Having not really used my recent run of holidays to maximise my birding
as I had intended, I decided that for my latest batch I would try to get
out somewhere to do some birding every single day (unless it was
raining the entire time). With great intentions the alarm was set for an
early start on Wednesday but I went back to sleep again. However I did
decide that I would still head for Riverside Nature Park via a quick
look at Ninewells Community Garden where Nuthatch have been visiting the
feeders recently. Although it would be a later start, high tide was
around 1540, though as it was a large tide I knew I would have to be at
the park for around 1330 just to be sure.
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Stock Dove
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I headed out around 1140 and found things unusually quiet. It took a few minutes to even get Herring Gull on the list and almost another 5 minutes before anything else was added. This didn't particularly bode well. Blue Tit, Magpie, Woodpigeon, Robin and some high flying heard only Skylarks were added as I walked between the two local football stadiums. Blackbird and Jackdaw were next. House Sparrows and a skein of Pink Footed Geese were noted as I walked up Canning Street. Feral Pigeon was added on Byron Street.
I decided to change my route a bit though it didn't actually make much difference as I cut across the northwest slopes of the Law only managing to hear a Wren on the way. Balgay Hill proved a bit more productive with Goldcrest, Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Jay and Carrion Crow there. I had decided as I was going to be passing by anyway, that I would pop into the Ninewells Community Garden to try to see one of the two Nuthatches which have been visiting their feeders recently.
It turned out that there was a crafts group meet about to start at 1300 so I said I'd keep out of the way and as I wasn't planning on staying too long anyway I'd most likely be gone by the time they started. However, at least two very active Wood Mice proved really distracting, and also quite tricky to photograph as they tended to be mostly in areas of shadow. Although the feeders did bring in a few birds they were almost empty so not as busy as they might have been. While talking to one of the women there she mentioned they had possibly had as many as three Nuthatches together around the feeders, though definitely two. I did note Great Tit, Dunnock, Robin, Blue Tit, Coal Tit and Chaffinch but no Nuthatch. A Buzzard was seen circling to the south and a Pied Wagtail was heard flying past. A Red Admiral butterfly was also seen before I moved on again.
Having spent longer than intended at Ninewells I knew I would be cutting things rather fine for catching the waders as the tide came in at Invergowrie Bay. A skein of Pink Footed Geese which overflew me as I headed down past the WL Gore building also contained a Barnacle Goose (a Dundee 2021 year-tick). A party of Long Tailed Tits were heard in the trees bordering the Technology Park but I decided against spending time trying to see them. It was around 1340 by the time I reached the bridge overlooking the bay and I decided to have a quick look from there as the view from the hide in the park is very restricted.
It was just as well I did, noting Redshanks, Dunlin, Herring Gull and a Goosander as by the time it took me to walk round to the hide the majority of waders had disappeared off to their high tide roost leaving only a few Redshanks and Black Tailed Godwits but not much else. This was disappointing as I was hoping to check through the flocks for more interesting birds - especially Little Stint, which I'm still hoping to get on my Dundee 2021 list. From the hide I did however manage to get Jackdaw, Feral Pigeon, Black Headed Gull, Common Gull, Woodpigeon, Wren, Teal and Blackbird. A young Sparrowhawk flew low along the length of the railway embankment before disappearing out of sight behind the trees to the north of the hide.
A Pied Wagtail flew over as I wandered along the path towards the main body of the park, adding a few Robins in the hedge as well as a Song Thrush. I spotted another birder coming towards me. It turned out to be Graham Ramsay who had noticed the 2nd Spotted Redshank in the bay earlier in the year and I told him what was around (and not) from the hide. He decided he would have a look anyway but added that we'd likely run into each other later. I scanned out across the bay adding a Lesser Black Backed Gull and 2 Great Black Backed Gulls among a group of Herring Gulls and also an overflying Stock Dove.
As I continued on to the banking next to the bushes at the picnic tables I heard a call that didn't sound particularly familiar but which I thought might be a Red Throated Diver. As I stopped to scan I picked up a bird in flight gaining a bit of height as if it had just taken off from the water. It was indeed a Red Throated Diver, a new bird (number 151) for the park list - and on the first anniversary of my last new park find (Hawfinch). It turned westwards out of the bay and flew off upriver. Graham joined me a few minutes later and I told him what he'd just missed.
