With a guided walk to lead at Riverside Nature Park on Saturday, I had to be up and out early due to the bus times meaning I either arrived too early or cut things too fine for the 0830 start to the walk. After the walk I had made arrangements to head to the Tay reedbeds with Susan, who was also coming along to the walk, to see if we could add a few species to her year-list (and potentially mine as well).
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| Whinchat |
I headed out at 0730 and immediately picked up Herring Gull, Woodpigeon, Goldfinch, Feral Pigeon and Blackbird. Minutes later, Blue Tit was added and then Lesser Black Backed Gull, Carrion Crow and a Greenfinch singing at the foot of the Hilltown. Starling was added from the bus out to the park. As I had chosen to go for the early option, I decided I would walk out to the western end of the park to check the state of the tides and the Lochan so I could plan the best route for the walk.
I walked along the fence-line looking into the park first of all. A Carrion Crow and a pair of Jackdaws were first onto the list for the park for the day. A Herring Gull glided over and I looked up just in time to see a pair of Goosander speeding over eastwards. The Coot I had seen the previous Sunday was still on the Lochan along with a couple of Mallards and an Oystercatcher. Black Headed Gull and Lesser Black Backed Gull were seen in the bay and a Woodpigeon was perched on a lamp post. A few Starlings were commuting into and out of the park>
A Sparrowhawk was spotted circling above the houses across the road. Common Gull and Shelduck were found in the bay. A Song Thrush flew from the hedge as I headed into the park, stopping to see my first
Whitethroat of the year. A Rabbit disappeared into cover ahead of me. A Dunnock sang loudly from a bush. As I turned onto the path round towards the picnic tables movement from a fence post caught my eye, and I turned to see a bird fly out and back, no doubt fly-catching. When I raised my binoculars to see what the bird was I got a rather nice surprise, It was a male
Whinchat, the first for the park (number 142), and also a year-tick for me.
I headed on round to the car park adding Goldfinch, Blackbird and Linnet on the way. Susan and a man sat in another car were waiting when I arrived. We were then joined by Graham Cross and Kate Traherne from the Friends group, another man, and a lady, her dad and 2 young girls. A Swallow sped over us, and a young-looking Mute Swan flew by. A Chaffinch sang from a tree nearby before 2 Sand Martins zoomed by. A Magpie chuckled from the trees beside us before a Pied Wagtail flew over. With the time now around 0840 we set off towards the Lochan and then from there along to the hide.
Robin, Willow Warbler, Skylark and Chiffchaff were all seen on the way to the Lochan. In addition to the Coot and Mallards there was a pair of Moorhens on the Lochan. Further on we added Yellowhammer and a House Martin. Views from the hide were poor owing to the rapidly growing vegetation in front. As we headed round past the picnic tables having failed to re-find the Whinchat a Kestrel flew over and hovered. A Green Veined White butterfly flitted along the verge. Out in the bay a small flock of 12 Bar Tailed Godwits fed in the water with gulls making up the majority of other birds in the bay. Cormorants could be seen distantly on the island off Kingoodie.
A pair of Teal were half-hidden by the bushes as we looked from by the path. We stopped by the short path up the hill to watch a trio of Wheatear feeding down on the ground. We then walked round to the car park and into the lower half of the park. We were well behind schedule and a few folk headed off. A Small Tortoiseshell butterfly was spotted. Blue Tit was seen at Buzzard Wood and a Blackcap was sharing the hedge between the fields with House Sparrows. We ended the walk with 42 species, which wasn't too bad, considering how few waders had been seen.
