Having attempted and failed to see more than 50 species in Dundee on Wednesday - due (largely) to my own bad timing plus the less than ideal high tide times, I decided I really should get up and out to try and beat the target. The chance to reach Riverside Nature Park before high tide meant Friday made the most sense. Despite a cold start, the weather forecast was also rather promising with a reasonable expectation of encountering some vis-mig species to add to the prospective total for the day. An 0700 start would allow me to get to the park for around 0830, roughly 90 minutes before high tide (which wasn't a huge one - reducing the need to get there much earlier), so the alarm was set, and the decision to actually get up and out was made before I went to sleep.
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Buzzard
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It proved marginally more difficult to get up in the morning but I did indeed make it out before sunrise. Thankfully, the early hour and less humans around meant that there were far more birds to see (and hear) than there were on Wednesday in the early afternoon. A Pied Wagtail and a few Siskins were likely migrants with both being noted near Dundee Law. The first of the day's 4 Great Spotted Woodpeckers was seen as I headed down from the Law via the Law steps route. A small flock of 4 Bullfinches and a 2nd Great Spotted Woodpecker were seen in Balgay Park and both Mistle Thrush and Meadow Pipit were heard flying over before I reached the park just after 0800.
Another Great Spotted Woodpecker was one of the first species seen at the park, along with some of the smaller regulars (Blackbird, Blue Tit, Wren, Great Tit etc) and a few of the larger ones (Woodpigeon, Carrion Crow, Magpie). A skein of Pink Footed Geese flew over as I headed out towards the bay. A Buzzard was noted across the road in a tree opposite the Lochan with the 4th Great Spotted Woodpecker of the morning not far away. On the Lochan were the usual Teal and Moorhen. A Stock Dove dropped in briefly amd a Skylark was seen over the hill behind.
A Yellowhammer was added on the walk to the hide overlooking (a small part of) the bay. A Chiffchaff showed quite well in the trees behind the hide and I was able to get a few photos as it fed in the sunshine. Unlike the visit on Wednesday it was much easier to work my way through the waders and gulls on the mud with just binoculars. Black Tailed Godwits were the best find on the rising tide. I spotted a Peregrine heading northwards though it was very distant. A small flock of Tree Sparrows flew over towards Invergowrie and a pair of Grey Wagtails fed on the seawall below the railway line. Once the tide had covered all the mud I headed into the park for a slow wander around until the tide receded enough to let the waders back in to feed.
Both Great Black Backed Gull and Lesser Black Backed Gull were seen on the water further out in the bay along with the regular Herring and Black Headed Gulls. The first Meadow Pipits of the day flew over and a Cormorant flew into the bay as I watched from near the picnic tables. A Weasel ran across the path but too fast for me to react to take a photo. Pied Wagtail, Mistle Thrush, Greenfinch and Bullfinch were all added to the list and unlike Wednesday I even managed to add a couple of Swallows as well. A Red Admiral butterfly was seen too.
A party of Long Tailed Tits distracted me as I headed back towards the hide around 1100 with a Coal Tit also joining them on the list. As the tide receded I was able to add a few more species that had been absent earlier including an unexpected flock of 27 Lapwings which circled round but didn't land. A Common Gull was found before a flock of Oystercatchers flew in to join the Dunlin, Curlews and Redshank. As more and more Dunlin flew in I spotted a white rump among the flock and as they buzzed around before settling I managed a few photos which showed not just 1 but at least 3 Curlew Sandpipers - a new species for my Dundee list for 2020, taking me slightly closer to my target of 100 species for the city.
Also among the Dunlin that flew in was an all white bird - a leucistic Dunlin which had been seen a few days earlier at Montrose Basin. Unless it stays in Invergowrie Bay it is likely to be reported from elsewhere further to the south. Surprisingly I was struggling to add either Sparrowhawk or Jay, as both had been much easier to see on Wednesday. The latter proved too elusive but I managed to add 2 Jays near Buzzard Wood just before I left the park around 1300. I also had nice close views of a young Buzzard in flight near the wood. The total for the park was a very decent 52 species - breaking the target for the day on its own, putting it comfortably into the top 5 totals for a visit (I think).
