It has been a while since I've done any 'proper' birding as I've been purposely avoiding public transport and also keeping my non-essential travel to a minimum (to the extent that I do most of my shopping and my 'exercise' on my walk to and from work), with the only birding being the somewhat cursory sort I manage on my commute. So having found the Long Eared Owl youngster in the rain two days before, I decided having woken up early, that I would see if the bird was still around and continue on to Riverside Nature Park afterwards, successful or not.
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| Whitethroat |
I headed out at around 0530, the weather not looking overly promising. Similar species to my walks to work were noted early on, hardly surprising given that I was following a similar route to my work days. Despite checking the same trees where I'd heard the Long Eared Owl and the immediate area nearby I failed to see or even hear the bird. I did have better luck with the Cox's Stack Peregrines though, managing to catch one in 2 short flights around the tall brick chimney. A Yellowhammer on the Perth Road just down from the Gore buildings was a surprise.
It was around 0705 when I reached the Nature Park, scanning the bay from the railway bridge first. There were a few Oystercatchers, Curlews and Redshanks around but only low single figures of any of them. There were a few more gulls - mostly Herring Gulls, but also Lesser Black Backeds (including 2 rather black looking birds) and a number of Black Headed Gulls still with their chocolate hoods. Heading into the park I added Goldfinch, Carrion Crow, Feral Pigeon, Magpie and Blackbird.
A quick check from the hide added nothing new, though a Sandwich Tern was heard but not seen. A small flock of Siskins overflew westwards before I found a Yellowhammer in the hedgerow and a Linnet sharing a bush with a Goldfinch. A little further round a Buzzard flew up and hung in the wind over the bushes overlooking the bay. A few Skylarks lifted from the path edges, heading skywards, singing loudly. I added Mallard, Grey Heron and a pair of Common Sandpipers (my first of the year) in the bay before being distracted by a Whitethroat family group in the bushes to my left.
Chiffchaff, Pied Wagtail, Common Gull and a trio of Great Black Backed Gulls were spotted while I hoped for at least a glimpse of a Sandwich Tern as I scanned out across Invergowrie Bay. Eventually I had to give up and head into the park away from the bay. A singing Reed Bunting and a hunting Kestrel (which a Curlew took exception to) showed relatively well before I found a bush full of House Sparrows near the short path up the hill to the viewing area. Stock Dove, Swallow, Swift and House Martin were all seen with the hirundines and Swifts feeding in the lee of the bushes by the track down to the lower half of the park, whizzing close by me as they fed on flying insects.
I wandered round towards the Lochan adding Willow Warbler, Chaffinch and an unexpected Mistle Thrush on the way there. I spotted 2 adult Moorhens with 6 youngsters and some sleeping Mallards from the gap in the hedge a little to the west of the official viewing screen, but the Moorhens had vanished into the vegetation at the western end by the time I got there. Back round by the bay I finally picked up 3 Sandwich Terns heading low across the pipe, as well as noting Cormorants on the pipe. Having finally managed to get my second year-tick of the day onto the list I headed for the lower half of the park to see what else I could find.
A flock of Starlings (no Rosy) overflew the car park while Great Tit and Blue Tit were seen in the bushes. A Great Spotted Woodpecker overflew towards Buzzard Wood while a Greenfinch went the opposite way. I chanced upon an apparently injured Woodpigeon which lay down on the path ahead of me before spotting me and flapping its way along in front of me before finally managing a short flight into trees. Round the back of Buzzard Wood I spent a bit of time in the sheltered northeastern corner which was busy with lots to see. A young Bullfinch was seen, along with Song Thrush, Dunnock, lots of Whitethroats as well as Chiffchaffs. Blackbirds in the wood were unhappy with something and a Blackcap was heard singing a few times but not seen.
Small Tortoiseshell, Ringlet and a Red Admiral butterfly were nice additions. I chatted to a couple of birders for a while and managed some nice photos before calling it a day around 1100 with a Wren being the final addition within the park. Heading uphill from the park I added Long Tailed Tit while a Buzzard was added at Balgay Hill. Swallow was the final addition to the non-RNP list before I got caught in a heavy downpour not too far from home. Thankfully, I was able to shelter just enough to stay mostly dry and the shower passed over within a few minutes. By now my legs were starting to ache so I was glad to get home around 1230. Despite failing to catch up with the Long Eared Owl, I managed to see 22 species on the walk to/from the park and 48 species at the park - a combined total of 51 species (including 2 year-ticks - in bold). Those species in italics are the species seen only outwith the park.
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| Herring Gull & Lesser Black Backed Gull |
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| Curlew, Oystercatcher & Black Headed Gull |
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| Swift |
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| Siskin |
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| Linnet |
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| Goldfinch & Linnet |
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| Yellowhammer |
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| Goldfinch |
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| Buzzard |
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| Buzzard |
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| Black Headed Gull & Cormorant |
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| Common Sandpiper |
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| Willow Warbler |
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| Magpie |
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| Whitethroat |
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| Pied Wagtail |
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| Magpie |
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| Whitethroat |
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| Great Black Backed Gull |
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| Great Black Backed Gull |
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| Great Black Backed Gull |
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| House Sparrow |
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| Kestrel |
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| Curlew & Kestrel |
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| Reed Bunting |
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| Buzzard & Carrion Crow |
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| Stock Dove |
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| Black Headed Gull |
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| Swallow |
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| Rabbit |
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| House Martin |
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| Swift |
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| House Martin |
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| Mistle Thrush |
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| Skylark |
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| Black Headed Gull |
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| Sandwich Tern |
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| Mallard |
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| Starling |
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| Woodpigeon |
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| Woodpigeon |
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| Greenfinch |
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| Greenfinch |
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| Whitethroat |
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| Whitethroat |
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| Whitethroat |
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| Swallow |
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| Swallow |
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| Whiethroat |
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| Great Tit |
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| Blackbird |
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| Carrion Crow |
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| Carrion Crow |
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| Chaffinch |
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| Siskin |
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| Willow Warbler |
Species seen - Blackbird, Black Headed Gull, Blue Tit, Bullfinch, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff,
Coal Tit, Common Gull,
Common Sandpiper, Cormorant, Curlew, Dunnock, Goldfinch, Great Black Backed Gull, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Grey Heron, Herring Gull, House Martin, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Kestrel, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Linnet,
Long Tailed Tit, Magpie, Mallard, Mistle Thrush, Moorhen, Oystercatcher,
Peregrine, Pied Wagtail, Redshank, Reed Bunting, Feral Pigeon,
Sandwich Tern, Siskin, Skylark, Song Thrush, Starling, Stock Dove, Swallow, Swift, Whitethroat, Willow Warbler, Woodpigeon, Wren, Yellowhammer.
Butterflies seen - Red Admiral, Ringlet, Small Tortoiseshell.
Mammals seen - Rabbit.