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| Black Headed Gull |
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| Whinchat |
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| Mute Swan |
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| Yellowhammer |
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| Yellowhammer |
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| Whitethroat |
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| Bar Tailed Godwit, Black Headed Gull & Herring Gull |
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| Teal |
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| Kestrel |
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| Wheatear |
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| Wheatear |
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| Wheatear |
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| Wheatear |
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| Wheatear |
Species seen in the park (year-ticks in bold) - Bar Tailed Godwit, Blackbird, Blackcap, Black Headed Gull, Blue Tit, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Common Gull, Coot, Cormorant, Dunnock, Goldfinch, Goosander, Herring Gull, House Martin, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Kestrel, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Linnet, Magpie, Mallard, Moorhen, Mute Swan, Oystercatcher, Pied Wagtail, Robin, Sand Martin, Shelduck, Skylark, Song Thrush, Sparrowhawk, Starling, Swallow, Teal, Wheatear,
Whinchat, Whitethroat, Willow Warbler, Woodpigeon, Yellowhammer.
Butterflies seen - Green Veined White, Small Tortoiseshell.
Mammals seen - Rabbit.
Myself and Susan headed off for Errol a little later than intended. House Martins circled around the houses in the village with Swallows. A Collared Dove was perched on wires above Gas Brae. House Sparrows flew back and forward across the track as we headed downhill. Tree Sparrows were next. We popped into the small community garden where we added a pair of Dunnocks and a Whitethroat, as well as a few Blue Tits. A Song Thrush flew low into a bush. Yellowhammers were still around the bushes and trees. Further on we added Small Tortoiseshell and Peacock butterflies. Skylarks sang from high in the sky.
We watched a distant male Marsh Harrier quartering above the reedbeds while a Sedge Warbler churred and cheeped from within the reeds. Reed Bunting was added. Walking on through the trees, a Blackcap was another addition. We stopped at the nettlebed open area and scanned out over the reeds from our raised viewpoint. I spotted a Bearded Tit flying low over the tops, the first time I'd seen one from here. Susan managed to get onto the bird before it dropped out of sight. A Buzzard circled up on a thermal. Chiffchaff, Coal Tit and Chaffinch were seen before we headed down to the end of the eastern pool.
On the water were a few Wigeon, a drake Gadwall, Coot, Mute Swan, Great Crested Grebe and Tufted Ducks. We had a few more views of Sedge Warblers giving display flights. Glimpses of what might have been a silent Reed Warbler were had, but were inconclusive. We headed along towards Port Allen adding Great Tit and Kingfisher. There were 4 Roe Deer in the field to the north of the wood. Treecreeper, Shelduck, Jackdaw. Stock Dove and Sand Martin were seen on our way back.
A Robin was by the house at the end of the track. A Wheatear was a slight surprise in the field. A Pied Wagtail was seen ahead of us. Susan spotted a Kingfisher flying off low along the drainage ditch. From the car back to Dundee we added 2 more species, a Mallard in a field and a Magpie. Things were quiet along the back roads to Invergowrie with the 2 main sightings being of 2 local birders - Philip Cohen and Graham Ewen, 1 either side of Kingoodie.
We ended the 'outside the park' part of the day with a total of 47 species, taking the list for the whole day to 60 species. All in all, a pretty good and enjoyable day's birding with the Whinchat being the biggest of several plusses.
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| Dunnock |
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| Whitethroat |
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| Marsh Harrier |
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| Skylark |
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| Wheatear |
Species seen - Bearded Tit, Blackbird, Blackcap, Blue Tit, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Coal Tit, Collared Dove, Coot, Dunnock, Gadwall, Goldfinch, Great Crested Grebe, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Herring Gull, House Martin, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Kingfisher, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Magpie, Mallard, Marsh Harrier, Mute Swan, Pied Wagtail, Reed Bunting, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Sand Martin, Sedge Warbler, Shelduck, Skylark, Song Thrush, Starling, Stock Dove, Swallow, Tree Sparrow, Treecreeper, Tufted Duck, Wheatear, Whitethroat, Wigeon, Woodpigeon, Yellowhammer.
Butterfly species seen - Peacock, Small Tortoiseshell.
Mammals seen - Roe Deer.
