Some good birds showed up on Friday in a few places despite the wet and windy weather - Bluethroat on Holy Island, Icterine Warbler near St Cyrus, a Rustic Bunting on the Isle of May and a Red Backed Shrike at Kilminning. With an improvement in conditions forecast for Saturday it was suspected that there might be more interesting movement overnight. I had decided to make an early start in the hope of finding something moving through Riverside Nature Park. I was then offered the chance to go to Kilminning with Lainy and Adam McCormack though they would be leaving after 1015. Of course, I said "yes, please". I figured an 0500 start would mean I could be at the park for 0600. I could then spend roughly 3 hours at the park searching for migrants fresh in, then head for home to meet up with Lainy and Adam at 1015-ish before heading for Kilminning for around 1100.
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Whitethroat
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When I have a definite plan for the day ahead I can usually get up and out, no matter how early the alarm is set, (though there are other variables involved sometimes). Saturday was no exception and I was out the door for around 0455. Herring Gull, Woodpigeon, House Sparrow, Dunnock and Carrion Crow were noted before my route took me past a rather heated 'discussion' between a teenage boyfriend and girlfriend who gave the impression that they'd been drinking. I kept my head down and hurried past until I'd got some distance between me and them. Thankfully, things were quieter towards the top of the Hilltown and I spotted Blackbird, Goldfinch and Blue Tit before heading along Kinghorne Road where Starling, Chaffinch, Magpie, Wren, Blackcap and Robin were added to the list.
Great Tit, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Song Thrush and Goldcrest were next as I headed for Balgay Hill. Feral Pigeon, Bullfinch and a juvenile Treecreeper were all seen from the track through the park. I thought I heard a hooting Tawny Owl and stopped to see if it called again. A Chiffchaff did. Then the Tawny Owl also called again. I briefly debated searching for it but chose not to eat into my migrant hunting time at the park. A Grey Squirrel scampered across the path ahead of me as I continued on. Long Tailed Tit were seen in the trees as I headed into the cemetery. On the last leg down to the park I was able to add Jackdaw, Greenfinch and Siskin. I decided that I would attempt to see or hear 45 species between 0600 and 0900. The tide state and likelihood of not many waders being around (based on my last visit) kept the target from being 50. It would still be a challenge within the time limit though.
Things got off to a steady start with Blackbird, Carrion Crow, Chiffchaff, Chaffinch, Blue Tit, Blackcap, Robin, Woodpigeon, Magpie, Oystercatcher and Song Thrush, as well as a few Rabbits all around the entrance area at the eastern end. Moving on towards the upper half of the park, Willow Warbler, Herring Gull and Feral Pigeon joined the others already on the list. Skylarks were singing above the hill and a Grey Heron, Jackdaws, Moorhen, Pied Wagtail, Mute Swan pair and a few Mallards were at the Lochan. I continued on towards the hide with Starling, Linnet, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Goldfinch, Yellowhammer, Reed Bunting and Whitethroat all seen on the walk along.
From the hide another pair of Mute Swans and a rather distant Shelduck were seen but not unexpectedly with the tide still quite far out there was little in the limited field of view from the hide. Rather than waste any time I headed back along the path and into the main body of the park again. Sedge Warbler and a male Bullfinch were spotted before I stopped to scan across the bay. A few Black Headed and Common Gulls were seen and a Greenfinch flew past but most of what I could see was distant and had already been recorded on the day's list. Round the back of the hill I added a Lesser Redpoll feeding by the fence.
I wandered up the hill and scanned again out across the river. There was a rather unexpected sight about 2/3 of the way across towards Fife. On one of the last sandbanks before the wide shipping channel I spotted something very out of place. A Roe Deer buck. I haven't previously seen Roe Deer at/from the park, though I know there are some not too far away so wouldn't have been too surprised to see one wandering through the park. However, one attempting to cross the river wasn't on my radar. I watched it as it seemed to be searching for a route to continue further towards Fife. The tide was slowly rising, though reducing the amount of exposed sand relatively quickly so far out in the river. Luckily the Deer seemed to realise that the best bet was to turn back and I watched it walk, run, wade, and even swim a little as it made its way back towards the Invergowrie shoreline.
