found that one was occupied by a large bird. It wasn't an Osprey though. Photos showed that it was a
White Tailed Eagle, my first of the year. We managed to miss it flying off, but it, or another, returned and we did see that one leave which gave definite confirmation of the ID through the heat haze. A Meadow Pipit which I'd heard calling a few times, including a display flight, eventually appeared where I could see it and went on the list. A Coal Tit was the final addition at the hide and a Pheasant was added from the bus on the way home as I attempted to listen quietly, and nervously, to 10-men Dundee United trying to hang on to a 1 goal lead in Perth (which they did).
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| Cormorant |
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| Whooper Swan |
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| Carrion Crow |
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| Black Tailed Godwit |
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| Black Tailed Godwit |
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| Black Tailed Godwit |
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| White Tailed Eagle & (?) Black Backed Gull |
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| Knot & Dunlin |
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| Grey Heron |
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| Black Headed Gull |
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| Woodpigeon |
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| Red Breasted Merganser & Black Headed Gull |
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| Carrion Crow |
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| Black Headed Gull & Curlew |
10 hours out and about and 62 species of bird seen overall, including 3 year-ticks (in bold).
Birds outwith Riverside Nature Park (54) - Blackbird, Black Headed Gull, Black Tailed Godwit, Blue Tit, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch,
Chiffchaff, Coal Tit, Common Gull, Cormorant, Curlew, Dunlin, Dunnock, Eider, Goldeneye, Goldfinch, Goosander, Great Black Backed Gull, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Grey Heron, Grey Wagtail, Greylag Goose, Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Knot, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Little Egret, Magpie, Mallard, Meadow Pipit, Mute Swan, Oystercatcher, Pheasant, Pied Wagtail, Pink Footed Goose, Pintail, Red Breasted Merganser, Redshank, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Rook,
Sand Martin, Shelduck, Starling, Teal, Tree Sparrow, Tufted Duck,
White Tailed Eagle, Whooper Swan, Woodpigeon.
