Although I had intended another very early start for a trip to Riverside Nature Park before the dog walkers turned up, in the hope of adding Snipe and maybe even Woodcock, I went back to sleep again when the alarm went off before 0500. When I eventually did get up I worked out that I could possibly make it to the park in time for the high tide roost developing though with such a high tide forecast it can be tricky to judge just how early you need to get to the park.
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Great Spotted Woodpecker
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I headed out at 1315 to find all the local Feral Pigeons in the air. High above a Sparrowhawk spiralled higher. I headed for the Hilltown and down through Dudhope Park. A few skeins of Pink Footed Geese heading northwards and a pair of Long Tailed Tits were the avian highlights however my first definite Bumblebee of the year was spotted in a garden on Kinghorne Road disappearing into a Crocus. As I wandered down through Dudhope Park a Small Tortoiseshell butterfly flitted by in the sunshine. A Grey Wagtail flew over as I walked down Edward Street. A Lesser Black Backed Gull glided by a little later. Just over an hour after leaving the house I spotted a flock of Curlews on the runway at Dundee Airport and a few minutes later I reached the park.
A Song Thrush was singing loudly and I managed to see a Greenfinch near the entrance as well as a number of Siskins, Goldfinches, Chaffinches and Blue Tits. A single Coal Tit showed well as it acted like a Crossbill, feeding on pine seeds from a cone. A distant Skylark was seen over the airport. Despite the boggy area actually being a bit boggy there were no Snipe to be found. I found a Bullfinch male singing very quietly in the hedge near the Lochan and a Yellowhammer was seen flying over the hill before it too landed in the hedge. A pair of Moorhens were seen on the Lochan along with a few Teal and a pair of Mallard. There were people everywhere and it was proving difficult to find many birds.
The tide was already well in and with kids playing noisily on the brae to the south of the hide the gulls had vacated the bay, so I decided to cut my losses and try Ninewells Arboretum where it was likely to be a lot quieter, people-wise. A Jay and a Treecreeper were the highlights in the Arboretum, but better was to come when a Peregrine was seen in flight near the tall chimney before it stooped in the direction of Invergowrie Bay. A welcome year-tick, though the camera and binoculars were back in the bag, as I was near the nurses' residences at the time. I headed next for Balgay Hill where a few Stock Doves and another Jay were seen. I watched a pair of Great Spotted Woodpeckers chasing each other a little as well as partaking in some drumming.
Above one of the Woodpeckers were a few Blue Tits and Finches. As I scanned through them I spotted one of the now resident Nuthatches but it flew off to a different tree before I managed to get a photo of it. A Buzzard was heard calling from somewhere on the hillside but not seen. I headed for home via the Law slightly disappointed with the afternoon's birding - despite the year-tick (in bold) and my first Bumblebee and butterfly of the year. I managed a total of 42 species which was relatively disappointing, given that I can sometimes manage to see that amount in the park alone.
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Greenfinch
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Coal Tit
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Coal Tit
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Carrion Crow
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Herring Gull
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Rabbit
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Carrion Crow
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Robin
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Robin
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Moorhen
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Moorhen
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Jackdaw
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Yellowhammer
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Long Tailed Tit
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Long Tailed Tit
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Long Tailed Tit
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Jay
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Carrion Crow
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Carrion Crow
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Woodpigeon
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Jay
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Jay
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Stock Dove
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Stock Dove
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Great Spotted Woodpecker
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Great Spotted Woodpecker
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Great Spotted Woodpecker
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Birds -
Blackbird, Black Headed Gull, Blue Tit, Bullfinch,
Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Coal Tit, Curlew, Dunnock, Goldfinch, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Grey Wagtail, Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Jay, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Long Tailed Tit, Magpie, Mallard, Moorhen, Nuthatch, Oystercatcher, Peregrine, Pied Wagtail, Pink Footed Goose, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Siskin, Skylark, Song Thrush,
Sparrowhawk, Starling, Stock Dove,
Teal,
Treecreeper, Woodpigeon, Wren, Yellowhammer.
Butterfly -
Small Tortoiseshell.Mammal -
Rabbit.
Riverside Nature Park - italics
Outside Park -
underline
Year-Tick -
bold
