I was supposed to be giving a short talk on Saturday afternoon at the Local Recorders' annual meeting on the subject of the bird species list for Riverside Nature Park, where I'm ostensibly the semi-official local recorder. However, an unplanned but necessary trip to the dental hospital on Friday meant that I was soon one tooth lighter and when I woke up on Saturday morning I still wasn't feeling 100%. Having spent a fair amount of time writing and rewriting notes for what I intended to say, I was reluctant to cancel but the way I was feeling I didn't really have much of a choice. I sent an apologetic email to let them know I wouldn't make it and went back to sleep.
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| Coot |
Later on, I needed to head out for money and some food shopping, so I decided to get a little extra bit of fresh air and go via Swannie Ponds first before heading down to Stobswell for the money and food. Feral Pigeon, Herring Gull and Starling were seen almost as soon as I stepped outside. Blackbird and Woodpigeon were both added a little further on. House Sparrows were seen in and on a hedge on Court Street. A pair of Carrion Crows perched in a tree at the top of the road and a pair of Jackdaws chased each other before landing in the car park across the road.
Arriving a few minutes later at the ponds, a Blue Tit was seen in the trees by the steps. A trio of Coots were out on the water, along with a number of Mallards. The Mute Swan pair were stood on the small ramp along the edge. A few Tufted Ducks were dotted around and a single drake Goosander patrolled the water nearby in expectation of some food. Black Headed Gulls and Herring Gulls were on the water and stood around the pond. A lone Lesser Black Backed Gull lurked nearby. As I walked round the path a few Goldfinches flew over, and a few minutes later the unmistakable call of a Siskin gave me another bird for the list.
A Moorhen pair were stood on a small weedy patch on the lower pond, while a pair of Magpies hopped around on the grass behind the bushes and trees. One of the Coots (with a particularly large white facial 'shield') was aggressively pursuing one of the other Coots around the pond every few minutes. The third Coot swam up and stood next to the Mute Swan pair to preen, giving me some nice close photo opportunities of what tends to be quite a wary bird usually. I scanned the gulls on the lower pond before leaving and found White J4U2, one of the Norwegian ringed Black Headed Gulls stood on the path, and a single Common Gull among the birds out on the water. A female Goosander flew in to join the birds being fed by a few folk round the far side of the top pond as I headed off. A second Lesser Black backed Gull was perched on a lamp post on Pitkerro Road.
I took a short detour towards the pavilion to try to see Long Tailed Tits which I'd heard calling. I found the pair after a few seconds as they foraged among the branches of a small conifer. A Pied Wagtail was heard but not seen. Heading down into Stobswell, another pair of Magpies were on the grass in Baxter Park and a Blue Tit was in the bushes by the gate. Heading for home after picking up my food shopping I added another Magpie near the Terra Nova GP Practice and a pair of Long Tailed Tits on Dundonald Street, not far from the police station. I'd taken an extra 30 minutes or so for the birding detour and had managed 22 species in that time, but was glad to get back home as I still wasn't feeling too great.
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| Goosander |
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| Goosander |
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| Mallard |
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| Goosander |
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| Feral Pigeon |
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| Lesser Black Backed Gull, Herring Gull & Black Headed Gull |
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| Tufted Duck |
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| Herring Gull |
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| Woodpigeon |
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| Tufted Duck |
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| Coot |
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| Coot |
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| Moorhen & Mallard |
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| Coot |
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| Coot |
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| Coot |
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| Magpie |
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| Black Headed Gull (including J4U2) |
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| Moorhens |
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| Black Headed Gull |
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| Common Gull |
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| Tufted Duck |
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| Herring Gull (with deformed bill) |
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| Herring Gull |
Species seen - Blackbird, Black Headed Gull, Blue Tit, Carrion Crow, Common Gull, Coot, Goldfinch, Goosander, Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Long Tailed Tit, Magpie, Mallard, Moorhen, Mute Swan, Feral Pigeon, Siskin, Starling, Tufted Duck, Woodpigeon.