After some more scanning which gave us Curlew (a few hundred birds in several flocks), a Bar Tailed Godwit (in one of the Curlew flocks), Cormorant, Lapwing, Mallard and also a Buzzard which glided over and a flock of Goldfinches around the Buddleia bushes, we decided to see what else we could find and had a bit of a wander. A skein of Pink Footed Geese passed over, heading northwards. We then spent some time watching the area of bushes just west of the car park which although quieter than last week proved quite busy again, giving us Magpie, Bullfinch, Chaffinch, Blue Tit, Blackbird and a welcome, if rather brief, Jay.
We decided to check the lower half of the park next. This was also quite decent with at least two Chiffchaffs, a family group of Long Tailed Tits, Great Tit and Dunnock noted at the western end of Buzzard Wood. A male Sparrowhawk and a flock of Starlings were seen over the eastern end of the park a few minutes later. As I'd not yet had a look at the Lochan I suggested we do another loop of the top half next. Moorhen was added at the Lochan and 2 Stock Doves dropped in for a very quick drink before they flew off again. There were a handful of Teal there also. Wandering round by the bay again, having decided there was little point in checking the hide again as the tide hadn't subsided very much, a Grey Wagtail flew over.
After spotting a Rabbit, we were chatting as we headed down through the Buddleia 'tunnel' towards the car park when a bird called that I couldn't quite place though I knew it was something I didn't hear too often. We stopped and peered into the bush which thankfully was one of the more open ones where we could look into the low canopy. There was a Robin, a Blue Tit and a Chaffinch visible and a fourth bird which thankfully didn't seem too phased by having us both stood peering up at it. It turned round and the identity was revealed - a Brambling. Graham had been saying he hadn't seen one for at least 3 years as we were chatting earlier in the afternoon, so we were both quite pleased to having found one. A year-tick for me and yet another addition to my Dundee 2021 list. A Great Spotted Woodpecker was heard as we made it to the car park.
Graham offered to drop me off somewhere (thanks again!) when we finally called it a day at around 1720. I'd noted 24 species outwith the park and 44 at the park for a combined total of 49 species (year-tick in bold). Despite the late start and missing out on what was in the wader flocks it ended up being a very good afternoon's birding with three relatively unexpected birds and plenty other activity to keep our attention.
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Wood Mouse
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Wood Mouse
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Wood Mouse
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Great Tit
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Buzzard
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Pink Footed Goose & Barnacle Goose
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Goosander
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Black Tailed Godwit
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Sparrowhawk
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Feral Pigeon & Redshank
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Pink Footed Goose
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Red Throated Diver
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Red Throated Diver
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Black Tailed Godwit
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| Buzzard |
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Black Headed Gull
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Herring Gull & Great Black Backed Gull
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| Curlew |
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| Teal |
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Curlew & Bar Tailed Godwit
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| Teal |
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| Lapwing |
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| Redshank |
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Pink Footed Goose
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Carrion Crow
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| Bullfinch |
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| Goldfinch |
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| Chaffinch |
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| Bullfinch |
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| Magpie |
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| Chiffchaff |
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| Chiffchaff |
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| Chiffchaff |
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| Chiffchaff |
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| Sparrowhawk |
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Sparrowhawk & Starling
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| Starling |
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| Sparrowhawk |
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Great Tit
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| Moorhen |
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| Teal |
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Stock Dove
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Pink Footed Goose
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| Brambling |
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| Brambling |
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| Brambling |
Birds (outwith Riverside Nature Park) - Barnacle Goose, Blackbird, Blue Tit, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Coal Tit, Dunnock, Goldcrest, Goldfinch, Great Tit, Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Jay, Long Tailed Tit, Magpie, Pied Wagtail, Pink Footed Goose, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Skylark, Woodpigeon, Wren.
Butterflies (outwith park) - Red Admiral.
Mammals (outwith park) - Wood Mouse.
Birds (at Riverside Nature Park) - Bar Tailed Godwit, Blackbird, Black Headed Gull, Black Tailed Godwit, Blue Tit, Brambling, Bullfinch, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Common Gull, Cormorant, Curlew, Dunlin, Dunnock, Goldfinch, Goosander, Great Black Backed Gull, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Great Tit, Grey Wagtail, Herring Gull, Jackdaw, Jay, Lapwing, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Long Tailed Tit, Magpie, Mallard, Moorhen, Pied Wagtail, Pink Footed Goose, Redshank, Red Throated Diver, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Song Thrush, Sparrowhawk, Starling, Stock Dove, Teal, Woodpigeon, Wren.
Butterflies (at park) - Probable Red Admiral.
Mammals (at park) - Rabbit.