Tuesday began with rain but as things were meant to improve as the day progressed, I chose to stay in bed for longer and to get out birding when the weather had improved later in the morning. Had the rain not been forecast I had been planning on an early morning visit to Riverside Nature Park to see how the amount of vis-mig following the river west compared to that I'd seen at the top of Dundee Law recently. I would also have been in place to check through the waders in Invergowrie Bay as the tide receded. Unfortunately, the later start meant that the best opportunities for both the vis-mig and the birds in the bay would have passed by the time I finally arrived at the park.
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| Blackbird |
I headed out around 1005 to a fairly typical start to the day's list with Herring Gull, Robin, Starling, Blackbird, Magpie, Blue Tit, Carrion Crow, Feral Pigeon and House Sparrow all noted in the first few minutes. Slightly more unusual was the migrant Redwing heard calling from somewhere above as I walked up past the allotments and a Grey Wagtail calling from inside Dens Park football stadium. Things quietened down somewhat after that with only Wren, a skein of Pink Footed Goose, Coal Tit and Woodpigeon found before I reached the football pitches at Lochee Park. There were still a few gulls around - Black Headed Gulls and Common Gulls, though the numbers were much lower than when I usually pass that way much earlier on my walk to work. Chaffinch, Great Tit, Jay and a Grey Squirrel were all at Balgay Hill but nothing else was added before I reached Riverside Nature Park around ten minutes later.
With no great need to be anywhere in particular within the park I took my time. Carrion Crow, Blue Tit, Feral Pigeon, Herring Gull, Bullfinch, Robin, Blackbird, Woodpigeon and Magpie were all noted while I walked the stretch behind Buzzard Wood from the eastern entrance. Continuing on to the top half of the park a few Skylarks were seen over the hill and a Pied Wagtail flew past as I wandered down to check out the Lochan. Mallard and Teal were seen there, though for once, the resident Moorhen weren't seen. A Red Admiral butterfly flitted past as I wandered along to the hide to check the birds in the bay. A Song Thrush called as it overflew and a Stock Dove headed west along the hedge-line.
Surprisingly the tide wasn't as far out as I'd anticipated and I was able to see the majority of birds in the bay. Redshank, Dunlin, a possible Curlew Sandpiper, Curlew, Common Gull, Black Headed Gull, Great Black Backed Gull, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Herring Gull, Jackdaw, Cormorant, Lapwing, Black Tailed Godwit, Bar Tailed Godwit, Oystercatcher and Grey Heron were all noted over a ten minute period before I headed back into the park. Linnet, Yellowhammer, Meadow Pipit and the first of the day's Buzzard were all seen in flight. There was a small group of Goosander on the outer section of the pipe. Long Tailed Tit, Great Tit, Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Siskin, Chaffinch and Chiffchaff were seen in the bushes on either side of the hill. A small group of Mistle Thrush passed over heading west.
An unexpected bonus was a late Comma butterfly resting on a low branch at the bend in the path towards the hill. I checked the buddleia bushes where the Brambling was last week but could only rustle up a Dunnock this time. Watching the patch of bushes just up from the car park produced a Coal Tit and a Wren along with more Blackbirds, Song Thrush, Bullfinch, Chaffinch and Blue Tits. A Grey Wagtail flew past. After three and a half hours in the park I decided to call it a day and managed to add a Sparrowhawk as I was nearing the exit. I decided to walk along the waterfront and up through the city centre on my way home. Long Tailed Tits were in the trees behind the Amazon depot. An Oystercatcher flew over the airport. Pied Wagtail and Goldfinch were seen in reasonable numbers at the football pitches.
Out on the river I was able to add a few Cormorants and a distant Grey Seal swimming downriver. There were still a handful of Guillemots between the bridges and one or two tame Black Headed Gulls and a single Lesser Black Backed Gull loafing on the wall. A bit of a surprise was a small flock of Mallards which flew past as I neared the V&A. I decided not to bother with City Quay this week and headed home having managed a combined total of 53 species of bird ((29 outwith the park & 48 inside), 2 of butterfly (at the park) and 2 of mammals (outwith the park). It was a reasonably productive day's birding without throwing up anything too unusual. An earlier visit might have proved more productive, though the rain put paid to that and the few extra hour's sleep was rather welcome in any case.
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| Skylark |
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| Skylark |
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Great Black Backed Gull
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Shaggy Inkcap
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Herring Gull, Carrion Crow & Redshank
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Pink Footed Goose
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Blue Tit
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Black Tailed Godwit
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Cormorant & Grey Heron
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| Goosander |
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| Yellowhammer |
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| Skylark |
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| Magpie |
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| Buzzard |
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| Blackbird |
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| Blackbird |
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| Robin |
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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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Mistle Thrush
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Mistle Thrush
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| Comma |
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| Comma |
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| Buzzard |
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Pink Footed Goose
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Blue Tit
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Coal Tit
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Coal Tit
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| Woodpigeon |
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| Sparrowhawk |
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Grey Seal
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| Cormorant |
Birds (outwith park) - Blackbird, Black Headed Gull, Blue Tit, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Coal
Tit, Common Gull, Cormorant, Goldfinch, Great Tit, Grey Wagtail, Guillemot, Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Jay, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Long Tailed Tit, Magpie, Mallard, Oystercatcher, Pied Wagtail, Pink Footed Goose, Redwing, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Starling, Woodpigeon, Wren.
Mammals (outwith park) - Grey Seal, Grey Squirrel.
Birds (at Riverside Nature Park) - Bar Tailed Godwit, Blackbird, Black Headed Gull, Black Tailed Godwit, Blue Tit, Bullfinch, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Coal Tit, Common Gull, Cormorant, Curlew, Dunlin, Dunnock, Goldfinch, Goosander, Great Black Backed Gull, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Grey Heron, Grey Wagtail, Herring Gull, Jackdaw, Lapwing, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Linnet, Long Tailed Tit, Magpie, Mallard, Meadow Pipit, Mistle Thrush, Oystercatcher, Pied Wagtail, Pink Footed Goose, Redshank, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Siskin, Skylark, Song Thrush, Sparrowhawk, Stock Dove, Teal, Woodpigeon, Wren, Yellowhammer.
Butterflies - Comma, Red Admiral.