Also out on the river were some distant Cormorants on another sandbank along with a Seal (sp.?). I made another circuit of the top half adding a few Swifts near the Lochan. When I reached the area near the picnic tables again I watched a Sandwich Tern fly into the bay. A Dunnock and a Stock Dove flew out from the bushes down the bank. A single drake Teal was dabbling just off the end of the mud which was now rapidly disappearing under the tidal flow. I spotted a flock of gulls circling above the recently submerged part of the pipe. I checked through them, expecting an Osprey but there wasn't one. Puzzled slightly I looked below them just in time to see a dark shape disappear under the water. Otter? It had to be, so I waited and as expected up popped an Otter after a short wait. My second new mammal species of the day for the park.
I was aware that the 3 species I had struggled to see on my last visit - Bullfinch, Greenfinch and Sandwich Tern had all been seen this time, but I was missing a few birds I had managed no problem easily that time. I headed down to the lower half of the park and checked the trees around the grassy area to the north of the car park. Unfortunately, things were very quiet and there was no sign of any obvious migrants. I checked along the front of Buzzard Wood but things were also very quiet there. I headed round the corner and found a pair of Swallows zipping about catching flies around the trees. A Siskin flew over and a Great Spotted Woodpecker called a couple of times. A singing Wren gave me another bird for the list.
I thought I was on 43 species and decided I would head for home a bit early but when I saved the BirdJournal app list on my phone as I left the park I discovered that despite the lack of Great Tit and Coal Tit that I had actually reached my target of 45 which was a pleasant surprise. It was a lot warmer than it had been when I'd headed out which did make the legs a bit heavier as I headed uphill to Balgay Hill. I heard a loud knocking from a tree trunk in the park and stopped to look, expecting a Great Spotted Woodpecker. I wasn't expecting a Nuthatch wandering around a few feet off the ground at the base of a large conifer. Unfortunately the camera was in my bag and I missed out on photos. There was one final addition with Oystercatcher heard before I made it home around 0945. An interesting morning's visit to the park, despite failing to see any obvious migrants.....though I was hoping the rest of the day's visit to Fife would prove more fruitful on that score......
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Blackcap
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Magpie
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Yellowhammer
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Whitethroat
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Bullfinch
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Whitethroat
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Reed Bunting
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Roe Deer
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Roe Deer
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Goldfinch
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Skylark
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Cormorant & Herring Gull
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Chaffinch
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Roe Deer
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Roe Deer
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Roe Deer & Carrion Crow
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Roe Deer, Herring Gull & Carrion Crow
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Willow Warbler
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Mallard
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Sandwich Tern
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Sandwich Tern
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Stock Dove
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Whitethroat
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Whitethroat
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Otter
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Teal
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Bullfinch
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Bullfinch
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Song Thrush
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Swift
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Robin
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Rabbit
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Blue Tit
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Birds (outside Nature Park) - Blackbird, Blackcap, Blue Tit, Bullfinch, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Dunnock, Goldcrest, Goldfinch, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Long Tailed Tit, Magpie, Nuthatch, Oystercatcher, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Siskin, Song Thrush, Starling, Tawny Owl, Treecreeper, Woodpigeon, Wren.
Mammals (outside Park) - Grey Squirrel.
Birds (Riverside Nature Park) - Blackbird, Blackcap, Black Headed Gull, Blue Tit, Bullfinch, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch,
Chiffchaff, Common Gull, Cormorant, Dunnock, Goldfinch, Great Spotted Woodpecker,
Greenfinch, Grey Heron, Herring Gull, Jackdaw, Lesser
Black Backed Gull, Lesser Redpoll, Linnet, Magpie, Mallard, Moorhen, Mute Swan, Oystercatcher,
Pied Wagtail, Reed Bunting, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Sandwich Tern, Sedge Warbler, Shelduck, Siskin, Skylark, Song Thrush, Starling, Stock Dove, Swallow, Swift, Teal, Whitethroat, Willow Warbler, Woodpigeon, Wren, Yellowhammer.
Mammals (at Park) - Otter, Rabbit, Roe Deer, Seal sp. .