As I headed back along by the railway line I spotted an unexpected House Martin overhead. I hoped to catch up with Nuthatch at Balgay Hill but Goldcrest and another Jay had to suffice along with another Red Admiral butterfly. A Grey Wagtail flew over near the football stadiums as I neared home. The early start and all the walking required meant I was a bit tired when I made it home but I had managed to do what I had set out to do, with 52 species noted in the park, and 3 others seen outwith taking the total to 55 for the day, along with 1 species of butterfly and 2 of mammals. I managed a few decent photos too which were a nice bonus - with Buzzard flight shots and a Meadow Pipit topside flight shot being the pick of the bunch.
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Herring Gull
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Buzzard
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Great Spotted Woodpecker & Buzzard
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Stock Dove
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Buzzard
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Buzzard
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Chaffinch
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Pink Footed Goose
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Yellowhammer
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Chiffchaff
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Black Tailed Godwit & Redshank
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Peregrine
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Grey Heron
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Grey Wagtail
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Redshank & Dunlin
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Stock Dove
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Herring Gull & Great Black Backed Gull
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Pink Footed Goose
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Goldfinch
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Pink Footed Goose
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Pink Footed Goose
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Song Thrush
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Cormorant
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Mistle Thrush
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Dunnock
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Great Tit
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Skylark
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Meadow Pipit
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Meadow Pipit
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Greenfinch
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Coal Tit
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Chaffinch
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Magpie
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Buzzard
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Blackbird
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Skylark
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Dunlin
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Goldfinch
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Starling
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Swallow
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Skylark
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Red Admiral
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Magpie
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Swallow
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Teal
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Carrion Crow & Jackdaw
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Lapwing
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Lapwing
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Lesser Black Backed Gull
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Dunlin & Curlew Sandpiper
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Teal, Dunlin, Curlew Sandpiper & Black Headed Gull
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Dunlin, Curlew Sandpiper & Black Headed Gull
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Black Headed Gull
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Dunlin & Curlew Sandpiper
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Dunlin & Curlew Sandpiper
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Grey Heron
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Lesser Black Backed Gull
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Oystercatcher & Black Headed Gull
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Teal, Oystercatcher, Dunlin & Black Headed Gull
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Dunlin (and leucistic Dunlin)
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Dunlin (& leucistic Dunlin)
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Dunlin (& leucistic Dunlin) & Oystercatcher
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Blue Tit
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Carrion Crow & Buzzard
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Buzzard
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Magpie & Buzzard
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Jay
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Buzzard
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Buzzard
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Buzzard
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Buzzard
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Buzzard
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Jay
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Magpie
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Magpie
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Species seen (birds seen only outwith park in italics, only in park underlined) - Blackbird, Black Headed Gull,
Black Tailed Godwit,
Blue Tit, Bullfinch,
Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch,
Chiffchaff, Coal Tit,
Common Gull,
Cormorant, Curlew, Curlew Sandpiper,
Dunlin, Dunnock,
Goldcrest, Goldfinch,
Great Black Backed Gull, Great Spotted Woodpecker,
Great Tit, Greenfinch, Grey Heron, Grey Wagtail, Herring Gull,
House Martin, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Jay,
Lapwing,
Lesser Black Backed Gull, Long Tailed Tit, Magpie,
Mallard, Meadow Pipit, Mistle Thrush,
Moorhen, Oystercatcher, Peregrine, Pied Wagtail, Pink Footed Goose,
Redshank, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Siskin,
Skylark, Song Thrush, Starling,
Stock Dove, Swallow,
Teal, Tree Sparrow, Woodpigeon, Wren,
Yellowhammer.Butterflies seen - Red Admiral.
Mammals seen - Rabbit,
Weasel.
