When I had gone to bed on Saturday night the weather forecast had looked rather promising for the following day, so when I did eventually get up on Sunday morning and looked outside I figured I should make the effort to get out somewhere as it looked reasonably decent. With high tide around mid-afternoon I decided to try Riverside Nature Park in the hope that I might chance upon something good, like a late Autumn migrant. By around 1145 I was ready to head down to the park.
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| Pied Wagtail |
Herring Gull and Feral Pigeon were both seen before I caught the bus into town with Carrion Crow seen en route. The Remembrance Day events in the city centre did alter the bus routes temporarily and after an extended wait I caught a bus out towards the park adding a Magpie and a Woodpigeon to the list. House Sparrows and Long Tailed Tits were heard as I walked down to the railway underpass but neither were seen.
I walked into the park at around 1220. A Herring Gull pair flew over and a flock of Long Tailed Tits flitted through the trees by the eastern entrance. A pair of Carrion Crows picked around on the grass to the east of Buzzard Wood and a Siskin flew over. I headed to the boggy area first to check for Snipe and Jack Snipe but found neither there though the area was much less marshy than usual. Blackbird and Robin were both seen in the bushes and a Grey Wagtail was chased off by a Goldfinch. A Magpie was added soon after. The sky had been looking rather less promising than I had thought it was meant to be and it began to rain.
I headed round to the relative shelter of the hide at the Lochan where the bushes provided a little shelter. A single Black Headed Gull and a handful of Teal were on the water. A Great Tit and a Blue Tit worked their way along the bushes towards me. A party of Fieldfares were seen in the gardens to the north. I headed next to the hide overlooking the bay when the rain abated slightly. Chaffinch, Song Thrush, Redwing and Jackdaw were spotted on the way there. Things were very quiet from the limited view available at the hide so I walked back into the park and round the front of the hill which gave me a view over the bay.
Redshanks and Dunlin made up the majority of birds visible but there were also a few Oystercatchers and a single Black Tailed Godwit. A Spotted Redshank among the Redshanks was discovered on the photos taken. A Curlew flew past and a Cormorant was seen roosting out on the outflow pipe. By now it was looking rather obvious that the rain would continue for a few hours so I headed through the park in an easterly direction to catch a bus back into town. I was able to add Common Gull, Dunnock and a few Mistle Thrush before a Pied Wagtail flew past near the car park.
A pair of Goldcrests were in the trees behind the car park and a Great Spotted Woodpecker called a couple of times but wasn't seen. A few Feral Pigeons flew over and a Woodpigeon was seen behind Buzzard Wood. A high flying skein of Pink Footed Geese were almost missed as they flew over silently. A few Redwings and Blackbirds flew back and forward to the bushes that split the cow fields and a pair of Pied Wagtails picked around on the muddy path behind me. A flash of white in the trees to the north of Buzzard Wood revealed a few Bullfinches but they disappeared further into the bushes before I managed to get a photo. A Wren was added as I hurried up the path to the Perth Road and a Collared Dove and Goldfinch were seen as I neared home later.
Not the most successful of outings given the weather but a Spotted Redshank at this time of year is a decent enough find, even if it wasn't really the hoped for late Autumn migrant. 35 species were seen in the park, and 8 outside, though Collared Dove and Wren were the only 2 seen only outwith the park.
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| Blackbird |
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| Herring Gull |
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| Goldfinch & Grey Wagtail |
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| Teal |
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| Fieldfare & Redwing |
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| Chaffinch |
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| Spotted Redshank & Redshank |
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| Spotted Redshank & Redshank |
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| Redshank & Dunlin |
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| Redshank, Dunlin & Teal |
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| Pink Footed Goose |
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| Blackbird |
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| Woodpigeon |
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| Redwing |
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| Pied Wagtail |
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| Pied Wagtail |
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| Pied Wagtail |
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| Pied Wagtail |
Species seen - Blackbird, Black Headed Gull, Black Tailed Godwit, Blue Tit, Bullfinch, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Collared Dove, Common Gull, Cormorant, Curlew, Dunlin, Dunnock, Fieldfare, Goldcrest, Goldfinch, Great Tit, Grey Wagtail, Herring Gull, Jackdaw, Long Tailed Tit, Magpie, Mallard, Mistle Thrush, Oystercatcher, Pied Wagtail, Pink Footed Goose, Redshank, Redwing, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Siskin, Song Thrush, Spotted Redshank, Teal, Woodpigeon, Wren.
